Saturday, December 3, 2011

KALKALS / KULKULS

KALKALS or KULKULS are prepared all over India at Christmas time. A variant of ‘Filhoses Enroladas’ a Portuguese Christmas Sweet, Kalkals, (always referred to in the plural) are crunchy inch-long curled or shell shaped sweetened fried dough Sweets. Sugar and flour are combined with eggs, milk and butter to a soft dough and then small marble sized balls of this dough are rolled on the tines of a fork or a comb to form a shell or a scroll, then deep fried in hot oil. The dough is sometimes rolled out and cut into different shapes such as hearts, spades, diamonds etc with cutters or a knife and then deep fried in hot oil. The Kalkals / Kulkuls are later frosted or coated in hot melted sugar syrup.
Making Kalkals is a time consuming process and thus requires many hands in its preparation. Hence a few days before Christmas, a separate day is designated as ‘Kalkal Day’ when every member of the family spends a few hours rolling out his/her portion of the kalkal dough. While one doesn’t know how the name ‘Kalkals / Kulkuls’ got its nomenclature it is probably because of the “curls” of this particular Christmas Sweet.

KALKALS  (Fried sweetened balls of dough)
Serves 6  Preparation time 1 hour
Ingredients

I kg refined flour 
6 eggs beaten well
2 cups thick coconut milk                
½ teaspoon salt                              
300 grams sugar
1 teaspoon baking powder             
Oil for deep 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 1 cup of sugar with ½ cup of water and when the sugar syrup crystallizes pour over the kalkals and mix well. Store in airtight boxes when cold.


Thursday, November 24, 2011

ROAST TURKEY WITH STUFFING

                                                                                                     Serves 6   
Preparation Time 1 hour

1 Whole small dressed Turkey
¼ cup vinegar
3 teaspoons pepper powder
2 cups bread crumbs
2 teaspoons dried mint powder
2 eggs beaten
1 cup of boiled peas and carrot  
 ½ teaspoon grated lemon rind
½ cup oil   Salt to taste

Wash the turkey and rinse the insides well and keep aside.  Wash the liver, heart, gizzards and other edible internal parts of the turkey well.  Cook all these parts with a little water, salt and pepper powder till soft. Remove and chop into very tiny bits. This is known as the Turkey Giblets mince. Mix the cooked giblet mince with the eggs, bread crumbs, vinegar, mint powder lemon rind, salt and the boiled carrots and peas.
Now slit the turkey near the neck just above the chest and fill it well with the giblet mince mixture packing it firmly and tightly. When the turkey is stuffed well, close the opening Rub oil well all over the turkey. Place the stuffed turkey in a large vessel or pressure cooker and add sufficient water.  Cook till the turkey is tender. Keep simmering till all the water dries up and the turkey turns a lovely golden brown all over. (The stuffed turkey can also be roasted in an oven if desired).  Serve hot or cold with boiled vegetables and mash potatoes and Bread.

Friday, October 21, 2011

STICK CURRY / KEBAB CURRY / HUSSAINY CURRY

Serves 6                
Preparation Time 1 hour
Ingredients

1 kg beef or mutton cut into small cubes
1 cup curds / yogurt
1 teaspoon garlic paste
1 teaspoon turmeric powder
1 teaspoon ginger paste
2 teaspoons chillie powder
2 onions sliced
10 or 12 thick broom sticks / bamboo sticks or thin skewers 4” in length
3 tablespoons oil
Salt to taste

Marinate the meat with a little turmeric powder, salt and a little curds for one hour.
Heat oil in a suitable vessel and sauté the onions for a few minutes. Add the ginger and   garlic paste and fry for a few minutes. Add the chillie powder, turmeric powder, remaining curds and salt and stir fry for a few minutes. Add 1 cup of water and bring to boil. Meanwhile pass the broom sticks / bamboo sticks / skewers through the marinated meat. About 5 pieces should fit on each stick. Place the sticks of meat in the curry that is boiling. Close the vessel and simmer on low heat till the meat is cooked. Serve without removing the sticks.

Sunday, October 9, 2011

HOT & SPICY TRIPE (BOTY CURRY)

Spicy Tripe or Boty Curry was a very popular dish with the community. In olden days It used to be prepared with freshly roasted and pounded ingredients. The Boty or the tripe would be washed well and cut into long thin strips then cooked in sufficient water for hours till tender over a firewood oven. Now with a pressure cooker, the same dish can be prepared in just 45 minutes. It was served with bread or rice and sometimes as an accompaniment with drinks. Tripe tastes delicious with coconut rice too!!!
This recipe is featured in my Cookery Book  ANGLO-INDIAN CUISINE - A LEGACY OF FLAVOURS FROM THE PAST 
Serves 6   
Preparation Time 40 minutes
 Ingrredients
1 kg Tripe either beef or mutton sliced thinly
2 large onions chopped
1teaspoon chilly powder
½ teaspoon pepper powder 
½ teaspoon turmeric powder
2 tablespoons oil
1 teaspoon finely chopped ginger
2 teaspoons finely chopped garlic
Salt to taste
2 green chillies slit lengthwise
1 teaspoon cumin powder
½ teaspoon coriander powder
½ cup cudla dhal ( Bengal gram dhal)

Wash the tripe well. Cook it in sufficient water with the cudla dhal and a little salt in a pressure cooker till soft. Drain and keep the soup aside. Heat the oil in a pan and sauté the onions lightly. Add the sliced tripe, ginger, garlic, salt, turmeric powder, chilly powder, cumin powder, coriander powder and pepper powder and mix well. Add the soup. Cover and simmer on low heat till the gravy thickens. Serve hot with rice or bread.  


