Preserving Anglo-Indian Cuisine by Bridget White Kumar

20/11/2025

Christmas Pudding / Steamed Christmas Pudding
MAKE YOUR CHRISTMAS PUDDING ON STIR UP SUNDAY
Stir Up Sunday is also known as Christmas Pudding Sunday. The last Sunday before Advent is ‘Stir-up Sunday’, the day when traditionally families gather together to prepare the Christmas pudding. This year it falls on Sunday 23rd November 2025.
The day does not actually get its name from ‘stirring the pudding’: it gets its name from the Book of Common Prayer. The Collect of the Day for the last Sunday before Advent starts, “Stir up, we beseech thee, O Lord, the wills of thy faithful people”. However it has become associated with the rather lovely family custom of preparing for Christmas by making the Christmas pudding or Christmas Cakes together.
Ingredients
50 gms bread crumbs (do not use panko crumbs)
50 gms flour
100 gms butter melted
50 gms sugar (powdered in the mixie)
2 tsp Nescafe powder
2 tbs either treacle syrup or golden syrup or date syrup
1/4 tsp baking powder
1 egg beaten well
1/4 tsp cinnamon powder
1/4 tsp ground nutmeg
100 gms chopped black raisins, black currants, cherries etc
1/4 tsp salt
2 or 3 tablespoons milk as required
Mix the dry ingredients together then add all the other ingredients and mix well
Grease a suitable bowl, that would fit in your steamer, with butter or oil then transfer the pudding mixture to it. Cover with foil.
Now place a perforated steamer plate or stand in a steamer or suitable pot.
Add one cup of water
Place the bowl with the pudding batter on the stand
Cook on medium to Low heat for 45 minutes to one hour.
Open and check if the pudding is cooked by inserting a toothpick.
Remove the bowl from the Steamer and let it cool.
Once cool, run a knife around the edge and turn over on a plate.
Your steamed Christmas Pudding is ready.
If desired make a few small holes and pour a few tablespoons of rum over it
You could make the pudding in advance and leave in the fridge. Just before serving microwave for a minute or two and serve warm


MAKE YOUR CHRISTMAS PUDDING ON STIR UP SUNDAY / CHRISTMAS PUDDING / STEAMED CHRISTMAS PUDDING /

Christmas Pudding / Steamed Christmas Pudding MAKE YOUR CHRISTMAS PUDDING ON STIR UP SUNDAY Stir Up Sunday is also known as Christmas Pudding Sunday. The las...

08/11/2025

A simple and easy to make Egg Pulao / Egg Pulav . Check out the recipe and video on my YouTube channel

SIMPLE EGG PULAO / EGG PULAV / EGG PILAF / HOW TO MAKE A SIMPLE EGG PULAO OR PULAV
https://youtu.be/A2XONAgS8us

EGG PULAO / EGG PULAV / EGG PILAFIngredients2 medium onions sliced 2 or 3 green chilies sliced lengthwise2 tablespoons...

30/10/2025

COUNTRY CAPTAIN CHICKEN
Chicken Country captain originated in India as a simple spatchcock Poultry or game dish during the time of the British Raj. It was a very popular dish during Colonial times since it was very easy to prepare. The original recipe involved onions, curry powder and a few whole spices.
In those days, well-fed, home reared free range country chickens were used in its preparation. The country chickens together with freshly ground ingredients, were cooked for hours over a firewood oven to bring out its rich and delicious taste. This dish was also sometimes called Grandma’s Country Captain Chicken and presumably got its name from an old Grandma who prepared this special dish for her favourite grandson, a Captain in the British Army! Another explanation is that this particular chicken dish could have been prepared on Country Boats with river fowls and served at the Captain’s table. So the term "country captain" would have meant a captain of Indian origin of a ‘country boat’ which plied along the coasts of India. Others claim that the word "captain" in the title is simply a corruption of the word "Capon”. A capon is a cockerel or rooster that has been castrated or neutered either physically or chemically, to improve the quality of its flesh for the table. Capon meat is also more moist, tender and flavorful than that of a cockerel or a hen, which is due not only to the hormonal differences during the capon's development, but also because capons are not as active as roosters, which makes their meat more tender and fatty. Whatever the explanation, it is a delicious and wholesome dish.
Ingredients
1 kg chicken cut into medium size pieces (preferably a country or free range chicken)
3 large onions sliced finely
1 teaspoon chillie powder (use less if desired)
½ teaspoon turmeric powder
2 or 3 tablespoons oil or butter
Salt to taste
2 teaspoons ginger garlic paste
2 small sticks cinnamon
4 cloves
2 bay leaves
6 or 8 whole pepper corns
2 Dry Red Chillies broken into bits
2 tablespoons tomato puree or 1 small tomato chopped finely
Method
Marinate the chicken with the chillie powder, turmeric powder and salt.
Heat oil in a pan and fry the onions till golden brown.
Remove half the onions and keep aside.
Add the cinnamon, cloves, Bay leaves, red chillies and pepper corns to the remaining onions and fry lightly.
Add the marinated chicken, mix in the ginger garlic paste and tomato puree or chopped tomatoes and sauté for about 5 minutes on medium heat.
Once the pieces become firm, add ½ to one cup of water and mix well.
Raise the heat and bring it to boil.
Lower the heat and cover the pan
Simmer on low heat till the chicken is tender and the gravy is quite thick.
Now add in the fried onions that were kept aside.
Let the dish rest for 10 minutes before serving
Serve either with Bread, Rice or Chapattis

