CARPET PUDDING

CARPET PUDDING

Carpet pudding is an easy to make ‘No bake’, delicious pudding prepared by layering biscuits that have been dipped in coffee and thick cream flavoured with caramel. The Coffee and caramel cream makes it a delicious dessert. The layering and decorating could be done in different designs so as to resemble a carpet. Hence the name Carpet Pudding

 Ingredients:

2 packets Marie biscuit or any other digestive biscuits
1 tablespoon instant coffee powder
1/2 cup hot water
2 tablespoons sugar
2 teaspoons gelatin
1/2 cup boiling water
300 ml whipping cream
50 grams caramel pudding powder or creme caramel

To Decorate:
10 Oreo biscuits, crushed
10 Digestive biscuits, finely crushed
2 tbsp desiccated coconut

In a bowl, add the gelatin and 1/2 cup of boiling water and stir well until the gelatin has completely dissolved or melted. Keep it aside to cool.

Prepare the coffee syrup by adding coffee powder and sugar in 1/2 cup of hot water.

Dip each biscuit in the coffee and arrange them in 2 layers in the pudding dish.

In a mixing bowl, add the whipping cream, creme caramel and cooled gelatin and beat together using mixer until fluffy.

Pour this mixture over the biscuit layer and spread it evenly.

Decorate the pudding with crushed Oreo biscuits, crushed tea biscuits and desiccated coconut in a Carpet design.

Leave it in the Fridge to set. Serve chilled

LAMB LIVER AND ONION FRY

LAMB LIVER AND ONION FRY

Ingredients

½ Kg lamb liver sliced thinly

4 large onions chopped

1teaspoon chillie powder

1 teaspoon black pepper powder 

½ teaspoon turmeric powder

3 tablespoons oil

1 teaspoon ginger garlic paste

1 teaspoon cumin powder

 ½ teaspoon coriander powder

Salt to taste

Wash the liver and keep aside to drain. 

Heat the oil in a pan and sauté the onions lightly. Add the sliced liver, ginger garlic paste, salt turmeric powder, chillie powder, cumin powder, coriander powder and pepper powder and mix well. Cover and simmer on low heat till the liver is cooked.  Add a little water while cooking if gravy is required. 

Serve hot on toast or as a side dish with steamed rice or crusty bread. 

GUAVA CHEESE

GUAVA CHEESE

Guava Cheese is a ‘Sweet Conserve’ made of ripe guavas and Sugar. It is a chewy Fudge like Sweet that is most always prepared at Christmas time. It is a cousin of the Portuguese desert ‘Goiabada’ or Guava Paste. It is also known as ‘Perad” in Goa. This is an old Anglo-Indian favourite and is relished by one and all.

 As per Wikipedia “Goiabada"  originated from the Portuguese word ‘Goiaba” which means guava, is a popular dessert throughout the Portuguese-speaking countries of the world, dating back to the colonial days in Brazil, where guavas were used as a substitute for the ‘quinces’ that were used to make ‘marmelada or quince cheese’.

 Ingredients

6 ripe guavas preferably the pink variety

¾ cup sugar

50 grams unsalted butter

½ teaspoon vanilla essence

A drop of cochineal colouring

Wash and cut the guavas into quarters and boil them well in a little water till nice and soft.  Mash well, then strain through a thin cloth and throw away the skin and seeds.

Boil the strained thick juice with the sugar and keep on stirring till the mixture turns slightly thick. Add the butter, vanilla essence and cochineal. Simmer till nice and thick. Pour onto a buttered plate. Cut into squares when cold.

This recipe is featured in my Cookery Bo0ok A COLLECTION OF SIMPLE ANGLO-INDIAN RECIPES

COUNTRY CAPTAIN CHICKEN

COUNTRY CAPTAIN CHICKEN

An old Colonial dish that was cooked very often in Anglo-Indian homes in the olden days. There are many versions of the recipe for this delectable dish, but this recipe is from an old handwritten book of recipes of my grandmother. 

Serves 6   Time required: 40 minutes

Ingredients:

1 kg chicken cut into medium size pieces     

4 large onions sliced finely

2 teaspoons chillie powder

1 teaspoon turmeric powder

3 tablespoons oil

Salt to taste

2 teaspoons ginger garlic paste

2 small sticks cinnamon

4 cloves

6 or 8 whole pepper corns                              

2 Dry Red Chillies broken into bits

Heat oil in a pan and fry the onions cinnamon, cloves, red chillie and pepper corns till golden brown. Remove half the fried onions and keep aside. Add the chicken to the pan and mix in the ginger garlic paste and sauté for about 5 minutes on medium heat. Add the chillie powder, turmeric powder, and salt. Mix well and stir fry for a few minutes. Add ½ cup of water and cook till the chicken is tender and the gravy is quite thick. Now add the remaining browned onions and mix well. Simmer for a few more minutes, then, turn off the heat. The gravy should be quite thick so that it coats the pieces of chicken nicely.

Note: This recipe can be adapted to meat as well. Left over Beef or Lamb Roast can be made into a delicious Country Captain Fry or a cold meat curry if desired.