Cookery Book Author, Culinary Historian and Independent Food Consultant and Trainer in Anglo-Indian Cuisine
Cookery Book Author, Culinary Historian and Independent Food Consultant and Trainer in Anglo-Indian Cuisine
“Dine At My Table" is a specially curated Luncheon dining experience that invites you to relish the unique Anglo-Indian cuisine, in a cosy, homely environment. It is brought to you by Bridget White-Kumar, a renowned culinary expert and advocate for preserving Anglo-Indian cuisine.
The Anglo-Indian community is known for its unique blend of cultures, and this is reflected in their cuisine. The dishes pay tribute to this rich heritage. It's a taste of nostalgia for those who grew up with these flavours and a delightful discovery for those new to the cuisine.
This is more than just a home cooked meal. It would be a cultural and culinary experience you won't want to miss, besides a fun experience with a lot of storytelling combining history, nomenclature and tales from the Kitchens of old Anglo-Indian homes.
Each Menu is specially curated to suit the preference of guests both Vegetarian and Non-Vegetarian and features old time favourites from the Colonial British Raj such as - Colonial Pepper Chicken, Railway Chicken Cutlets, Railway Mutton Curry, Chicken Vindaloo, Anglo-Indian Pork Vindaloo, Mutton Pepper Fry, Cauliflower Foogath, Saffron Coconut rice, Bread and Milk Pudding, etc.
On the set menu: A full course meal cooked by Bridget White-Kumar featuring:
2 Appetizers
2 Mains
1 Rice item
1 Dessert
Besides Bread, Butter, Soft Drinks, Papads, Pickles etc.
Cost per person: Rs 1500/-
Location: Koramangala 3rd Block, Bangalore, India at Bridget’s residence
To make a Booking Contact: (Minimum of 2 persons per Booking. No single Booking permitted)
Email: bidkumar@gmail.com
Mobile : +919845571254
TIPSY PUDDING OR TIPSY TRIFLE – THE ALCOHOLIC VERSION OF THE ENGLISH TRIFLE PUDDING
A Trifle is a Dessert dish made from thick (or often solidified) custard, fruit, sponge cake, fruit juice and whipped cream. These ingredients are usually arranged in layers in a pretty glass bowl or dish with the sponge cake forming the bottom layer. The earliest known recipe for “Trifle” was published in a book called "The good housewife's Jewell" by Thomas Dawson. in 1596 in England. The ingredients for this first Trifle Recipe was thick cream flavoured with sugar, ginger and rosewater pored over slices of Sponge Cake. Sixty years later, milk custard was added to the list of ingredients and the custard was poured over alcohol soaked bread.
A Trifle Pudding is often used for decoration as well as taste, incorporating the bright, layered colours of the fruit, jelly, egg custard, and the contrast of the cream. Some trifles contain a small amount of alcohol such as port, or, most commonly, sweet sherry or Madeira wine. The Original Tipsy Pudding or Tipsy Trifle was a cake well soaked with sherry or wine and served with a boiled custard poured over it. This Alcoholic Version of the Trifle Pudding came to known as ‘Tipsy Pudding or Tipsy Trifle’ as it made one slightly tipsy and jolly from the wine or sherry in it. The Non-alcoholic versions use fruit juices or soft drinks such as ginger ale, lemonade etc instead of the sherry or wine as some liquid is necessary to moisten the cake layers.
The Tipsy Trifle Pudding is often served in Anglo-Indian Homes at Christmas time, sometimes as a lighter alternative to the much denser Christmas pudding and at Parties and High teas.
No specific recipe need be followed for preparing a Trifle. It all depends on the availability of the ingredients. One can mix and match and make a trifle using ingredients that are readily available at home. If you don't have a true trifle bowl, use any straight-sided round glass bowl as the layers look beautiful from the sides of a glass bowl or make individual trifles in small round tumblers.
Below is a recipe for a simple Tipsy Trifle Pudding. You can buy the sponge cake from any local bakery. Make the custard using the ready to use custard mixes available in supermarkets. Use any Alcohol of your choice and use your own favourite jelly flavours and Jam . Omit the Alcohol if you desire. In this recipe I’ve omitted the custard and used layers of fresh cream instead. In one of the puddings, I used sliced bananas and chunks of fresh mangoes to garnish instead of cherries and walnuts.