04/07/2025

ANGLO-INDIAN CHICKEN PEPPER FRY
A simple wholesome chicken dish that could be prepared in a little while. It brings out the subtle flavours of the Chicken and the aroma of pepper
Ingredients
1 kg chicken cut into medium size pieces
3 large onions sliced finely
2 teaspoons pepper powder
1 teaspoon turmeric powder
2 tablespoons oil
salt to taste

Heat oil in a pan and fry the onions lightly.
Add the chicken and mix in the pepper powder, turmeric powder and salt.
Add ½ cup of water and cook on low heat till the chicken is tender and semi dry.

(Alternately, the chicken can be par boiled with a little water and then added to the sautéed onions and pepper)
Garnish with more crushed pepper and onion rings
Serve as a side dish or a starter

ANGLO-INDIAN CHICKEN PEPPER FRY, PEPPER CHICKEN FRY, PEPPER FRY CHICKEN, ANGLO-INDIAN CUISINE, ANGLO-INDIAN RECIPES, ANGLO-INDIAN FOOD

06/06/2025

Another easy recipe for our very popular Anglo-Indian Brinjal Pickle. Check out my video on my YouTube channel

ANGLO-INDIAN BRINJAL PICKLE / RECIPE FOR BRINJAL PICKLE / EASY RECIPE FOR BRINJAL PICKLE
https://youtu.be/JtX1W44SI04

ANGLO-INDIAN BRINJAL PICKLE (Aubergine / Egg plant Pickle)Ingredients1/2 kg long purple or green Brinjals or 1 large seedless one. (I used the long green one...

27/05/2025

It’s summer and the Mango Season. The right time to make some Mango Pickle Anglo-Indian style. Tangy, Sweet and just a little bit spicy. Check out my video for Sweet Mango Pickle my way !!

MANGO PICKLE / SWEET MANGO PICKLE / ANGLO-INDIAN SWEET MANGO PICKLE / RECIPE FOR SWEET MANGO PICKLE

ANGLO-INDIAN SWEET MANGO PICKLEIngredients3 cups of diced pickle mangoes with the skin2 tablespoon chillie powder (add a little more if desired) 1 tablespoon...

06/05/2025

https://anglo-indianfood.blogspot.com/2025/05/anglo-indian-posthol-mince-fry-dry.html?m=1

POSTHOLE MINCE FRY
A typical Anglo-Indian Dish. Goes well with bread, rice or Chapattis. Also used as filling in our Mince Puffs or Patties
Ingredients
½ kg Fine Beef or Mutton Mince / Ground Beef or Mutton / Lamb
2 big onions chopped
½ teaspoon turmeric powder
1 teaspoon chopped garlic
1teaspoon chopped ginger
2 or 3 green chilies chopped finely
1 small bunch coriander leaves (about 2 tablespoons )
1 small piece cinnamon bark
2 cloves
2 tablespoons oil
2 potatoes boiled , peeled and cut into small pieces
Salt to taste
Read more on my website

Simple Anglo-Indian Recipes by Bridget White-Kumar. Authentic Recipes of Colonial Anglo-Indian Cuisine - Lip smacking recipes of popular and tradition

30/04/2025

SOME ANGLO-INDIAN PICKLES AND CHUTNEYS - RECIPES ON MY WEBSITE https://bridget-white.com/some-anglo-indian-pickles-and-chutneys-brinjal-pickle-mango-pickle-lime-pickle-gooseberry-pickle/
Pickles, Relishes and Chutneys add zest to a meal and Anglo-Indian Cuisine has many of them in its repertoire. Pickles and chutneys form an important and sometimes necessary accompaniment to any meal. They add sparkle and tingle to enliven up the meal and they stimulate the appetite with their tangy and spicy flavour.
The secret of a good pickle is the combination of spices such as chillies, fenugreek and mustard either crushed or ground. Pickles are generally made in summer since they should be kept in the sun for some time. Unlike chutneys pickles have a longer shelf life and can be stored for more than a year without spoiling.
1. BRINJAL PICKLE (Aubergine / Egg plant Pickle)
Ingredients
1 kg long purple or green Brinjals or 1 large seedless one
3 tablespoons chillie powder
2 tablespoons chopped garlic
2 tablespoons chopped fresh ginger
1 cup vinegar
1 tablespoon mustard powder
1 tablespoon cumin powder
1 teaspoon turmeric powder
1 cup Sesame oil refined oil
1 cup of sugar
2 tablespoons salt
Wash and dry the Brinjals well and cut them into medium size pieces. Heat the oil in a pan. Add the ginger and garlic and sauté on low heat for a few minutes. Add the chillie powder, mustard powder, cumin powder, and turmeric powder and fry for a minute. Now add the Brinjals and salt and cook for 5 to 6 minutes on low heat. Add the vinegar and sugar and mix well. Cook till the sugar dissolves and till the brinjals are just cooked. Cool and store in bottles.
https://bridget-white.com/some-anglo-indian-pickles-and-chutneys-brinjal-pickle-mango-pickle-lime-pickle-gooseberry-pickle/

