BRIDGET WHITE DIARIES - THE SHRILANKA DAILY MIRROR 2014-10-30





















THE SHRILANKA DAILY MIRROR          2014-10-30 16:08:45
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The Bridget White Diaries
- See more at: http://life.dailymirror.lk/article/9930/the-bridget-white-diaries-a-taste-of-history#sthash.EbzmjLzD.dpuf
You call them Burghers, we call them 'Anglo-Indians'. Just like in Sri Lanka,  this is a community of mixed ancestry: Portuguese, Dutch, British and - Indian.  After independence in 1947, the Anglo-Indians began to shrink. There was a variety of reasons. Some of it was social ostracism by other Indians : especially towards those with European skin-tones and features. Thousands also left simply to seek better prospects: mostly in Australia, England, the United States and Canada.  

But along with them,  their unique, amalgamated cuisine too, threatened to say goodbye to India. The British Shepherd's pie (the Indian curried version being 'cottage pie'),  mutton or beef glace (which, to Indian cooks, came to be known as 'glassy'), : many of the delights common in thousands of Indian households began to be replaced by the ubiquitious, tandoori clay-oven cuisine of the Indian North. Punjabi butter chicken took the place of the Sunday lamb roast,  paneer (cottage cheese) replaced glazed baby carrots and new potatoes: In restaurants, on flights, in homes: the culinary genre born of the marriage of western and eastern cultures began to wither up and die.

That is, till Bridget White-Kumar sat up and decided to do something about it.  White-Kumar was born to British, Portuguese and Dutch ancestry and grew up in Karnataka in southern India.  The Whites decided to stay put in their home country. "This is where we belong and we are well integrated into the mainstream," says White-Kumar, even as she stirs a sauce, chops onions and keeps an eagle eye on a roast in the oven.


Her sprawling kitchen is like an impressive workshop, with every tool and implement needed by a master-chef.  After all and even though she is 62 and a grandmother, Bridget White-Kumar is not only a home-maker. She is also a food consultant to various five-star hotels across India and the author of seven best-selling recipe books on Anglo-Indian cuisine, whose condensation into one, UK-published volume, won her the 2012 Gourmand World Cook Book Award for 'The best culinary history book in India".

"Many of the older generation cooked from intuition and memory rather than from a written recipe," says White.  "In these days of instant mixes, few find the time for even a simple meal, let alone the traditional dishes of our forefathers. That's when I decided to compile the recipes and preserve the very unique heritage of our cuisine."

Even non Anglo-Indians who grew up in India's army cantonments of the sixties are die-hard fans of White-Kumar's commendable venture. Due to the great number of Anglo-Indians in military service, it is their cuisine that dominated club kitchens  From the quirkily named 'pepper water' to 'sheep's head curry', from 'trotters in gravy' to 'washerman's pie', White-Kumar's recipes evoke aromatic nostalgia and memories of kitchens filled with clouds of steam,  tantalizing spirals of spices and the pleasing sight of well-marinated cuts in old-fashioned 'meat-safes'.  It was an epoch of coalescence, of brown gravies and mango chutneys that gave the inherently contradictory occidental-oriental relationship an extraordinary and entirely tasty culinary genre of its own.

White's collection includes selections dedicated to roasts, casseroles and bakes, snacks, egg delicacies but also one entirely for vegetarians and even recipes for home-made wines. Besides the modestly-priced collection of seven books (USD 10,- each) which can be ordered directly from White at bidkumar@gmail.com or bridgetkumar@yahoo.com,  the indefatigible and ever-smiling queen of the kitchen also writes a highly popular blog.

"Try my recipes," she says shyly, as she turns an upside-down pudding inside out, pineapples glistening and browned to perfection. "I promise you not only a gastronomic delight but also a rendezvous with history."

