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

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.

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

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

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.

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.

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

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

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.

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.

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)