Bridget White Anglo-Indian Recipe Books

Bridget White Anglo-Indian Recipe Books
ANGLO-INDIAN RECIPE BOOKS

NO COPYING ALLOWED FROM THIS SITE



All the recipes and Photographs on this Site are old Family Recipes and tried and tested by the Author. Please feel free to try out these old recipes, and relish them, but desist from copying and using on other sites without the prior permission of Bridget White-Kumar. Any infringement would amount to Plagiarism and infringement of Copy Right punishable by Law

IMPORTANT NOTICE

DUE TO THE PRESENT SITUATION, I AM NOT IN A POSITION TO POST MY BOOKS TO THOSE WHO ORDER THEM DIRECTLY FROM ME.
ALL MY ANGLO-INDIAN RECIPE BOOKS ARE AVAILABLE ONLINE ON Amazon.com
THIS IS THE LINK TO MY AUTHOR PAGE DISPLAYING ALL MY BOOKS. HENCE PLEASE ORDER DIRECTLY AND PURCHASE THE BOOKS FROM AMAZON

Monday, December 22, 2014

CHRISTMAS MEMORIES - DECCAN HERALD 23RD DEC 2014


http://www.deccanherald.com/content/449186/bring-batter.html



CHRISTMAS MEMORIES - DECCAN HERALD 23RD DEC 2014 - KALKALS AND CHRISTMAS CAKE

 

DECCAN HERALD – METROLIFE - DOWN FOODPATH      Bring on the Batter   http://www.deccanherald.com/content/449186/bring-batter.html
                              Bridget Kumar,Dec 23, 2014, DHNS:


I have always associated Christmas with the smells, sounds and sights of the season. It brings back the memories of my hometown — Kolar Gold Fields. The smell of the decorated pine Christmas tree in the sitting room, the enticing aroma of Christmas cakes being baked and the ‘kalkals’ and rose cookies being fried, the sight of all the Christmas decorations, buntings and the soothing sounds of Christmas carols — I have great memories of everything and all these are a part of the wonder of Christmas.
My mother would start the preparation of the traditional sweets and treats that are a part and parcel of Christmas a fortnight in advance. Kalkals, rose cookies, fruit cakes, coconut sweets, the Christmas pudding, bole cake, dodol, bebinca, marzipan, peanut fudge, cashewnut fudge and rice crispies were some of the goodies that were prepared in abundance by her. The delicious aroma of these goodies would drift through the house and neighbourhood.
I am sharing the recipes of two of my favourite Christmas delights — kalkals and Christmas cake.
As kids, we would wait for the Christmas holidays to begin so that we could all help my mother in the preparation of sweets. We would all sit around the dining table and each of us would take a lump of dough and spread it on a fork to make as many kalkals as possible with it. These kalkals were like small shells and we would also cut out various other shapes like hearts, clubs and diamonds with the help of cutters. It was fun competing with each other to see who made the most. As soon as we completed a good number my mother would start frying them till all were fried and a huge heap was kept in basins and trays on the table. Once cold, she would make the frosting by pouring hot sugar syrup on the kalkals. We had a lot of fun helping her and sometimes even our non-Christian friends would join the fun. Of course, a good portion of the fried kalkals would go into our mouths in the process! The Christmas spirit would set in early thanks to the Christmas cake. The earlier it is prepared with your choice of liquor, the more delicious it turns out to be. Most Anglo-Indian families have their own recipe for Christmas cake, which is usually handed down through generations. Candied fruit, plums, currants, raisins and orange peels are dexterously cut and soaked in rum or brandy a few weeks in advance. Nuts are peeled and chopped and the whole family comes together to make the Christmas cakes. In our family, different tasks would be allotted to each person — while one whipped up the eggs, another creamed the butter and sugar. A person with strong arms would do the final mixing and stirring. After the cake batter was poured into the tins, the real fun would begin with everyone fighting to lick the leftover batter in the mixing bowl and on the spoons and spatulas! 

Recipe for Kalkals (Serves six)
Ingredients
 Refined flour - 1 kg
 Eggs (beaten well) - 6
Milk or thick coconut milk - 2 cups
Salt - 1 teaspoon
Sugar - 300 grams
Baking powder - 1 teaspoon
Oil for frying
Mix the flour, salt, sugar and baking powder together. Add the coconut milk and eggs and knead to a soft dough. Keep aside for an hour. Form kalkals by taking small lumps of the dough and roll on the back of a fork or a wooden kalkal mould, to form a scroll. Alternately, roll out the dough and cut into fancy shapes with kalkal or cookie cutters. Heat oil in a deep pan and fry as many kalkals as possible at a time. Keep aside.
To frost the kalkals, melt one cup of sugar with half cup of water and when the sugar syrup crystallises, pour over the kalkals and mix well. Store in air-tight boxes when cold.

