Mrs. Coningham's Curry.
Joint a chicken as for a fricasee. Wash it well in several
waters and lay all the pieces except the back and giblets in a
plate. Sprinkle 3 piled dessertspoonfuls of curry powder and ½
teaspoonful of salt over it, 3 cloves of garlic, dried and finely
powdered, 3 ozs. of cocoanut finely pounded, 3 bruised bitter
almonds, also 12 pounded sweet almonds, and a saltspoonful of
mixed spice.
Slice and blanch 2 Portugal onions. Put 2 ozs. of clarified
butter into a stewpan and when it is boiling hot throw in the
sliced onions, 6 whole cardamoms, 6 cloves in muslin and 3 sliced
sour apples, pared and cored. Fry all these ingredients in the
butter till the onions become a pale yellow colour.
Take out half of these mixed ingredients and set them aside
on a plate. Carefully remove the 6 cloves and leave the rest (the
half quantity of onion, apple, &c.) in the stewpan. Then put in
the prepared fowl, with all the curry powder and spices, &c.,
belonging to it. Add 2 breakfastcupfuls of water, let the whole
simmer slowly, keeping the pan well covered till it is nearly done.
Then add the other half of the onions, apples, &c. (which were
banished from the stewpan to the plate) and let all stew again
till quite tender. When dishing add the squeeze of a lemon.
Serve rice, plain boiled in water, on a separate dish.
N.B.—Colonel Coningham says this is the nearest approach to
the true curry of Upper India. The apples there would be super-
seded by native acid fruits; and the Hindoo curry only vegetables.
European cooks spoil it by using stock instead of the water
always used by the natives.
Mango pickle is eaten with this curry.