RAILWAY MUTTON CURRY

RAILWAY LAMB / MUTTON CURRY 

There is a certain glamour about Anglo-Indian cuisine with its quaint names like Railway Lamb Curry, Dak Bungalow Curry, Grandma’s Country Captain Chicken, etc. The names of these dishes, especially the ‘Railway Lamb Curry conjures up scenes of leisurely travel by train in the early 1900s  -  of tables covered with snow white table cloths laid with gleaming china and cutlery, of turbaned waiters and bearers serving this tasty slightly tangy Curry dish with Rolls and Crusty White Bread to the Aristocratic British and Indian Travelers in Railway Dining and Refreshment Rooms and in First Class Cabin Cars on long distance trains. 

This recipe is featured in my Cookery Books and on my website. 

RAILWAY 

RAILWAY LAMB / MUTTON CURRY- As its very name suggests, this very popular and tasty dish was prepared and served in Railway Refreshment Rooms and only in First Class Cabins on long distance trains, with Bread or Dinner Rolls. The curry was not too spicy keeping in mind the delicate palates of the British. It was prepared with tender pieces of lamb or mutton, potatoes and other Indian condiments along with the addition of either vinegar, tamarind juice. The dish was left to simmer on low heat for more than an hour, so as to absorb all the flavours making it truly a dish fit for a connoisseur! It was also popular with the Anglo-Indian Railway staff who had to be on duty for long periods at a stretch. The vinegar or Tamarind juice used in its preparation ensured that the curry would last for quite a few days and was an ideal accompaniment with rice as well.

RECIPE FOR RAILWAY MUTTON CURRY 

Serves 6

1 kg mutton or lamb cut into medium size pieces

2 potatoes boiled, peeled and quartered

2 big onions sliced

6 to 8 peppercorns

2 pieces of cinnamon bark about 1 inch each

2 or 3 cloves

4 dry red chilies broken into bits

2 teaspoons mild chillie powder

1 teaspoon coriander powder

1 teaspoon cumin powder

2 teaspoons ginger and garlic paste

Salt to taste

2 or 3 tablespoons oil

2 tablespoons vinegar or ½ cup of tamarind juice (extracted from a marble size ball of tamarind and water )

3 tablespoons coconut milk

Parboil the Mutton or lamb with a pinch of turmeric and salt in a little water till tender.

Heat oil in a pan and fry the onions, red chillies, pepper corns and spices till golden brown.

Add the ginger garlic paste and fry for a few minutes to take away the raw taste. 

Add the chopped tomatoes and fry well. 

Meanwhile make a paste of the chillie powder, coriander powder and cumin powder with a little water. Add this paste and fry well till the oil separates from the mixture 

Add the precooked meat and mix well.  Fry for a few minutes.

Add a cup or so of water and cook on medium heat for a few minutes. 

Now add the vinegar / Tamarind juice and potatoes and mix well.

Keep frying till the gravy is thick and dark brown. Pour the coconut milk and simmer for a few more minutes then remove from heat. 

Serve with Bread or Dinner rolls, mash potatoes or steamed vegetables

TANGY FISH CURRY - TAMARIND BASED FISH CURRY

TANGY FISH CURRY  - TAMARIND BASED FISH CURRY 

Ingredients

½ kg King Fish / Seer Fish or any other fish of your choice cut into fillets 

2 medium size onions chopped finely

2 tomatoes chopped or pureed 

2 teaspoons mild chillie powder (use less if desired)

½ teaspoon turmeric powder

1 cup tamarind juice extracted from a lime sized ball of tamarind 

1 teaspoon cumin powder

1 teaspoon coriander powder

2 teaspoons chopped garlic

1 teaspoon chopped ginger

2 green chillies slit lengthwise

3 tablespoons Oil

Salt to taste

Wash the fish and marinate it with a pinch of salt and turmeric powder for 15 minutes. 

Heat oil in suitable pan and sauté the onions, ginger and garlic for about 5 minutes. Add the tomatoes, chillie powder, cumin powder, coriander powder, turmeric powder, salt and fry on low heat till the tomatoes are pulpy. 

Add the tamarind juice and half cup of water and bring to boil. Add the sliced King Fish / Seer and green chillies and mix gently. Simmer on low heat for about 7 minutes till the fish is cooked. 

