Banquets of the nations

Wash the rice in three waters, and then soak for half an hour. Put three and a-half pounds of water in a pot, and, when boiling, put the rice in and boil quickly till half cooked. Strain the rice on a sieve, giving it a stir to separate the grains. Put one third of the melted ghee into a pot, and when it begins to boil put in the cardamoms, which have been soaked in water for half an hour. Boil eight ounces of water with one pound of sugar for two or three minutes, then put in the half -boiled rice, and mix well. Put on the lid till it boils, then remove the lid and stir until all the water has evaporated. Add the almonds, pistachios, and raisins, cover the pot with the lid or a cloth, and steam for half an hour. Pour the contents into a dish and sprinkle the rest of the melted ghee or butter over it, also adding two ounces of strong perfumed water. 35° PUNJAB (Brahmin) Am Kustel. (Mango Fool.) Remove the skin and stones from six green mangoes, cut them in quarters, and steep for several hours in cold water. Drain carefully, and put in clean cold water and boil till quite tender, then pass them through a sieve. Put them into another pan, sweeten to taste, and add very gradually (stirring all the time) as. much rich milk as will reduce the pulp to the consistency of a good custard. A few grains of white cardamoms may be added along with the sugar. Rasgullah. (Milk Croquettes.) Six tumblers of milk, lemons sufficient in number. Boil the milk, and squeeze the lemons in till milk curdles. Pour the mass into a muslin bag, and hang it up till all the water is away. Then make it up into small balls, with an almond and a few cardamom seeds in the centre of each. Roll the balls in flour — just enough to keep the particles together. Fry these in ghee or butter till brown, then put them in syrup for a day, and serve. Pera. (Rose Tablet.) Take a pound of milk, the same quantity of sugar, and boil them candy high. Remove the pan from the fire, stir in a few drops of cochineal and attar of roses, and beat till all is thick and creamy. Pour on to an oiled dish, and when nearly cold cut into small round cakes about an inch and a half in diameter. 35' Gulab Janim. (Pine-apple Sweets.) One pound of flour, one pound and a half of sugar and five or six drops of kewra or essence of pine-apple. Mix the flower well with a quarter pound of ghee, then put in sufficient water to make a good dough. Make small balls the size of a walunt, and flatten them, and fry in ghee. Boil the sugar till near crackling degree, remove from the fire, and put in the flattened balls, and let remain for half an hour, and put on oiled paper to dry. Phirni. (Rice and Nut Sweets.) Boil two pounds six ounces of milk, and stir in one ounce rice flour slowly, so that the flour is mixed completely with the milk. When it is reduced to six ounces remove it from the fire, and mix in four ounces of sugar, one ounce almonds (already ground), one ounce of pistachio nuts, and one ounce of raisins ; or cut them into pieces and then mix them up. Afterwards put the phirni in a plate and spread some silver and gold leaves over it. 3S2 XLVII.— PUNJAB (Mussulman) Menu Mahi Palao (Fish Pillau) Pataur ni Papeta Bhaji (Fried Potatoes) (Vegetable Curry) Biriani Kabab-i-Titer