Banquets of the nations

Remove the heads, tails, and black skin from two soles each weighing about a pound. Cut each into three pieces and wash thoroughly. Rub well with the following mixture — one teaspoonful each of turmeric and coriander, half a teaspoonful each of ground garlic, red chillies, and salt. Lay to the one side for an hour. Fry in four ounces of boiling ghee four ounces of finely shred onions, and when nicely browned place to the one side. Wipe the pieces of fish, and fry them lightly on both sides. Now put in the fried onions and add a tablespoonful of water and one of cream (milk reduced to a fourth of its bulk by boiling), two ounces ghee, four inches cinnamon, a large red chilli sliced, three cloves, a ground point of garlic, a pinch of saffron and a little more salt. Close the lid of the pot very tight, and stew very slowly at the side of the fire for half an hour. Eat with bread and fish chutnies. There should be little or no gravy. 3°9 Gosh-ka-Pillau. (Pillau of Mutton.) Take a big, wide-mouthed vessel with a tight lid, and fry in half a pound of boiling ghee one pound small onions sliced, five sliced green chillies, quarter ounce whole cloves, half ounce whole cardamoms, quarter ounce stick of cinnamon, and fry till the onions are a brown colour. Cut two pounds of mutton in small pieces, which place in the pan with condiments, and continue frying, stirring from time to time ; add one cupful of milk, one cupful of curds, and salt to taste ; boil till the meat is almost cooked, then add a paste made of quarter ounce of garlic, half ounce green ginger, half ounce poppy seeds, one ounce almonds, and the juice of one lemon. In another vessel boil one pound of rice along with a little salt, and six cloves, twelve cardamoms, and a stick of cinnamon. When the rice is half boiled, strain it, picking out the cloves, &c. Spread the rice evenly over the cooked meat in the first vessel, and on which sprinkle melted ghee and saffron water. Close the lid. Keep the vessel over a gentle fire, and put some live coals over the lid, or put it in an oven till the rice is fully cooked. Before dishing mix the rire and meat. Khabobs. (Meat Rissoles.) Mince two pounds of mutton or beef very fine, and mix thoroughly with it a teaspoonful of ground onions ; add a pinch of cayenne pepper, a teaspoonful of powdered coriander, same quantity of turmeric, a pinch of powdered cloves, and salt to taste. MADRAS (Mussulman) Take iron rods about the thickness of a pencil and a foot long, rub them with ghee and coat them with the paste about one inch thick, winding a sewing thread round in a spiral fashion to keep the meat from falling off. Place these in front of the fire, turning often, or put them in the oven till they get brown. Remove the thread, slip the rods out, and cut in pieces. Serve with the pillau. Margika-Salan. (Curried Chicken.)