RECIPE FOR TIPSY TRIFLE PUDDING
Ingredients
300 grams sponge cake
4 tablespoons mixed fruit jam
1 cup whiskey or wine or sherry
1 large tin of canned mixed fruit divide into 3 portions
1 cup prepared jelly
100 grams candied cherries and walnuts (for decoration)
½ litre fresh cream
Method
1. Whip the fresh cream to soft peaks consistency and divide into 3 parts.
2. Drain the excess syrup from the canned fruits. Mix 2 tablespoons of jam to this fruit syrup and mix well. Add the whiskey or sherry or wine to this syrup and divide into 3 portions.
3. Divide the canned fruit into 3 parts
4. Using a sharp knife, slice the cake horizontally into 3 layers. So that they can fit the bottom of the bowl in which the pudding is to be set. (The layers may break but don’t worry)
5. Spread the 3 layers of cake liberally with jam.
6. Place one of the cake layers in the glass bowl and soak with one portion of the whiskey and fruit syrup Press down firmly down.
7. Now spread a layer of the tinned fruit over the soaked sponge cake layer. Top this layer with one portion of the fresh Cream .
8. Repeat the layers twice more as before with the remaining sponge cake, fruit and cream.
9. Smoothen out the top layer of cream using a spatula.
10. Garnish with cherries, walnuts (and fresh fruit) . Chill and serve when required.
I conducted a 3-day Culinary Workshop in Anglo-Indian Cuisine at the Double Tree by Hilton Whitefield Bangalore, from 15th to 17th July 2024 as a precursor to their Anglo-Indian Food festival being held between 2nd to 11th August 2024.
The workshop was very Interactive and Hands on, where the participants learned the fine art of preparing delicious Colonial Anglo-Indian Dishes and every day Anglo-Indian food.
With my knowledge of Colonial Cuisine, we recreated and brought to life forgotten foods and simple dishes of yore that were innovated and invented by the khansamas and cooks in those early days of the colonial period. The rustic and robust flavors of dishes that were served by the cooks at the Dak Bungalows and Inspection Bungalows to the British Officers while on their
official tours across the country such as the Dak Bungalow Chicken Curry and fry, the Dak Bungalow Chicken Stew, Junglee Pilaf, Etc.
The hearty Army Camp Soups and Curries that came out of the innovation and efforts of The Bengal Lancers Unit, made famous by Col Skinner and Maj. Grey.
The delicious Railway Lamb and Chicken Curries and the Cutlets that were first served on the Great Indian Peninsular Railway also known as The Blue
Train that began its three-day journey from Bombay’s Victoria Rail Terminus to Calcutta via Allahabad for the first time on 7th March 1870 covering a total distance of almost 4000 miles.
Then the East India Company legacies of mulligatawny soup, lamb chops, roasts and bakes, Bread and Butter pudding, Roly Poly Pudding, Apple Crumble and Steamed Ginger Pudding, besides other dishes associated with
British colonial cooking Rissoles, Cutlets and Croquettes, etc. The Portuguese legacies of Vindaloo and Tangy Curries and Sweets and many, many more old and forgotten ‘Dishes with History’ which evoked nostalgia and
a longing for the old Colonial way of life, besides present day Anglo-Indian Dishes that have come down through the ages such as Country Captain
Chicken, Anglo-Indian Meatball Curry or Bad Word Curry, Devil Chutney, Saffron Coconut Rice, Mutton and Chicken Pepper Fry, etc.
I am an ardent advocate for preserving Anglo-Indian cuisine, and it is my endeavor to ensure that this cuisine endures forever. This is my small way of preserving the culture of the Anglo-Indian Community through its
culinary delights, thereby preserving its culinary heritage.
http://bridget-white.com
https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCzW0aCSMHlFmYd-dwQm4
I am an Independent Freelance Consultant on Colonial Anglo-Indian Food related matters. My area of expertise is Colonial Anglo-Indian Food, and I’ve gone through a lot of effort in reviving the old forgotten dishes of the Colonial British Raj Era.