Serve with white steamed Rice or bread 

MADELEINES - TEA TIME TREATS

ENGLISH MADELEINES

Madeleines are very small sponge cakes made in a shell shaped mould. They make an excellent combination with a cup of tea. The madeleines could be eaten plain or coated with jam and desiccated coconut.   

Makes 15

Ingredients

100 butter, softened, plus extra for greasing

100 grams desiccated coconut

100 grams sugar

200 grams plain flour

2 eggs beaten

100 grams yogurt

50 grams glacé cherry, finely chopped

3 tablespoons cherry jam or any other jam or your choice

Preheat the oven to 160C.

Grease the madeleine moulds or ramkins and keep aside.

Blend the sugar and half the quantity of the desiccated coconut in a food processor till fine.

Remove into a mixing bowl and add the butter, flour, egg and yogurt.

Beat with an electric whisk until smooth.

Stir in the cherries.

Divide the mixture between the madeleine or ramkin moulds.

Place the moulds on a baking tray and bake for 35-45 mins until a skewer poked in comes out clean.

Cool for 10 mins, then turn out from the moulds to cool completely.

 The Madeleines could be eaten plain or coated with jam as below:

Heat the jam in a pan or microwave till melted. Tip the remaining coconut onto a plate.

 Brush a thin coating of jam over each madeleine and roll in the coconut to cover each one fully.

 Serve with Tea

KALKALS / KULKULS - KALKALS FOR CHRISTMAS

KALKALS or KULKULS are prepared all over India at Christmas time. A variant of ‘Filhoses Enroladas’ a Portuguese Christmas Sweet, Kalkals, (always referred to in the plural) are crunchy inch-long curled or shell shaped sweetened fried dough Sweets. Sugar and flour are combined with eggs, milk and butter to a soft dough and then small marble sized balls of this dough are rolled on the tines of a fork or a comb to form a shell or a scroll, then deep fried in hot oil. The dough is sometimes rolled out and cut into different shapes such as hearts, spades, diamonds etc with cutters or a knife and then deep fried in hot oil. The Kalkals / Kulkuls are later frosted or coated in hot melted sugar syrup. Since the preparation of  Kalkals is a time consuming process and requires many hands to help in its preparation, a separate day is designated as ‘Kalkal Day’ a few days before Christmas, when every member of the family spends a few hours rolling out his/her portion of the kalkal dough. While one doesn’t know how the name ‘Kalkals / Kulkuls’ got its nomenclature it is probably because of the “curls” of this particular Christmas Sweet.

RECIPE FOR KALKALS  (Fried sweetened balls of dough)

Serves 6  Preparation time 1 hour

Ingredients

I kg refined flour 

6 eggs beaten well

2 cups milk or thick coconut milk                

1 teaspoon salt                             

300 grams sugar

2 teaspoons vanilla essence

1 teaspoon baking powder             

Oil for deep frying

Mix the flour, salt, sugar and baking powder together. 

Add the coconut milk and eggs and knead to a soft dough. 

Keep aside for an hour. 

Form the kalkals by taking small lumps of the dough and roll on the back of a fork or a wooden kalkal mould, to form a scroll. 

Alternately, roll out the dough and cut into fancy shapes with kalkal or cookie cutters. Heat oil in a deep pan and fry as many kalkals as possible at a time. Keep aside.

To frost the kalkals, melt 1 cup of sugar with ½ cup of water and when the sugar syrup crystallizes pour over the kalkals and mix well. Store in air-tight boxes when cold.  

HOT AND SPICY TRIPE CURRY / BOTY CURRY

Hot & Spicy Tripe (Boty Curry)

Spicy Tripe or Boty Curry was a very popular dish with the Anglo-Indian community. In the olden days it was prepared with freshly roasted and pounded ingredients. The Boty or the tripe would be washed well and cut into long thin strips then cooked in sufficient water for hours till tender over a firewood oven. Now with a pressure cooker the same dish can be prepared in just 45 minutes. It was served with bread or rice and sometimes as an accompaniment with drinks. Tripe tastes delicious with coconut rice.