Saturday, September 10, 2011

SCRAMBLED FISH ROE (FISH EGGS)


Serves 6 
Preparation Time 45 minutes
Ingredients

½ kg Fish Roe 
2 onions chopped finely
2 green chillies chopped    
1- teaspoon salt
2 teaspoons pepper powder    
3 tablespoons oil or butter

Wash and cut the Fish Roe into thick slices about an inch in thickness. Coat it with the salt and pepper. Heat oil or butter in a pan till smoky and fry the onions and green chillies till golden brown. Mix in the fish Roe slices and fry till golden brown. Break up the Roe as it fries. It will taste like scrambled egg. Serve with  buttered Toast 

Wednesday, August 31, 2011

Spicy Mince Croquettes (Cigar shaped Cutlets)

Serves 6                
Preparation Time 1 hour
Ingredients

½ kg minced meat  (Beef or mutton)                    
I onion chopped finely
6 cloves garlic chopped                                           
3 green chilies chopped finely
2 slices bread soaked in water and squeezed dry   
3 tablespoons bread crumbs
2 eggs beaten separately                                         
Salt to taste
3 tablespoons oil or ghee                                          
½ teaspoon pepper powder
1 teaspoon chopped coriander and mint leaves

Wash the mince well and then cook it along with the chopped onion, green chilies, garlic and salt with a little water till nice and dry.  Mix in the soaked bread slices, salt, pepper, coriander leaves, 2 teaspoons breadcrumbs and 1 beaten egg and mix well. Form into long cigar shaped cutlets. Dip each Croquette in the remaining beaten egg and roll in breadcrumbs.  Heat oil in a flat pan and shallow fry about 6 Croquettes at a time.  Serve hot with wedges of lemon and onion rings. This is a very nice accompaniment with pepper water and white rice.

Saturday, August 27, 2011

Anglo-Indian Food Festival - Cooking Demo

A few pictures of my cooking Demo at the Anglo-Indian Food festival on 20th and 21st Aug 2011
                                                        A selection of food at the Fest: 
                                                                                                     Fish Fingers and Mixed Veg Croquettes


CHICKEN PEPPER FRY                                 

 
Coconut Rice, Mince Ball Curry and Mixed Veg Vindaloo


 Grandma's Country Captain Chicken



Caramel Custard

Thursday, August 11, 2011

ANGLO-INDIAN FOOD FESTIVAL - BANGALORE

AN EXCLUSIVE ANGLO-INDIAN FOOD FESTIVAL IS BEING HELD ON THE 20TH AND 21ST AUGUST AT THE IVY UNWIND ISLAND RESORT (OPP PRESTIGE TECH PARK AND J P MORGAN), MARATHAHALLI RING ROAD, BANGALORE

LOTS OF TASTY ANGLO-INDIAN ON THE LUNCH BUFFET. BRING YOUR FAMILY AND UNWIND AT THE IVY UNWIND ISLAND RESORT
 ANGLO-INDIAN FOOD FESTIVAL LUNCH BUFFET ON 2OTH AND 21ST AUGUST 

WELCOME DRINK
         1. FRUIT PUNCH

SOUPS
  1. MULLIGATAWNY SOUP
  2. CLEAR CHICKEN  SOUP

SALADS
  1. WALDORF SALAD
  2. PICKLED CABBAGE SALAD WITH CHOPPED GINGER AND GARLIC
  3. SLIVERS OF ASSORTED VEGETABLES SUCH AS CUCUMBER, RADDISH, TOMATO, CAPSICUM, ONION, ETC  with 4 different dressings
  4. FRIED CHICKEN SAUSAGES MIXED WITH CHOPPED ONIONS, CAPSICUM AND TOMATO

STARTERS :  
         1. VEGETABLE CROQUETTES
         2. FISH FINGERS
Both served with Tartar Sauce

MAIN COURSES:

          1. YELLOW COCONUT FLAVOURED RICE WITH MUTTON MINCE BALL CURRY
                SERVED WITH RED SPICY DEVIL CHUTNEY

         2. HOPPERS WITH ANGLO INDIAN BROWN STEW

         3. GRANDMA’S COUNTRY CHAPTAIN CHICKEN CURRY / (Saturday)
             CHICKEN VINDALOO (Sunday)

         4. A CAULIFLOWER, MACARONI AND CHEESE BAKED DISH (Sat)
           SHEPHERD'S PIE (Sunday)
        
         5. HASH BROWNS / MASHED POTATO

         6. ANGLO-INDIAN MIXED VEGETABLE VINDALOO (Sat)
             MIXED VEGETABLE JALFRAZIE (Sunday)

         7. ANGLO-INDIAN PEPPER WATER AND WHITE STEAMED RICE

DESSERTS
  1. BREAD PUDDING SERVED WITH CUSTARD SAUCE TOPPING
  2. DELICIOUS CARAMEL CUSTARD
  3. FRESH FRUIT / ICE CREAM

LIVE COUNTER :
        1.  INDIAN BREADS
        2. CHAAT COUNTER

Monday, August 8, 2011

PUMPKIN AND TOMATO CURRY

Pumpkins are very versatile in their uses for cooking. Most parts of the pumpkin are edible, including the fleshy shell, the seeds, the leaves, and even the flowers. When ripe, the pumpkin can be boiled, baked, steamed, or roasted. In India, the pumpkin is cooked in a variety of ways such as curries, side dishes, savoury snacks and sweets. Pumpkin puree is made into soups and desserts such as pies and pastries and the seeds are often roasted and eaten as a snack. .

