OLD LUNCHEON MENU OF FIRPO CATERERS

Some Nostalgia -

An old Menu dated Friday the 30th March 1945 of A FIRPO LTD CATERERS, CALCUTTA.
A 3 Course Luncheon Spread with Coffee costed just 2 Rupees and 12 Annas only. The Diner was also given a choice of soups and starters while ...the Main Course featured Seafood, Meat and Poultry. The Luncheon was rounded off with a Dessert, Fruit and a Cup of Coffee!! Truly a feast for a King.
The old dishes mentioned on the Menu are not served in any Resturant today.

MULLIGATAWNY SOUP - LAMB / MUTTON MULLIGATAWNY

Mulligatawny Soup was actually the anglicized version of the Tamil “Melligu -Thani”. (“Melligu” meaning pepper and “Thani” meaning water). As the name suggests it was originally Pepper Water.

The original Mulligatawny Soup can be traced back to the early days of the East India Company in Madras to around the 18^th century. It was originally a soup made with chicken or mutton/lamb stock. Mulligatawny Soup had no history in India before the British Raj. Supposedly, it was simply an invention to satisfy the Britishers, who demanded a soup course for dinner from a cuisine that had never produced one till then. The Tamil servants in those days concocted a stew like dish, that contained pepper and  water on the lines of their local “Rasam” or  “Melligu –Thanir.  It was an interesting mix of East meets West, and was the nearest thing to soup in the cuisine of Colonial India.
In course of time a lot of other ingredients such meat, chicken, coconut, turmeric and other spices were added to give it a completely different flavour. A variety of  “Mulligatawnies”, then came into existence which quickly became popular throughout the Common Wealth. Recipes for mulligatawny were quickly brought back to England by the British and its popularity spread through out the country. It has made a lasting impression on British cuisine right down to the present day, though it has undergone many changes. It is still an excellent “Comfort” dish on a cold rainy day and will surely lift the spirits when one is down in the dumps.

The Mulligatawny Soup of today bears little resemblance to the original “MELLIGU -THANI”. And despite the name, pepper itself is not an important ingredient in the dish.

Though purported to be a classic Anglo-Indian dish since it came into existence during the Colonial Era, and was very popular then, Mulligatawny is not a typical Anglo-Indian dish. The real dish we Anglo-Indians call "Pepper water" is actually closer to the Tamil  Rasam than Mulligatawny.  Mulligatawny ultimately culminated into our very own Breast Bone Pepperwater.

An easy recipe for Lamb / Mutton Mulligatwany Soup is given below. You can substitute the lamb /mutton with beef, chicken, veal, etc if desired.

Lamb / Mutton Mulligatawny Soup

Serves 6       Preparation time 30 minutes

Ingredients
1 kg lamb or mutton with bones preferably from the breast portion
1 handful Masoor dhal (Red Gram Dhal)
2 cups coconut milk
2 tablespoons oil
3 green chilies
2 teaspoons red chillie powder
1 teaspoon coriander powder
½ teaspoon turmeric powder
1 teaspoon cumin powder
1 tablespoon ginger garlic paste
1 tablespoon lime juice
Salt to taste
8 to 10 curry leaves
2 medium size onions sliced
2 tablespoons chopped mint for garnishing
 
Cook the meat and dhal with sufficient water till tender. Whisk till the dhal is smooth. Heat oil in a big pan and fry the curry leaves, green chilies and onions till slightly brown. Add the ginger garlic paste and sauté for a few minutes. Now add the chillie powder, cumin powder, coriander powder and turmeric and fry for a few minutes till the oil separates from the mixture. Mix in the cooked mutton and dhal and mix well. Slowly add the coconut milk and salt to taste.  Add 2 more cups of water and simmer for about 15 to 20 minutes.  Remove from heat and add the lime juice. Garnish with mint leaves. Serve as a soup or with bread or rice.

ANGLO-INDIAN PEPPER WATER

Pepper water (Similar to Rasam) invariably forms part of the afternoon meal on some days of the week in Anglo-Indian Homes in the South of India.  It is usually had with plain white rice and accompanied by either a meat, poultry, or a seafood dish that is generally a dry fry. Pepper water should always be of a watery consistency. Many people like to drink a cup of pepper water after a meal since it aids in digestion. Anglo-Indian Pepper Water in the South of India is slightly different from the Tamil Rasam and our Pepper Water morphed from it. The Anglos in the North and East of India use a different method to prepare Pepper Water. This version is the recipe that was prepared by my mother and grandmother in Kolar Gold Fields. 