Recipe for Christmas cake 
Ingredients
Refined flour or plain flour - 500 grams
Dark brown sugar - 300 grams
Unsalted butter - 500 grams
Mixed dried fruits (black currants, raisins and sultanas chopped finely and soaked in rum or brandy before hand) - 500 grams
Chopped orange / lemon peel - 100 grams
Lemon or orange zest - 1 tablespoon
Salt - ¼ teaspoon
Nutmeg powder
- ½  teaspoon
Cinnamon powder - ½ teaspoon
Eggs (beaten) - 4
Milk (optional) - 4 tablespoons
Baking powder - 1 teaspoon
Vanilla essence/extract - 1 teaspoon
Black currant jam or orange marmalade - 2 tablespoons
Black treacle syrup or date syrup  (optional) - 2 tablespoons

Preparation
Heat the oven to 150°C. Remove the chopped fruit from the rum, drain and keep aside. Sift the flour, baking powder, cinnamon powder, nutmeg powder and salt together. Dust the orange/lemon peel and the chopped soaked fruit with a little flour. Cream the butter and sugar well. Add the beaten eggs, treacle/date syrup, vanilla essence, orange/lemon zest and mix well.
Now add the black currant Jam/marmalade, orange/lemon peel and chopped fruit. Slowly, add the flour and mix gently till all the ingredients are combined well. If the mixture is too thick, add a little milk.
Pour into a greased and papered baking tin and bake in a slow oven for about one hour or more. Check if cooked by inserting a tooth pick. If the tooth pick comes out clean, your cake is ready.
Remove from the oven when done and set aside to cool. When the cake is completely cool, poke all over with tooth pick and drizzle brandy or rum.  Repeat once in every week or ten days if you are preparing in advance. Wrap in foil paper. This cake will last for months if stored in an air-tight container.  

Friday, December 5, 2014

DODOL OR DOLDOL (BLACK RICE HALWA) - AN ANGLO-INDIAN CHRISTMAS DELICACY
















DODOL OR DOLDOL (BLACK RICE HALWA) -  AN ANGLO-INDIAN CHRISTMAS DELICACY 
 Dodol or Black Rice Halwa is a delicious Christmas Sweet purported to be another legacy of the Portuguese to Anglo-Indian Cuisine. The Main ingredients in Dodol are) Black Rice (Burmese Puttu Rice) powder, Almonds or cashew nuts, Coconut Milk and lots of ghee or clarified butter. This Christmas Delicacy takes hours to prepare and requires many hands for stirring it. The men of the house are usually roped in to help stir the black bubbling mass till it turns into a delicious and mouth watering Halwa. The Dodol that is prepared in Anglo-Indian homes  is usually made with white sugar. However, the Dodol which is very popular in Goa uses jaggery or brown sugar instead.  Dodol is also very popular in other countries such as Srilanka, Malaysia, Singapore, the Philippines etc. Here is an old and easy recipe that my mum used for many years.

DODOL (A coconut and rice flour based halwa)
Makes 30 pieces      Preparation time 2 hours
Ingredients
1 kg Black Puttu Rice flour or Red Rice flour
1 kg sugar                                                     
300 grams almonds
200 grams cashew nuts
1 cups roasted fine semolina or soogi or semolina           
½ kg ghee
5 cups thick coconut milk


Boil the sugar and coconut milk together in a fairly big vessel till it forms thick syrup. Mix the rice flour and semolina together and add to the syrup a little at a time and mix well. Add the ghee, cashew nuts and almonds. Keep stirring continuously and cook on low heat  till the mixture is thick and leaves the sides of the pan. Remove from the heat and pour onto a greased plate. Cut into squares when cold. (The Dodol will be black)

Friday, November 28, 2014

A FEW TIPS FOR COOKING RICE & HOW TO COOK PLAIN WHITE STEAMED RICE



















A FEW TIPS FOR COOKING RICE & WHITE STEAMED RICE

Raw rice should always be washed in cold water. Washing in hot water will break the grains and destroy the nutritional value.
Start cooking on high heat. When it reaches boiling point reduce heat and cook on low heat till all the water is absorbed. Allow the rice to stand for at least 10 minutes after cooking before serving.
Use 2 cups of water for 1 cup of rice. However the amount of water will vary with the quality of rice and through experience the right amount of water to be used will be arrived at. A little more water would be needed if boiled rice is sued. While cooking rice in a pressure cooker use 1½ cups of water for 1 cup of rice.
 A Biryani or Pulao is a rice dish in which rice is cooked together with vegetables, meat or chicken together with various spices in a closed vessel over low heat. There are a few differences in preparing a Biryani and Pulao. Preparing Biryani, is a long process as the rice and meat along with other ingredients are first cooked separately, then layered in a huge vessel and simmered on a low flame. A Pulao is much easier to prepare as the rice and meat / vegetables and the other ingredients are all cooked together in one go!  Even thoughI suggest Basmati Rice in my recipes here, any other good quality rice may be used instead. 
Spiced rice, Briyanis and Pulao can be prepared in advance of a  party and stored in the freezer. Just before serving, cover the rice with a lid and place in a hot oven for 15 minutes for heating or heat for 4 or 5 minutes in a microwave oven.