Serves 6   
Preparation Time 45 minutes 

Ingredients
½ kg pumpkin,
2 onions chopped finely
A few curry leaves
1 teaspoon ginger and garlic paste
2 teaspoons chillie powder
1 teaspoon coriander powder
2 medium size tomatoes chopped
2 tablespoons oil                         
salt to taste

Remove the skin of the pumpkin and cut into 2 inch pieces. Wash and soak in a little water. Heat oil in a pan and add the curry leaves and onions and fry till golden brown. Add the tomatoes, chilly powder, salt, turmeric powder, coriander powder and ginger paste, garlic paste and sauté for a few minutes. Now add the pumpkin pieces and mix well. Add 1 cup of water and cook on low till the pumpkin is cooked.  Care should be taken not to over cook or they will get smashed.
Serve as a main curry or a side dish with rice.

Monday, July 25, 2011

BREAST BONE PEPPER WATER

Breast Bone Pepper Water is an old Anglo-Indian favourite. It actually morphed from the Mulligatawny Soup of the early days. Breast Bone Pepper Water is ideal for a rainy day.
Eaten with White Steamed Rice and Coconut Chutney, or just have it as a soup, it will take you to Culinary Heaven.
Serves 6 preparation
Time 45 minutes

Ingredients for the Breast Bone Pepper Water
½ kg soup bones and pieces of meat with a little fate preferably from the breast portion
1 teaspoon cumin powder
2 teaspoons chilly powder
1 teaspoon pepper powder
2 teaspoons coriander powder
½ teaspoon turmeric powder
2 large onions chopped
2 large tomatoes chopped
Salt to taste
1 teaspoon crushed garlic
½ cup tamarind juice
½ cup coconut paste or coconut milk

Method

Cook all the above ingredients with about 4 cups of water in a pressure cooker first on high heat then on low for ½ an hour till the meat and bones are soft and the pepper water is quite thick. Season with mustard, curry leaves and chopped onion. Garnish with coriander leaves.

Serve hot with white steamed rice and any chutney.

Saturday, July 16, 2011

ANGLO-INDIAN ROAST BEEF


Serves: 6
Preparation and cooking time: 1 hour 30 minutes
Ingredients

A 2 kg chunk of tender beef preferably from the Round or Rump Portion
2 teaspoons Pepper Powder
1 teaspoon Chillie Powder
3 red dry chillies broken into bits
1 small cinamon stick
3 cloves
Salt to taste
3 tablespoons butter or oil
3 large potatoes peeled and cut into halves

Wash the meat and rub the salt, pepper and chillie powder well into it all over. Heat a large pan or pressure cooker and add the butter/ oil. Drop in the red chillies, cinamon and cloves. Now place the meat in the pan and brown all over, turning it from side to side. Add sufficient water and cook till the meat is tender. Add the sliced the potatoes to the meat. Simmer on low heat till all the water evaporates, turning the meat from side to side, till the Roast is nicely brown all over and the potatoes and  too are well roasted.
Serve hot or cold with steamed vegetables and bread.

Tuesday, July 12, 2011

ANGLO-INDIAN SALT FISH PICKLE

A Trypical Anglo-Indian Pickle. Very easy to prepare and takes awesome!!!!

½ kg good salt fish cut into small bits (without the bone)
3 tablespoons chilly powder
½ teaspoon tumeric powder
1 teaspoon mustard seeds powdered
1 teaspoon cumin powder
¼ teaspoon nutmeg powder
1 tablespoon sliced ginger pieces
1 tablespoon sliced garlic pieces
2 tablespoons salt
1 cup Sesame oil (Til oil)
1 cup vinegar
1 teaspoon fenugreek seeds powdered

Wash the salt fish well and leave to dry for some time. Smear the tumeric powder on the salt fish. Heat 2 tablespoons oil in a pan and fry the salt fish till golden brown. Keep aside. In another pan heat the remaining oil till smoky, then turn off the heat. Add all the other ingredients and the fried salt fish and mix well. Store in bottles when cold.

This recipe is featured in my book FLAVOURS OF THE PAST

Monday, July 11, 2011

Spicy Pork Spare Ribs

1 kg Pork Spare Ribs

2 teaspoons Coriander Powder
1 teaspoon Cumin Powder
2 teaspoon finely chopped garlic
2 tablespoons oil
Salt to taste
2 teaspoons chillie Powder
2 tablespoons vinegar
3 onions finely chopped
Marinate the Pork Spare Ribs with the coriander powder, cumin powder, chillie powder, vinegar and salt for one hour. Heat oil in a pan and sauté the onions and chopped garlic till golden brown. Add the marinated Pork Spare Ribs and mix well. Add sufficient water and cook till tender. Serve with rice or Bread.