I take up professional assignments on training people to cook Colonial Anglo-Indian Cuisine such as the staff and Chefs of Big Hospitality Houses and Star Hotels in India and abroad showcasing the culinary legacy of the Colonial Past. I have assisted many Restaurants, Hotels and Clubs in Bangalore and elsewhere by helping them to revamp and reinvent their Menus by introducing new dishes which are a combination of both Continental and Anglo-Indian. Many of them are now following the Recipes and guidance given by me and the dishes are enjoyed by both Indian and Foreign Guests. I also conduct and assist at Cooking Demos and Anglo-Indian Food festivals at various places.
My workshops are Interactive and Hands on where the participants learn the fine art of preparing delicious Colonial Anglo-Indian Dishes and every day Anglo-Indian food.
With my knowledge of Colonial Cuisine, I recreate and bring to life forgotten foods and simple dishes of yore that were innovated and invented by the khansamas and cooks in those early days of the Colonial period.
The rustic and robust flavours of dishes that were served by the cooks at the Dak Bungalows and Inspection Bungalows to the British Officers while on their official tours across the country such as the Dak Bungalow Chicken Curry and fry, the Dak Bungalow Chicken Stew, Junglee Pilaf, Etc.
The hearty Army Camp Soups and Curries that came out of the innovation and efforts of The Bengal Lancers Unit made famous by Col Skinner and Maj. Grey.
The delicious Railway Lamb and Chicken Curries and the Cutlets that were first served on the Great Indian Peninsular Railway also known as The Blue Train that began its three-day journey from Bombay’s Victoria Rail Terminus to Calcutta via Allahabad for the first time on 7th March 1870 covering a total distance of almost 4000 miles.
Then the East India Company legacies of mulligatawny soup, lamb chops, roasts and bakes, Bread and Butter pudding and steamed ginger pudding, besides other dishes associated with British colonial cooking such as Kedegeree (the anglicised version of kichidi, a rice dish cooked with pulses then mixed with smoked or fried haddock and quartered hard boiled eggs), Fish Cakes and Rissoles, Potato Chops and Panteras, Cutlets and Croquettes, etc
The Portuguese legacies of Vindaloo and Tangy Curries and Sweets, the Dutch Fish and lamb Mince Fricadels and not forgetting the French connection of Chicken in Red Wine, crumbed fried stuffed crepes and many, many more old and forgotten ‘Dishes with History’ which would evoke nostalgia and a longing for the old Colonial way of life.
Present day Anglo-Indian Dishes that have come down through the ages such as Grandma’s Country Captain Chicken, Hussainy Curries, Lamb and Chicken Glassey, Anglo-Indian Meatball Curry or Bad Word Curry, Devil Chutney, Saffron Coconut Rice, Devil Chops, Anglo-Indian Beef Tenderloin Pepper Fry, etc.
I am an ardent advocate for preserving Anglo-Indian cuisine, and it is my endeavour to ensure that that this cuisine endures forever. This is my small way of preserving the culture of the Anglo-Indian Community through its culinary delights, thereby preserving its culinary heritage.
MENU FOR THE MASTER CLASS
Mashed fresh vegetables flavoured lightly, formed into small cigar shaped rolls and crumb fried to a
golden brown.
CHRISTMAS PUDDING ON STIR UP SUNDAY
Christmas Puddings were traditionally always made on Stir-up Sunday which is the last Sunday before Advent begins. In the olden days it was the day when traditionally families gather together to prepare the Christmas pudding or mix the fruit for the Christmas Cakes.
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 since Victorian times it has become associated with the rather lovely family custom of preparing for Christmas together by making the Christmas pudding, an essential part of most Christmas dinners.
The Christmas Pudding is traditionally made with 13 ingredients representing Jesus Christ and his 12 Disciples. The Christmas pudding is stirred from East to West in honor of the 3 wise men who came from the east to visit the Savior child
Every member of the family gives the pudding a stir and makes a wish. A coin, a ring or a thimble are sometime added to the pudding mixture. The coin and thimble supposedly brings luck and wealth to the person who gets it in his / her piece of the pudding on Christmas day, and the finger ring would foretell a wedding to the person who gets it.
Likewise, there is a Cake mixing or stirring Day as well. It is nothing but the day on which families gather together around the dining table, to chop and mix the fruit and nuts with lots of wine and liquor for the traditional Christmas cake. This practice actually started in the 17th Century in Europe, marking the arrival of the harvest season, during which lots of fresh fruits and nuts were harvested and used in the making of traditional Christmas cake.
