COOKBOOK
Sumptuous surprises
NIMI KURIAN
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A book that allows you to serve up a delectable meal with a dash of history.
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Timeless Cuisine: Recipes from Harrisons; Latha Kannan, Westland, Rs. 250
Cuisine is just not about food. It’s also about where it began, how it did and finally what made it popular. So it is that Timeless Cuisine Recipes from Harrisons by Latha Kannan not only gives you peek into the whys and whereofs; it also lets you into the small beginnings.
Setting the tone for the recipes that follow is a fine foreword by the man who knows Madras best — S. Muthiah.
Background
Harrisons is so old, it’s almost legendary. It was there when George Town was known as Black Town in Madras. G. Varadarajulu Chetty founded Harrisons in 1891, in ‘Black Town’s’ ‘Main Street’ — Popham’s Broadway. On the ground floor were displayed chocolates, cream caramels, crystallised fruits and confectionaries. On the second floor light refreshments were served as were fabulous “Officer’s Lunches”. Wednesdays and Saturday evenings were the most popular as there was even a string band playing! How it came to be named Harrisons remains a mystery but the name has stayed.
Muthiah writes: The ground floor of its two storey building was stocked with goodies as beautiful as they were tasty. It was a veritable showroom of confectionery imported from England and the Continent, but not competing with what Harrisons itself produced.” Harrisons was also the caterer to the Governors of Madras and the princes of South India.
Favourites
With this great history as its background, the recipes are not disappointing. First off is the Madras-born all-time favourite: the Mulligatawny Soup. However, this recipe may have its own variation as it is called the Harrisons’ Classic Mulligatawny Soup. Legend has it that this soup made its first appearance at the Madras Club. In the Soups, Cutlets, Appetizer section, there is also the recipe for the absolutely delectable Cottage Cheese Rolls.
The next section — Vegetables, Cereals and Dals — has three recipes for ‘Rice Hopper’” one simple, one not-so and the third with egg called Guddu Appam. An interesting array of easy-to-cook-tasty-to-eat vegetarian food.
Gamut of dishes
Eggs, Meat and Chicken throw up a whole gamut of dishes from Guddu Pulusu (Egg Curry) to Kura Unta (Fried Mutton Balls) to Kheema Thakkali (Tomatoes with Mince Filling). There are also a fair share of bakes, chops and fries. One interesting recipe titled Gopal’s Special Mutton Chops is not only simple to cook, but a total winner at the table. However, it would have been a remarkable addition if a little history of the recipe was also given. Why was it Gopal’s Special Mutton Chops? The recipes in Fish and Seafood also do not fail with an even mix of Indian and Western cuisine.
Try it out: Joseph’s Portuguese Fish.
All in all, a good book that will help you cook up sumptuous surprises.
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