 

Serves 6 Preparation Time 20 minutes

INGREDIENTS FOR THE PEPPER WATER

2 large tomatoes chopped
1 teaspoon pepper powder  
1 teaspoon chillie powder
1 teaspoon cumin powder
½ teaspoon turmeric powder
½ teaspoon coriander powder
Salt to taste
½ cup tamarind juice extracted from a small ball of tamarind or 2 teaspoons tamarind paste   

Cook all the above with 4 or 5 cups of water in a vessel on high heat till it boils. Reduce the heat and cook on low heat for about 5 or 6 minutes.

Temper or Season the Pepper Water as follows with the under mentioned ingredients which should be used whenever a dish is to be seasoned/ tempered.

INGREDIENTS FOR THE SEASONING / TEMPERING THE PEPPER WATER
I small onion sliced
2 red chilies broken into bits
1 teaspoon chopped garlic crushed roughly
½ teaspoon mustard seeds
A few curry leaves
2 teaspoons oil

Heat the oil in a sutiable vessel and add the mustard seeds. When they begin to splutter, add the curry leaves, onion, crushed garlic and red chilies and sauté for a few minutes.  Pour the cooked pepper water into this and simmer for 2 minutes.  Turn off the heat.  Serve hot with rice and any meat side dish.

Note: The pepper water can be prepared by using fresh red chilies, cumin seeds, coriander seeds and peppercorns ground in a mixer or blender instead of the powders.

 

FEATURE ON ANGLO-INDIAN FOOD AND ON ME IN TIME OUT DELHI , JUNE 7TH 2013 ISSUE

FEATURE ON ME IN TIME OUT DELHI , JUNE 7TH 2013 ISSUE

MANGO AND BANANA TRIFLE PUDDING

MANGO AND BANANA TRIFLE PUDDING

A Trifle is a dessert dish invariably made from thick custard, fruit, sponge cake, fruit juice or jelly and whipped cream.  These ingredients are usually arranged in layers in a beauitful glass dish with the sponge cake forming the bottom layer.
Some trifles contain a small amount of alcohol such as port or Madeira wine or sweet sherry. The Non-alcoholic versions use sweet juices instead, as the liquid is necessary to moisten the sponge cake layer.
However, one could mix and match and make a trifle using ingredients that are readily available at home. A trifle is often used for decoration as well as taste, incorporating the brightly layered colours of the fruit, jelly, jam, and the contrast of the creamy yellow custard and white cream.

With the Mango Season in Full Swing in India at the moment, I’ve decided to share the recipe for this easy and scrumptious Mango and Banana Trifle Pudding. I’ve used just 6 easily available Ingredients namely Sponge cake, Mangoes, Bananas, Fresh Cream, Mango Juice and Sugar to make this mouth watering Dessert.  

RECIPE FOR MANGO AND BANANA TRIFLE PUDDING
Serves 6    
Ingredients

500 grams Sponge Cake (available at any bakery)
2 cups of chopped ripe Mango pieces (if fresh mangoes are not available use Tinned mangoes)
2 ripe bananas cut into slices
4 tablespoons sugar
250 grams Cream
1 cup of either fresh or canned Mango juice

Whip the fresh cream to soft peaks consistency.
Slice the cake horizontally into 2 layers. Using a sharp knife, cut the cake to fit the bowl in which the pudding is to be set.
Place a layer of cake in the glass bowl. Sprinkle the mango juice on the cake layer. Next arrange a layer of sliced bananas over this and top it with a layer of fresh cream. Top this layer with a layer of chopped mangoes and then top this Mango layer with a layer of Fresh cream.  Repeat as before with the remaining cake, fruit and cream. Chill and serve when required.

FRIED MACKERELS

Mackerels are firm fleshed fish consumed in a number of ways around the world. They are torpedo shaped with silvery blue skin. Mackerels are high in Omega-3 oil  which is good for the heart.  Here is a simple and easy recipe for Fried Mackerels

FRIED  MACKERELS

Serves 6           Preparation Time 45 minutes

Ingredients                         
6 mackerels
3 tablespoons oil
3 teaspoons chillie powder
2 teaspoons ginger garlic paste
1 teaspoon cumin powder
½ teaspoon coriander powder
½ teaspoon turmeric powder
2 teaspoons lime juice or vinegar
1 teaspoon salt

Clean and remove the scales, fins and insides of the fish. Wash well. Mix all the above ingredients together with a little water to form a paste. Slit each mackerel lengthwise on either side keeping the center bone intact. Stuff the paste into each mackerel evenly on either side of the center bone. Rub some of the paste on the outsides as well. Keep aside for about 30 minutes. Heat oil in a flat pan and shallow fry the fish on both sides till evenly brown. Serve with White Steamed rice and Pepper Water.