WHITE STEAMED RICE
Serves 6    Preparation and cooking time 45 minutes

1cup raw rice
2 cups water
A pinch of salt


Wash the rice and soak in 2 cups of water and a pinch of salt for 15 minutes. Place on heat and bring to boil. Reduce heat and cook on low heat till done and all the water is absorbed. Cover and allow to stand  for 15 minutes before serving. This is the standard plain rice eaten every day. Serve with any curry, dhal or pepper water.

BRIDGET WHITE DIARIES - THE SHRILANKA DAILY MIRROR 2014-10-30





















THE SHRILANKA DAILY MIRROR          2014-10-30 16:08:45
THE SHRILANKA DAILY MIRROR          2014-10-30 16:08:45 


Bottom of Form
The Bridget White Diaries
- See more at: http://life.dailymirror.lk/article/9930/the-bridget-white-diaries-a-taste-of-history#sthash.EbzmjLzD.dpuf
You call them Burghers, we call them 'Anglo-Indians'. Just like in Sri Lanka,  this is a community of mixed ancestry: Portuguese, Dutch, British and - Indian.  After independence in 1947, the Anglo-Indians began to shrink. There was a variety of reasons. Some of it was social ostracism by other Indians : especially towards those with European skin-tones and features. Thousands also left simply to seek better prospects: mostly in Australia, England, the United States and Canada.  

But along with them,  their unique, amalgamated cuisine too, threatened to say goodbye to India. The British Shepherd's pie (the Indian curried version being 'cottage pie'),  mutton or beef glace (which, to Indian cooks, came to be known as 'glassy'), : many of the delights common in thousands of Indian households began to be replaced by the ubiquitious, tandoori clay-oven cuisine of the Indian North. Punjabi butter chicken took the place of the Sunday lamb roast,  paneer (cottage cheese) replaced glazed baby carrots and new potatoes: In restaurants, on flights, in homes: the culinary genre born of the marriage of western and eastern cultures began to wither up and die.

That is, till Bridget White-Kumar sat up and decided to do something about it.  White-Kumar was born to British, Portuguese and Dutch ancestry and grew up in Karnataka in southern India.  The Whites decided to stay put in their home country. "This is where we belong and we are well integrated into the mainstream," says White-Kumar, even as she stirs a sauce, chops onions and keeps an eagle eye on a roast in the oven.
THE SHRILANKA DAILY MIRROR          2014-10-30

 

Her sprawling kitchen is like an impressive workshop, with every tool and implement needed by a master-chef.  After all and even though she is 62 and a grandmother, Bridget White-Kumar is not only a home-maker. She is also a food consultant to various five-star hotels across India and the author of seven best-selling recipe books on Anglo-Indian cuisine, whose condensation into one, UK-published volume, won her the 2012 Gourmand World Cook Book Award for 'The best culinary history book in India".
 
"Many of the older generation cooked from intuition and memory rather than from a written recipe," says White.  "In these days of instant mixes, few find the time for even a simple meal, let alone the traditional dishes of our forefathers. That's when I decided to compile the recipes and preserve the very unique heritage of our cuisine."
 
Even non Anglo-Indians who grew up in India's army cantonments of the sixties are die-hard fans of White-Kumar's commendable venture. Due to the great number of Anglo-Indians in military service, it is their cuisine that dominated club kitchens  From the quirkily named 'pepper water' to 'sheep's head curry', from 'trotters in gravy' to 'washerman's pie', White-Kumar's recipes evoke aromatic nostalgia and memories of kitchens filled with clouds of steam,  tantalizing spirals of spices and the pleasing sight of well-marinated cuts in old-fashioned 'meat-safes'.  It was an epoch of coalescence, of brown gravies and mango chutneys that gave the inherently contradictory occidental-oriental relationship an extraordinary and entirely tasty culinary genre of its own.
THE SHRILANKA DAILY MIRROR          2014-10-30


White's collection includes selections dedicated to roasts, casseroles and bakes, snacks, egg delicacies but also one entirely for vegetarians and even recipes for home-made wines. Besides the modestly-priced collection of seven books (USD 10,- each) which can be ordered directly from White at bidkumar@gmail.com or bridgetkumar@yahoo.com,  the indefatigible and ever-smiling queen of the kitchen also writes a highly popular
 blog.

"Try my recipes," she says shyly, as she turns an upside-down pudding inside out, pineapples glistening and browned to perfection. "I promise you not only a gastronomic delight but also a rendezvous with history."