However, the age-old tradition of using fresh fruits has now been replaced with lots of dry fruits, such as raisins, black currants, etc., nuts, and spices are combined together to form a mixture, which is then soaked in alcoholic blends for a few weeks. This is to let the mixture soak in all the alcohol and liquor. The soaked fruit is then added to the cake batter and baked into delicious Cakes.
This tradition of Fruit Mixing or Stirring, used to be an intimate family affair in the olden days. Now a days, Cake Mixing or Mixing of the Fruit has become a gala social event with the who’s who being invited to Big Hotels to take part in the ceremony as a happy get together to welcome the festive season and bring in the festive spirit that is so synonymous with Christmas.
So get your ingredients ready and everyone join in to stir up the Christmas Pudding .
CHRISTMAS PUDDING
Ingredients
200 grams fresh breadcrumbs
200 grams butter
2 teaspoons instant coffee (Nescafe or Bru)
2 teaspoons golden or date syrup
½ teaspoon baking powder
2 eggs beaten well
¼ cup rum
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon, cloves and nutmeg
100 grams raisins
100 grams chopped sultanas.
100 grams mixed peel
½ teaspoon salt
100 grams sugar
Method
Cream the butter and sugar together then add the eggs and mix well.
Gradually add all the other ingredients and mix well.
Grease a Pudding Mould or any suitable bowl with butter and pour the pudding mixture into it.
Steam the pudding for about 1 hour on low heat till it is firm to touch
Note: This pudding can be made in advance and refrigerated till required. Steam for 10 minute or microwave for 3 minutes before serving.
For a more exotic taste, when still warm make a few small holes all over the pudding and pour about 6 tablespoons of rum over it.
MUTTON ROAST WITH POTATOES AND CARROTS
Ingredients
1 kg Boneless Mutton cut into steaks
3 large potatoes peeled
3 large carrots peeled and cut into wedges
2 tablespoons vinegar
1 teaspoon ground pepper
2 or 3 Red Chillies
1/2 teaspoon peppercorns
Salt to taste
Rub the mutton Steaks well all over with the salt, pepper and vinegar.
Place it in a big oven proof dish or pressure cooker and fry for some time till slightly brown. Add sufficient water and cook till the meat is almost tender.
Remove to a pan and add in the potatoes and carrots
Continue roasting on Low flame on the stove top till the meat is nice and brown and the potatoes too are roasted well.
Serve hot or cold with bread.
MAKE YOUR CHRISTMAS PUDDING ON STIR UP SUNDAY
In the olden days, The Christmas Pudding was invariably made 4 weeks before Christmas on Stir-up Sunday to give it time to mature. ‘STIR-UP SUNDAY’ or ‘Christmas Pudding Sunday’ falls on the last Sunday before Advent. (Advent begins 4 Sundays before Christmas). The Pudding is served after dinner on Christmas Day. In the olden days making the Christmas Pudding was a family event where every member of the family would give the Christmas Pudding a stir and make a wish. A coin, a ring, a button or a thimble were sometimes added to the pudding mixture. The person who got the coin his / her piece of the pudding on Christmas day would be lucky throughout the next year. If a bachelor got the button in his piece of the pudding, he would remain a bachelor for the next year and likewise if a spinster got the thimble she would remain single the next year, while finger ring would foretell a wedding to the person who got it.
‘Stir-Up Sunday’ falls on the 20th November 2022 this year. So get your ingredients ready and everyone join in to ‘stir up the Christmas Pudding’
CHRISTMAS PLUM PUDDING
Serves 6 Preparation time 1 hour
Ingredients
200 grams fresh bread crumbs
200 grams butter
2 teaspoons instant coffee (Nescafe or Bru)
2 teaspoons golden syrup or date syrup
½ teaspoon baking powder
2 eggs beaten well
¼ cup rum
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon and cloves
¼ teaspoon ground nutmeg
100 grams chopped raisins
100 grams chopped black currants
100 grams mixed peel
½ teaspoon salt
100 grams sugar
Cream the butter and sugar together then add the eggs and mix well. Gradually add all the other ingredients and mix well. Grease a Pudding Mould or any suitable bowl with butter. Pour the pudding mixture into it. Steam the pudding for about 1 hour on low heat either in a pressure cooker or a suitable pan or steamer till it is firm to touch.