Ingredients  

1 kg Tripe either beef or mutton sliced thinly

2 large onions chopped

2 teaspoons chillie powder

1 teaspoon pepper powder

½  teaspoon turmeric powder 

3 tablespoons oil

1 teaspoon finely chopped ginger

2 teaspoons finely chopped garlic 

Salt to taste

2 green chillies slit lengthwise

1 teaspoon cumin powder

½  teaspoon coriander powder

½  cup cudla dhal (Bengal gram dhal) Optional 

2 potatoes boiled and peeled and cut into halves  

Wash the tripe well turning it inside and out. 

Cook it in sufficient water with the channa dhal (cudla dhal) / Bengal gram dhal and a little salt in a pressure cooker till soft. 

Drain and keep the soup aside. 

Heat the oil in a pan and sauté the onions, ginger and garlic lightly. 

Add the sliced cooked tripe tripe, salt, turmeric powder, chillie powder, cumin powder, coriander powder and pepper powder and mix well. 

Add the soup.

Cover and simmer on low heat till the gravy thickens. Add the boiled potatoes and mix once so that the gravy covers the potatoes.

Serve hot with rice or bread. Tripe goes really well with Coconut Rice

BEEF MINCE PANTHRAS OR CRUMB FRIED MINCE PAN ROLLS

BEEF MINCE PANTHRAS OR CRUMB FRIED MINCE PAN ROLLS  

Ingredients for the Pan Rolls

2 cups flour  

2  eggs beaten

1 cup milk

2 tablespoons melted butter

A pinch salt

Ingredients for the Mince

500 grams Beef Mince (or you could substitute with lamb, mutton or chicken)

1 medium onion chopped finely

1 teaspoon chopped garlic

1 teaspoon chopped ginger

2 medium size potatoes peeled and cut into very small pieces 

Salt to taste

2 teaspoons chillie powder

1 teaspoon garam masala powder or all spice powder

1 teaspoon cumin powder

1 teaspoon coriander powder

2 teaspoons chopped coriander leaves

1 egg lightly beaten

Oil for deep frying

1 cup dry bread crumbs

Cook the mince along with the chopped onion, garlic, ginger, potatoes, chillie powder, garam masala / all spice powder, cumin powder, coriander powder and salt with half cup of water on low heat,  till the potatoes are soft and the mince is cooked. Cool and keep aside.

Mix the flour, 3 eggs, milk, butter and salt with a little water to make a thin batter.  Make thin pancakes / crepes on a flat pan cooking them on one side only.

Place each pan cake / crepe on a plate, add a tablespoon of the cooked  mince on one end and roll up tucking in the sides as you would a spring roll. Follow the same procedure till all the mince and pancakes are exhausted.

Heat the oil in a pan. Dip each Panthras / Pan Roll in the beaten egg then roll in bread crumbs. Shallow fry a few Pathras at a time, until golden. Serve with tomato or chillie sauce

BONE PEPPER WATER / BREAST BONE PEPPER WATER

BONE PEPPER WATER / BREAST BONE PEPPER WATER
Ingredients

½ kg soup bones and pieces of meat preferably from the breast portion either beef or lamb or mutton

1 teaspoon cumin powder

1 teaspoon chillie powder

1 teaspoon pepper powder

1 teaspoon coriander powder

1/4  teaspoon turmeric powder

2 large onions chopped

2 large tomatoes chopped

Salt to taste

1 teaspoon crushed garlic

½ cup tamarind juice

 ½ cup coconut paste or coconut milk (optional)

2 tablespoons chopped coriander leaves for garnishing

Cook all the above ingredients with about 6 cups of water in a pressure cooker first on high heat then on low for ½ an hour till the meat and bones are soft and the pepper water is quite thick. 

Temper the Bone Pepper water with mustard seeds, curry leaves and chopped onion. Garnish with coriander leaves. Serve hot with plain rice and any foogath or chutney.

CARPET PUDDING - NO BAKE CARPET PUDDING

CARPET PUDDING

Carpet pudding is an easy to make ‘No bake’, delicious pudding recipe 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 cup boiling water

1/2 cup hot milk
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.

Make the coffee syrup by adding coffee powder and sugar to 1 cup of hot water and 1/2 cup of milk. Pour into a flat dish.

Dip each biscuit in the coffee and arrange them in 2 layers in a flat 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. let it cool for some time. 

