The Indian Cookery Book by - (good fiction books to read txt) 📕

partake of them. It

is therefore considered useless to offer instructions how to prepare

such as the ukhnee pellow, in which are introduced cream, milk,

butter-milk, garlic, and lime-juice; or the sweet pellow, in which

almonds and raisins are introduced, in addition to sugar, &c.

 

The following are the pellows in general use:—

 

12.—Chicken Pellow

 

Take a good-sized chicken; clean, truss, and boil it with one pound of

beef in two cupfuls of clean water, seasoning it with onions, ginger,

and salt. When sufficiently cooked, but yet quite firm, remove the

chicken, and set it and the gravy aside. Cut up twelve onions

lengthways into fine slices. Warm your pot; then melt in it two

chittacks or four ounces of ghee, and, as it bubbles, throw in the

sliced onions and fry to a light brown; remove and set aside. Then put

in half a pound, or a coonkee, or the best bassmuttee or

cheeneesuckur, having drained away all the water in which it was

washed, and fry. On the rice absorbing the ghee, throw in a few

cloves, four or five cardamoms, half a dozen small sticks of cinnamon,

some peppercorns, a blade or two of mace, and one dessertspoonful of

salt. Mix up the whole, and pour over it the gravy in which the

chicken and beef were boiled, or as much of it only as will entirely

cover the rice; close the pot immediately with a close-fitting cover,

and set on a slow fire. As the gravy continues to decrease or to be

absorbed, so keep reducing the fire, shaking up the pot occasionally,

or stirring its contents, to prevent the pellow from burning. Brown

the boiled chicken in a pan with ghee or butter, and serve up as

follows:—

 

Place the chicken, either whole or cut up, on the centre of a dish,

covering it with the pellow; strew over it the fried onions,

garnishing it besides with two hard-boiled eggs, cut into halves, or

in some device, and with half a dozen bits of finely-sliced and fried

bacon, to suit the taste of those who like the latter.

 

13.—Beef, Mutton, or Kid Pellow

 

Take two pounds of beef, and cut up as for a curry, or take a small

but good leg of mutton, or two legs of a kid, rejecting the loin.

 

Make a good, strong gravy with seasoning of sliced onions, ginger, and

salt, with water, which when cooked down will be reduced to about

sufficient only to cover the rice. Then proceed to make the pellow in

all respects as directed in the foregoing recipe. The beef is not

further used for the table, but treat the legs of the kid, or the

mutton, the same as the chicken, and serve up with fried onions,

hard-boiled eggs, and fried bacon, like the chicken pellow.

 

14.—Prawn Pellow

 

Instead of a chicken, provide yourself with eight or ten good-sized

“bagda prawns,” and a good hard cocoanut. After frying and setting

aside the sliced onions, as directed above, the rice is to be fried,

but, instead of using chicken or any other meat broth, cook it in the

milk of the cocoanut (/vide/ recipe No. 54), observing in all

particulars the instructions given for the chicken pellow, recipe No.

12, and serve up as follows:—Dish up the pellow, strew over it the

fried onions, and garnish with the prawns finely boiled, and two

hard-boiled eggs cut in halves or in some other device.

 

The cocoanut milk will impart a sweetish flavour to the pellow, but it

is not disagreeable; and its sweetness may be subdued, if required, by

reducing the strength of the cocoanut milk.

 

15.—Lobster or Fish Pellow

 

Take out the centre bones or one or two hilsa or beckty fishes, which

are procurable fresh and good in the market, and eight or ten large

long-legged lobsters with the roe or coral; thoroughly wash in several

waters with salt, and boil with plenty of seasoning of onions, sliced

ginger, peppercorns, a dozen bay-leaves, a tablespoonful of unroasted

dhuniah or coriander seed, and salt, with water sufficient to give the

required quantity of gravy. When ready, remove and shell the lobsters,

reserving the roe or red coral in the heads, which bruise down with a

little unroasted coriander seed, and mix with the fish gravy. Make the

pellow in all other respects the same as prawn pellow, using the gravy

of the fish instead of cocoanut or other gravy, and garnish with the

lobsters, &c.

CURRIES

A curry-stone and muller, or what the natives call seal our lurriah,

are necessary for the preparation of condiments for daily use. The

condiments should be carefully, and each kind separately, ground down

to a nice paste with a little water.

 

Condiments prepared with water will not keep good any number of days;

if required for a journey, therefore, or as presents for friends at

home, good sweet oil and the best English vinegar should be

substituted for the water. For the preparation of condiments for this

purpose see recipe No. 65.

 

The first cost of a curry-stone and muller of large size will not

exceed one rupee, but they will require re-cutting every three or four

months, at a cost not exceeding one anna each re-setting.

 

The following is a list of curry condiments and hotspice in almost

daily use:—

 

Curry onions, or carree ka piaj, price from 3 to 8 pice per seer.

Turmeric, or huldee ” 3 to 5 annas “

Garlic, or lussoon ” 2 to 3 annas “

Green ginger, or uddruck ” 2 to 4 annas “

Dry chilies, or sooka mirritch ” 3 to 5 annas “

Coriander-seed, or dhunnia ” 3 to 4 annas “

Cumin-seed, or jeerah ” 5 to 6 annas “

Peppercorns, or gool mirritch ” 5 to 6 annas “

Bay-leaves, or tage paththa ” 2 to 3 annas “

Lemon-grass, or uggheaghass ” 3 to 6 pice for a

bundle of 16 to 20 blades of grass.

