Banquets of the nations

A kettle containing two and a half pounds of ghee is put on a very gentle fire and allowed to boil. The batter already prepared is poured into a perforated ladle and allowed to fall through the holes in the form of globules into the boiling ghee. These at once solidify, and are removed with another perforated ladle, and set to the one side. Make a strong syrup of two and a half pounds of water and five and a half pounds of sugar, The whole mass of pellets is put into the solution of sugar and mixed. Cardamoms, cloves, and almonds are added. The mass is then wrought with the hands into the form of balls about the size of a small orange. Zarda. (Sweet Rice.) Take one pound three ounces of rice, wash it twice, and keep it in water for an hour. Then make a syrup of twelve ounces of sugar in six ounces of water. PUNJAB (Mussulman) Put three ounces of ghee in a pan, also four cloves and six ounces of water. When the water boils put in the rice, and when the water dries up put thirty grains of saffron in the syrup already prepared, and mix it with the rice. Stir it with a spoon, and when the syrup is dried mix in four ounces of milk. Take the juice of an orange along with the juice of three prunes, which have been first steeped for some time in water, and pour it into the rice, and cook till rice is soft. Rabbri. (Curdled Milk and Fruit.) Have two pounds six ounces of milk boiled slowly, and have the cream put aside by a spoon. When the milk is reduced to nearly four ounces remove it, and mix up all the cream with it. When it becomes cool, mix in two ounces of sugar, forty-five grains of small cardamoms, and some almonds, pistachio nuts, and raisins. Phirni. (Rice Sweet.) A quantity of ground rice is soaked in water for twelve hours, and afterwards mixed in sixteen times the quantity of milk, to which is added a quantity of sugar double the quantity of rice. The mixture is then placed in a pan on the fire, and stirred until it becomes somewhat thick in the process of boiling. Mix in some small black cardamoms and little pieces of pine-apple, one for each of the cups. It is then poured into small cups of brass which, when cooled, are covered with exquisitely thin silver leaves on which chopped pistachios are sprinkled. The silver leaves are also eaten. Amriti. (Vanilla Tablet.) Take a pound of ghee, melt it in a pot, stir in eight ounces of gram flour, four ounces of sugar, and four ounces of milk curd. Boil for a few minutes, stirring all the time. Remove from the fire, add some essence of vanilla, and beat till thick and creamy. Balushai. (Orange Tablet.) Boil quarter of a pound of ghee, the same quantity of thick curd, and one pound of sugar, till it balls when you take a piece between the fingers. Remove from the fire, flavour with essence of orange, colour with a touch of saffron, and beat till it is thick and creamy. Pour into an oiled form and cut into handy pieces. XLVIII.— RAJPUTANA (Brahmin) Menu Phulka Parantha (Wheat Cakes) (Pastry Cakes) Kachauri (Lentil Croquettes) Ghol-Ka-Bara Mitcha Chanval Ghi (Lentils and Curds) (Spiced Rice) (Clarified Butter) Phul Gobi (Cauliflower) Aloo Ka Tarkari (Potatoes) Patta Gobi (Cabbage) Sivaya Phirni Zarda Nukti (Sweet Spiced Vermicelli) (Rice and Fruits) (Sugar Balls)