A COLLECTION OF SIMPLE ANGLO-INDIAN RECIPES

‘A COLLECTION OF SIMPLE ANGLO-INDIAN RECIPES’ is a revised, consolidated version of four earlier Recipe Books of Bridget White, namely Bridget’s Anglo-Indian Delicacies, A Collection of   Anglo-Indian Roasts, Casseroles and Bakes, The Anglo-Indian Snack Box &The Anglo-Indian Festive Hamper.

 More than 350 Recipes of traditional, popular and well loved, Anglo-Indian Dishes have been specially selected from these earlier Cook Books and featured in this Omni-bus Edition. This single Consolidated Imprint of easy- to- follow Recipes features Soups, Pepper Water &  Vindaloo, Curries & Fries, Roasts & Stews, Chops and Cutlets, Croquettes & Rissoles, Foogaths and Vegetarian Delights, Rice Dishes & Pilafs, Pickles & Relishes, Casseroles and Baked Dishes, Snacks & Short Eats, Nibbles & Finger food, Sweets & Desserts, Custards & Puddings, Christmas Cakes & Festive Treats, Curry Powders, etc.The huge selection of Anglo-Indian dishes featured in this Cookery book will surely take one on a sentimental and nostalgic journey down  memory lane of old forgotten Anglo-Indian Culinary Delights. All the old dishes cooked during the time of the Raj have now revived to suit present day tastes and palates. This Cookery Book would also serve as a ‘Ready Reckoner’ and a useful guide for teaming up dishes for everyday Anglo-Indian Meals as well as for festive and special occasions. 

FOREWORD (A Collection of Simple Anglo-Indian Recipes) 

  It gives me great pleasure to bring out this new publication entitled ‘A COLLECTION OF SIMPLE ANGLO-INDIAN RECIPES’ which is a revised, consolidated version of 4 of my earlier Recipe Books, namely Bridget’s Anglo-Indian Delicacies, A Collection of Anglo-Indian Roasts, Casseroles and Bakes, The Anglo-Indian Snack Box and The Anglo-Indian Festive Hamper.

 More than 350 Recipes of traditional, popular and well loved, Anglo-Indian Dishes have been specially selected from these earlier Cookery Books and featured in this Omni-bus Edition. The huge selection of Anglo-Indian dishes featured in this Recipe Book will surely take one on a sentimental and nostalgic journey down  memory lane of old forgotten Anglo-Indian Culinary Delights. All the old dishes cooked during the time of the Raj have now been revived to suit present day tastes and palates. This Recipe Book would also serve as a ‘Ready Reckoner’ and a useful guide for teaming up dishes for everyday Anglo-Indian Meals as well as for festive and special occasions.

 So what are you waiting for? Delve into this awesome collection and you’ll find simple and easy recipes for preparing your favorite Ox tail and Trotters Soups, Plain Pepper Water or Bone Pepper Water, Vindaloos and Curries, Devil Fries & Chops, Nana’s Special Duck, Chicken, Beef & Pork Roasts, Beef and Chicken Country Captain, Papa Pat’s Pork Chops, Mince Cutlets, Stews, Croquettes & Rissoles, Yellow Coconut Rice & Ball Curry, Junglee Palau & Vegetable Jalfrazie, Devil Chutney, Brinjal Pickle, Fish Padda and many more ANGLO-INDIAN DELICACIES.

 Add that ‘Anglo’ touch to your meal by baking a simple and tasty Shepherd’s Pie, a Pot Luck Casserole, a Pork Mince Pie or any of the old ‘one dish meals’  that your grandma baked in your childhood. Choose the recipe for your favourite baked dish  from

A COLLECTION OF ANGLO-INDIAN ROASTS, CASSEROLES AND BAKES. The very names of the dishes will make you drool. Round  it off with a creamy Caramel Custard, Bread Pudding, Strawberry Flummery, Apple Grunt or any other lip-smacking Anglo-Indian Dessert or Sweet from the vast selection that has been featured.

