What are that stone sLab and roller for, with traces of
last night's spinach upon them ? O ! they are the pet
articles de cuisine of tunny-cutch ammah to whose delicate
fingers is entrusted the making of chutneys, and all pre-
parations which are presented to you in the form of pulp.
The boiled vegetable, or whatever it may be, is turned
out upon the slab, and she rolls the pin backwards and
forwards until the desired consistency is attained. How
does she scrape the rolling pin, and the edges of the slab
during this process, and how does she dish it ? Hush, my
friend, there is not a spoo)i in the l-itchen.
Cast your eye over that meagre array of degchees and
of sauce-pans nearly as black inside as they are outside,
and note that there is a spit there, a chatty oven in yonder
corner, and — nothing more. There is no cupboard, neither
is there a rack for plates and dishes, but such small
OUR KITCHENS IN INDIA. 499
etcetera as the cook uses are thrust at hajD-hazard upon that
shelf, ^hich, in gi^iminess, you see, matches the table,
whilst it comes in handily for his turband, and the folded
leaf containing his snuff. You have seen enough now,
and look as if you wanted a brandy and soda, so let us
return to the house.
On our way you inveigh against native filthiness, &c.,
&c. Come now, be just in your condemnations, for verily
this is a case in which it behoves us to remember the
beam which is in our own eye, before we seek diligently
to pull out the mote which is in our black brother's eye.
Who is really to blame for a great deal that I have shown
you ? Is it the cook's fault that a wretchedly mean,
carelessly constructed godown is given him for a kitchen ;
that the place is inconveniently far from the house, and
consequently open to every passer-by ; that the furniture
is absolutely nothing more than one table, far too small
for culinary requirements, and one shelf ; that owing to
faulty construction, the room ' smokes' dreadfully, and
that there is scarcely sufficient light in it to detect dirt ?
Is it the cook's fault that in the absence of proper ap-
pliances he is forced to practise his native ingenuity,
to use chatties for sauce-pans and stew-pans, to use the
* curry-stone' for a mortar, his cloth for a sieve, and his
fingers for a spoon or fork ? Is it the cook's fault that,
since no plates and dishes are included in his cook-room
equipment, he has no alternative but to place meat, vege-
tables, &c., on his table; and that being without a mincing
machine, or chopping board, he uses its surface in lieu of
the latter ? Why instead of denouncing the unfortunate
man, I make bold to say that handicapped as he is, we
have positively no reason to expect him to be clean !
Xow I do not mean to say that the state of things that
I have endeavoured to sketch obtains in every Madras
establishment, On the contrary, I am quite sure that in
500 OUR KITCHENS IN INDIA.
Page 275
Presented as published in 1885. 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
What are that stone sLab and roller for, with traces of last night's spinach upon them ? O ! they are the pet articles de cuisine of tunny-cutch ammah to whose delicate fingers is entrusted the making of chutneys, and all preparations which are presented to you in the form of pulp. The boiled vegetable, or whatever it may be, is turned out upon the slab, and she rolls the pin backwards and forwards until the desired consistency is attained. How does she scrape the rolling pin, and the edges of the slab during this process, and how does she dish it ? Hush, my friend, there is not a spoon in the kitchen.
Cast your eye over that meagre array of degchees and of sauce-pans nearly as black inside as they are outside, and note that there is a spit there, a chatty oven in yonder corner, and — nothing more. There is no cupboard, neither is there a rack for plates and dishes, but such small
etcetera as the cook uses are thrust at hap-hazard upon that shelf, ^hich, in griminess, you see, matches the table, whilst it comes in handily for his turband, and the folded leaf containing his snuff. You have seen enough now, and look as if you wanted a brandy and soda, so let us return to the house.
On our way you inveigh against native filthiness, &c., &c. Come now, be just in your condemnations, for verily this is a case in which it behoves us to remember the beam which is in our own eye, before we seek diligently to pull out the mote which is in our black brother's eye. Who is really to blame for a great deal that I have shown you ? Is it the cook's fault that a wretchedly mean, carelessly constructed godown is given him for a kitchen ; that the place is inconveniently far from the house, and consequently open to every passer-by ; that the furniture is absolutely nothing more than one table, far too small for culinary requirements, and one shelf ; that owing to faulty construction, the room ' smokes' dreadfully, and that there is scarcely sufficient light in it to detect dirt ? Is it the cook's fault that in the absence of proper appliances he is forced to practise his native ingenuity, to use chatties for sauce-pans and stew-pans, to use the * curry-stone' for a mortar, his cloth for a sieve, and his fingers for a spoon or fork ? Is it the cook's fault that, since no plates and dishes are included in his cook-room equipment, he has no alternative but to place meat, vegetables, &c., on his table; and that being without a mincing machine, or chopping board, he uses its surface in lieu of the latter ? Why instead of denouncing the unfortunate man, I make bold to say that handicapped as he is, we have positively no reason to expect him to be clean !
Xow I do not mean to say that the state of things that I have endeavoured to sketch obtains in every Madras establishment, On the contrary, I am quite sure that in