Now, as a matter of fact, you cannot always leave the
doors open, but the windows should never be shut at night ;
and if your mistress would give you chick doors, which could
be locked and yet let the air in, your cook-room will always
be sweet, clean, and healthy. Take a pride in keeping it so.
It is your first duty.
The next point is to keep yourself clean. Cooks must use
their hands a great deal. Some things are better done with
the hand than with spoon or fork, but not with dirty hands ;
so keep a jnece of soap and a towel handy by the sink for
constant use, and don’t use your hands unnecessarily. Don’t,
for instance, stir eggs into a pudding with your fingers. They
do it very badly. Do not cook in woollen clothes. Do not
keep spices, &c., in screws of paper. There are always plenty
of tins and bottles.
Remember that if you have a place for everything, every-
thing w'ill be in its place. Keep your charcoal in a locked
box, and take out your day’s supply every morning in a sepa-
rate open box. Your fellow-servants are not alw'ays honest.
Why should you be accused of extravagance by your mistress
for their fault .J*
Do not throw away refuse out of the door, but insist on
230 The Complete Indian
the sweeper sweeping out tlie cook-liouse every day. Tlie
day’s work should be done with method and order. First of
all, call both sweeper and bheesti. Remove yesterday’s ashes,
sweep the cooking platform, and let bheesti with vmssack and
sweeper with broom wash out the floor and the sink. Make
the former bring fresh water and the latter empty the tub,
which should always be placed outside to receive the slops.
Light one chula (charcoal fire) only, and put on the kettle.
1 hen is the time for marketing. Arrange in your own mind
a suitable dinner, so that you may have some suggestions to
give your mistress, and make sure that nothing which can
be reasonably wanted is forgotten. Breakfast will, of course,
have been ordered the night before, and does not, as a rule,
require lengthy cooking ; but in the three hours before it is
served much can be done. The stock-pot will, of course, be
simmering away on its appointed chula. Jellies and creams
for dinner and most cold puddings niay be made and set
aside. Meat in pickle may be rubbed, and that in the safe
carefully looked at, and, if necessary, treated. Where cows
are kept, the skim milk required for daily use may be boiled
and put into a cooler.
Breakfast over, j ou should at once attend for orders with
your accounts. With regard to the last, remember the words
of the Koran, and do not disobey your religion for the sake
of a few pice.
Do not stand mum-chance before your mistress, but suggest
w\\&t you have thought over. If she says leg of mutton, don’t
say “ acchchi bat” (a good word), when you know it is as tough
as tough can be, and ought to hang two days longer ; espe-
cially if there is a sirloin of beef looking a little doubtful in
the safe.
Page 159
Presented as published in 1898. Historical recipes may not meet modern food-safety standards. Cook from the modern interpretation, not the original instructions.
AI-modernized reading of the original text
Now, as a matter of fact, you cannot always leave the doors open, but the windows should never be shut at night ; and if your mistress would give you chick doors, which could be locked and yet let the air in, your cook-room will always be sweet, clean, and healthy. Take a pride in keeping it so. It is your first duty.
The next point is to keep yourself clean. Cooks must use their hands a great deal. Some things are better done with the hand than with spoon or fork, but not with dirty hands ; so keep a piece of soap and a towel handy by the sink for constant use, and don’t use your hands unnecessarily. Don’t, for instance, stir eggs into a pudding with your fingers. They do it very badly. Do not cook in woollen clothes. Do not keep spices, &c., in screws of paper. There are always plenty of tins and bottles.
Remember that if you have a place for everything, everything w'ill be in its place. Keep your charcoal in a locked box, and take out your day’s supply every morning in a separate open box. Your fellow-servants are not alw'ays honest. Why should you be accused of extravagance by your mistress for their fault?
Do not throw away refuse out of the door, but insist on
230 The Complete Indian
the sweeper sweeping out the cook-house every day. Tlie day’s work should be done with method and order. First of all, call both sweeper and bheesti. Remove yesterday’s ashes, sweep the cooking platform, and let bheesti with masak and sweeper with broom wash out the floor and the sink. Make the former bring fresh water and the latter empty the tub, which should always be placed outside to receive the slops. Light one chula (charcoal fire) only, and put on the kettle. 1 hen is the time for marketing. Arrange in your own mind a suitable dinner, so that you may have some suggestions to give your mistress, and make sure that nothing which can be reasonably wanted is forgotten. Breakfast will, of course, have been ordered the night before, and does not, as a rule, require lengthy cooking ; but in the three hours before it is served much can be done. The stock-pot will, of course, be simmering away on its appointed chula. Jellies and creams for dinner and most cold puddings niay be made and set aside. Meat in pickle may be rubbed, and that in the safe carefully looked at, and, if necessary, treated. Where cows are kept, the skim milk required for daily use may be boiled and put into a cooler.
Breakfast over, j ou should at once attend for orders with your accounts. With regard to the last, remember the words of the Koran, and do not disobey your religion for the sake of a few pice.
Do not stand mum-chance before your mistress, but suggest what you havee thought over. If she says leg of mutton, don’t say “ acchchi bat” (a good word), when you know it is as tough as tough can be, and ought to hang two days longer ; especially if there is a sirloin of beef looking a little doubtful in the safe.