 Have a Party and serve your guests delicious Snacks, Short Eats and Nibbles from THE ANGLO-INDIAN SNACK BOX, that were the rage at ‘Parties, Soirees and Elegant Evening Gatherings’ in the olden days -  all innovated and made famous by the Mogh  Cooks of yore in the Tea Gardens in the Hills. Snack on Liver on Toast Squares, Scotch Eggs and Deviled Eggs, Cheese Straws, Mince Curry Puffs, Coconut Puffs, Mince Panthras, Fish Fingers, Fritters and a whole lot more,

 What’s your favourite childhood Christmas memory?  Do you associate Christmas with the smells, sounds and sights of the season?  This Cookery Book aims at just that. The separate section on THE ANGLO-INDIAN FESTIVE HAMPER features recipes of all the old Anglo-Indian Christmas favourites such as the Traditional Christmas Cakes, Plum Cakes, Mince Pies, Fruit Cakes, Kalkals, Rose Cookies, Coconut Sweets, the Christmas Pudding, Bole Cake, Semolina Cake, Dodol, Beveca, Marzipan Sweets, Peanut Fudge, Cashew nut Fudge, , etc, etc. It will awaken long forgotten magical memories of childhood - Of  the smell of the decorated Pine Christmas Tree in the Sitting Room, the enticing aroma of Christmas Cakes being baked, the Kalkals and Rose Cookies being fried and the aroma of the other Christmas Goodies being prepared in the kitchen by Mama and Nana - Memories of the whole family sitting round the dining table on “Kalkal Making Day” rolling the kalkals on the back of a fork or fighting to lick the left over cake batter in the mixing bowl will come flooding back.  Recreate the Christmas of your childhood with these recipes of all the old Christmas Treats. Then to round off the festive spread, you could make your own home-made Grape and Ginger Wine.

 The recipes in this book are simple and easy to follow and only easily available ingredients have been suggested. The easy-to-follow directions for preparing these old, popular, sumptuous dishes make cooking simple, enjoyable and problem-free.

 All the recipes in this Book are for 6 generous servings. If cooking for a smaller or larger number, the quantities should be adjusted accordingly

ANGLO-INDIAN FOOD COOKING TRAINING WORKSHOP AT THE SJUAN RAJ MAHAL PALACE JAIPUR

I'm just back from Jaipur where I conducted a Cooking Training Workshop for 3 days from the  24TH TO 26TH August 2015 on Colonial Anglo-Indian Cuisine at the Sujan Rajmahal Palace for around 20 of the Chefs and Khansamas of the various Hotel properties of the Sujan Luxury Group such as Sher Bagh Ranthambhore (the tiger Camp), The Serai Jaisalmer (Desert Camp), Jawai the Leapord Camp, and the Rajmahal Palace Jaipur. Had an amazing and out of this world experience at the Rajmahal Palace and a fulfilling and wonderful teaching session sharing Classic Colonial Cuisine to a very receptive and eager to learn batch of learners. Many thanks to Mr. Yusuf Ansari for giving me this wonderful opportunity.

‪#‎angloindiancuisine‬, ‪#‎bridgetwhite‬, ‪#‎angloindianrecipes‬, ‪#‎Sujanluxury‬

Old Colonial Anglo-Indian Dishes that were recreated and demonstrated were The Dak Bungla / Bungalow Mest Curry, Grandma's Country Captain Chicken, Railway Mutton Curry, Lamb Chops, Pork Vindaloo, Chicken Vindaloo, Junglee Pilaf, Coconut Rice, Lamb Mince Ball Curry, Butter Parsley Rice with Nuts and Raisins, Mince Fricadels, Fish Rissoles, Egg Chops, Mince Curry Puffs, Lamb Mince Panthras, etc.

