The Khaki Kook Book Part 6

This is a fine bujea. One never cares for meat when this is served. Fry a large sliced onion and a mango pepper together until nicely browned.

Remove from the pan and fry in the same pan six sliced not too ripe tomatoes. These should be dipped in batter and then breadcrumbs before frying. When tomatoes are nicely browned add onions and peppers. Do not add any water to this bujea. Heat very slowly until well blended.

Eggplant, okra, pumpkin, string beans, cauliflower, in fact most any vegetable may be cooked in this way. One general rule will suffice: Fry the onions first in plenty of crisco or oil. If desired, fry also top of onions. Then add prepared vegetables and a little water. In most bujeas, peppers or pimentos are used. Cook slowly. Vegetables like eggplant had better be soaked in weak salt water before cooking.

[Ill.u.s.tration: GRINDING WHEAT]

VI.

Breads.

Bujeas are always eaten with native bread. For these breads the flour is always ground in the home. The mill used is exceedingly primitive. It consists of two large circular stones, one fitting into the socket of the other. By revolving the upper stone over the lower the grain which is poured between the stones is crushed. It is the women of India who do the grinding, and "two women grinding at a mill" is a familiar sight everywhere throughout the land.

The bread made from this home-made flour differs very much from the bread we know. It is not made into loaves, but into little flat cakes, which are baked over coals on a griddle. No yeast is used.

Although India is one of the greatest wheat countries in all the world, the great majority of people in India do not eat wheat bread. They are too poor for that. They eat bread made from the flour of coa.r.s.er grains.

Some of these grains, such as millet and rye, we are familiar with; others are quite unknown to us. Corn and oats are but little used in India.

The bread made from these coa.r.s.e grains is hard to digest. It is made by simply mixing the flour with water. The dough is then patted into little cakes. The bread made from wheat, however, is much finer, and Europeans living in India soon grow to be very fond of it. Some of the varieties would not be practical in this country. However, a few forms of Hindustani bread are quite easily managed here, and will well be worth a trial.

68. Chupatties.

Take a pound of whole wheat and mix it with water until a soft dough is formed. Knead this well. Put a damp cloth over it, and let it stand an hour or so. Then knead again. Make out into b.a.l.l.s, each ball about as big as a walnut. Then roll each ball into a flat cake about as big around as a saucer. Bake these cakes one at a time over a very thick iron griddle that has been well heated. Keep turning them over and over while they are baking. Fold them up in a napkin as they are baked and keep in a warm place. The inside pan of a double boiler is a good place for them. To be properly made these cakes should be patted into shape instead of rolled, and the Hindustani women always do it that way. These chupatties are eaten with bujeas and curries.

69. Chupatties (Americanized).

Make a dough from a pound of whole wheat flour, a half teaspoonful of baking powder, and a little salt. Knead well and let stand. When ready to bake them, divide into b.a.l.l.s as big as a walnut. Roll each out, spread a little oil or crisco over it; fold up and roll again. Grease an iron griddle and bake, turning from side to side. These are not actually fried, but the crisco in them and the greased griddle prevents them from getting hard, as they are apt to do if made according to No. 68.

70. Prahatas.

This is a very rich and satisfying form of native bread. Take a pound of whole wheat and make a dough according to No. 68. Divide the dough into eight equal parts and make each part into a ball. Flatten each ball a little and spread with crisco. Double it up and repeat this three or four times; then roll thin and fry. Use as little grease in frying as is possible.

Puris.

Puris are similar in appearance to chupatties, except they are fried instead of baked.

71. Potato Puris.

Equal parts of mashed potatoes and flour, mixed to a paste and rolled very thin. Make each puri about as large as a saucer. Fry as you would fritters. These sound rather expensive, and they do take a good deal of fat; but they are to be eaten without b.u.t.ter. Eat with curry. Nothing else will be needed at a meal where these puris and curry are served, for they are very satisfying.

72. White Flour Puris.

Knead for ten minutes a dough made from a pound of fine white flour and water. Let stand four or five hours. Divide into little b.a.l.l.s and roll until they are as thin as paper. Fry as you would fritters.

73. Sweet Potato Puris.

Take equal parts of mashed sweet potatoes and whole wheat. Work together into a soft dough. Roll out into cakes, but not too thin. Fry in as little grease as possible.

VII.

Pickles and Chutneys.

74. Kausaundi Pickle (Americanized).

This is a very sour pickle. In India it is always made with sliced green mango, but in this country very sour green apples and lemons do very nicely.

[Ill.u.s.tration: THE SNAKE CHARMER]

Slice thinly four lemons. Sprinkle well with salt. Cover with vinegar, and let stand for about a month.

Slice thinly four very tart apples, two onions, six large sour cuc.u.mber pickles, and three large red peppers. After they are sliced mix intimately, then add two tablespoonfuls of ground mustard seed, a little salt, and, if the peppers are mild, a little cayenne pepper; also add two tablespoonfuls of thinly-sliced green ginger and one tablespoonful of finely-minced garlic.

Drain the salt and vinegar from the lemons and add them to the rest of the mixture.

Roast two tablespoonfuls of turmeric until the raw taste is taken away, then mix with it two tablespoonfuls of ground mustard; add to this a cup of salad and a cup of vinegar. Mix well together and pour over the pickles. If there is not enough oil and vinegar to cover it, add equal parts of each until the pickle is well covered.

This pickle is not to be cooked, but it is best to let it stand in the sun for a number of days. If there is no sun, the warming oven would do.

It keeps indefinitely, and is very appetizing. It is fine for sandwiches. A little in Spanish steak or curry adds much to the flavor.

[Ill.u.s.tration: CARRYING TIMBER IN RANGOON]

VIII.

Chutney.

Chutney is a sort of a combination pickle and preserve. It is usually made rather sweetly and very hot, and is eaten with curry and rice. It is, however, a fine relish with all kinds of meats. In India it is usually made of the sliced green mango; but of course we haven't mangoes here, so we have to use what we can get. Any tart fruit makes good chutney.

75. Lemon Chutney.