A SIMPLE
ANGLO-INDIA LUNCH – White Steamed Rice, Simple Fried Fish, Raddish and Dol
Curry (Red Lentils), Plain Pepper Water, Beans Foogath and Tomato Sambal
PLAIN WHITE
STEAMED RICE
Serves
6 Time
required: 45 minutes
Ingredients
1
cup 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 steamed rice eaten every day. Serve with any curry, dhal or
pepper water.
SIMPLE FRIED FISH
Serves
6 Time required: 45 minutes
Ingredients
8
or 10 slices of any good fleshy fish
2
teaspoons chillie powder
1
teaspoon turmeric powder
Salt
to taste
Oil
for frying
Wash the fish and marinate with the chillie powder, salt, and turmeric powder
for about 15 minutes.
Heat
the oil in a flat pan and shallow fry the pieces about 4 at a time till nice
and brown on both sides. Serve with
bread and chips.
This is also a
good accompaniment to pepper water and rice.
It could also be served as a snack. (For a more crispy fish, coat the
fish slices with a little semolina or rice flour)
RADISH AND DOL (RED
LENTILS / DHAL) CURRY
Serves 6 Time
Required:1 hour
Ingredients
1 cup Red Lentils or Masoor Dhal
4 long white radish peeled and cut into 2 inch piece
2 teaspoons chillie powder
1 teaspoon coriander powder
½ teaspoon turmeric powder
1 teaspoon cumin powder
2 tomatoes chopped
1 teaspoon crushed garlic (optional)
Salt to taste
For
the seasoning: 1 teaspoon mustard, 2 red chilies broken into bits and a few
curry leaves and 1 tablespoon oil.
Wash the Red Lentils / masoor dhal and cook it along with the
tomato, chillie powder, coriander powder, cumin powder, turmeric powder, garlic
and radish with sufficient water in a pressure cooker. When done open the cooker, add salt and some
more water and mix well.
In another vessel, heat oil and add the mustard, broken red
chilies and crushed garlic and fry for some time. When the mustard starts
spluttering, pour in the cooked dhal and mix
well. Serve with rice
PLAIN PEPPER
WATER
A simple and
easy recipe to prepare the classic Anglo-Indian
Pepper Water. Pepper Water is an important dish on the Anglo-Indian
lunch table and is invariably prepared many times a week. Pepper water can be
stored in the refrigerator for a few days without spoiling due to the tamarind
used in its preparation.
Serves
6 Time required: 30 minutes
Ingredients
2
large tomatoes chopped
1
teaspoon ground black pepper / pepper powder
1
teaspoon chillie powder
1
teaspoon cumin powder
½
teaspoon turmeric powder
½
teaspoon coriander powder
Salt
to taste
½
cup tamarind juice extracted from a small ball of tamarind
or
1 teaspoon tamarind paste
Cook
all the above ingredients with 3 or 4 cups of water in a suitable vessel on
high heat till it boils. Reduce the heat and cook on low heat for about 10
minutes. Temper the Pepper Water, as follows
To temper the
Pepper Water:
Heat 2 teaspoons oil in another vessel, add a teaspoon of mustard seeds. When
they begin to splutter add a sliced onion, a few curry leaves, two broken red
chilies and a teaspoon of chopped crushed garlic and sauté for a few minutes,
till the onions turn light brown. Pour the pepper water into the seasoning and
mix well. Turn off the heat. Serve hot
with rice and any meat side dish.
Note:
The pepper water can be prepared by using fresh red chilies cumin seeds
coriander seeds, peppercorns ground in a mixer instead of the powders.
BEANS FOOGATH
(STIR FRY BEANS)
Serves
6 Time required: 30 minutes
Ingredients
½
kg string beans chopped finely
½
cup grated coconut
3
red chilies broken into bits
¼
teaspoon mustard seeds
A
few curry leaves
Boil
the chopped beans and carrots for about 5 minutes with some water. Strain and keep aside. Heat oil in a pan and add the mustard seeds.
When they splutter add the red chilies and curry leaves and fry for a few
seconds. Now toss in the boiled beans.
Add salt and coconut and mix well. Stir-fry for a few minutes and then
take down.
TOMATO SAMBAL
Ingredients
2
big tomatoes chopped
3
green chilies chopped
½
teaspoon cumin powder
1
tablespoon chopped garlic
1
medium size onion chopped
Salt
to taste
A
pinch of sugar
Heat
oil in a pan and fry the onions and garlic for a few minutes. Add the chopped
tomatoes, cumin powder, salt, sugar and green chilies and fry till the tomatoes
are reduced to a pulp. Season with mustard seeds, red
chilies and curry leaves.