COCONUT RICE, BALL CURRY (BAD WORD CURRY) AND DEVIL CHUTNEY - DECCAN HERALD 3RD MARCH 2015

OUR SATURDAY SPECIAL ANGLO-INDIAN LUNCH – COCONUT RICE, BALL CURRY AND DEVIL CHUTNEY

 I was born and brought up in  Kolar Gold Fields, a small mining town in the erstwhile Mysore  State (Karnataka) in South India. Kolar Gold Fields or K.GF as everyone knows, had a large and predominant British and Anglo-Indian population and was known as THE LITTLE ENGLAND in the olden days. Our lives therefore were influenced to a great extent by British Colonial Culture.Our Food habits were typically Anglo-Indian - Breakfast was normally a bowl of Oats porridge, toast with either butter and jam and Eggs. (Sundays saw sausages, bacon or ham on the Breakfast table). Lunch was a typical Anglo-Indian meal which consisted of Steamed Rice, Beef Curry with vegetables, Pepper water or dhal curry, and a vegetable foogath or side dish. Dinner was always Bread or Dinner rolls with a meat Dry Dish, (It was an unwritten rule that we didn’t eat  rice at night). We normally had either beef or mutton every day, fish invariably on Wednesdays and Fridays and Pork or Chicken or Fowl on Sundays.

 My mum was en exceptional cook and even the most ordinary dishes cooked by her tasted delicious. She was very versatile and imaginative when it came to cooking. She would improvise and turn out the most delicious curries and side dishes with whatever ingredients were on hand. Every dish she prepared was delicious even if it was just the basic Rice and Meat Curry that was cooked every day. My mum had a procedure for everything. The onions had to be thinly sliced and the green chillies and coriander leaves chopped finely. Even the tomatoes for the curry were first scalded or blanched and the skin removed, then chopped into bits and strained through a strainer / sieve so that only the pulp was used and the seeds and skin thrown away!!!

 While our everyday lunch was considered simple, lunch on Saturdays and Sundays was special. Saturday lunch was invariably Yellow Coconut Rice, Mince Ball Curry (or Bad Word Curry as the word ‘Ball’ was considered a bad or slang word in those days), and Devil Chutney. My mind still recalls and relishes the taste of the Mince Ball Curry and Coconut Rice that my mum prepared on Saturdays for us. On Saturdays we had only half-day school so we were back home by 12.30 pm ravenously hungry and we’d be assailed by the delicious aroma of the Coconut Rice and the Tasty Mince Ball Curry even before we reached our gate.

 The mince for the Ball Curry, had to be just right, so the meat, (either beef or mutton), was brought home fresh from the Butcher Shop, cut into pieces, washed and then minced at home. (We had our own meat-mincing machine and Coconut Scraper which was fixed to the kitchen table like every Anglo-Indian family in those days. No making of the Mince at the Butchers as it had to be double ground in the Mincer only at home). The ground meat or mince, was then formed into even sized balls along with other chopped ingredients and dropped into the boiling Curry which was meanwhile cooking on the stove. The curry was then left to simmer till the mince balls were cooked and the gravy reached the right consistency.

 The Yellow Coconut Rice was always prepared with freshly squeezed coconut milk, Sometimes, two fresh coconuts would be broken and then scraped or grated. The scraped/grated coconut had to be soaked in hot water and the thick milk extracted. For every cup of rice double the quantity of coconut milk was the right proportion; a little more would make the rice ‘pish pash’ or over cooked, and a little less would mean that the rice wouldn’t be cooked well. So very accurate measurements were required. The raw rice and coconut milk would then be simmered with ghee or butter, saffron or turmeric, bay leaves and a few whole spices of cinnamon, cardamom and cloves till the rice was cooked perfectly. This delightful fragrant Rice preparation formed the perfect mild subtle base of our Saturday Special Anglo-Indian Meal. 

 The Yellow Coconut Rice and Mince Ball Curry (also known as Bad Word Curry) was always accompanied with a typical Anglo-Indian Sauce or Relish known as Devil Chutney.  Devil Chutney is a fiery red chutney or sauce. Its bright red colour often misleads people to think that it is a very pungent and spicy dish, while its actually a sweet and sour sauce, and only slightly pungent. The vinegar and sugar used in its preparation react with the onion and red chilli to produce the bright red colour. Devil Chutney is also known as “Hell fire or Hell’s flame chutney or Fiery Mother-in-law’s Tongue Chutney” due to its vivid colour.

 I would now like to share my mum’s recipes for these three special dishes. They are very easy to prepare.