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

PEPPER STEAKS

PEPPER STEAKS

Ingredients

1 kg Beef Undercut or Lamb cut into steaks

1 teaspoon turmeric powder

3 or 4 teaspoons fresh ground black pepper powder

3 tablespoons oil

2 big onions sliced finely

1 big tomato chopped

Salt to taste

Marinate the meat with the pepper powder, salt and turmeric powder in a flat plate. Pour the oil on top and keep it over night in the refrigerator (or for atleast 4 hours before cooking).

Pressure cook for just 5 minutes or cook in a pan for about 15 minutes.

Add the onions and tomatoes and continue frying on low heat till the tomatoes turn pulpy and the steaks are a nice brown colour.

Serve hot with boiled vegetables and bread.

PEPPER CHICKEN AND POTATOES

PEPPER CHICKEN AND POTATOES

Serves 6   Preparation Time 30 minutes

Ingredients

  

6 Chicken legs 

3 large onions sliced finely

2 teaspoons fresh ground pepper  /  pepper powder                            

1/2 teaspoon turmeric powder

2 tablespoons oil                                            

Salt to taste

2 or 3 medium size potatoes, peeled and cut into halves 

Heat oil in a pan and fry the onions lightly. Add the chicken and mix in the fresh ground pepper / pepper powder, turmeric powder and salt. Mix well and stir fry on high heat for a couple of minutes. Reduced the heat. Add ½ a cup of water and cook on low heat stirring occasionally till the chicken is tender and semi dry and gets a good shiny colour. Add the potatoes and mix well. 

Serve as a Side dish with Bread or Rice. It makes a good party snack as well. 

Alternately, the chicken can be par boiled with a little water and then added to the sautéed onions and pepper.

GINGER PUDDING - STEAMED GINGER PUDDING

STEAMED GINGER PUDDING

Steamed Ginger Pudding is a legacy of the British Raj. It always made up the finale of a delicious dinner menu combination with Mulligatawny Soup, Roast Lamb and Roasted Vegetables during Colonial Times. There’s nothing better or heart warming than ending a meal with a slice of Warm Ginger Pudding topped with more jam or Fresh Cream

Ingredients

3 tablespoons unsalted butter, softened,

3 tablespoons flour 

1 cup soft bread crumbs

1/2 teaspoon baking powder 

1 teaspoon dry ginger powder

3 tablespoons sugar (use more if you want it sweet)

1 large egg, beaten

¼ cup milk 

4 tablespoons apricot jam or any other jam of your choice

Butter a pudding bowl suitable for steaming.

Stir together flour, baking powder, and ground ginger in a small bowl.

Add the butter, bread crumbs and sugar into the bowl and mix well, Mix in the egg. Add flour mixture and milk and mix until just combined. Spoon the jam into the bottom of the buttered Pudding bowl. Pour the batter on top, then smooth with a spatula. Cover the bowl with a lid and steam the pudding for 30 to 35 minutes till done.

Leave aside to cool for 10 minutes. Run a small knife around edge of bowl then invert the pudding onto a plate.

Serve warm either with more Jam on top or with fresh cream

(Alternately the Ginger Pudding could be baked for 30 minutes at 180 Degrees instead of steaming it) 

ANGLO-INDIAN MEAT AND POTATO CURRY

ANGLO-INDIAN MEAT AND POTATO CURRY

Ingredients

½ kg good beef cut into medium pieces

2 big tomatoes pureed

3 cloves, 2 pieces of cinnamon, 2 cardamoms

2 Bay leaves

1 teaspoon garlic and ginger paste  

2 onions chopped

1 tablespoon chopped coriander leaves

2 teaspoons mild chillie powder

¼ teaspoon turmeric powder

1 teaspoon cumin powder

½ teaspoon coriander powder

Salt to taste

3 tablespoons oil

2 potatoes, boiled, peeled and each cut into 8 pieces

Heat oil in a pan and add the onions, cloves, cinnamon, cardamoms, bay leaves and fry for a few minutes till onions turn light brown.

Add the meat and the ginger garlic paste, chillie powder, turmeric powder, cumin powder, coriander powder and mix well.  Keep frying on low heat for some more time.

Now add the tomatoes, salt, and chopped coriander leaves and mix well. Fry on low heat till the tomatoes turn soft. Add sufficient water and cook till the meat is done and the gravy is sufficiently thick. (the gravy could be watery if desired). Add the potatoes and mix lightly so that the potatoes are coated with the gravy.

