BRIDGET WHITE-KUMAR – AUTHOR AND FOOD CONSULTANT


















BRIDGET WHITE-KUMAR – AUTHOR AND FOOD CONSULTANT
Bridget White-Kumar is a Cookery Book Author, Food Consultant and Culinary Historian. She has authored 7 Recipe books on Anglo-Indian Cuisine. Her area of expertise is in Colonial Anglo-Indian Food and she has gone through a lot of effort in reviving the old forgotten dishes of the Colonial British Raj Era. Her 7 Recipe books are a means of preserving for posterity, the very authentic tastes and flavours of Colonial ‘Anglo’ India, besides recording for future generations, the unique heritage of the pioneers of Anglo-Indian Cuisine.  
Her Recipe book ANGLO-INDIAN CUISINE – A LEGACY OF FLAVOURS FROM THE PAST was recently selected as ‘Winner from India’ Under the Category: ‘BEST CULINARY HISTORY BOOK’ (COUNTRIES) by GOURMAND INTERNATIONAL SPAIN, GOURMAND WORLD COOK BOOKS AWARDS 2012
Bridget is also an Independent Freelance Consultant on Food Related matters. She has assisted many Restaurants, Hotels and Clubs in Bangalore and elsewhere with her knowledge of Colonial Anglo-Indian Food besides helping them to revamp and reinvent their Menus by introducing new dishes which are a combination of both Continental and Anglo-Indian. Many of them are now following the Recipes and guidance given by her and the dishes are enjoyed by both Indian and Foreign Guests.
Bridget also conducts Cooking Demonstrations and Workshops at various places across the country such as Clubs, Restaurants, Women’s Groups, Corporate Offices, etc.She is always ready to share and talk about Recipes and Food.
She can be contacted on +919845571254 or email bridgetkumar@yahoo.com
http://bridgetkumar.wordpress.com
http://anglo-indianfood.blogspot.com
http://anglo-indianrecipes.blogspot.com
http://bridgetrecipes.blogspot.com
http://angloindianfood.wordpress.com


JALFRAZIE CHICKEN

Jalfrazie is a sautéd dish, which can be prepared with meat, poultry, sea food etc.
The word “Jalfrazie” came from 2 words: “Jal” meaning “spicy or pungent” and “Frazie” meaning “Fried”. As in the case of almost all of our cuisine, which started out as insipid concoctions, in the days of the British Raj, the original “Jalfrazie” was bland and tasteless. The Colonial servants would fry up the leftover Christmas Turkey and Chicken Roasts with some pepper, chillies, etc., for Breakfast the next day. Over the years many more ingredients and spices were added to this dish to make it as spicy and delicious as it is today and it has become synonymous with the cuisine of West Bengal.

Serves 6 Preparation Time 1 hour
Ingredients

1 kg Boneless Chicken cut into cubes
1 teaspoon cumin seeds
3 dry red chillies broken into bits
1 teaspoon garlic paste
1 teaspoon ginger paste
3 tomatoes chopped
2 onions sliced finely
1 teaspoon spice powder or garam masala powder
1 teaspoon peppercorns
3 tablespoons oil
Salt to taste

Heat oil in a suitable pan and add the cumin seeds. When they begin to splutter add the dry red chillies, onions and pepper corns and fry till golden brown. Add the chicken and sauté for a few minutes till it changes colour. Now add all the other ingredients and stir well. Simmer on low heat till the chicken is tender and the gravy dries up. Serve with rice and pepper water or even chapattis or bread.

GRANDMA'S COUNTRY CAPTAIN CHICKEN

Grandma’s Country Captain Chicken was a very popular dish during Colonial times. In those days, the poultry used in its preparation were authentic well-fed, homegrown country chickens, which would take at least 2 hours to cook over a firewood oven, 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 by the Moghs making use of the water fowls and ducks on the Country River steamers playing between Bengal and Chittagong and other parts of Burma. 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.

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 chilly powder
1 teaspoon turmeric powder
2 tablespoons oil
salt to taste
2 tablespoons 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

Heat oil in a pan and fry the onions and chopped garlic lightly. Add the chicken and mix in the garlic paste. Saute for about 5 minutes on medium heat. Add the chilly powder, turmeric powder, cinnamon, cloves, cardamom, red chillie, pepper corns and salt. Add ½ cup of water and cook till the chicken is tender and the gravy is quite thick.

Ps. This recipe can be adapted to meat as well. Left over Beef or Lamb Roast can be made into a delicious County Captain Fry or a cold meat curry if desired.

DAK BUNGALOW DRY CHICKEN FRY
















1 kg chicken cut into medium size pieces
2 onions sliced finely
1 teaspoon turmeric powder
2 tablespoons oil
1 teaspoon chilly powder
Salt to taste
½ teaspoon spice powder or garam masala powder

Wash the chicken and marinate it with the salt, chilly powder, turmeric powder and spice powder for about 10 minutes. Meanwhile heat oil in a pan and sauté the onions to golden brown. Toss in the marinated chicken pieces and mix well. Close the pan with a lid and cook on slow heat for about 15 minutes till the chicken is cooked.

Heat a tablespoon of ghee or butter and add a few curry leaves and 3 broken dry chillies and fry for a few minuts. Add this to the chicken and fry till all the gravy dries up and the chicken is dry. Serve with bread or pepper water and rice.