 YELLOW COCONUT RICE   

Serves 6   Preparation Time 45 minutes

Ingredients

1 pack of coconut milk diluted with water to get 4 cups of milk or 1 fresh coconut grated and milk extracted to get 4 cups of diluted milk

2 cups of Raw Rice or Basmati Rice

½  teaspoon turmeric powder or a few strands of saffron

Salt to taste

4 tablespoons butter or ghee

3 cloves, 3 cardamoms, 3 small sticks of cinnamon and 2 bay leaves

Heat ghee in a large vessel or Rice cooker and fry the spices for a few minutes. Add the washed rice, salt, turmeric and 4 cups of coconut milk and cook till the rice is done.

Coconut Rice is best served with Ball Curry or Chicken curry and Devil Chutney.

ANGLO-INDIAN MINCE BALL CURRY (BAD WORD CURRY)

(Mince Koftas in a coconut based gravy)

Serves 6    Preparation time 45 minutes

Ingredients for the Curry

3 large onions chopped

6 or 7 curry leaves

3 teaspoons chilli powder

1 teaspoon coriander powder

3 teaspoons ginger garlic paste

3 big tomatoes pureed or chopped finely

½ cup ground coconut paste

1 teaspoon  all spice powder or garam masala

Salt to taste

3 tablespoons oil

1 teaspoon coriander leaves chopped finely for garnishing

½ teaspoon turmeric powder

 Ingredients for the Mince Balls (Koftas)

½ kg minced meat beef or mutton (fine mince)

½ teaspoon all spice powder or garam masala powder

3 green chilies chopped

A small bunch of coriander leaves chopped finely

Salt to taste

½ teaspoon turmeric powder

 Heat oil in a large pan and fry the onions till golden brown. Add the ginger garlic paste and the curry leaves and fry for some time. Now add the chili powder, coriander powder, all spice powder or garam masala powder, turmeric powder and coconut, and fry for a few minutes till the oil separates from the mixture. Now add the tomato puree and salt and simmer for some time. Add sufficient water and bring to boil.

 Meanwhile get the Mince Balls ready - Mix the all spice powder / garam masala powder, salt, chopped green chilies, turmeric powder and coriander leaves with the mince and form into small balls. When the curry is boiling, drop in the mince balls carefully one by one.

Simmer on slow heat for 20 minutes till the balls are cooked and the gravy is not too thick.

Serve hot with Coconut Rice and Devil Chutney.

 DEVIL CHUTNEY (HELL’S FLAME CHUTNEY)

Ingredients

2 medium size onions chopped roughly

1 teaspoon red chilli powder (use Kashmiri Chillie Powder)

1 tablespoon raisins (optional)

2 teaspoons sugar

A pinch of salt

2 tablespoons vinegar

 Grind all the above ingredients together till smooth. If chutney is too thick, add a little more vinegar.

 Serve with Coconut Rice and Mince Ball Curry

KEDGEREE - FISH AND BOILED EGGS KEDGEREE - AN OLD COLONIAL FAVOURITE

FISH AND BOILED EGGS KEDGEREE

Kedgeree is a mildly spiced rice and lentil mix-up which originated during the time of the British Raj. It is the anglicized version of the Indian Rice dish Kichiri or Kichadi. It was originally prepared with fillets or flakes of steamed or smoked haddock (but later salmon, kippers or tuna was used instead) parsely, boiled eggs, nuts, sultanas, rice and lentils. It made a hearty breakfast dish in the early days when it was considered healthy to have a cooked breakfast with all the essential nutrients.

Serves 6     Time required: 45 minutes

Ingredients

½ kg good fleshy fish cut into thick fillets

2 cups raw rice or Basmati Rice

4 tablespoons oil

1 tablespoon ghee or butter

3 onions sliced finely

3 green chillies sliced lengthwise

4 tablespoons Red Lentil Dal / Masoor dhal (Or any other lentils)

3 cloves

2 small sticks of cinnamon

1 teaspoon cumin powder

100 grams Sultanas or Raisins (Optional)

3 tablespoons chopped coriander leaves

2 Bay leaves

Salt to taste

1 teaspoon chillie powder

1 tablespoon lime juice / lemon juice / vinegar

6 whole peppercorns

4 hard-boiled eggs cut into quarters.