                                      

Anglo-Indian Cuisine - A legacy of Flavours from the Past - GOURMAND COOK BOOK AWARDS 2012

And now sharing with all of you the Certificate I received from GOURMAND INTERNATIONAL SPAIN declaring my Cookery Book ANGLO-INDIAN CUISINE - A LEGACY OF FLAVOURS FROM THE PAST as BEST CULINARY HISTORY BOOK FROM INDIA at the GOURMAND WORLD COOK BOOK AWARDS 2012

 

Bridget White - Anglo-Indian Cuisine - Upper Crust Magazine

Feature on me and on Anglo-Indian Cuisine in the Jan - March Issue of the UPPERCRUST MAGAZINE - Pages 42 to 45

 

PEPPER LADY FINGERS / OKRA FRY

LADY’S FINGER /OKRA:
Ladies Finger / Okra contains vitamins A and C and is a good source of iron and calcium. It also contains starch, fat, ash, thiamine and riboflavin. The superior fiber found in okra helps to stabilize the blood sugar by curbing the rate at which sugar is absorbed from the intestinal tract. It also helps lubricate the large intestines due to its bulk laxative qualities. Its anti-inflammatory properties help in treating lung inflammation, sore throats, irritable bowel syndrome, ulcers, etc. Being very alkaline, it helps to neutralize acids and provides a temporary protective coating for the digestive tract. Okra / ladies finger is also good in normalizing the blood sugar and cholesterol levels.

Here is an easy recipe for LADY FINGERS / OKRA PEPPER FRY.
Serves 6           Preparation Time 30 minutes
Ingredients

½ kg tender lady’s finger,

2 teaspoons Black pepper powder / fresh ground pepper

½ teaspoon turmeric powder,

Salt to taste,

2 tablespoons oil,

2 onions sliced finely and crisply fried

 Wash the whole lady’s fingers and dry them well with a soft towel. Cut into them rings discarding the ends. Mix the cut okras / lady fingers with the black pepper powder / ground pepper, turmeric powder, and salt. Heat oil in a pan and fry on low heat till the lady’s fingers turn golden brown and crisp.

Granish with the fried onions

Serve with Steamed White Rice and Pepper water, or just have it with Chapattis or Bread. Either way you'll enjoy it.

 

SPICY BOILED EGGS CURRY

 

 

Spicy Boiled Eggs Curry

Serves 6   Preparation Time 1 hour

Ingredients
6 hard-boiled Eggs shelled and cut into halves
3 onions chopped finely
2 tomatoes chopped
1 capsicum deseeded and chopped (optional)
1 teaspoon chopped garlic
1 teaspoon chillie powder
½ teaspoon turmeric powder
1 teaspoon all spice powder or garam masala powder
½ teaspoon cumin powder
Salt to taste
2 tablespoons oil
1 sprig curry leaves (optional)

Heat oil in a pan and sauté the curry leaves, onions and chopped garlic till the onions turn golden brown. Add the tomatoes and capsicum and fry till the tomatoes are reduced to pulp. Add the chillie powder, turmeric powder, cumin powder and garam masala powder / all spice powder and mix well. Add salt and ½ cup of water and bring to boil. Lower heat and gently drop in the hard boiled eggs with the yolk side up. Simmer for a few minutes till the gravy becomes thick. Serve with Rice, bread or chapattis.

COOKING DEMONSTRATION AT THE CATHOLIC CLUB, BANGALORE

I conducted a Cooking Demonstration on Anglo-Indian Dishes at the Catholic Club on 18th December 2012. The Dishes that i demonstrated were Colonial Pepper Chicken, Shepherd's Pie, Devilled Eggs and Strawberry Hide and Seek Trifle Pudding.

The Demonstration in Progress

A View of the Audience

They enjoyed the food and all the dishes were empty in minutes

HOME MADE SALTED BEEF

 Salted Beef is usually prepared from a cut of beef,  from the round section and is soaked in brine solution for a period of time.In addition to Brine and Saltpetre, a little sugar is also added to the Brine solution. The sugar, prevents the meat from becoming hard while soaking in the brine solution. 

