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is therefore considered useless to offer instructions how to prepare
such as the ukhnee pellow, in which are introduced cream, milk,
butter-milk, garlic, and lime-juice; or the sweet pellow, in which
almonds and raisins are introduced, in addition to sugar, &c.
The following are the pellows in general use:—
12.—Chicken Pellow
Take a good-sized chicken; clean, truss, and boil it with one pound of
beef in two cupfuls of clean water, seasoning it with onions, ginger,
and salt. When sufficiently cooked, but yet quite firm, remove the
chicken, and set it and the gravy aside. Cut up twelve onions
lengthways into fine slices. Warm your pot; then melt in it two
chittacks or four ounces of ghee, and, as it bubbles, throw in the
sliced onions and fry to a light brown; remove and set aside. Then put
in half a pound, or a coonkee, or the best bassmuttee or
cheeneesuckur, having drained away all the water in which it was
washed, and fry. On the rice absorbing the ghee, throw in a few
cloves, four or five cardamoms, half a dozen small sticks of cinnamon,
some peppercorns, a blade or two of mace, and one dessertspoonful of
salt. Mix up the whole, and pour over it the gravy in which the
chicken and beef were boiled, or as much of it only as will entirely
cover the rice; close the pot immediately with a close-fitting cover,
and set on a slow fire. As the gravy continues to decrease or to be
absorbed, so keep reducing the fire, shaking up the pot occasionally,
or stirring its contents, to prevent the pellow from burning. Brown
the boiled chicken in a pan with ghee or butter, and serve up as
follows:—
Place the chicken, either whole or cut up, on the centre of a dish,
covering it with the pellow; strew over it the fried onions,
garnishing it besides with two hard-boiled eggs, cut into halves, or
in some device, and with half a dozen bits of finely-sliced and fried
bacon, to suit the taste of those who like the latter.
13.—Beef, Mutton, or Kid Pellow
Take two pounds of beef, and cut up as for a curry, or take a small
but good leg of mutton, or two legs of a kid, rejecting the loin.
Make a good, strong gravy with seasoning of sliced onions, ginger, and
salt, with water, which when cooked down will be reduced to about
sufficient only to cover the rice. Then proceed to make the pellow in
all respects as directed in the foregoing recipe. The beef is not
further used for the table, but treat the legs of the kid, or the
mutton, the same as the chicken, and serve up with fried onions,
hard-boiled eggs, and fried bacon, like the chicken pellow.
14.—Prawn Pellow
Instead of a chicken, provide yourself with eight or ten good-sized
“bagda prawns,” and a good hard cocoanut. After frying and setting
aside the sliced onions, as directed above, the rice is to be fried,
but, instead of using chicken or any other meat broth, cook it in the
milk of the cocoanut (/vide/ recipe No. 54), observing in all
particulars the instructions given for the chicken pellow, recipe No.
12, and serve up as follows:—Dish up the pellow, strew over it the
fried onions, and garnish with the prawns finely boiled, and two
hard-boiled eggs cut in halves or in some other device.
The cocoanut milk will impart a sweetish flavour to the pellow, but it
is not disagreeable; and its sweetness may be subdued, if required, by
reducing the strength of the cocoanut milk.
15.—Lobster or Fish Pellow
Take out the centre bones or one or two hilsa or beckty fishes, which
are procurable fresh and good in the market, and eight or ten large
long-legged lobsters with the roe or coral; thoroughly wash in several
waters with salt, and boil with plenty of seasoning of onions, sliced
ginger, peppercorns, a dozen bay-leaves, a tablespoonful of unroasted
dhuniah or coriander seed, and salt, with water sufficient to give the
required quantity of gravy. When ready, remove and shell the lobsters,
reserving the roe or red coral in the heads, which bruise down with a
little unroasted coriander seed, and mix with the fish gravy. Make the
pellow in all other respects the same as prawn pellow, using the gravy
of the fish instead of cocoanut or other gravy, and garnish with the
lobsters, &c.
CURRIESA curry-stone and muller, or what the natives call seal our lurriah,
are necessary for the preparation of condiments for daily use. The
condiments should be carefully, and each kind separately, ground down
to a nice paste with a little water.
Condiments prepared with water will not keep good any number of days;
if required for a journey, therefore, or as presents for friends at
home, good sweet oil and the best English vinegar should be
substituted for the water. For the preparation of condiments for this
purpose see recipe No. 65.
The first cost of a curry-stone and muller of large size will not
exceed one rupee, but they will require re-cutting every three or four
months, at a cost not exceeding one anna each re-setting.
The following is a list of curry condiments and hotspice in almost
daily use:—
Curry onions, or carree ka piaj, price from 3 to 8 pice per seer.
Turmeric, or huldee ” 3 to 5 annas “
Garlic, or lussoon ” 2 to 3 annas “
Green ginger, or uddruck ” 2 to 4 annas “
Dry chilies, or sooka mirritch ” 3 to 5 annas “
Coriander-seed, or dhunnia ” 3 to 4 annas “
Cumin-seed, or jeerah ” 5 to 6 annas “
Peppercorns, or gool mirritch ” 5 to 6 annas “
Bay-leaves, or tage paththa ” 2 to 3 annas “
Lemon-grass, or uggheaghass ” 3 to 6 pice for a
bundle of 16 to 20 blades of grass.