Text by Padma Rao Sundarji in New Delhi


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MAKE YOUR CHRISTMAS PUDDING ON STIR UP SUNDAY


STIR-UP SUNDAY’ is also known as ‘Christmas Pudding Sunday’ and falls on the last Sunday before Advent. (Advent begins 4 Sundays before Christmas). The Christmas Pudding was invariably made on Stir-up Sunday to give it time to mature. The Pudding is served after dinner on Christmas Day. In the olden days making the Christmas Pudding was a family event where every member of the family would give the Christmas Pudding a stir and make a wish. A coin, a ring or a thimble were sometimes added to the pudding mixture and the person who got it in his / her piece of the pudding on Christmas day was supposed to be lucky. The finger ring would foretell a wedding to the person who got it.
Stir-Up Sunday’ falls on the 23rd November this year. So get your ingredients ready and everyone join in to ‘stir up the Christmas Pudding’ 




















CHRISTMAS  PUDDING
Serves 6 Preparation time 1 hour
Ingredients
 200 grams fresh bread crumbs                     
200 grams butter
2 teaspoons instant coffee (Nescafe or Bru) 
2 teaspoons golden syrup or date syrup
½ teaspoon baking powder                            
2 eggs beaten well
¼ cup rum                                                      
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon and cloves
¼ teaspoon ground nutmeg                           
100 grams chopped raisins
100 grams chopped black currants                        
100 grams mixed peel
½ teaspoon salt                                              
100 grams sugar
Cream the butter and sugar together then add the eggs and mix well. Gradually add all the other ingredients and mix well. Grease a Pudding Mould or any suitable bowl with butter. Pour the pudding mixture into it. Steam the pudding for about 1 hour on low heat either in a pressure cooker or a suitable pan or steamer till it is firm to touch
Note:  This pudding can be made weeks in advance and refrigerated till required. Steam for 10 minute or microwave for 3 minutes before serving. For a more exotic taste, when still warm make a few small holes all over the pudding and pour about 6 tablespoons of rum over it
HOW TO FLAME YOUR CHRISTMAS PUDDING
The flaming of the pudding needs a steady hand and for safety reasons, should not be done by someone who has enjoyed too much wine.
Pour about 3 tablespoons of rum or brandy into a metal ladle or a deep spoon and carefully heat over a gas flame or lit candle till the liquor bursts into flame. Quickly pour the flaming  rum or brandy over the pudding and take it to the dinner table. Make sure the lights are out when taking it to the table for a grand entrance. Once the flames have subsided, serve with, cream or custard.

THE IDEAL CHRISTMAS GIFT - BRIDGET'S ANGLO-INDIAN RECIPE BOOKS

THE IDEAL CHRISTMAS GIFT - BRIDGET'S ANGLO-INDIAN RECIPE BOOKS 

HURRY-BURRY CHICKEN CURRY OR CHICKEN CURRY IN A HURRY














HURRY-BURRY CHICKEN CURRY OR CHICKEN CURRY IN A HURRY 
Indian English is a fascinating creative combination of old English expressions from colonial times, grammatical constructions and direct translations from the native speaker’s language, words borrowed from other colonial languages, and especially Indian languages such as Hindi, together with simplifications of English grammar that increase the user-friendliness of the language. Just as the name implies, this delicious Chicken Curry can be made in a hurry. However, don’t be too much in haste to get it done as your ‘hurry-burry’ can spoil the Curry!

Serves 6     Preparation  and cooking Time 30 Minutes
Ingredients
1 kg chicken jointed and cut into medium size pieces
2 Tomatoes chopped finely
2 large onions chopped                              
½ teaspoon turmeric powder
2 or 3 teaspoons chillie powder as per choice 
1 teaspoon cumin powder
1 teaspoon coriander powder
3 cloves
2 small pieces of cinnamon
2 cardamoms
2  teaspoons ginger garlic paste                  
3 tablespoons oil         
Salt to taste                                                  
2 tablespoons chopped coriander leaves


Heat oil in a pan and add the onions, Fry till golden brown. Add the cinnamon, cloves, cardamom and ginger garlic paste and sauté for a few minutes .Now add the chicken, chopped tomatoes, salt, chillie powder turmeric powder, coriander powder and cumin powder and fry for some time till the oil separates from the mixture. Add sufficient water and cook till the chicken is done and the gravy is thick. Serve with rice or any Indian Bread.