Cook the fish  in a little water along with the Bay leaves and salt for about 5 minutes or till the pieces are firm. Remove the boiled fish and keep aside.

 Add sufficient water to the left over fish soup / stock to get 6 cups of liquid and keep aside. 

Remove the bones and skin from the boiled fish and break into small pieces. Wash the Rice and dhal and keep aside.

Heat the oil in a suitable vessel and sauté the onions, cloves and cinnamon lightly. Add the slit green chillies, whole peppercorns, cumin powder and chillie powder and sauté for a few minutes. Add the rice and dhal and mix well. Now add 6 cups of the fish soup / stock, lime juice / vinegar, sultanas, chopped coriander leaves and salt and cook on high heat till boiling. Reduce heat and simmer covered till the rice and dhal are cooked and slightly pasty. Gently mix in the cooked fish, butter / ghee and the hard-boiled eggs. Cover and let the rice draw in the fish for a few minutes. Serve hot or cold with Chutney or Lime Pickle.

MUTTON / LAMB DUMPOKE ( MUTTON DUMPUKHT )

MUTTON / LAMB DUMPOKE (MUTTON DUMPUKHT)

‘DUMPOKE’ is the Anglicized name for “Dum Pukht” which literally means to cook over low heat in a tightly sealed utensil. Dum’ means to ‘breathe in’ and ‘Pukht’ to 'cook'. Dum Pukht cooking uses a round, heavy -bottomed pot, in which food is tightly sealed and cooked over a slow fire. The process of slow roasting gently persuades each spice / ingredient to release its maximum flavor. By cooking slowly in its juices, the food retains all its natural aromas and becomes imbued with the richness of flavors that distinguishes the dish. This dish was very famous in the olden days 

 Serves 6     Time required: approx 1 hour

Ingredients

¾ kg tender Mutton or lamb cut into medium size pieces

2 onions chopped finely

1 teaspoon chillie powder
1 teaspoon Cumin Powder

1 tablespoon ginger garlic paste

3 tablespoons chopped coriander leaves

1 tablespoon chopped mint leaves
3 green chillies
4 cloves

2 cardamoms
6 black pepper corns

2 one inch pieces cinnamon

2 bay leaves
1 cup cream or yogurt
Salt to taste

3 tablespoons oil
Marinate the meat with chillie powder, cumin powder, ginger garlic paste, coriander leaves, mint, green chillies, salt and yogurt / cream and leave in the fridge for about 6 hours or overnight.

 Heat oil in a suitable thick bottomed pan and add the onions, cloves, cardamoms, bay leaves, cinnamon, and pepper corns and sauté for a minute. Add the marinated meat. Stir fry for about 5 to 7 minutes till the pieces become firm and the oil separates from the mixture. Add 2 cups of water and close the pan with a tight fitting lid. cook on low heat without opening the pan for about 30 minutes till the meat is cooked and the gravy is a quite thick. Garnish with chopped Coriander leaves. Serve with dinner Rolls or Bread and steamed vegetables.

 Note: You could substitute the Mutton or lamb with beef, veal, chicken, duck etc

BREAD PUDDING

BREAD PUDDING – THE POOR MAN’S PUDDING

Bread Pudding is an old fashioned dessert that had its humble beginnings in the 13th century in England. It was first known as a "poor man's pudding" as it was created as a means of making use of stale left over bread for poor people to eat. It was just moistened in water, to which a little sugar, spices and other ingredients were added.  Today after it has passed through so many centuries, we think of bread Pudding as a Rich Treat. For those unfamiliar with this dish, (which I’m sure there aren’t many), bread pudding is typically made the British way, by soaking slices of bread cut into cubes in a mixture of milk, egg, and sugar; adding raisins and spices and baking or steaming the mixture. Actually its taste is not that much different from French toast, except more moist. Bread pudding can also be made into a Savoury dish as well by substituting sugar and raisins with chopped tomatoes, green chillies or capsisums / chillie peppers etc. You could experiment and make your own tasty pudding. Of course, one’s choice of bread, the addition of optional ingredients, and the details of preparation can make bread pudding into art form. Bread pudding can be made into a rich heavy dessert or just a simple light dish that even an invalid can digest. The possibilities are endless. Try out the recipes given below. 