Before using the prepared Salted Beef, you may need to soak it in water because the brine solution may be particularly salty.

(If Salt Petre is not available, it can be substituted with either lime salt or black salt)

 Ingredients

1 chunk of Beef from the “Round” portion weighing about 3 kgs

1 teaspoon saltpetre or lime salt

8 tablespoons table salt or powdered salt

3 teaspoons sugar

2 tablespoons vinegar

Wash the beef well. Mix the saltpeter (black salt  / lime salt), table salt, sugar and vinegar together. Rub this mixture on the Meat and prick all over with a fork. Keep in the fridge for 4 or 5 days turning it over and rubbing it well several times a day. On the 6th day boil in a suitable vessel with all the residue and a little water for one hour or pressure cook for 45 minutes on low heat. Cool and store along with the residue and use whenever required.

CHICHEN JALFRAZIE

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 “Jal Frezie” 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.

CHICKEN JAL FREZIE

Serves 6           Preparation Time 1 hour

Ingredients

1 kg Chicken cut into small pieces

2 tomatoes chopped finely

2 onions sliced finely

¼ teaspoon turmeric powder

2 teaspoons chillie powder

1 teaspoon cumin powder

1 teaspoon coriander powder

1 teaspoon chopped garlic

1 teaspoon chopped ginger

3 tablespoons oil or ghee

3 slit green chillies or 1 capsicum / green pepper cut into slices

Salt to taste

2 tablespoons chopped coriander leaves

Marinate the chicken with the turmeric powder, chillie powder and salt for about half an hour.

Heat oil in a suitable pan and add the onions and chopped garlic and ginger 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 is quite thick. Serve with rice, chapattis or bread.

ANGLO-INDIAN CUISINE - A LEGACY OF FLAVOURS FROM THE PAST

ANGLO-INDIAN CUISINE – A LEGACY OF FLAVOURS FROM THE PAST has been selected as WINNER FROM INDIA under the category BEST CULINARY HISTORY BOOK by GOURMAND INTERNATIONAL COOK BOOK AWARDS 2012

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 the outright European Cutlets, Croquettes, pasties, roasts, etc, to mouth watering Curries, Side dishes, Spicy Fries, Foogaths, Biryani and Palaus, Pickles, Chutneys etc, picking up plenty of hybrids along the way. The very names of old time favorite dishes such as Yellow Coconut Rice and Mince Ball (Kofta) Curry, Pepper water, Mulligatawny Soup, Grandma’s Country Captain Chicken, Railway Mutton Curry, Dak Bungalow Curry, Crumb Chops, Ding Ding, Stews, Duck Buffat, Almorth, etc, which were so popular during the Raj Era are sure to bring back nostalgic and happy memories. These popular Anglo-Indian dishes will take you on an exotic nostalgic journey to Culinary Paradise.

It is a practical and easy guide to delectable cooking. The book with its clear step-by-step instructions, describes the preparation of a variety of Anglo-Indian Dishes. The easy-to-follow directions make cooking simple and problem- free.

Price per book : India : Rs175..00, Australia: A$15.00, UAE: Rs.350.00, Canada C$15.00, UK: GBP 8.00, USA: $15.00

Also available online from AMAZON.COM Anglo-Indian Cuisine - A Legacy of Flavours from the Past

and AUTHOR HOUSE UK LTD Anglo-Indian Cuisine - A legacy of Flavours from the Past

ISBN 9781477251638   6 x 9 perfect Bound Soft Cover   US$ 18.24 /  £11.95

ISBN 9781477251645  E-Book    US $3.99

FISH PADDA / FISH PICKLE - ANGLO-INDIAN FISH PICKLE

    

                                   

Fish Padda is also known as Fish Pickle. Fish Padda is an old Anglo-Indian favourite that was prepared in most Anglo-Indian Homes in the olden days.

Ingredients

500 grams sardines or small mackerels or any other small fish cut into fairly big pieces

3 tablespoons chopped garlic

2 tablespoons chopped ginger

3 tablespoons chillie powder

1 teaspoon garlic paste

1 tablespoon cumin powder

½ teaspoon turmeric powder

1 teaspoon mustard powder

2 teacups vinegar

20 or 25 curry leaves

½ liter oil Sesame oil or mustard oil

Salt to taste

Marinate the fish with turmeric powder & salt for half an hour. Fry the fish lightly in either sesame oil or mustard oil, for 5-8 minutes. It should only be slightly crisp. Remove & keep aside.

