Cookbook 42: Margaret Fulton’s Book of Indian Cooking

So I dug out a book I bought in the early 1990s, before I’d moved out of home, and had actually never ever used before, Margaret Fulton’s Book of Indian Cooking.  It’s not that I didn’t like Indian, or that the ingredients were too hard to find, or too strange for my taste, it’s just that it’s an awkward sized book.  I do remember buying this as part of a set of three, this and another being the only two that are left.  I have no idea what happened to the third.

Overall this book was pretty good – I did attempt a dessert, but managed to burn the dish so I gave up, and would have burnt another had I not been monitoring it carefully.  I did find that several dishes needed more liquid than the recipe called for, and I’ll note that as I go in the recipe.  For the liquid problems, I’m going to give this a 3 out of 5.  The recipes otherwise are good, and Margaret Fulton goes out of her way to use the traditional names of the dishes (though I’m not sure which language).

Bharta

Ingredients:

• 500g eggplant
• 2 tablespoons oil
• 1 large onion, finely chopped
• 1 clove garlic, crushed
• 1 green chilli, seeded and chopped
• 1 tablespoon ground coriander seeds
• 1 tablespoon finely chopped choriander
• salt
• 1 tablespoon lemon juice

Method:

1. Cook the eggplant in a preheated moderate oven, 180C, for 30 minutes or until soft.  Cool slightly, then slip open, scoop out all the flesh and beat it with a fork.
2. Heat the oil in a pan, add the onion, garlic and chilli, and fry until the onion is soft but not coloured.
3. Add the ground and fresh coriander and salt to taste.  Add the eggplant pulp, stir well and fry, uncovered, for 2 minutes, then cover and simmer very gently for 5 minutes.  Sprinkle with lemon juice and serve.

Notes on this recipe:

• If you want to save time, and ensure that the eggplant is cooked properly, prick it all over with a fork and then microwave it on high for 15 minutes.  Leave to cool for about the same time period.
• Adding liquid (we used Massel chicken stock – it’s vegetarian), at the last step means it can actually simmer.  The eggplant isn’t very good on simmering on it’s own, and there isn’t really enough of any other liquid present to simmer.  I can’t tell you how much I used, I just kept checking the pan to ensure it had some liquid, and added more as necessary.  I might have ended up using 1/4 – 1/2 cup.
• One clove of garlic?  If you like garlic, feel free to add more.

Kabli Channa

Ingredients:

• 250g whole chick peas
• 3 cups water
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 2 tablespoons ghee or oil
• 1 onion, chopped
• 2.5cm piece cinnamon stick
• 4 cloves
• 2 cloves garlic, crushed
• 2.4cm pice ginger, chopped
• 2 green chillies, finely chopped
• 2 teaspoons ground coriander seeds
• 1 large tomato, chopped
• 1 teaspoon garam masala
• 1 tablespoon finely chopped coriander

Method:

1. Wash the chick peas and soak in the water overnight.  Add the salt and simmer until tender.  Drain, reserving the water, and set aside.
2. Heat the ghee or oil in a pan, add the onion and fry until golden.  Add the cinnamon and cloves and fry for a few seconds, then add the garlic, ginger, chillies and ground coriander and fry for 5 minutes.  Add the tomato and fry until most of the liquid has evaporated.
3. Add the chick peas and cook gently for 5 minutes, then add the reserved water and simmer for 20 to 25 minutes.  Add the garam masala and stir well.  Sprinkle with the chopped coriander and serve immediately.

Notes on this recipe:

• I used one tin of chickpeas because it saved time.
• This had a nice bite to it, which was because it actually had two chillies in it.

Chicken Pilau

Ingredients:

• 2 1/4 cups basmati rice
• 1 x 1.5kg chicken
• 5 tablespoons ghee or butter
• 5cm pice cinnamon stick
• 8 cloves
• 6 cardamom
• 2 cloves garlic, crushed
• 1/2 – 1 teaspoon chilli powder
• 1 tablespoon fennel seeds
• 5 tablespoons natural yoghurt
• 1 teaspoon powdered saffron (or turmeric)
•  1 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 2 1/2 cups chicken stock

To garnish:

• 4 tablespoons ghee or butter
• 2 large onions, sliced

Method:

1. Wash the rice under cold water, then soak in fresh cold water for 30 minutes; drain thoroughly.  Skin the chicken and cut into pieces
2. Melt the ghee or butter in a large flameproof casserole.  Add the cinnamon, cloves and cardamom and fry for 30 seconds. Stir in the garlic, chilli and fennel and fry for 30 seconds.
3. Add the chicken and fry, turning, for 5 minutes.  Add the yoghurt a spoonful at a time, stirring until absorbed before adding the next spoonful.  Cover and simmer for 25 minutes or until tender.
4. Add the rice, saffron and salt.  Fry, stirring, until the rice is well mixed and glistening.  Add enough stock to cover the rice by 5mm and bring to the boil.
5. Reduce the heat to very low, cover tightly and cook for 20 minutes or until the rice is cooked and the liquid absorbed.
6. Melt the ghee or butter in a small pan, add the onion and fry until golden.  Transfer the pilau to a warmed dish, and garnish with the fried onion.

Notes on this recipe:

• 1.5kgs of chicken pieces works just as well, and you don’t need to joint an uncooked chicken which is a pain in the arse.
• Getting the amount of stock wrong isn’t hard in this recipe.  Keep some nearby and check the rice and liquid levels frequently.
• This dish really could do with more chilli.

Tomato Rice

Ingredients

• 1 1/2 cups long-grain rice
• 3 tablespoons oil
• 1 onion, sliced
• 1 clove garlic, crushed
• 2.5cm piece ginger, chopped
• 1 x 450g can tomatoes
• salt
• 2 tablespoons finely chopped coriander

Method:

1. Wash the rice thoroughly cold water, then soak in fresh cold water for 30 minutes; drain thoroughly.
2. Heat the oil in a large pan, add the onion and fry until golden.  Add the garlic and ginger and fry for 2 minutes.  Add the rice, stir well and fry for 2 minutes.
3. Break up the tomatoes in their juice and add to the rice with salt to taste.  Bring to the boil, then cover and simmer with 15 to 20 minutes, until tender.
4. Transfer to a warmed serving dish and sprinkle with coriander.

Notes on this recipe:

• If you use a tin of crushed tomatoes, like I did, you’re not going to have enough liquid to cook the rice in.  I’m not even convinced that if you have a tin of whole tomatoes you’re going to have enough liquid to cook the rice in.  Add extra water or stock.