OLD FASHIONED BREAD PUDDING

Serves 6     Time required: 1 hour

Ingredients

3 cups Milk                                                      

8 slices of bread cut into cubes
200 grams butter

200 grams sugar
2 beaten eggs

 1/4 tsp salt
200 grams raisins and chopped nuts

1 tsp vanilla essence

Heat milk to scalding, and pour over the bread cubes. Set aside to cool for some time then add all the other ingredients. Add more milk if too dry. Pour into a buttered baking pan or dish. Bake at 350 degrees for 40-45 minutes or until knife comes out clean. Serve warm with Ice Cream or Vanilla Sauce 

The same pudding can be steamed in a pressure cooker as well.

ANGLO-INDIAN CUISINE - A LEGACY OF FLAVOURS FROM THE PAST BY BRIDGET WHITE

ANGLO-INDIAN CUISINE - A LEGACY OF FLAVOURS FROM THE PAST  BY BRIDGET WHITE

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 Roasts, Cutlets, Croquettes, Pasties, etc, to mouth watering Curries, Side Dishes, Spicy Fries, Foogaths, Biryani and Pilafs, Pickles, Chutneys etc, picking up plenty of hybrids along the way. The sumptuous Anglo-Indian dishes such as Yellow Coconut Rice and Mince Ball (Kofta) Curry / Bad Word Curry, Pepper Water, Mulligatawny Soup, Grandma’s Country Captain Chicken, Railway Mutton Curry, Dak Bungalow Curry, Crumbed Lamb Chops, Anglo-Indian Masala Chops, Pepper Steaks, Beef Country Captain, Ding Ding, Stews, Duck Buffat, Almorth, Brinjal Pickle, Salt Fish Pickle, Fish Padda, etc, which were very popular in the olden days will take one on an exotic nostalgic journey to Culinary Paradise. 

ANGLO-INDIAN CUISINE - A LEGACY OF FLAVOURS FROM THE PAST was selected as the ‘WINNER FROM INDIA’ under the Category: ‘BEST CULINARY HISTORY BOOK’  by GOURMAND INTERNATIONAL SPAIN, GOURMAND WORLD COOK BOOKS AWARDS 2012  

MACKEREL FISH CURRY

MACKEREL FISH CURRY

Serves 6     Time required: 45 minutes

Ingredients

6 medium size mackerels cleaned and cut down the stomach

2 big onions chopped finely                                   

2 teaspoons ginger garlic paste 

1 cup thick coconut milk     

3 teaspoons chillie powder

1 teaspoon cumin powder                                      

2 teaspoons coriander powder

½ teaspoon turmeric powder 

Salt to taste

3 tablespoons oil 

Keep the mackerels whole or cut them in half. Clean the mackerels well and fry each one lightly with a pinch of turmeric to make it firm. Keep aside. 

Heat the oil in a shallow vessel and fry the  onions till golden brown. Add the ginger and garlic paste, chillie powder, cumin powder, coriander powder, turmeric powder and a little water and fry well for some time.  Add the Coconut Milk, salt, and a little more water and bring to boil. Add the mackerels and cook for about 6 to 7 minutes. 

Garnish with chopped coriander leaves and slit green chilies 

Serve with Rice or chapattis.

