The Curry Cook's Assistant Part 7

Take two stout common red herrings, cut them about one and a-half inch long (cross ways); put in a plate and add one tablespoon of vinegar and a little dash of cayenne; roll the herrings well, and fry them in b.u.t.ter or lard, and send to table dry, free from grease. To be eaten with rice and Curry instead of Bombay ducks.

The above is a new idea, which I came to know during my first visit to England, Royal Jubilee Exhibition, 1887, in Liverpool.

No. 47.--TOAST CURRY.

Prepare some Curry gravy, same as Madras Curry, No. 4. Now toast two slices of bread; cut thin, and in diamond shape. After toasted, dish the toast on a vegetable dish, and pour over the gravy you prepared, and send to table hot, with Curry and rice, samball, etc.

No. 48.--HOW TO MAKE RICE POWDER.

Take a pound of good rice, and pick out all the black and other things from it. And now place a frying-pan on fire; soon as it gets hot put in the rice, and keep on turning till you find it nice and brown colour; then put on a plate to get cool; then pound this in a stone-made mortar or pounder (very fine), and bottle it, well corked. Use a tablespoon to brown Curries.

No. 49.--MUSHROOMS CURRIED AND SERVED ON TOAST.

Pick out half-pound of fresh and good mushrooms; sprinkle with little pepper and salt. Now prepare Curry sauce as for Snipe Curry. Fry the mushrooms in a dessertspoon of b.u.t.ter, and add to the Curry sauce; let it simmer gently for five minutes, then serve on hot toast. A nice dish for lunch or supper. When eating, a dash of cayenne and mushroom ketchup may be a nice taste. Try the above.

No. 50.--RICE, HOW TO BOIL FOR CURRIES.

Take an enamelled saucepan to hold four quarts, and fill it three-quarters full of fresh water, and let it boil. During the time the water is boiling, soak two pounds of rice (white) for three minutes in cold water; then strain off the water, and put the rice in the pan that is boiling, and stir for two minutes, and cover it up. When boiling put in a spoon, and take out some rice and feel it with your finger. If it is done drain off all the water, and place the pan near a hot oven till wanted.

Must not let it be overdone. If it is overdone and nearly soft, just drain the boiling rice water, and add a few cups of very cold water.

Stir it, and drain again, and set by the fire or on hot oven for a few minutes, and you will find each grain separate. Boiled rice ought to have each grain separate.

N.B.--The rice I have seen in England they call it "Patcha Areysi," used for rice cakes, etc., in India and Ceylon, etc. I mean the rice taken out the sh.e.l.l without boiling the paddy. The rice taken out the sh.e.l.l, called "Sothareysigal," as follows, of Rangoon, Chittagong, Bengal, etc., etc.:--

Samba.

Muthoo Samba.

Mollagoo Samba.

Oosi Samba.

Collundha.

Bangalam.

Cara.

Vallareysee.

Masareysi.

Waddakathy Samba.

And several other native names too numerous to mention. The above all good for eating after boiled.

No. 51.--A SALAD FOR DINNER, Etc., for Hot Weather.

Cuc.u.mber.

Beet Root, boiled.

Hard-Boiled Eggs.

Ripe Tomatoes.

Water-Cress.

1 Large Onion, thin sliced.

Cold Fowl, Beef, or Mutton.

_Mode._--Cut the meat in thin slices, and put in a flat dish, then slice the cuc.u.mber, beet root, eggs, tomato, and onion, and dress the dish with the above, neatly arranging by putting one piece cuc.u.mber, another of beet root, another of eggs, and another of tomato, and put the sliced onions in the middle, and the water-cress round the dish as a decoration. Now prepare this

Sauce.

Yolks of 2 Hard Boiled Eggs.

1 Potato, finely mashed up.

1 Dessertspoon of Made Mustard.

1 Teaspoonful of crushed Sugar, another of b.u.t.ter.

2 Dessertspoons of Condensed Milk (omit the Sugar); or, 1 Large spoon of Cream instead of Condensed Milk.

1/2 Teaspoon of Salt, Dash of Cayenne and Pepper.

3 Tablespoons Vinegar, or more.

Take a small bowl and mash up the potato, yolks of eggs, mustard, sugar, salt, b.u.t.ter. When nice and smooth add the milk or cream. After mixed add the vinegar, and mix well and keep separate. When sending to table just pour the sauce all over the salad with a spoon. Let it stand for two minutes and serve. The above can be made with or without meat, and also with lettuce if at hand. Several other salads could be made as learned cooks have written in the cooks' books; but the above I tried myself in one of my former masters' bungalows in Ceylon and in England.

No. 52.--SUNDAL OR POOGATHU (a Native Dish).

Finely cut one cabbage (a small one)--I mean as fine as the tobacco used for cigarettes, put a stew-pan on fire, add a small spoonful of b.u.t.ter, one onion (sliced). When the onions are nice and brown put in the cabbage, give it a turn, and add a teacup of good gravy, and cover it up, and set on gentle fire for few minutes; then add a spoonful of chopped ham, dash of cayenne and pepper, a pinch of saffron powder, and set over an oven till wanted. Do not let it burn; keep on turning. When nice and dry send to table with Curry, and rice, and samball. The above can be made from any greens; but this is not in use in European houses in Ceylon, but very nice dish for Curries.

No. 53.--VEGETABLES BOILED FOR TABLE.

French beans, broad beans, peas, Brussels sprouts, etc., will be nice when boiled in preserve jar with a lump of b.u.t.ter, salt, and dash of pepper (and mint to peas), but Brussels sprouts requiring lots of cooking may add some water to it. Spinach and sorrel can be cooked in a jar with a small onion (sliced), and little more salt to sorrel. Any vegetables might be done as above. I think it is an economical way of cooking vegetables; but I am afraid it wouldn't do for large establishments as hotels, etc., but for family houses it is a better way. The jar to be placed in a large pan, half full of water, and see it occasionally to prevent drying up.