Caribbean East Indian Recipes (1992) (Part three, with Glossary)

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Wed Nov 26 16:04:56 UTC 2003


CARIBBEAN EAST INDIAN RECIPES
by Kumar Mahabir
San Juan, Trinidad: Chakra Publishing House
1992
Reprinted 2001

   This is the third and last installment of Caribbean (Trinidad) East Indian
Recipes.  This has become a major part of the cuisine in New York City.  OED
should consider more representative entries for this popular cuisine.
   My apologies, as always, to those who find the "delete" key too strenuous.


Pg. 88:  BARFEE  Barfee is usually offered as part of the parsad (oblation)
during Hindu cermonial worship.  It is always square-shaped and is now being
sold at Indian food outlets as an item in their sweetmeat menu.

Pg. 89:  BATASA  This sweetmeat is served as part of the parsad (oblation)
during Hindu ceremonial worship.

Pg. 90:  DAHEE (YOGURT)  Generally Indians of the Caribbean use dahee as a
dessert.  Traditionally, dahee was used in cooking and in marinades or as an acco
mpaniment to salads.

Pg. 91:  EGGLESS CAKE

Pg. 92:  GOOLGULA  This dish is not very popular nowadays.  It is becoming
less known to the younger generation of Indo-Caribbean people.

Pg. 93:  GULAB JAMOON  This sweetmeat is served at Hindu religious ceremonies
as a dessert.  It can be found otherwise at Indian delicacy outlets.

Pg. 97:  HALWA/HULWA  This dish is prepared and eaten only during the chhati
and barahi (6th and 12th day thanksgiving for the birth of a child)
celebrations.  It is offered first by the mother of the child to the respective diety
and then served to the guests at the ceremony.

Pg. 99:  JALEBI  Jalebi (sweet coils in syrup) piled in stacks adds colour to
a table laid with sweetmeat.

Pg. 101: KURMA  This sweetmeat is well-liked by non-Indians in the Caribbean
and is available in snacks packs at most food stores in Trinidad.  It is
served mainly at Indian weddings and is referred to as "meetai" in Guyana.

Pg. 104:  LADOO  This is a popular sweetmeat which can be found at Indian
delicacy outlets in the Caribbean.

Pg. 105:  LUPSEE  This dish is prepared specifically for Durga puja (Hindu
ceremonial worship in praise of an aspect of the Divine Mother).  It is served
with sohair (resembles a small fried pancake) as part of the parsad (oblation)
and is also eaten as a dessert.

Pg. 106:  MALEEDA  Maleeda is made as an oblation for Hosay (shia Muslim
commemoration of the death of Hassan and Husain, grandsons of the Prophet
Muhammed) and for all Islamic ceremonies.

Pg. 107:  PANJAREE  This is sprinkled on the parsad (oblation) and is served
only during pujas (Hindu ceremonial worship).  It was more popular in the
Caribbean before the 1960s.

Pg. 108:  PARSAD (PRASAD/MOHAN BHOG)  Parsad is the sacred food offering
distributed to guests before the main meal at all pujas (Hindu ceremonial
worship).  It is an oblation, and refusal to accept it by anyone is considered an
insult to God.

Pg. 110:  PAYNUSE  Traditionally, paynuse has been made from the milk of a
cow that has just given birth.  Today powdered milk is more commonly used.  Even
up to this day, paynuse is not available for sale because it is made at home
and is considered a rare delicacy.

Pg. 113:  PERA  Pera can be found with ladoo and jalebi in snack-packs at
food stores in Trinidad.  It is usually served to the guests at Hindu weddings.

Pg. 114:  RASGOOLA  This sweetmeat is usually served at Hindu weddings, but
is not as popular as ladoo, kurma and pera.

Pg. 115:  SAWINE  Sawine is served mainly during the Muslim festival of
Eid-ul-Fitr.  It is otherwise ideal for a dessert or a quick snack.
(Tuesday was a holiday.  Recipes for this dish were in the local
newspapers--ed.)

Pg. 116:  SWEET RICE (RICE PUDDING/KHEER)  Sweet rice has a unique flavour
and is often eaten as a dessert.  SOme people enjoy it with daahl puri roti as a
meal.  It is also eaten ceremoniously by the dulaha (bridegroom) during the
Hindu marriage ceremony.

Pg. 124:  GLOSSARY OF HINDI TERMS
aam chatni...mango chutney
aloo...potato
anchar...hot spicy pickle
bandhara...religious ceremony observed on the 12th day after the death of a
person
barahee...celebration observed on the 12th day after the birth of a baby
belna...rolling pin
besan...flour made by grinding dried chick peas
bhaji...the cooked tender leaves and shoots of dasheen, pak choi, spinach,
etc.
chalni...wooden or metal sieve for straining liquids and for sifting flour
choka...vegetables roasted or boiled and pounded with spices
chowkee...breadboard for rolling out dough to make _roti_, pastry or bread
chownkay...to add cuncooked food in hot oil or vice versa
chulha...a fireplace using dry wood for cooking
chutney...bitter-sweet sauce, usually made from sour fruits
daahl ghotnee..stick to swizzle split peas
dabla..a wood pallet used for cooking
dahee..yogurt; sour milk
goglet...clay jar for storing liquids to keep cool
Pg. 125:
jharnaa/jhanna...a long-handled spoon with a perforated disc at the end;
normally used for draining food items out of a deep fryer
kalchul...a deep spoon with a long handle for lifting liquids
kuchilla...shredded hot pickle made from mangoes or pomme cytheres and
preserved with mustard oil and pepper
loyah...dough made into a round ball
lorha...round stone for grinding
lota...brass cup without handles
methai...sweetmeats
munaka...currants or raisins
musar...wooden pestle
okhree..wooden mortar for pounding grains
parsad...usually made of flour and clarified butter, but means any oblation
partan...dry flour for dusting when making _roti_, bread, etc.
phaag...a mixture of sugar and water boiled to form a syrup
poran...spices and flavourings burnt in hot oil to which food is added
puja...Hindu ceremonial worship
puchara...a piece of stick with strips of cloth tied to the end for
applying/basting oil on _roti_
roti...flat, round bread
sabji...vegetables
sil...flat grinding stone
Pg. 126:
simthaa/chimta...a pair of long tongs; normally used for picking up food
items from direct heat; usually used in cooking _sada roti_ in a _chulha_
talkari...curried vegetable
t(h)ariya...a wide brass plate
tawa...a cast iron or aluminum griddle, available with or without a handle
for making _roti_



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