Poppy-seed, or post ka danna ” 3 to 4 annas per seer.
Onion-seed, or cullinga ” 5 to 8 annas “
Stick cinnamon, or dalcheenee -+
Cardamoms, or elachee | Mixed; prices range from Rs.
Cloves, or loung +- 3-14 to 4 per seer.
Nutmeg, or jyephall |
Mace, or jowttree -+
However high prices may range, one rupee-worth of mixed condiments,
including hotspice, will suffice for a month’s consumption for a party
of from four to six adults, allowing for three curries per day,
cutlets and made dishes included.
GRAVY CURRIESThe following directions for an every-day gravy chicken curry will
apply equally to all ordinary meat gravy curries:—
16.—Chicken Curry
Take one chittack or two ounces of ghee, two breakfastcupfuls of
water, one teaspoonful and a half of salt, four teaspoonfuls of ground
onions, one teaspoonful each of ground turmeric and chilies, half a
teaspoonful of ground ginger, and a quarter of a teaspoonful of ground
garlic.
To suit the taste of those who like it, half a teaspoonful of ground
coriander-seed may be added, which should be roasted before being
ground. Observe the following directions for cooking:—
Take the usual full-sized curry chicken, the price of which has
latterly ranged from three to four annas, and divide it into sixteen
or eighteen pieces. Warm the pot, melt in it the ghee, and immediately
it begins to bubble throw in all the ground condiments, stirring until
quite brown; then put in the cut-up chicken and the salt, and stir up
to a good light-brown colour; then add the water, and allow the whole
to simmer over a slow fire until the chicken is quite tender, and the
liquid reduced to about half its original quantity. The operation of
cooking or simmering will take from a half to three-quarters of an
hour.
17.—Kid Curry
Take a hind-quarter or a fore-quarter of kid, which may be obtained at
from three to four annas the quarter; cut it up into sixteen or
eighteen pieces; take condiments in the proportion given in recipe No.
16, and cook it in every particular the same as the chicken curry,
allowing it to simmer three-quarters of an hour.
18.—Veal Curry
A small shoulder of veal, the price of which ranges from three to four
annas, may be selected; cut off from it sixteen or eighteen one-inch
square pieces of the best part of the meat, and curry it in every
particular the same as a chicken, only allowing it to simmer half to
three-quarters of an hour.
19.—Mutton Curry
Obtain a small shoulder at from five to six annas; cut it up into
sixteen or eighteen one-inch square pieces, rejecting all the bones;
curry it the same as a chicken, allowing it to simmer for half an hour
longer, or until the meat is tender.
N.B.—The bones of the veal and mutton, referred to in this and the
foregoing recipe, may be turned to account for stock or gravy for some
made dish.
20.—Beef Curry
Two pounds of well-selected meat will cost from three to four annas;
cut it up into one-inch square pieces, rejecting all the scraggy
parts; cook it in every respect according to the instructions given in
recipe No. 16 for cooking a gravy chicken curry, only allowing it to
simmer for a much longer time than any other curry, or until the beef
becomes tender.
21.—Green Duck Curry
The price of a young tender duck may be quoted at from four to five
annas. Cut it up exactly as you would a chicken, and curry it in the
same manner, allowing it to simmer for an hour and a half. It is
desirable to introduce half a teaspoonful each of coriander and cumin
seeds in this curry.
22.—Young Pigeon Curry
Take four young pigeons; cut each into four pieces, making in all
sixteen pieces. The price of young pigeons ranges from five to six
annas the pair. The instructions given for the cooking of a gravy
chicken curry apply equally to a pigeon curry.
DOOPIAJASThe literal translation of doopiaja is “two onions,” and the term
probably is correctly applicable, as it will be noticed, in the
recipes for preparing the doopiaja curries, that besides the full
quantity of ground onions, it is necessary to put in about an equal
quantity of fried onions, thereby doubling the quantity of onions.
Doopiajas are more piquant curries; they are cooked with more ghee and
less water. The following condiments, &c., are considered ample for a
really good doopiaja of chicken or of any meat:—
One chittack and a half or three ounces of ghee, one breakfastcupful
of water, one teaspoonful and a half of salt, four teaspoonfuls of
ground onions, one teaspoonful each of ground turmeric and chilies,
half a teaspoonful of ground ginger, a quarter of a teaspoonful of
ground garlic, twelve onions cut lengthways, each into six or eight
slices, and half a teaspoonful of ground coriander-seed if it be
liked.
23.—Chicken Doopiaja
Take a full-sized curry chicken and divide it into sixteen or eighteen
pieces. Melt the ghee in a warm or heated pot, fry brown the sliced
onions and set aside; then fry the ground condiments, stirring the
whole; when brown, add the cut-up chicken with the salt, and fry to a
rich brown. Chop the fried onions and put into the pot with one cup of
water, and allow to simmer over a slow fire for about one hour, when
the chicken will be perfectly tender, and the liquid reduced to a
thick consistency, and to half its original quantity.
24.—Kid
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