Friday, June 3, 2011

A Passage to Colonial India - The Hindu Life & Style » Metroplus 3rd June 2011

Bridget White-Kumar takes Mini Anthikad-Chhibber through the delicately spiced pages of history into a world of memsahibs, cucumber sandwiches, kedgeree and khansama


Stepping into Bridget White-Kumar's house just off the busy Koramangala Ring Road is to step into another world altogether. There are the flowering trees, plants, shrubs, lovebirds all flourishing in a riotous symmetry. The old world charm of the house with its glass showcases, the colourful aquarium with its plump, brilliantly-hued fish is an echo of Bridget's life-long project of preserving the Anglo-Indian legacy through its cuisine.

Having written seven recipe books including the latest, “Vegetarian Delicacies” and a book on Kolar Gold Fields, where she was born — “Kolar Gold Fields – Down Memory Lane – Paeans to lost Glory,” Bridget is doing her bit to see that a way of life does not pass off into the dusty pages of history.

“It all started when my daughter, Kusum, was going to England to study,” says Bridget with a smile. “I wrote her a small recipe book. The original little black book! There were recipes for regular cooking like rice, curries and snacks. When Kusum returned, she said all her friends had enjoyed the food. That Easter, while we were eating the traditional Easter lunch, my daughter said these recipes would die out unless they were recorded. That got me thinking and I set about collecting recipes.”
Collating recipes handed down from her mother and grandmother, Bridget soon had a wealth of information about Anglo-Indian recipes. “I sent the manuscript around and Roli Books showed interest. But it was all taking too much time. I decided to pick out the most famous Anglo-Indian dishes and publish it myself.”
And that is how “The Best of Anglo-Indian Cuisine – A Legacy” was born. “I tempted readers with the picture of classic Anglo Indian dishes — coconut rice, devil chutney and ball curry, on the cover,” Bridget says with a laugh. The book was a super success. The other books followed including “Flavours of the Past” with colonial favourites such as Railway mutton curry.
After her graduation in Kolar, Bridget came to Bangalore to do her B.Ed, which is where she met her husband. “He was my first cooking instructor! He taught me to strain rice. I asked my mother and mother-in-law for recipes. “Since my husband is from Guntur in Andhra Pradesh, known for its fiery cooking, and I am Anglo-Indian, my cooking was a fusion of the two. I started off with simple dishes and then graduated to more complicated recipes. My first big success was the biryani, which was not too bland nor was it too spicy or too rich. I realised ethnic cooking is dying out and needs to be preserved.”
About the legacy of Anglo-Indian food, Bridget says: “Roasts, stews, bakes, sandwiches and white bread, fish and chips, cutlets, croquettes, sausages, bacon, ham, egg variants, puddings, custards, became part of the Anglo-Indian culinary repertoire. The Sunday English breakfast of eggs, bacon and kippers, toast, cheese, butter, jams, and English roast dinners complete with steamed vegetables, roast potatoes, Yorkshire pudding and gravy, English sausages, colloquially known as bangers with mash, became very common in Anglo-Indian homes.” Anglo-Indian cuisine has a strong Scottish influence too. “The bread pudding, treacle pudding, mince and tatties, steak and kidney pie and of course kedgeree (kichdi) are a result of the cross pollination between cultures.”
Anglo-Indian food should not be looked at as a homogenous entity, Bridget says. “The recipes are an amalgamation of the tastes and spices of the region. So the Anglo-Indian cuisine from Bengal will have more sea food and mustard oil while the cuisine from landlocked Kolar would feature more meat.”
Bridget took VRS from Canara Bank after working for 23 years. She says she is busier than before. She started a blog on KGF “four to five years ago. Every time I visited, I saw the deterioration. I felt the nostalgia and the need to preserve the story of KGF for coming generations”. That is how “Kolar Gold Fields – Down Memory Lane – Paeans to lost Glory” was born. An easy read, the book effortlessly brings to life the world of dances, food and hard work.
As I look through Bridget's collection of recipes, written by her mum and grandmother on little pieces of paper and also flip through this rare, old book, “Original Madras Cookery” published in 1874 written by an anonymous British Resident's wife I am transported to a world of khansamas, mulligatawny soup, bone china tea services and delicately-sliced cucumber and chutney sandwiches. At my back I can hear the insistent hum of Koramangala traffic as it speeds down our very own information highway. It is however nice to sometimes take a break and indulge in some heavy duty Raj nostalgia.
Mini Anthikad-Chhibber
http://www.thehindu.com/life-and-style/metroplus/article2071072.ece?sms_ss=facebook&at_xt=4de87550968c3fe0%2C0

Wednesday, June 1, 2011

HONEY YOGURT FRUIT COMPOTE

1 cup plain curds / yogurt

3 tablespoons honey
½ teaspoon ground cinnamon
2 oranges, peeled, sliced, and halved
1 cup pineapple chunks
1 apple, cored and chopped
1 ripe pear, cored and sliced into wedges
1 kiwifruit, peeled and sliced (optional)
2 bananas peeled and sliced
In a small bowl, combine the yogurt, honey and cinnamon. Stir well to blend. Chop the fruits to desired size and mix together in a separate bowl. Arrange alternate layers of yogurt mixture and fruit in individual tall glasses or bowls. Chill for ½ an hour before serving

Tuesday, May 24, 2011

MANGO PICKLE

The mango season is in full swing and the weather is just right for making some old fashioned Anglo-Indian Mango Pickle. Anglo-Indian Pickles are usually hot and sweet!!!