In the same oil add the curry leaves, chopped ginger and garlic and fry for a few minutes. Mix in the garlic paste, chillie powder, cumin powder, mustard powder and salt and fry with a little vinegar till the oil seperates from the mixtures and gives out a nice aroma. Add the rest of the vinegar and the fried fish and mix well . Simmer for 2 more minutes then take down.

Cool and store in bottles. This pickle will last for about 6 months.

Note; Instead of fresh fish, Salt fish can be used instead.

GRANDMA'S COUNTRY CAPTAIN CHICKEN

Grandma’s Country Captain Chicken was a very popular dish during Colonial British times. In those days, well-fed, home grown country chickens were used in its preparation. The chickens were cooked with freshly ground ingredients over a firewood oven for hours to bring out its rich and delicious taste. This dish presumably got its name from an old Grandma who prepared this special dish for her favourite grandson, a Captain in the British Army! Another explanation is that this particular chicken dish was first prepared by a Captain on a Country Boat! Whatever the origins, it was a very popular and tasty dish that is still cooked even today in many Anglo-Indian Homes.

Grandma’s Country Captain Chicken

Serves 6   Preparation Time 30 minutes

Ingredients:

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

2 teaspoons garlic paste

2 small sticks cinnamon

4 cloves

2 cardamoms

6 or 8 whole pepper corns                              

2 Dry Red Chillies broken into bits

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

Note: 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.

 

GUAVA CHEESE

Guava Cheese is a typical Anglo-Indian Christmas Sweet dish. This chewy fudge-like sweet is a “Must Have” during the Christmas Season.

Guava Cheese should always be made with fresh guavas.

GUAVA CHEESE

Serves 6   Preparation time 1 hour

Ingredients

6 ripe guavas preferably the pink variety

¾ cup sugar

50 grams unsalted butter

 ½ teaspoon vanilla essence

A drop of cochineal colouring

Wash and cut the guavas into quarters and boil them well in a little water till nice and soft.  Mash well. Strain through a thin cloth and throw away the skin and seeds. Boil the strained thick juice with the sugar and keep on stirring till the mixture turns slightly thick. Add the butter, vanilla essence and cochineal. Simmer till nice and thick. Pour onto a buttered plate. Cut into squares when cold.

CHOCOLATE YULE LOG CAKE

CHOCOLATE YULE LOG CAKE

Serves 6  Preparation time 1 hour

Ingredients

200 grams flour / maida
200 grams butter

4 eggs beaten

250 grams sugar granules powdered

3 tablespoons Icing sugar

200 grams sugar

3 tablespoons cocoa powder

2 teaspoon Nescafe

125 grams fresh cream

50 grams chopped walnuts

1 teaspoon baking powder

½ teaspoon salt.

Sift the cocoa powder, Nescafe, flour and baking powder together. Cream the butter and sugar together well. Add the eggs one by one and mix well. Add the vanilla essence. Now add the sifted flour with the other ingredients and fold in the mixture to form a smooth slightly thick consistency without lumps.

Pour into a greased and papered long cake tin and bake in a moderate oven (125 to 130 Degrees) for 40 to 45 minutes till the cake is done. (Insert a tooth pick or knitting needle in the cake and if it comes out clean then the cake is cooked inside)

Remove from the cake tin when cold and turn it out on a sheet of paper, which has been liberally sprinkled with icing sugar. Roll the cake tightly with this paper so as to form a log and keep aside.

Beat the fresh cream with 3 tablespoons of icing sugar and 2 tablespoons of cocoa powder till peaks form. Unroll the log cake from the paper and place on a suitable plate. Using a spatula, cover the cake with the icing.  Then with a wet fork make long lines across the surface of the icing to create a bark effect on the log. Store in the refrigerator until required for serving. Before serving, dust with icing sugar and decorate with some fresh small leaves.

