The Curry Cook's Assistant Part 1

The Curry Cook's a.s.sistant.

by Daniel Santiagoe.

NOTE ABOUT "CURRIES" IN "SAt.u.r.dAY REVIEW," OCTOBER 22, 1887.

Everybody who likes Curry, and who can get it (the pamphlet, not the Curry), should invest in a little pamphlet by "DANIEL SANTIAGOE, son of Francis Daniel, butler and fiddler, of Colombo, Ceylon, and the Ceylon Court, Royal Jubilee Exhibition, Liverpool." It is written in delightful pigeon-English (or whatever other bird may be more appropriate to Ceylon's isle), is quite unpretentious, avows the author's very legitimate, and, indeed, laudable desire to "make a small fortune" by its sale, and contains admirable receipts. Mr. Santiagoe is much less cynical than the apocryphal Mrs. Gla.s.se. He says, after recommending the more excellent way of the Curry Stone, "The best and easy way is to buy from your respected grocers, which, I should say, ought to be of two colours--one is brown and the other is yellow, and the red is cayenne pepper (if required, hot curries)." He is a little plaintive about mulligatawny. "Why English people always spell this word wrong?

Everybody knows this--mollagoo, 'pepper;' tanney, 'water.'" So the reformers who call it "mulligatunny" are just as bad as we devotees of mumpsimus and mulligatawny ourselves. We note with special pleasure a receipt for "chicken moley"--evidently the same genus as that "mollet"

which puzzled Mrs. Clarke. And all the prescriptions are interesting.

"Maldive fish" seems to take the place of "Bombay duck" in these southern regions, and the number of Vegetable Curries is particularly noteworthy. n.o.body need think from the specimens we have given that Mr. Santiagoe is unintelligible. His English may be "pigeon," but it is a much more easily digestible tongue than the high and mighty gobble-gobble of some of our own professors of style and matter.

[True copy from "SAt.u.r.dAY REVIEW."]

INTRODUCTION BY J. L. SHAND, Esq.

Daniel Santiagoe, who has twice come from his Ceylon home to serve me in England and Scotland, now gives to the world a second edition of a very valuable little book, and has asked me to write him an introduction.

An introduction is generally apologetic, but I depart from custom and congratulate the purchasers of this book upon obtaining a collection of recipes which may add much to their gastronomic enjoyment, and perhaps also contribute to health and longevity.

"I do not care for Curry, it is too hot!!!" is a common but erroneous plaint; and the disciple of Santiagoe will find recipes which provide the full delicacy of Eastern condiments without the discomfort of excessive heat.

Why do old East Indians live so long? is a question often asked.

Because so many of them are pensioners, says the student of finance.

Because so many of them are Curry eaters, says the student of hygiene.

All human nature requires to be occasionally stimulated, and a mild Curry acts upon the torpid liver, reacts upon the digestive organs, and provides the necessary stimulant without injurious consequences.

It is a remarkable fact that nearly all Curry-eating nations are abstainers from strong drinks.

Daniel Santiagoe's English may occasionally provoke a smile, but it is "English as she is spoken" by several millions of Her Majesty's subjects, and its originality often lends it force.

Were excuse necessary it would be found in this, that Daniel Santiagoe is a domestic servant to whom English is a foreign tongue.

JOHN LOUDOUN SHAND.

24, Rood Lane, London, E.C.

PREFACE BY AUTHOR.

With much thankfulness to Mr. A. Egmont Hake for his kindness in writing a preface for my first book on Curries, and great credit is due to _Sat.u.r.day Review_ and humble respect is due to my two masters, Shand, Haldane & Co., of London, who brought me over to England and Scotland, with four other servants, and allowed me to publish a little book to make my desired little fortune, which is highly creditable. From the first edition of 500 copies I fully sold 400, and another hundred copies presented to friends in England and Ceylon. My intention in publishing this second edition is that I have given too little recipes and information in my first book for sixpence each copy. Though I thought it is worth making it an enlarged and revised edition for same price this time, I should like to give good many recipes for making a Curry, and give the names of all Meat and Vegetable in English and Tamil. In each heading of Curries two sorts of ingredients are given--one to be procured in England, the other in Ceylon; and also each Curry will be properly instructed. I have tasted the Curries made by Bengalee, etc., on board of steamers and on sh.o.r.e. They use proper Curry Stuffs, etc., but they flavour it too much; using plenty of ghee and fat mutton, etc.,--these spoil the taste. Just the same with Bombay Curries, but in Madras is the only place you could taste a proper Curry, and also in Ceylon, as a good many cooks of Madras Presidency came to Ceylon several years ago and spread out the art of general cooking in Ceylon. I believe at first the cooking business was instructed by European cooks. At present there is too many cooks in Ceylon; almost every butler, appoo, second servant, kitchen mate, groom, etc., knows to cook a English dinner!!!