Text by Padma Rao Sundarji in New Delhi
 

- See more at: http://life.dailymirror.lk/article/9930/the-bridget-white-diaries-a-taste-of-history#sthash.EbzmjLzD.dpuf

Wednesday, November 26, 2014

ANGLO-INDIAN RECIPE BOOKS - ANGLO-INDIAN RECIPES

















Anglo-Indian Recipe Books by Bridget White-Kumar..
The List of Books along with prices for each country is given below.The cost of the books vary for each Country as the handling and Speed Post Charges are factored into the cost of each book. Payment in India through Money Order or Cheque. (No Cash on Delivery Basis )
Payment from abroad through Western Union or Paypal only. Contact me by email before making payment to confirm the order.
To order and buy copies of these books contact bridgetkumar@yahoo.com
1. ANGLO-INDIAN CUISINE – A LEGACY OF FLAVOURS FROM THE PAST
Price per book : India : Rs175..00, Australia: A$15.00, UAE: Rs.350.00, Canada C$15.00, UK: GBP 8.00, USA: $15.00

2. ANGLO-INDIAN DELICACIES
Price per book: India : Rs130.00, Australia: A$10.00, UAE: Rs 300.00, Canada C$10.00, UK: GBP 5.00, USA: $10.00

3.A COLLECTION OF ANGLO-INDIAN ROASTS, CASSEROLES AND BAKES
Price per book: India : Rs130.00, Australia: A$10.00, UAE: Rs 300.00, Canada C$10.00, UK: GBP 5.00, USA: $10.00
4.THE ANGLO-INDIAN FESTIVE HAMPER
Price per book: India : Rs130.00, Australia: A$10.00, UAE: Rs 300.00, Canada C$10.00, UK: GBP 5.00, USA: $10.00
5. THE ANGLO-INDIAN SNACK BOX
Price per book: India : Rs130.00, Australia: A$10.00, UAE: Rs 300.00, Canada C$10.00, UK: GBP 5.00, USA: $10.00
6. VEGETARIAN DELICACIES
Price per book : India : Rs150.00, Australia: A$15.00, UAE: Rs 350.00, Canada C$15.00, UK: GBP 8.00, USA: $15.00
7.SIMPLE EGG DELICACIES
Price per book: India : Rs130.00, Australia: A$10.00, UAE: Rs 300.00, Canada C$10.00, UK: GBP 5.00, USA: $10.00
A whole set of 7 books costs as under which includes the Postage and handling:
In India only Rs. 1100.00
Posting to: Australia: Aus. $80.00, Canada C$80.00, UK: GBP 45.00, USA: $80.00
UAE: Rs 3000.00
Payment in India through Money Order or Cheque. (No Cash on Delivery Basis )
Payment from abroad through Western Union or Paypal only. Contact me by email before making payment to confirm the order.

Friday, November 14, 2014

CHRISTMAS CAKE
















CHRISTMAS CAKE
Christmas time is that very special time of the year signifying happiness, caring and family togetherness. Preparation of the traditional cakes and sweets that are a part and parcel of Christmas starts a month in advance, filling the house and neighbourhood with enticing smells. For many people, one of their strongest childhood memories, is the enticing aroma of baking at Christmas. This is the time, when the whole house is in a festive mood, with the anticipation of Christmas, and everyone in the family chips in to help prepare those heavenly delights, such as  the traditional Christmas Cakes, kalkals and Rose Cookies, many other sweets and goodies that are prepared specially for Christmas. Christmas cakes are the best place to start if you want to get in the Christmas spirit nice and early. Christmas cakes are delicious if you make them in advance and feed it your chosen liquor gradually over the weeks leading up to Christmas. Most Anglo-Indian families have their own recipe for the Christmas Cake, that  is usually handed down through generations. Candied fruit, plums, currants, raisins, orange peel etc are dexterously cut and soaked in Rum or Brandy a few weeks in advance.  Nuts are peeled and chopped and the whole family comes together to make the cake. Jobs are allotted to everyone -  one to whip up the eggs, while another creams the butter and sugar, the flour is sieved, cake tins are lined, and a strong pair of arms are requisitioned to do the final mixing and stirring. After the cake batter is poured into the tins, the real fun starts with everyone fighting to lick the leftover batter in the mixing bowl and from the spoons and spatulas --  Here is a recipe for Christmas Cake that I’ve been using for many years. It may not look very dark but its rich and tasty.