ROSE COOKIES / ROSA COOKIES / ROSETTE COOKIES

. ROSE COOKIES / ROSA COOKIES / ROSETTE COOKIES

Rose Cookies are delicious fried Anglo-Indian Christmas Treats. Though named as Cookies, they are not cookies in the strict sense as they not baked but deep fried in hot oil. Rose Cookies are also known as Rosette Cookies, Rosa Cookies, etc and are prepared with a sweetened batter consisting of Flour, Eggs, Vanilla Extract and Coconut milk. Believed to be another culinary legacy left by the Portuguese in India, they are known as Rose de Coque or Rose de Cookies in Portugual. (They are also known as Rosettes in Sweden and Norway). The crisp cookies are made by plunging a special hand-held ‘Rose Cookie Mould’ or ‘Rosette Iron’ lightly coated with a sweet batter into hot oil. The Rose Cookie Mould or Rosette Iron is a long handled gadget with intricately designed iron moulds of different flowers such as roses and daisies. The Mould or Iron is heated to a very high temperature in oil, dipped into the batter, then immediately re-immersed in the hot oil to create a crisp shell around the hot metal. The mould or iron is shaken slightly, till the Rose Cookie gets separated from it. The delicate golden brown, light and crispy cookie thus separated from the mould /iron floats to the top and is taken out from the hot oil with a flat porous spoon. Though a time consuming and laborious process, Rose Cookies are incredibly delicious.

RECIPE FOR ROSE COOKIES

Serves 6   Preparation time 1 hour

Ingredients

½ kg refined flour

250 grams rice flour (optional)                              

1 cup coconut milk

200 grams sugar                               

6 eggs beaten well

½ teaspoon salt                        

1 litre oil for frying

1 teaspoon vanilla essence      

1 teaspoon baking powder

Mix all the ingredients together to form a smooth slightly thick batter.

Heat oil in a deep pan till it reaches boiling point. Now place the rose cookie mould into the oil to get hot. When the mould is hot enough dip it half way only into the batter and put it back immediately into the boiling oil. Shake the mould gently to separate the cookie from it. Heat the mould again and repeat the process. Fry rose cookies till brown. Continue in this way till the batter is finished.

Note: The batter will stick to the rose cookie mould with a hissing sound only if it is sufficiently hot otherwise it will just slide off the mould

ANGLO-INDIAN CUISINE – A LEGACY OF FLAVOURS selected as Winner from India THE GOURMAND WORLD COOK BOOKS AWARDS 2012

I sincerely thank everyone for your congratulatory messages and good wishes on my  Recipe Book ANGLO-INDIAN CUISINE – A LEGACY OF FLAVOURS FROM THE PAST being selected as Winner from India under BEST CULINARY HISTORY BOOK Category for the BEST IN THE WORLD AWARD Finals at THE GOURMAND WORLD COOK BOOKS AWARDS 2012 at Paris on 23rd Feb 2013.

My journey started in 2002 when I started redoing all the old recipes from my mum’s and grand mum’s handwritten recipe Books . Through trial and error and much experimentation, I revamped the recipes giving accurate measurements for easily available ingredients and simplifying the cooking techniques so that most of the dishes could be cooked in a short time unlike in the olden days when cooking took the whole day. I then took photographs of all the dishes and recorded all the recipes in a manuscript running to more than 500 pages.

I sent this manuscript of 500 pages to many Publishers in Delhi, the heart of India’s Publishing Hub. However, sad to say many of them didn’t know much about our Community and were not aware that we had our own special cuisine. I then decided to bring out the Books myself. My first book came out in 2004 under the banner SYD-DOR PUBLICATIONS, which is the first 3 lettes of my parents names SYDNEY AND DORIS. After that I regularly brought out 7 more books under different categories of Anglo-Indian Food which were all culled from the original manuscript.  

The journey was quite tough and arduous. I wasn’t certain whether I would even recover my investment in getting the books printed but by the Grace of God, my books were very well received all over the world. Of course there were both Bouquets and Brickbats along the way. I’m now recognized as an Author, Food Consultant and Culinary Historian in Anglo-Indian Cuisine, as my area of expertise is in Colonial Anglo-Indian Food and I have gone through a lot of effort in reviving the old forgotten dishes of the Colonial British Raj Era. My 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.

The culmination of all my efforts is this Award of being declared ‘Winner’ from India under the Category “BEST CULINARY HISTORY BOOK “  and thereby competing for the BEST IN THE WORLD AWARD Finals at THE GOURMAND WORLD COOK BOOKS AWARDS 2012 at Paris on 23rd Feb 2013.

All this has been possible only because of the Love and encouragement that my family especially my late husband Ashok has given me. He gave me the freedom to pursue my passion and never stood in my way at any time. He was my official taster and critic and was very proud of my achievements. I dedicate this award to Ashok, Kusum, Jude and Lisa.

To know more about my work and to read about my 7 Anglo-Indian Recipe Books please visit my Blogs http://anglo-indianfood.blogspot.com

http://anglo-indianrecipes.blogspot.com

http://bridgetkumar.wordpress.com