MANGO PICKLE

10 medium sized mangoes
4 tablespoons chilly powder
1- tablespoon fenugreek seeds (Methi) ground coarsely
½ teaspoon tumeric powder
4 tablespoons salt
1 tablespoon mustard powder
½ litre sesame oil or refined oil
½ of cup vinegar
½ cup sugar
Wash and dry the mangoes well. Cut them into medium size pieces. Throw away the seeds. Mix the mango pieces with the chilly powder, salt, fenugreek powder, mustard powder, sugar and vinegar in a stone jar and leave in the sun for a week. Shake the jar everyday so that all the mango pieces soak well. After a week heat the oil in a pan till smoky. Cool and pour over the pickle in the jar. Mix well. The pickle is now ready for use.

Monday, May 23, 2011

GREEN BANANA CUTLETS

Serves 6 Preparation time 1 hours

4 green raw bananas
2 medium size potatoes boiled and mashed
2 onions chopped fine
1 teaspoon grated ginger
¼ teaspoon turmeric powder
1 teaspoon chillie powder
½ teaspoon coriander powder
2 green chillies chopped finely
2 teaspoons chopped coriander leaves
3 tablespoons bread crumbs
1 tablespoon flour
Salt to taste
Oil for frying the cutlets




Peel green bananas. Cut crosswise into 1 1/2 inch to 2 inch slices. Rub bananas with a pinch of turmeric and some salt. Place in a pan with water to cover. Boil until bananas are cooked and quite soft. Drain off water and mash.
Heat 2 tablespoons oil in a pan and add onion, ginger and fry till the onions are light brown. Add the turmeric powder, chillie powder, coriander powder, green chillies and salt and fry for 2 or 3 minutes. Mix in the chopped coriander leaves, and mashed banana and potatoes. Mix thoroughly. Remove from heat and let the mixture cool for some time. Divide mixture into 12 portions and shape into cutlets quarter inch thick. Mix the flour with a little water to make a paste. Dip each cutlet in the flour paste, roll in breadcrumbs then shallow fry in hot oil a few at a time till golden brown on both sides.

Sunday, May 8, 2011

BUTTER BEANS / LIMA BEANS AND POTATO KORMA

BUTTER BEANS OR LIMA BEANS: Lima Beans are also known as Butter Beans, because of their starchy yet buttery texture. Butter Beans or Lima beans have a delicate flavor that complements a wide variety of dishes. They are a very good source of cholesterol-lowering fiber and prevent blood sugar levels from rising too rapidly after a meal, making these beans an especially good choice for individuals with diabetes, insulin resistance or hypoglycemia. These beans are also rich in vitamins and proteins.

BUTTER BEANS / LIMA BEANS AND POTATO KORMA

Serves 6 Preparation time 45 minutes
Ingredients:

250 grams butter beans / lima beans, 2 onions chopped, 2 tomatoes chopped, 2 potatoes peeled and cut into quarters, 2 cloves, 3 cardamoms, 1 stick cinnamon, 1 teaspoon garlic paste, 1 teaspoon ginger paste, 2 tablespoon coconut paste, 1 teaspoon chillie powder, ½ teaspoon turmeric powder, ½ teaspoon coriander powder, ½ teaspoon spice powder / garam masala powder, Salt to taste
3 tablespoons coriander leaves chopped

Boil the butter beans and potatoes till tender in sufficient water with a little salt. Drain and keep aside. Heat oil in a pan and sauté the onions, cloves, cardamom and cinnamon for a little while. Add the tomatoes, garlic paste, ginger paste, chillie powder, turmeric, garam masala / spice powder, coriander powder, coconut paste, a little of the chopped coriander leaves and salt and stir fry till the oil separates from the mixture. Add the boiled butter beans / lima beans and potatoes and 1 cup water and simmer on low heat till the gravy thickens. Garnish with chopped coriander leaves. Serve with rice or chapattis

Thursday, April 28, 2011

VEGETARIAN DELICACIES - Bridget White - NEW RECIPE BOOK

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, Rice dishes, Baked Dishes and popular Accompaniments. The easy-to-follow directions make cooking these dishes simple, enjoyable and problem-free.

Price per book including postage: India : Rs150.00, Australia: A$15.00, UAE: Rs 350.00

Canada C$15.00, UK: GBP 8.00, USA: $15.00


Friday, April 22, 2011

MARZIPAN EASTER EGGS

Makes 10 small eggs
Ingredients
250 grams almonds
150 grams sugar
300 grams icing sugar
2 egg whites
A little rose water for grinding
¼ teaspoon almond essence
Grind the almonds with the egg whites and rose water to a smooth paste. Transfer the paste into a heavy bottomed pan and add the sugar. Cook on low heat stirring all the time till the mixture forms a ball. Remove from heat and add the icing sugar and a few drops of colour of your choice. Knead till it forms a dry ball. Divide the mixture into 10 even sized balls and mould into egg shapes. Decorate with royal icing.