Poppy-seed, or post ka danna ” 3 to 4 annas per seer.

Onion-seed, or cullinga ” 5 to 8 annas “

Stick cinnamon, or dalcheenee -+

Cardamoms, or elachee | Mixed; prices range from Rs.

Cloves, or loung +- 3-14 to 4 per seer.

Nutmeg, or jyephall |

Mace, or jowttree -+

 

However high prices may range, one rupee-worth of mixed condiments,

including hotspice, will suffice for a month’s consumption for a party

of from four to six adults, allowing for three curries per day,

cutlets and made dishes included.

GRAVY CURRIES

The following directions for an every-day gravy chicken curry will

apply equally to all ordinary meat gravy curries:—

 

16.—Chicken Curry

 

Take one chittack or two ounces of ghee, two breakfastcupfuls of

water, one teaspoonful and a half of salt, four teaspoonfuls of ground

onions, one teaspoonful each of ground turmeric and chilies, half a

teaspoonful of ground ginger, and a quarter of a teaspoonful of ground

garlic.

 

To suit the taste of those who like it, half a teaspoonful of ground

coriander-seed may be added, which should be roasted before being

ground. Observe the following directions for cooking:—

 

Take the usual full-sized curry chicken, the price of which has

latterly ranged from three to four annas, and divide it into sixteen

or eighteen pieces. Warm the pot, melt in it the ghee, and immediately

it begins to bubble throw in all the ground condiments, stirring until

quite brown; then put in the cut-up chicken and the salt, and stir up

to a good light-brown colour; then add the water, and allow the whole

to simmer over a slow fire until the chicken is quite tender, and the

liquid reduced to about half its original quantity. The operation of

cooking or simmering will take from a half to three-quarters of an

hour.

 

17.—Kid Curry

 

Take a hind-quarter or a fore-quarter of kid, which may be obtained at

from three to four annas the quarter; cut it up into sixteen or

eighteen pieces; take condiments in the proportion given in recipe No.

16, and cook it in every particular the same as the chicken curry,

allowing it to simmer three-quarters of an hour.

 

18.—Veal Curry

 

A small shoulder of veal, the price of which ranges from three to four

annas, may be selected; cut off from it sixteen or eighteen one-inch

square pieces of the best part of the meat, and curry it in every

particular the same as a chicken, only allowing it to simmer half to

three-quarters of an hour.

 

19.—Mutton Curry

 

Obtain a small shoulder at from five to six annas; cut it up into

sixteen or eighteen one-inch square pieces, rejecting all the bones;

curry it the same as a chicken, allowing it to simmer for half an hour

longer, or until the meat is tender.

 

N.B.—The bones of the veal and mutton, referred to in this and the

foregoing recipe, may be turned to account for stock or gravy for some

made dish.

 

20.—Beef Curry

 

Two pounds of well-selected meat will cost from three to four annas;

cut it up into one-inch square pieces, rejecting all the scraggy

parts; cook it in every respect according to the instructions given in

recipe No. 16 for cooking a gravy chicken curry, only allowing it to

simmer for a much longer time than any other curry, or until the beef

becomes tender.

 

21.—Green Duck Curry

 

The price of a young tender duck may be quoted at from four to five

annas. Cut it up exactly as you would a chicken, and curry it in the

same manner, allowing it to simmer for an hour and a half. It is

desirable to introduce half a teaspoonful each of coriander and cumin

seeds in this curry.

 

22.—Young Pigeon Curry

 

Take four young pigeons; cut each into four pieces, making in all

sixteen pieces. The price of young pigeons ranges from five to six

annas the pair. The instructions given for the cooking of a gravy

chicken curry apply equally to a pigeon curry.

DOOPIAJAS

The literal translation of doopiaja is “two onions,” and the term

probably is correctly applicable, as it will be noticed, in the

recipes for preparing the doopiaja curries, that besides the full

quantity of ground onions, it is necessary to put in about an equal

quantity of fried onions, thereby doubling the quantity of onions.

 

Doopiajas are more piquant curries; they are cooked with more ghee and

less water. The following condiments, &c., are considered ample for a

really good doopiaja of chicken or of any meat:—

 

One chittack and a half or three ounces of ghee, one breakfastcupful

of water, one teaspoonful and a half of salt, four teaspoonfuls of

ground onions, one teaspoonful each of ground turmeric and chilies,

half a teaspoonful of ground ginger, a quarter of a teaspoonful of

ground garlic, twelve onions cut lengthways, each into six or eight

slices, and half a teaspoonful of ground coriander-seed if it be

liked.

 

23.—Chicken Doopiaja

 

Take a full-sized curry chicken and divide it into sixteen or eighteen

pieces. Melt the ghee in a warm or heated pot, fry brown the sliced

onions and set aside; then fry the ground condiments, stirring the

whole; when brown, add the cut-up chicken with the salt, and fry to a

rich brown. Chop the fried onions and put into the pot with one cup of

water, and allow to simmer over a slow fire for about one hour, when

the chicken will be perfectly tender, and the liquid reduced to a

thick consistency, and to half its original quantity.

 

24.—Kid