Cut up a fowl, duck, rabbit, beef, or mutton, boil the same in two quarts of water for a quarter of an hour; then mix the under-mentioned therein, previously bruising the spices in a mortar, rejecting the husk. For a larger quantity of meat than the weight of a large fowl, use more of the mixture in proportion.
Two table spoons over-filled of the curry powder or ingredients, answers the purpose, and better, adding the butter, onions, garlic, pease-flour, acid, &c.
One quarter of an ounce China turmeric, one sixth of an ounce Cayenne pepper, one ounce and a quarter coriander seed, one third of an ounce of powdered cassia, two drams two scruples black pepper.
One table-spoon of butter; juice from a fine lemon, or equal quantity of lemon-pickle, three middle sized onions cut fine, six cloves of garlic chopped very fine, six tea-spoons of pease-flour, high-dried or baked; then pour thereon half a pint of boiling-water, strain the ingredients through a fine cloth or sieve, then put the same with fowl, &c. over the fire, adding at this time the butter and onions previously fried together, boil the same for half an hour, adding, in the last five minutes, the acid, when the Mulga-tawney will be ready for the table; which eaten as soup and bouilli, mixing rice therein, will prove not only palatable, but an excellent stomachic. The Mulga-tawney, or soup, when done, should be nearly the consistency of cream; if it should prove otherwise, when proceeding as above, more or less water should be used on the onset, but not afterwards added. The soup with the meat to be served in a tureen, and sent to table quite hot; the rice in a dish having hot water below and a cover.
A prejudice may exist against Curry and Mulga-tawney, but there can be no doubt of both being perfectly wholesome; as, to wit, throughout the East Indies, it is the daily food of millions of all ages.
METHOD OF BOILING RICE.
The following is different from that adopted generally in England, but was followed by an old Indian officer when here, and found to answer perfectly well; but the object to be accomplished is, that the rice should be well done, as white as possible, and perfectly free from water: the rice used should be Patna; the Carolina, though much whiter, is not so good either for Curry or Mulga-tawney.
Take a pound of Patna rice, have the same well washed, looking over each grain for small stones, husks, &c. then put the rice into a saucepan, and pour thereon boiling water, put on the cover, and let the saucepan remain off the fire about a quarter of an hour; in that time, if the water was full boiling, the rice will be sufficiently softened for use; pour the water off, and to dry the rice, set it over the fire for a couple of minutes, stirring it well during the time with a fork. Proceeding as above the rice will be as dry and as well cooked as that prepared by the natives in the East Indies; great care to be taken that it does not become hard by the heat.
Another way of boiling the rice is, to soak it an hour in cold water, then put it into a saucepan and cover it with hot water, adding one tea-spoonful of salt to every tea-cup full of rice. Place it over the fire, and when it has boiled about ten minutes, the water should be poured off. Then cover the saucepan close down, and let it stand by the fire for a few minutes, when the rice will become dry, and fit to serve up with your curry.
THE HEAD COACHMAN.