Thursday, April 21, 2011

Simple Roasted Chicken

1 medium sized chicken jointed into 4 big pieces

2 teaspoons lime juice or vinegar
2 teaspoons chopped garlic
4 tablespoons Butter
Salt to taste
2 teaspoons whole pepper corns
2 onions chopped into big chunks
2 red dry chillies broken into bits

Heat the butter in a suitable pan and add the chicken pieces and all the other ingredients. Mix well and stir fry on high heat for a few minutes till the chicken changes colour. Add a little water and simmer on low heat till the chicken is tender and the water dries up. Keep frying on low heat for a few more minutes till the chicken pieces are nicely browned. Served with Mashed Potatoes and Bread.

Sunday, April 10, 2011

STEAMROLLER CHICKEN

The Steamroller Chicken is also another Colonial Dish, which got its name only because the pieces of chicken used in its preparation would be cut lengthwise and then flattened with a cleaver or Rolling Pin. The Chicken eventually looked as if it was flattened with by a heavy object such as a “Steam Roller or Road Roller”.


INGREDIENTS
2 chickens each jointed into 4 pieces so as to get a total of 8 pieces

4 teaspoons pepper powder
Salt to taste
3 tablespoons butter
2 tablespoons oil
5 tablespoons lime juice or vinegar
3 tablespoons corn flour

Wash the chicken well. Beat each piece with a large knife or cleaver and then flatten with a rolling pin. Marinate the flattened chicken with the pepper powder, salt and lime juice / vinegar and keep aside for one hour.
Mix in the corn flour and one tablespoon butter. Heat a little oil in a nonstick pan and fry each chicken piece separately on medium heat till tender. When all the pieces are fried put them all back in the pan, add 2 tablespoons butter and sauté the chicken for about 5 minutes on low heat. Serve with rice or bread.

(Alternately the chicken can be baked in an oven using the same recipe)

Monday, March 28, 2011

MEAT PEPPER FRY

Serves 6 Preparation Time 45 minutes


½ kg Meat (Beef / Mutton / lamb)

3 teaspoons fresh ground black pepper

1 teaspoon chopped ginger

¼ teaspoon turmeric powder

2 big onions sliced finely

2 tablespoons oil

3 large potatoes

Salt to taste




Wash the meat and keep aside. Wash the Potatoes, peal and cut into quarters.


Heat oil in a pan and sauté the onions and chopped ginger for a few minutes. Add the meat, salt, turmeric and pepper powder and mix well. Fry for 5 minutes on low heat turning the meat well till the pieces get firm. Add sufficient water and the potatoes and cook till done. Continue simmering on low heat till all the water is absorbed and the meat and potatoes are brown. Serve hot with bread or rice.

Saturday, March 26, 2011

MULLIGATAWNY SOUP - CHICKEN MULLIGATAWNY

The original Mulligatawny Soup can be traced back to the early days of the East India Company in Madras to around the 18th century. It was originally a soup made with chicken or mutton/lamb stock. Mulligatawny Soup had no history in India before the British Raj. Supposedly, it was simply an invention to satisfy the Britishers, who demanded a soup course for dinner from a cuisine that had never produced one till then. The Tamil servants in those days concocted a stew like dish, that contained pepper and water on the lines of their local “Rasam” or “Melligu –Thanir. It was an interesting mix of East meets West, and was the nearest thing to soup in the cuisine of Colonial India. Mulligatawny Soup was actually the anglicized version of the Tamil “Melligu -Thani”. (“Melligu” meaning pepper and “Thanir” meaning water). As the name suggests it was originally just pepper in a watery soup.

In course of time a lot of other ingredients such meat, chicken, coconut, turmeric and other spices were added to give it a completely different flavour. A variety of “Mulligatawnies”, then came into existence which quickly became popular throughout the Common Wealth. Recipes for mulligatawny were quickly brought back to England by the British and its popularity spread through out the country. It has made a lasting impression on British cuisine right down to the present day, though it has undergone many changes. It is still an excellent “Comfort” dish on a cold rainy day and will surely lift the spirits when one is down in the dumps.
Mulligatawny Soup is now firmly entrenched not just in cookbooks but history books as well as a thick, spicy meat soup which is a wholesome meal in itself served with bread or rice. It has remained popular in the United Kingdom and is now available even in cans in some stores. The Mulligatawny Soup of today bears little resemblance to the original “MELLIGU -THANI”. And despite the name, pepper itself is not an important ingredient in the dish.
Though purported to be a classic Anglo-Indian dish since it came into existence during the Colonial Era, and was very popular then, Mulligatawny is not a typical Anglo-Indian dish. The real dish we Anglo-Indians call "Pepper water" is actually closer to the Tamil Rasam than Mulligatawny. Mulligatawny ultimately culminated into our very own Breast Bone pepperwater and various other variations such Shrimp Pepperwater, Dal Pepperwater, Horsegram pepperwater, etc.
Here’s a recipe for Chicken Mulligatwany Soup. Enjoy!!!!!!!
CHICKEN MULLIGATAWNY SOUP
Serves 6 Preparation time 45 minutes
½ kg chicken chopped into medium size pieces
1-teaspoon chilly powder 2-teaspoons pepper powder
1-teaspoon cumin powder 1-teaspoon coriander powder
1-teaspoon crushed garlic 2 big onions sliced
1 cup coconut paste or coconut milk Salt to taste
2 cloves 2 small pieces cinnamon
2 cardamoms 1 tablespoon oil or butter
Cook the chicken and all the ingredients with 6 to 8 cups of water in a large vessel on high heat till it reaches boiling point. Lower the heat and simmer for at least one hour till the soup is nice and thick. Garnish with mint leaves. Serve with bread or rice.
(Mutton or Lamb could be substituted for chicken)