Note: This pudding can be made weeks in advance and refrigerated till required. Steam for 10 minute or microwave for 3 minutes before serving. For a more exotic taste, when still warm make a few small holes all over the pudding and pour about 6 tablespoons of rum over it
HOW TO FLAME YOUR CHRISTMAS PUDDING
The flaming of the pudding needs a steady hand and for safety reasons, should not be done by someone who has enjoyed too much wine.
Pour about 3 tablespoons of rum or brandy into a metal ladle or a deep spoon and carefully heat over a gas flame or lit candle till the liquor bursts into flame. Quickly pour the flaming rum or brandy over the pudding and take it to the dinner table. Make sure the lights are out when taking it to the table for a grand entrance. Once the flames have subsided, serve with, cream or custard.
ANGLO-INDIAN CHICKEN PISH-PASH RICE OR SMASHED RICE
Pish-Pash is a watery over-cooked Rice and Meat Dish that was very popular in Anglo-Indian homes in the olden days. The word ‘PASH’ is of Old English origin, meaning to ‘smash’ or ‘mash’ in relation to mashed meat. The term ‘Pish Pash’ dates back to 18th Century Anglo-India and was used as "baby talk" with children at meal times.
Pish-Pash is a colloquial Anglo-Indian Name for rice that has been over-cooked or cooked really soft. We say the rice is pish-pashy. Pish-Pash is a simple rice dish cooked together with chicken or meat cut up into pieces in extra water or stock till the rice is overcooked and soft. Sometimes a little Dal or lentils are added for a variation in taste. A chicken or beef Soup cube could also be added while cooking to give the dish a better flavour. This is a delightfully mild savoury dish that could be easily digested and is often given to invalids or children. While it is the simplest of all Anglo-Indian dishes to prepare, it’s the greatest of all ‘COMFORT FOODS’
Ingredients
1 cup raw rice (wash and drain)
250 grams chicken with bones, cut in medium size pieces
1 teaspoon whole pepper corns
1 small piece of cinnamon
1 or 2 teaspoons ginger garlic paste
Salt to taste
1 or 2 tablespoons butter or oil
A few mint leaves or 1/2 teaspoon dry mint
Heat the butter or oil in a pan and fry the pepper corns, cinamon and fry for 2 minutes.
Add the ginger garlic paste and sauté for about a minute
Add the chicken and stir fry for a few minutes till the chicken pieces get firm
Add the washed raw rice and stir-fry for a few minutes.
Now add the mint, salt, and 6 to 8 cups of water and mix well.
Cover the pan with a tight fitting lid and simmer on low heat till the rice and chicken are very soft.
Switch off the heat. Add a tablespoon ghee or butter, then cover and let it rest for 15 minutes before serving
It should be like a thick gruel or porridge consistency
Goes well with an omelet and pickle.
A Hot Cross Bun is a spiced sweet bun made with currants or raisins, marked with a cross on the top, and traditionally eaten on Good Friday around the world. . The buns mark the end of Lent and different parts of the hot cross bun have a certain meaning, including the cross representing the crucifixion of Jesus, and the spices inside signifying the spices used to embalm him at his burial.
The traditional method for making the cross on top of the bun is to use shortcrust pastry ;however, more recently recipes have recommended a paste consisting of flour and water.
Easy Recipe for Hot cross buns
3/4 cup warm water
3 tbsps butter, softened
1 tbsp powdered milk
1/4 cup castor sugar
Pinch of salt
1 egg
1 egg white
3 cups all-purpose flour
1 tbsp active dry yeast
3/4 cup dried currants
1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
1/2 tsp nutmeg powder
For glaze:-
1 egg yolk
2 tablespoons water
For cross :-
1/2 cup confectioners' sugar
1/4 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 teaspoons milk
Put warm water, butter, milk powder, sugar, salt, egg, egg white, flour, currants, cinnamon, nutmeg and yeast in food processor and form into a dough or knead by hand. Leave aside till double in bulk.
Punch down on floured surface, cover, and let rest 10 minutes.