Now we shall go on with our Curry business. I recommend to try Curry Powders from several grocers. The best Curry Powder is made of coriander seed (which could be got from the chemist's), saffron, dry chillies, c.u.min seed, few mustard seed, few pepper corns. If the Curry Powder contains all the above, it is a good Curry Powder. Some Curry Powders tastes of acid, flour, and other mixtures, which I believe is unwholesome in every means. The Tamils use tamarind for the acid taste.

To every brown Curries the Singalese use Gorakka[1] (a sour fruit), slightly dried, and lime juice to their yellow Curries. There is much different taste between a Singalese Curry and a Tamil Curry--the taste just differs the same as a Madras beef Curry, No. 4, and a potato Curry (vegetable). The Curries should be treated same as a ordinary entree. If one article you had too much, it will spoil the whole Curry. If the meat over done, no taste in it. If you have all Curry stuffs, etc., at hand, could make a Curry Sauce in ten minutes the longest, and can warm up any meat for table in it (I mean the brown). The white Curry Sauce is not suitable, unless for a vegetable or fish.

[1] For Fish Curries, but not fresh fish--the fresh fish could be given acid taste from lemon, or tamarind, or vinegar.

I could give several other recipes to Curries, but the above said sixty will be quite sufficient. If you carefully tried the above said Curries will be found most economical.

A Madras woman can beat any other Indian woman in Curry cooking. In several gentry's houses in Madras, etc., they keep a woman to make Curries and prepare vegetables for table--we call her "Thanney Kareyitchi"--besides the cook and kitchen matey.

The Madras Curry always the best, much different than a Bengal or Bombay Curry, to my opinion.

D. SANTIAGOE.

International Exhibition, Glasgow, 1888.

PREFACE OF MY FIRST EDITION.

By A. Egmont Hake, Esq.

[_TRUE COPY._]

The author of this little work has asked me to write him a Preface, and I gladly do so, especially if it will help to find him buyers, as well as readers, who will put into practice the admirable receipts he offers to gourmets and others. For my own part I can speak with some authority--indeed the best--as to the excellence of Santiagoe's Curries, for I am among the fortunate few who have tasted them in England.

I was particularly struck by a remark which Santiagoe made when I asked him what he would like me to write in his little book. Some authors might have replied "Speak up for my Curries!" others might have said, "Say a good word for my book;" but he, in the fulness of grat.i.tude, said, "Praise my Masters." He then went on to speak of how Mr. Shand and Mr. Haldane had brought him and his fellow-servants all the way from Ceylon to England.

It is only fair to point out that the English of this little book is not "English as she is spoken," but represents the expression of Santiagoe in its native costume--it is Tamil Anglicised by Santiagoe himself. As Santiagoe says, "I like broken English, because ladies gentlemen like that." The author is a native of Trichinopoly. His grandfather and uncle were distinguished drummers in Indian infantry regiments--in other words, they were masters of the tom-tom. He has lived all his life in Ceylon,[2] and for the last seven years--that is, since he was sixteen--has been in the service of English residents, of whom he appears to have nothing but pleasant recollections. It would seem that this will be the case in his experience of England, whither he has come with others as waiter at the Ceylon Tea Rooms in the Liverpool Exhibition--though he told me with much modesty that "people were very kind, but he supposed the Ceylon servants were a novelty."

[2] In 1879 have been to Maldive Island, or Minicoi Island, with my master, to a wrecked steamer of "Bird" Line.--Ed.

Please to read the article of _Sat.u.r.day Review_ of 22nd October, 1887.

It is, to say the least, highly creditable to Santiagoe that, with many duties to perform, and these amid the distracting influences of our Western civilization, he should have compiled this useful little guide to the art of Curry cooking. The spirit of Brillat-Savarin and of Soyer is stronger than the ephemeral attractions of an exhibition. Let us hope Santiagoe's enterprise will be more lasting than these; that it will achieve its aim in popularizing Ceylon Curries in this country; and that his "Book on Curries" will pa.s.s through many editions, and bring him the "little fortune" he deserves.

(Signed) A. EGMONT HAKE,

_Author of "General Gordon's Journal at Khartoum;" Editor of "The Story of Chinese Gordon," etc., etc.; Commissioner of War Trophies, Royal Jubilee Exhibition, Liverpool, 1887._

COPY OF THE NOTE OF MY FIRST EDITION ON CURRIES.