Thursday, March 10, 2011

SIMPLE PANCAKES FOR SHROVE TUESDAY

Shrove Tuesday or Pancake Day

Shrove Tuesday is celebrated the day before Ash Wednesday, i.e. the day before the commencement of the season of Lent leading up to Easter Sunday. Shrove Tuesday always falls 47 days before Easter Sunday, so the date varies from year to year. The name Shrove comes from the old English word "shrive" which means “to confess”. In the Middle Ages, people used to go to confession and confess their sins on Shrove Tuesday, so that they were forgiven before the season of Lent began on Ash Wednesday.
Lent is a time of fast and abstinence and of making sacrifices and giving things up. The Church liturgy laid much emphasis on eating very plain food and refraining from food that would give pleasure during the period of lent. In many cultures, this meant no meat, dairy, or eggs. So in earlier times, Shrove Tuesday became the last chance for people to indulge themselves in good food on the Tuesday before Ash Wednesday and to make use of the items of foods that were not allowed during Lent.
In the United Kingdom and Ireland, Shrove Tuesday is more commonly known as Pancake Tuesday or Pancake Day, as it is customary to eat PANCAKES on this day. Pancakes thus became associated with the day preceding Lent, because it was a way to use up all the rich foodstuffs in the house such as eggs, milk, and sugar, before the fasting season of the 40 days of Lent began.
SIMPLE PAN CAKES
Serves 2 Preparation time 30 minutes
1cup flour (maida)
2 eggs beaten well
2 tablespoons sugar
½ teaspoon vanilla essence
1 tablespoon butter or ghee
½ teaspoon salt
¼ teaspoon baking powder
1cup milk
Mix all the ingredients together to get a thin smooth batter without lumps. Heat a non- stick frying pan. When hot wipe all over with a piece of cloth dipped in a little oil. Pour a ladle of batter in the pan with a swirling motion and then shake the pan so that the entire pan is covered. Cook on both sides and remove. Serve hot with Jam or honey.
For Pan Rolls make the pancakes as above. Place a spoon of cooked mince, sweetened grated coconut or any vegetable side dish in the middle then roll them up. Serve hot.
For Fruit Pan cakes, add finely chopped fruit such as pineapple, banana, apple, etc., to the batter and make the pancakes as above.

Saturday, March 5, 2011

Household Tips – The Kitchen

The Kitchen is the most important room of your household as it is the most used room and remains busy all the time with the mess of cooking, eating, storing and serving food etc. The cleanliness of this very busy place is that more important as it is directly linked to the health of people in your house.


When the kitchen is not cleaned for a long time or bacteria and germs take centre stage in it. These germs enter human being through cooking and eating in the dirty kitchen. It is always better to clean the cooking range, the slabs, utensils and wash basin after cooking every meal. If you cannot clean your entire kitchen every day for some reason, try to clean it atleast every alternate day. If the cooking range or gas stove and slabs are wiped clean with a wet cloth after cooking everyday, the less chances of bacteria and germs in your kitchen. Wash your kitchen floor regularly with soap and water to which a little disinfectant is added. This way you will have a neat and clean kitchen every time you come in to cook some food.

Apart from the cooking range, gas stove and sink that need to be kept clean, the other appliances in your kitchen such as the refrigerator, microwave oven, the mixie etc also need to be cleaned on a regular basis. Kitchen cupboards, cabinets and shelves need to be cleaned and dusted on a monthly basis. Containers containing the various ingredients also need to cleaned regularly and old powders and condiments that have passed their expiry should be disposed off. Wash the cutting Board and Knife as soon as the cutting is done.

The dust bin / garbage pail should be kept under the kitchen sink and closed with the lid to discourage flies. All vessels containing food should be kept closed to avoid dust, flies, insects or even lizards falling into it. Spray the kitchen regularly especially near the sink and other outlets to discourage cockroaches. All exposed leftovers and stale foods should be disposed off.

Keeping your kitchen safe is also just as important as keeping it clean. Ensure that the gas cylinder value closed after cooking is done. Matchsticks used for lighting the gas should be completely put out before throwing them in the dustbin. A small metal ashtray or a tin could be kept in the kitchen for this purpose. Avoid shelves containing kitchen ingredients and condiments above the gas range so as to prevent any untoward accident while stretching over the gas flame to reach them. Most of all avoid keeping the gas oven on the floor especially when there are children in the house.

Friday, February 25, 2011

SAUSAGES… Appetizer or a Quick-and-easy Meal? - BANGALORE PEPPER SAUSAGES

The meaning of the word “Sausage” in the dictionary means “Chopped or ground meat that has been blended with spices and other seasonings and usually stuffed in natural or manufactured casings”.