Ingredients:
500 grams refined flour or plain flour              
300 grams dark brown sugar
500 grams unsalted butter
500 grams mixed dried fruits (equal quantities of black currants, raisins and sultanas) which have been chopped  finely and soaked in rum or brandy before hand
100 grams chopped orange / lemon peel          
1 tablespoon Zest of lemon or orange
¼ teaspoon salt                                          
½  teaspoon nutmeg powder
½ teaspoon cinnamon powder
4 eggs beaten well                                             
4 tablespoons milk (optional)
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon vanilla essence / extract
2 tablespoons Black Currant Jam or Orange Marmalade
2 tablespoons Black Treacle Syrup or Date Syrup  (optional)

Heat the oven to 150°C
Remove the chopped fruit from the rum, drain and keep aside.
Sift the flour, baking powder, cinnamon powder, nutmeg powder and salt together.
Dust the orange / lemon peel and the chopped soaked fruit with a little flour.
Cream the butter and sugar well. Add the beaten eggs, treacle / date syrup, vanilla essence, orange / lemon zest and mix well. Now add the Black Currant Jam / Marmalade, orange / lemon peel and chopped fruit. Slowly add the flour and mix gently till all the ingredients are combined well. If the mixture is too thick add a little milk.
Pour into a greased and papered baking tin or dish and bake in a slow oven (150°C ) for about one hour or more. (Check if cooked by inserting a tooth pick. If the tooth pick comes out clean, your cake is ready. Bake for some more time if still raw inside)
Remove from the oven when done and set aside to cool.


When the cake is completely cool, poke all over with tooth pick and drizzle brandy or rum all over the cake, (repeat once in every week or ten days). Wrap in foil paper, and store in an air tight container. This cake will last for months if stored in an air tight container. 

Monday, October 13, 2014

CORNED BEEF - HOME MADE CORNED BEEF

Corned Beef or Salt cured Beef refers to Beef that has been preserved and flavored in a Brine solution. The Brine acts as a preservative. Sugar is stirred into the brine solution which prevents the meat from getting hard due to the presence of the salt.  Saltpeter is also added to the solution. This helps to maintain the red coloring of the meat.  Various spices are added for flavoring. In the olden days, Corned Beef was always served with steamed cabbage. It was popular during both World Wars when fresh meat was in short supply and rationed. Corned Beef is usually used as a filling in sandwiches or made into a Hash with steamed vegetables 
 


RECIPE FOR HOME MADE CORNED BEEF
Ingredients
2 Kg tender beef from the “Round” Portion
1 kg Table salt or fine powdered salt
50 grams Saltpeter / Black salt / Lime salt powdered
1 tablespoon moist brown sugar
Juice of 8 limes
2 or 3 tablespoons vinegar
Wash and dry the meat well. Puncture holes all over it. Mix the salt, saltpeter ( lime salt or black salt), vinegar and brown sugar together. Divide this mixture into 4 parts. Rub the Beef all over with one portion of the salt mixture and juice of 2 limes. Turn the beef around so that the salt solution seeps into it well. Repeat this after every 2 hours rubbing it well several times during the day. Next morning remove from the old dish and place it on another dry dish, and rub into it the second portion of the prepared salt.  Let it stand for an hour or so, then pour over it the remainder of the 2nd portion of the salt solution. Repeat the rubbing two or three times during the day, turning the beef continually. On the 3rd and 4th day repeat the procedure of placing in a fresh dish and rubbing the beef well with the 3rd and 4th portions of the prepared salt solutions and lime juice.  On the 5th day boil or pressure cook the meat with all the residue of the salt solution for at least 1 hour on low heat. Cool and store. Use for sandwiches etc when required.
Ps. Use glass or stone dishes while soaking the meat as the salt solution would react with plastic or other metal dishes. You could keep the dish in the fridge during the marination process.

Sunday, September 7, 2014

TROTTERS IN TOMATO GRAVY



Trotters - Every one's favourite - Have your Trotters with Hoppers, Rice or Bread
Trotters in Tomato Gravy
Serves 6   Preparation Time 1 hour
Ingredients
8 Trotters either lamb or goat preferably the front ones 
2 large tomatoes pureed
3 teaspoons chillie powder
2 large onions chopped
1 teaspoon ginger garlic paste
1 teaspoon coriander powder
3 tablespoons oil
Salt to taste
A small bunch of coriander leaves chopped.
Wash the trotters well and cook with sufficient water and a little salt in a pressure cooker till soft. ( About 8 to 10 whistles - then turn off the heat)

Heat the oil in a pan and lightly sauté the onions. Add the ginger garlic paste, chillie powder, coriander powder, tomato puree and mix well. Fry till the oil seperates from the masala. Add the cooked trotters and the remaining soup / stock and mix well. Cook first on high heat then on medium heat for half an hour till the trotters are well cooked and the gravy is thick.  Garnish with chopped coriander leaves. 
Serve hot with rice or bread or even dosas or hoppers.

Friday, August 22, 2014

DING DING (SAVOURY SUNDRIED MEAT CRISPIES)



DING DING (SAVOURY SUNDRIED MEAT CRISPIES)
An Anglo-Indian Favourite  in the olden days. A Back Up Dish for those days when fresh meat was not available. A delightful accompaniment to Pepper Water and Rice or Dol and Rice 
Serves 6   Preparation Time 45 minutes
Ingredients
1 kg beef from the shank end of the leg (cut into very thin slices)
3 or 4 teaspoons pepper powder
2 teaspoons chillie powder
3 teaspoons salt
1 teaspoon turmeric powder
½ cup vinegar
Wash the meat and marinate with the pepper powder, salt, chillie powder, vinegar and turmeric powder for 2 or 3 hours.  String the pieces of meat on a string and hang to dry.  (Alternately the marinated meat could be placed on a flat plate and kept in the sunlight to dry). The pieces should be dried thoroughly.  Store in an  airtight container and use whenever required at a later date.