If cooking in a Pressure Cooker turn off the heat after 6 whistles.

It could be served with rice, bread, chapattis, hoppers, etc.

ANGLO-INDIAN OX TONGUE ROAST

Ox Tongue Roast

Serves 6   

Ingredients

1 large Ox tongue

1 big onion sliced

4 Red chilies broken into bits

1 teaspoon peppercorns

2 cloves and 2 pieces of cinnamon

2 tablespoons oil

Salt to taste

Wash the tongue well and then pressure cook it with 2 cups of water and a little salt till tender letting some soup remain. Open the pressure cooker and remove the boiled tongue. Let it cool for some time. When a little cold remove the white skin from the tongue and put it back into the open cooker and add the oil, onion, red chilies pepper corns, cloves and cinnamon and a little more salt. Mix well. Simmer on low heat till all the soup dries up and the tongue is nicely brown all over. Cut into slices and arrange on a plate along with the residue. Serve hot or cold with mash potatoes and bread. You can make delicious sandwiches with tongue roast as filling.

VEGETABLE CROQUETTES

VEGETABLE CROQUETTES

 An easy and simple snack or party food. Serve them with some tomato ketchup or Tartar Sauce. 

Ingredients

 1 cup of chopped boiled vegetables of your choice such as peas, carrots, French beans, cauliflower, etc

3 potatoes boiled and mashed                  

2 onions chopped finely

2 green chillies chopped                           

1 tablespoon finely chopped mint or mint powder 

1 teaspoon finely chopped ginger            

1 teaspoon crushed black pepper or pepper powder

Salt to taste                                              

1 egg beaten                                           

3 tablespoons breadcrumbs

Oil for frying 

Heat 2 tablespoons oil in a pan and fry the onions, green chillies and ginger till golden brown. Now add the cooked vegetables, salt, and pepper and mix well. Cook on low heat for about 5 minutes, then set aside to cool for some time. Now mix in the mashed potato and mint. Make even sized balls with the mixture and form into oval shaped croquettes  / cutlets.

 Heat oil in a suitable pan. Dip each croquette in beaten egg, roll in powdered breadcrumbs and fry till golden brown on both sides. Serve hot with tomato sauce or tartar sauce or chutney.

APPLE CRUMBLE

APPLE CRUMBLE

200 grams plain flour 

100 grams Quaker Oats or any other oats

A Pinch of salt 

3 tablespoons brown sugar 

200 grams butter

1/2 teaspoon baking powder 

For the filling

3 medium sized apples- peeled, cored and cut into small chunks

2 tablespoons brown sugar

1 tablespoon flour

1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon 

Place the flour, oats, brown sugar and salt in a large bowl and mix together. Mix the butter into this flour mixture with your finger tips till it resembles  bread crumbs. Keep aside 

Mix the apples, brown sugar, flour and cinnamon together in another bowl

Butter a suitable ovenproof dish. Spoon some of the flour mixture and spread evenly. Place all the Apple filling over this layer

Now spread the remaining flour mixture over flour the Apple filling. Dot all over with a few blobs of butter and sprinkle some white sugar / castor sugar on top. 

Bake in a preheated oven at 180 C for about 30 minutes or more till the Crumble is browned and the Apple mixture is bubbling. Remove  from the oven and cool.  

Serve with thick cream or custard

Note: you could use any other fruit such as pineapple, strawberry etc instead of Apple if desired 

SHORT BREAD BISCUITS / SHORT BREAD COOKIES

SHORT BREAD BISCUITS

Makes 20 or more depending on the size

Ingredients

200 grams flour                     

150 grams butter

50 grams sugar                      

2 teaspoons powdered sugar

A pinch of salt                         

A pinch of baking powder

Sift the flour, baking powder and salt together into a bowl. Rub in the butter till the mixture looks like breadcrumbs. Add the sugar and knead till a smooth ball of dough is formed. (Do not add any water). Roll out the dough to about 2 cm thickness with a rolling pin. Line a baking tray with greaseproof paper and place the rolled out dough on it. Crimp the edges with the back of a fork and prick the dough all over. Sprinkle powdered sugar. Bake in a slow oven for about 45 minutes. Remove when baked and cut into squares