The origin of meat processing is lost in antiquity but probably began when mankind learned that salt is an effective preservative. Sausage making evolved as an effort to economize and preserve meat that could not be consumed fresh at slaughter. Sausage makers use almost all parts of the animal carcass that cannot be used in other ways. The less tender cuts and organ meats are ground, spiced and made into delicious sausages.
There are lots of innovative ways that you could use sausages besides having them with your Toast and Eggs at Breakfast. You could slice / dice fried sausages and serve them on crackers with cheese as an appetizer. Dice them and add in salads, soups, curries, etc. Grill the sausages and eat with a creamy garlic dip. Use them in Casseroles and Bakes with other vegetables and meats or you could just make a very delicious curry dish with them as under.

RECIPE FOR BANGALORE PEPPER SAUSAGES
Ingredients
1 kg Ground pork (add a sufficient amount of small finely cut pieces of Fat to the mince)
2 pieces cinnamon about 1 inch each
4 cloves
1/2 teaspoon nutmeg powder
Salt to taste
2 teaspoons pepper corns
1 teaspoon garlic paste
2 tablespoon chopped coriander leaves (optional)
Sufficient quantity of casing for stuffing the sausages

Roughly powder the cinnamon, cloves and pepper. Mix all the ingredients together well and stuff into the casing. Grill or Fry when required. These sausages should be kept in the refrigerator and used up within 2 weeks as no preservatives have been used.

Sunday, February 20, 2011

BRINJAL AND TOMATO SIDE DISH

Serves 6 Preparation Time 45 minutes


Ingredients
¼ kg long brinjals (either green or purple) cut into big pieces (soak in water),
2 onions chopped,
2 tomatoes chopped,
2 green chillies chopped,
1 teaspoon garlic and ginger paste,
2 teaspoons chillie powder,
½ teaspoon turmeric powder,
1 teaspoon coriander powder,
1 teaspoon garam masala powder / all spice powder,
2 tablespoon chopped coriander leaves,
2 tablespoons oil, salt to taste

Heat oil in a pan and sauté the onions and green chillies for a little while. Add the tomatoes, garlic paste and ginger paste, chillie powder, turmeric, garam masala / spice powder, coriander powder, a little of the chopped coriander leaves and salt and stir fry till the oil separates from the mixture. Add the cut brinjals and 1 cup water and simmer on low heat till the gravy thickens. Garnish with chopped coriander leaves. Serve with rice or chapattis

Sunday, January 30, 2011

BEANS FOOGATH

Green Beans or String Beans are low in fat and are an excellent source of fibre, protein, folic acid, iron, phosphorus, magnesium and carbohydrates. The rich fibre content found   in beans help in lowering cholesterol and blood sugar. They are highly recommended for diabetic patients. Green beans are also a very good source of vitamin K, which plays an important role in bone health and the prevention of osteoporosis.

BEANS FOOGATH

Serves 6 Preparation time 35 minutes
Ingredients:
300 grams chopped string beans, 1 onion chopped finely, 1teaspoon mustard seeds, 3 green chillies chopped finely, 1 teaspoon chopped ginger, ½ teaspoon turmeric powder, 2 tablespoon cooking oil, 2 table-spoons grated coconut, 4 or 5 curry leaves, Salt to taste

Heat oil in a suitable pan and add the mustard seeds. When they begin to splutter add the curry leaves, chopped onions, chopped green chillies and ginger. Fry lightly for a few minutes. Add the chopped beans and salt and mix well. Add ½ cup of water and cook covered on low heat till the beans are tender but firm and the water evaporates. Mix in the grated coconut. Serve as a side dish.


Friday, January 14, 2011

ALMORTH (MIXED MEAT AND VEGETABLE STEW)

This dish is a kind of stew made with a combination of meat, chicken, pork and vegetables. It’s a very old Anglo-Indian recipe. However, any combination of meat could be used as per personal preference. The same recipe could be used with chicken only.

This Stew was a must have for Christmas Breakfast in almost all Anglo-Indian Homes in the olden days and was eaten with bread or rolls.
Ingredients
¼ kg Beef
¼ kg mutton / lamb
½ kg chicken
¼ kg pork
A few carrots and beans chopped into medium size pieces (or any other English vegetables)
3 potatoes peeled and cut into quarters
2 teaspoons chillie powder
½ teaspoon turmeric powder
2 teaspoons pepper powder
1 teaspoon coriander powder
4 dry red chillies broken into pieces
2 teaspoons chopped garlic
2 pieces cinnamon
5 cloves
3 onions sliced
2 tomatoes chopped
2 tablespoons chopped mint
3 tablespoons oil
Salt to taste
2 tablespoons coconut paste
2 tablespoons vinegar
Cut the meat, chicken and pork into small pieces. Heat oil in a pressure cooker or a suitable vessel and add the onions, cinnamon, cloves and chopped garlic. Fry till the onions turn golden brown. Add the mutton, beef, chicken and pork also the chillie powder, turmeric powder, pepper powder, salt and tomatoes and mix well. Fry till the tomatoes turn to pulp. Add the broken dry red chillies, mint and the coconut paste and mix well. Add sufficient water and pressure cook for 10 minutes ( 6 to 8 whistles). Turn off the heat. Open the cooker when the pressure dies down and add the chopped vegetables and vinegar and simmer on low heat till the vegetables are cooked and the gravy is thick.

ANGLO-INDIAN LIVER AND ONIONS FRY

  ONION AND LIVER FRY Ingredients  ½   kg lamb liver sliced thinly        4 large onions chopped 1teaspoon chillie powder                   ...