To use at a later date, soak the dried meat pieces in cold water for a couple of hours.  Beat each piece with a rolling pin and then shallow fry with a little oil. 
This goes well with rice and pepper water.

Wednesday, August 6, 2014

MINCE CURRY PUFFS


MINCE CURRY PUFFS
Mince Curry Puffs are old Anglo-Indian Tea time and Party snacks.  In the olden days, no Birthday Party, was complete without Mince Curry Puffs on the menu. The Puff s are prepared by placing a spoonful of stuffing, which usually consists of  prepared Minced Meat (mostly beef or mutton /lamb) on  small saucer shaped  rolled out rounds of dough, then deep fried in oil or baked in an oven. The filling or stuffing could vary as per choice – Shredded or scraped coconut mixed with sugar or jaggery was another popular filling, so also scrambled eggs, or a prepared vegetarian filling of peas, potatoes, carrots etc .
I still remember the fun we used to have as children, helping my mother to make the curry puffs in our mining house in Kolar Gold Fields .We would all gather around the dining table while my   mum would knead the dough and cut out the saucer shaped rounds of dough. She would then  instruct us to place a tablespoon of the already prepared mince filling on one side of the round  (not in the middle), then flip the other half over and seal the edges with a finger dipped in water. Our right hand pointy finger would have to just barely touch the water in a cup to seal the edges of the puffs, as too much water would make the dough soggy. She would then let us make our own designs with the fork around the edges and the raw puffs would have to be laid in neat rows in a floured tray ready to be fried by her to a lovely golden brown in the kitchen. The appetizing aroma of the mince puffs frying would fill the whole house. There was no greater joy than this as kids!!

RECIPE FOR HOT MINCE CURRY PUFFS
Serves 6      Preparation and cooking time 1 hour
Ingredients for the Dough:
250 grams refined flour or maida
50 grams butter or dalda or any other shortening 
½ teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon salt
Sufficient Oil for deep frying the puffs
For the Filling:
250 grams minced meat (Beef or Mutton)
2 teaspoons chillie powder
2 medium size onions (chopped)
2 teaspoons chopped coriander leaves
Salt to taste
1 teaspoon ginger garlic paste
To prepare the pastry dough: Sift the flour with a teaspoon of salt and baking powder. Mix the butter with the flour and knead into a stiff dough using very little water. Keep aside.
To prepare the filling: Heat a tablespoon  of oil in a pan and sauté the onions lightly. Add the meat mince, chillie powder, ginger garlic paste, coriander leaves and salt. Stir well and cook on low heat till the mince is cooked and all the water dries up. Remove and keep aside to cool.
Now take the prepared pastry dough onto a floured board and rollout into a thin sheet. Cut rounds of about 10 cm diameter with a saucer. Place a little mince on one half of the rounds and fold the other half over. Seal the edges by dampening with a little water. Make indents with the tines of a fork all around the edges to get a ridged look. Prepare the puffs in this way till all the dough and mince is used up.
Heat the oil for frying in a fairly deep pan till smoky. Slowly drop in the puffs one by one     (as many as the pan can hold). Fry till crisp and brown on both sides. Remove from the oil and drain. Serve hot as a party or tea time snack
One could bake the Puffs instead of frying if desired

Saturday, August 2, 2014

ANGLO-INDIAN COOKERY BOOKS BY BRIDGET WHITE

BRIDGET’S ANGLO-INDIAN RECIPE BOOKS
 
1. ANGLO-INDIAN CUISINE – A LEGACY OF FLAVOURS FROM THE PAST is a comprehensive and unique collection of easy- to- follow Recipes of popular and well loved Anglo-Indian dishes. The repertoire is rich and vast, ranging from the outright European Cutlets, Croquettes, pasties, roasts, etc, to mouth watering Curries, Side dishes, Spicy Fries, Foogaths, Biryani and Palaus, Pickles, Chutneys etc, picking up plenty of hybrids along the way. The very names of old time favorite dishes such as Yellow Coconut Rice and Mince Ball (Kofta) Curry, Pepper water, Mulligatawny Soup, Grandma’s Country Captain Chicken, Railway Mutton Curry, Dak Bungalow Curry, Crumb Chops, Ding Ding, Stews, Duck Buffat, Almorth, etc, which were so popular during the Raj Era are sure to bring back nostalgic and happy memories. These popular Anglo-Indian dishes will take you on an exotic nostalgic journey to Culinary Paradise.
It is a practical and easy guide to delectable cooking. The book with its clear step-by-step instructions, describes the preparation of a variety of Anglo-Indian Dishes. The easy-to-follow directions make cooking simple and problem- free.
 