Shape into 12 large or 14-15 smaller balls and place in a greased 9 x 12 inch pan. Cover and let rise in a warm place till double, about 35-40 minutes.
Mix egg yolk and 2 tablespoons water. Brush on buns.
Bake at 190°C for 20 minutes. Remove from pan immediately and cool on wire rack.
To make crosses: mix together confectioners' sugar, vanilla, and milk. Brush a cross on each cooled bun.
For shortcrust crosses :-
combine 170g plain flour with 125g softened butter and 1 tbsp of icing sugar. Bind to a paste with a small amount of cold water, and chill before rolling.Cut strips from the rolled out sweet pastry, and stick crosses to the surface of the bun with a little milk. Do this after the buns have risen, before you glaze them with the egg wash
DING-DING – ANGLO-INDIAN PRESERVED MEAT -
Food drying is the oldest method of preserving food for use at a later date. Everyone will agree that Summer is the right time to do this, when Pickles and preserves are made to last the whole year. Anglo-Indian folks in the olden days made use of the heat of the summer sun to make Ding-Ding - our very own Anglo-Indian Sun dried preserved meat. The 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 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 in the sun. Of course, someone had to be on guard to shoo away the crows that were brave enough to try to steal a piece of the drying meat. 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. When required, the dried meat would be 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, As the wind blew, the dangling dried meat dashed against each other with a ding sound. Hence the name Ding Ding .
Now the same dried and preserved meat could be dried quicker in an oven or in a microwave without hanging the pieces out to dry in the sun. Alternatively, one could make Ding Ding Fry with fresh meat, chicken, duck etc, by just marinating and frying them to a crisp.
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.
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 dried in the oven or 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 or Dol (Dal) and Rice.
MAKE YOUR CHRISTMAS PUDDING ON STIR UP SUNDAY
The Christmas Pudding was invariably made on Stir-up Sunday to give it time to mature. ‘STIR-UP SUNDAY’ or ‘Christmas Pudding Sunday’ falls on the last Sunday before Advent. (Advent begins 4 Sundays before Christmas). The Pudding is served after dinner on Christmas Day. In the olden days making the Christmas Pudding was a family event where every member of the family would give the Christmas Pudding a stir and make a wish. A coin, a ring, a button or a thimble were sometimes added to the pudding mixture. The person who got the coin his / her piece of the pudding on Christmas day would be lucky throughout the next year. If a bachelor got the button in his piece of the pudding, he would remain a bachelor for the next year and likewise if a spinster got the thimble she would remain single the next year, while finger ring would foretell a wedding to the person who got it.
‘Stir-Up Sunday’ falls on the 26th November this year. So get your ingredients ready and everyone join in to ‘stir up the Christmas Pudding’
CHRISTMAS PLUM PUDDING
Serves 6 Preparation time 1 hour
Ingredients
200 grams fresh bread crumbs
200 grams butter
2 teaspoons instant coffee (Nescafe or Bru)
2 teaspoons golden syrup or date syrup
½ teaspoon baking powder
2 eggs beaten well
¼ cup rum
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon and cloves
¼ teaspoon ground nutmeg
100 grams chopped raisins
100 grams chopped black currants
100 grams mixed peel
½ teaspoon salt
100 grams sugar
Cream the butter and sugar together then add the eggs and mix well.
Gradually add all the other ingredients and mix well.
Grease a Pudding Mould or any suitable bowl with butter. Pour the pudding mixture into it.
Steam the pudding for about 1 hour on low heat either in a pressure cooker or a suitable pan or steamer till it is firm to touch.
Note: This pudding can be made weeks in advance and refrigerated till required. Steam for 10 minute or microwave for 3 minutes before serving. For a more exotic taste, when still warm make a few small holes all over the pudding and pour about 6 tablespoons of rum over it
HOW TO FLAME YOUR CHRISTMAS PUDDING
The flaming of the pudding needs a steady hand and for safety reasons, should not be done by someone who has enjoyed too much wine.
Pour about 3 tablespoons of rum or brandy into a metal ladle or a deep spoon and carefully heat over a gas flame or lit candle till the liquor bursts into flame. Quickly pour the flaming rum or brandy over the pudding and take it to the dinner table. Make sure the lights are out when taking it to the table for a grand entrance. Once the flames have subsided, serve with, cream or custard.