GRANDMA’S COUNTRY CAPTAIN CHICKEN

GRANDMA’S COUNTRY CAPTAIN CHICKEN

Grandma’s Country Captain Chicken was a very popular dish during Colonial times. In those days, authentic well-fed, homegrown country fowls and chickens were used in its preparation,. The dish would take at least 2 hours to cook over a firewood oven till the meat was sufficiently tender, but the curry when done, would be rich and delicious. Legend has it, that this wonderful curry dish was first prepared by the grandmother of a British Army Captain especially for her favourite Grandson using her own home grown Country Fowls. Hence the name Grandma’s Country Captain Chicken
However, there's another version which says that this particular dish was cooked on Country River Steamers and Boats, making use of the water fowls and ducks. .It was purported to be served as a special dish at the Captain's table for his special guests which could have been the British Officers at the time. Here is my Nana’s recipe for Grandma’s Country Captain Chicken

Grandma’s Country Captain Chicken
Serves 6 Preparation Time 30 minutes
1 kg chicken cut into medium size pieces
3 large onions sliced finely
2 teaspoons chillie powder
1 teaspoon turmeric powder
2 tablespoons oil
Salt to taste
1 tablespoon ginger garlic paste
2 sticks cinnamon
4 cloves
2 cardamoms
6 or 8 whole pepper corns
1 Dry Red Chillie broken into bits
2 teaspoons chopped garlic
2 tablespoons tomato puree or tomato sauce

Heat oil in a pan and fry the onions and chopped garlic lightly. Add the chicken and mix in the ginger garlic paste. Saute for about 5 minutes on medium heat. Add the chillie powder, turmeric powder, cinnamon, cloves, cardamom, red chillie, pepper corns, tomato puree / sauce and salt. Mix well and cook for a few minutes till the chicken becomes firm, Add 2 cups of water and cook till the chicken is tender and the gravy is quite thick.
Garnish with chopped coriander leaves. Serve with rice or bread.

ANGLO-INDIAN CRAB VINDALOO

                                     Crab Vindaloo

Serves 6   Preparation Time 45 minutes

Ingredients

6 to 8 medium sized crabs or 5 big ones cleaned and shelled

2 medium sized onions chopped

2 teaspoons chillie powder

2 teaspoons cumin powder

2 teaspoons garlic paste

2 tablespoons vinegar

Salt to taste

2 tomatoes pureed or chopped finely

2 tablespoons oil

Heat oil in a pan and add the onions and fry till light brown.  Add the garlic paste and sauté for a while. Add the chillie powder, cumin powder, tomato puree and salt and fry for some time.  Add the crabs and the vinegar and mix well.  Add a just a little more water and cook till the gravy is slightly thick.  

OLD HAND WRITTEN RECIPES FOR PALAU - MY GRANDMOTHER'S RECIPES

MY GRANDMA’S OLD HAND WRITTEN RECIPES FOR PALAU

 I have a small collection of cookery books published in India in the late 1800s and early 1900s. There were scores of this type of book written for British housewives who were new residents in India. The books are mainly concerned with cooking British food under Indian conditions but some of the books include chapters on cooking curries, kebabs, koftas and  ‘PULOW” (which we now spell as “PALAU’)

I also have a good collection of hand written recipes on bits and pieces of paper that are now falling apart, that have been passed down through generations. There are many recipes where the quantities of ingredients for a particular recipe are mentioned as ‘3 pice ginger, 6 pice cuscus (Kus Kus), 3 pi e cuddalay, ½ anna coriander leaves,41/2 tin pots of water, etc etc. This was exactly how recipes were written in those early days only because, the ingredients for each meal / dish was procured or bought FRESH each day. The corner shops would sell the ingredients in small quantities and the house wife in those days would send the domestic help with a small chit stating the item to be purchased with the price (how many pies or annas) and the cooking would then start for the day. None of the fresh ingredients were bought in bulk and stored as refrigerators etc were yet to be invented. Only the Meat Safe and Doolies were used to keep cooked food safe from Cats and mice over night

 In those days the quantities for each ingredient of a particular dish was specified by its price or in the vernacular weight. The “Tin Pot” for measuring water is the old Cigarette Tin that was used as a measure. I’m appending a photograph of a meat Palau from my grandmother’s collection where her quantities for the ingredients are a mix of all the old measurements of weight as well as in annas. I’m sure many of us have similar recipe books which our grand mom’s wrote in those early times bearing testimony to the long period of evolution that out Anglo-Indian Cuisine has passed through many hundreds of years to what it is today. Hats off to our ancestors! Just what would we have done without them if they hadn’t recorded for posterity, the pioneering dishes of our Community.