ANGLO-INDIAN CUISINE – A LEGACY OF FLAVOURS FROM THE PAST has been selected as WINNER FROM INDIA under the category BEST CULINARY HISTORY BOOK by GOURMAND INTERNATIONAL COOK BOOK AWARDS 2012
 
Price per book : India : Rs175..00, Australia: A$15.00, UAE: Rs.350.00, Canada C$15.00, UK: GBP 8.00, USA: $15.00
 
2. ANGLO-INDIAN DELICACIES is a collection of Recipes of popular vintage and contemporary Cuisine of Colonial India. Old favourites such as Pork Bhooni, Devil Pork Curry, Calcutta Cutlets, Fish Kedegeree, Double Onions Meat Curry, Camp Soup, Bengal Lancers Shrimp Curry, Boiled Mutton chops, etc have been given a new lease of life. The recipes are simple and extremely easy to follow. The very names of the dishes will surely bring back nostalgic memories of by gone days to many. As with the earlier books, it will make a useful addition to a personal Anglo-Indian Recipe Collection.
Price per book: India : Rs130.00, Australia: A$10.00, UAE: Rs 300.00, Canada C$10.00, UK: GBP 6.00, USA: $10.00
 
3. A COLLECTION OF ANGLO-INDIAN ROASTS, CASSEROLES AND BAKES is a practical and easy guide to delectable cooking. The clear step-by-step instructions describe the preparation of a variety of easy to prepare Anglo-Indian Roasts, Casseroles and Bakes such as Shepherd’s Pie, Washerman’s Pie, Roast Chicken, Macaroni and Mince, etc. A few Vegetarian Bakes and casserole dishes are also featured.
Price per book: India : Rs130.00, Australia: A$10.00, UAE: Rs 300.00, Canada C$10.00, UK: GBP 6.00, USA: $10.00
 
 
4.THE ANGLO-INDIAN FESTIVE HAMPER is a collection of popular Anglo-Indian festive treats, such as Cakes, Sweets, Christmas goodies, Puddings, Sandwiches, Preserves, Home-made Wines, etc, etc. The repertoire is rich and quite vast and takes you on a sentimental and nostalgic trip of old forgotten delicacies. These mouth watering concoctions are a mix of both ‘European’ and ‘Indian’, thus making it a veritable “Anglo-Indian” Festive Hamper. The easy-to-follow directions make the preparation of these old, popular, mouth watering goodies, simple, enjoyable and problem-free.
Price per book: India : Rs130.00, Australia: A$10.00, UAE: Rs 300.00, Canada C$10.00, UK: GBP 6.00, USA: $10.00
 
5. THE ANGLO-INDIAN SNACK BOX is a collection of simple and easy to follow recipes of tasty snacks, short eats, nibbles and finger food. The repertoire covers a variety of vegetarian as well as non-vegetarian snacks which includes savouries, sandwiches, wraps, rolls, pastries, sweets etc and can easily be prepared from ingredients commonly available at home.
Price per book: India : Rs130.00, Australia: A$10.00, UAE: Rs 300.00, Canada C$10.00, UK: GBP 6.00, USA: $10.00
 
6. VEGETARIAN DELICACIES is a collection of simple and easy recipes of delectable Vegetarian Dishes. The repertoire is rich and vast, ranging from simple Soups and Salads, to mouth watering Curries, Stir fries, Rice dishes, Casseroles and Baked Dishes and popular Accompaniments. The easy-to-follow directions, using easily available ingredients, make cooking these dishes simple, enjoyable and problem-free. The book also highlights the goodness of each vegetable and their nutritive and curative properties in preventing and curing many health disorders.
Price per book : India : Rs150.00, Australia: A$15.00, UAE: Rs 350.00, Canada C$15.00, UK: GBP 8.00, USA: $15.00
 
7. SIMPLE EGG DELICACIES is a collection of simple and easy recipes of delectable Egg Dishes for Breakfast, Lunch and Dinner and for all other times as well.  The repertoire ranges from simple Breakfast Egg Dishes and Egg Salads, to mouth watering Curries, Tea Time treats, Sandwiches, Casseroles and Baked Dishes. The recipes are extremely easy to follow and only easily available ingredients have been suggested. - A real treat for ‘Eggetarians’.
Price per book: India : Rs130.00, Australia: A$10.00, UAE: Rs 300.00, Canada C$10.00, UK: GBP 6.00, USA: $10.00
 
A whole set of 7 books costs as under: (includes the Postage and handling)
India Rs. 1100.00Australia: A$90.00, UAE: Rs 3500.00, Canada C$90.00, UK: GBP 45.00, USA: $90.00
 
For copies contact:  Bridget Kumar
Tel: 080 25504137 / 98455 71254 / 98440 444236