Bridget White-Kumar. I am a Cookery Book Author and Independent Food Consultant and Trainer in Colonial Anglo-Indian Cuisine at Bangalore, India

06/04/2025

DING-DING – ANGLO-INDIAN SUN DRIED MEAT - Summer is the right time to make Pickle and Ding Ding
The hot, hot summer that we are having these days in Bangalore brings back memories of my mum and Aunt Celine in my Grandma’s house in Negapatam, making use of the heat of the summer sun to make Ding-Ding - our very own Anglo-Indian Sun dried meat crispies. Meat, either beef or mutton was cut into very thin slices, washed and then marinated in a mixture of chillie powder, turmeric powder, salt, pepper powder and vinegar for a few hours. The marinated meat was then strung on a string and hung on the verandah or back porch to dry in the summer heat. Sometimes the meat was placed on flat plates and left to dry. It would take a couple of days to dry completely to a crisp. The dried meat was then carefully stored away in airtight tins to be used at a later date.
The dried meat would be soaked in cold water first and beaten flat with a rolling pin and then shallow fried in hot oil till brown and crisp. It made a wonderful side dish with Rice and Pepper Water or Rice and Dol (Dhal) Curry.
Anglo-Indian men in the olden days were fond of hunting especially those living in the Tea Gardens, Mining Colonies, Railway Colonies etc . A group of them would venture into the woods and farms in search of game. They would invariably return with wild Boar, pheasants, wild ducks etc. The spoils would be shared with neighbors and friends and the remaining meat was always preserved in this way by drying it after marinating it with vinegar. How this dried meat dish actually got its name Ding-Ding is unknown. Presumably, the meat dangling from the string gave it its name since most Anglo-Indian Dishes have rhyming alliterative names. This recipe and lots of other old Anglo-Indian Recipes are featured in my Recipe Book ANGLO-INDIAN CUISINE – A LEGACY OF FLAVOURS FROM THE PAST.
Note: For those who do not want to dry the meat in the sun, the meat could be dried in an oven instead.

Recipe for DING DING
Ingredients
1 kg beef from the shank end of the leg (cut into very thin slices)
3 or 4 teaspoons pepper powder
2 teaspoons chillie powder
3 teaspoons salt
1 teaspoon turmeric powder
½ cup vinegar
Wash the meat and marinate with the pepper powder, salt, chillie powder, vinegar and turmeric powder for 2 or 3 hours. String the pieces of meat on a string and hang to dry. (Alternately the marinated meat could be placed on a flat plate and kept in the sunlight to dry). The pieces should be dried thoroughly.
Store in an airtight container and use whenever required at a later date.

To use at a later date, soak the dried meat pieces in cold water for a couple of hours. Beat each piece with a rolling pin and then shallow fry with a little oil. This goes well with rice and pepper water.

Simple Anglo-Indian Recipes by Bridget White-Kumar. Authentic Recipes of Colonial Anglo-Indian Cuisine - Lip smacking recipes of popular and tradition

27/02/2025

MILK SWEET (WITH DESICCATED COCONUT AND MILK POWDER
Ingredients
4 tablespoons desiccated coconut
2 tablespoons icing sugar
1.5 cups milk powder
1/2 cup or less cold milk
Method
Mix the desiccated coconut, icing sugar and milk powder together.
Add the milk a little at a time and knead to a soft dough with your fingers.
Transfer to a dish lined with butter paper.
Press down well using a spoon.
Cut into squares. Leave in the fridge for a few hours to set well.
Garnish with nuts if desired.
Enjoy your milk sweet

MILK SWEET WITH DESICCATED COCONUT AND MILK POWDER / NO COOKING RECIPE FOR MILK SWEET / MILK SWEET

NO COOKING MILK SWEET (WITH DESICCATED COCONUT AND MILK POWDERIngredients 4 tablespoons desiccated coconut 2 tablespoons icing sugar1.5 cups milk powder1/2 c...

23/02/2025

A short video about my various Cookbooks

ANGLO-INDIAN COOKBOOKS BY BRIDGET WHITE / BRIDGET WHITE ANGLO-INDIAN RECIPES/ ANGLO-INDIAN COOKBOOK

ANGLO-INDIAN COOKBOOKS BY BRIDGET WHITE 1.ANGLO-INDIAN CUISINE – A LEGACY OF FLAVOURS FROM THE PAST is a comprehensive and unique collection of easy- to- fo...