Friday, July 11, 2014

MEAT AND LADY'S FINGER (OKRA) CURRY



MEAT AND LADY'S FINGER (OKRA) CURRY
This is an old time favourite - Meat and Lady's Finger Curry. Tastes yummy with steamed white rice and a dash of Brinjal Pickle.
Serves 6     Preparation Time 45 minutes
Ingredients
½ kg Meat either beef / mutton / lamb cut into medium size pieces
½ kg tender Lady's fingers / Okra
2 onions chopped finely
1 teaspoon ginger garlic paste
2 teaspoons chillie powder
1 teaspoon coriander powder
2 medium size tomatoes chopped
2 tablespoons coconut paste or 3 tablespoons coconut milk
2 tablespoons oil
Salt to taste
Wipe the lady’s fingers / okras with a dry cloth then cut them into 2 inch pieces. Discard the ends.
Boil the meat with sufficient water and a little salt till tender. Retain the soup / stock.
Heat oil in a pan and add the onions and fry till golden brown. Add the tomatoes, chillie powder, salt, coriander powder and ginger garlic paste and sauté for a few minutes. Now add the boiled meat and coconut paste / coconut milk and mix well.
Add the left over meat stock / soup or 1 cup of water and simmer on low heat for about 7 to 10 minutes till the meat absorbs the flavours and the gravy is the required consistency.
Now add the lady’s fingers / okras are cook for just 3 more minutes on medium heat till the lady’s fingers / okra are just cooked and still crunchy, taking care not to overcook them. Serve as a main curry with rice.

Tuesday, July 8, 2014

SIMPLE ANGLO-INDIAN BEEF ROAST AND POTATOES

 
SIMPLE ANGLO-INDIAN BEEF ROAST AND POTATOES
Serves 6   Preparation time 1 hour
Ingredients
2 kg Beef from the “Round Portion” or “Top Rump part”
2 large onions cut into quarters
2 teaspoons pepper powder
3 red chillies broken into bits
2 tablespoons vinegar
2 small bits of cinamon about 1 inch in length 
Salt to taste
3 tablespoons oil
3 large potatoes pealed

Wash the meat and rub the salt and pepper well into it. Heat the oil in a big pan or a pressure cooker, and add the meat to it. Cook on high heat for a few minutes, turning the meat on all sides till it changes colour. Add the onions, potatoes, red chillies, cinamon, vinegar and sufficient water and cook on low heat till the meat is tender.  Continue to simmer on low heat till the meat is nicely brown all over and the potatoes too are nicely roasted.  (If cooking in a pressure cooker switch off after 20 minutes).

Serve hot or cold with bread and steamed vegetables.  

Slices of this Roast can be made into delicious Roast Beef Sandwiches with a dash of mustard or tomato ketchup.

The same recipe can be used for making Mutton or Lamb Roast as well.

Tuesday, July 1, 2014

CULINARY WORKSHOP ON ANGLO-INDIAN DISHES


LEARN HOW TO COOK ANGLO-INDIAN DISHES -  A ONE OF A KIND CULINARY WORKSHOP in Bangalore

 
A Culinary Workshop on ANGLO-INDIAN DISHES by BRIDGET WHITE-KUMAR (Independent Food Consultant and Author of 7 recipe books on Anglo-Indian Cuisine) hosted by DIFFERENT STROKES CREATIVE LEARNING AND ACTIVITY CENTRE, Indiranagar, Bangalore.         

Date: Saturday, 19th August 2014
Time: 11.00 AM to 3.00 PM
Workshop Fees: Rs. 2,500/- (all inclusive)
Venue: Different Strokes Creative Learning & Activity Centre,  #65, 4th Cross, 10th Main, Indiranagar 2nd Stage, Bangalore 560 038,
Phone : 98861 52504

DISHES THAT WILL BE TAUGHT AT THE COOKING WORKSHOP
1. Anglo-Indian Yellow Coconut Rice
2. Chicken Vindaloo
3. A Colonial Anglo-Indian Dinner Platter of Pepper Chicken Roast with Mashed Potatoes, Steamed Veggies and Grilled Tomatoes
4. Devilled Eggs
5. Bread Pudding
 ABOUT THE WORKSHOP
·         It will be an interactive and hands on workshop where the participants will assist in cutting, chopping and preparation of the dishes
·         They will learn about the History and Evolution of Anglo-Indian Cuisine and how the various dishes got their names.
·         Participants will learn how to plate and serve the dishes prepared at the workshop and will enjoy the same for their lunch.
·         Each participant will get to take home the Recipes of the dishes prepared at the workshop.
·         A special Apron and a copy of Bridget’s new Recipe Book “SIMPLE EGG DELICACIES’ would be gifted to each participant.

 The Workshop is limited to 20 persons so Registrations will be on a First Come First Served Basis.
To Register for this’ one of a kind workshop’ please contact Umesh Prasad: 98861 52504
 https://www.facebook.com/#!/different.strokes.clac