THE HOUSEWIFE'S FRIEND

Beef Cooked in French Fashion

A slow-baked, larded beef dish in the French braising tradition, where beef is studded with bacon strips seasoned with pepper and parsley, then gently cooked on a bed of veal bo…

Another Recipe

A rich, traditional steamed fruit pudding packed with raisins, currants, sultanas, citron and orange peel, bound together with suet, breadcrumbs, eggs, brandy, and milk. Boiled…

A Good Family Soup

A rich, golden veal and ham broth slowly reduced to a jelly and finished with aromatic vegetables, then strained through cloth for a clear, flavourful family soup. This colonial…

Another Recipe (Bride-cake)

A rich, traditional bride-cake packed with currants, almonds, and candied citrus peel, finished with a splash of brandy. This historical recipe yields a deeply flavoured, celebr…

A Savoury Beefsteak Pie

A hearty layered pie of thinly sliced sirloin wrapped around bacon, seasoned with pepper, and nestled in a garlic-rubbed dish with rich beef gravy and hard-boiled egg. The whole…

Bará-din ká Cake

A richly spiced colonial-era celebration cake packed with currants, raisins, almonds, citrus peel, and warm spices, leavened with yeast and finished with a simple icing. 'Bará-d…

Bádám (Almond) Cake

A fragrant, traditional almond cake made with both sweet and bitter almonds, lightly scented with lemon peel and finished with a crisp white sugar frost. This colonial-era India…

Auckland Sauce

A rich, tangy colonial-era condiment sauce combining tomato juice, dried fruits, ginger, and spices simmered with vinegar into a deeply flavoured relish. This preserved sauce is…

A Rich Trifle

A lavish layered dessert of sponge cake, macaroons, and ratafias soaked in sherry and brandy, topped with raspberry jam, custard, and billowing whipped cream. Finished with crys…

Beefsteak and Pigeon Pie

A richly flavoured colonial-era pie layering tender pieces of beefsteak and young pigeon in a fragrant, lime-kissed gravy, all encased in a golden pastry crust. This beginner-fr…

Bakhár-Khání

Bakhár-Khání is a traditional South Asian leavened flat cake made with flour, milk, almonds, egg yolk, and ghee, shaped into a horseshoe and topped with chopped blanched almonds…

Arrowroot (Arárot) Fritters

A delicate Victorian-era fritter made from a thick arrowroot and egg yolk custard, set in the oven, then cut into rounds, coated in egg and breadcrumbs, glazed until golden, and…

Agra Chatní

A bold and tangy colonial-era Indian chutney made with green mangoes, raisins, garlic, dried chillies, and mustard seed, all preserved in vinegar and sugar syrup. This sharp, sw…

Beefsteak and Kidney Pudding

A hearty, old-fashioned steamed pudding filled with seasoned beef and kidney, encased in a soft suet-style paste and gently boiled until tender. A classic comfort dish from colo…

Bengal Chatní

A bold and tangy colonial-era Bengal chutney made by combining tamarind, raisins, tomato, apple, spices, and vinegar, then sun-cured for a month to develop deep, complex flavour…

Bole Comadree, or Portuguese Cocoanut Pudding

A fragrant, baked coconut pudding of Portuguese-Indian origin, combining fresh coconut milk, coconut scrapings, rice flour, jaggery, sugar, eggs, and anise seed into a rich, lig…

A Plain Plum Pudding

A hearty, traditional boiled plum pudding packed with raisins, currants, suet, and candied peel, gently spiced and finished with a splash of brandy and lemon essence. Simple to…

Bankshall Kárhí

A richly spiced colonial-era Indian meat curry slow-cooked in ghee with a fragrant paste of onions, turmeric, garlic, ginger, chillies, and curd. Finished with pounded caraway,…

An Indian Trifle

A delicate, old-fashioned dessert made from a cinnamon-scented rice flour milk pudding shaped into a star, then filled with boiled custard and decorated with sliced almonds and…

Bhuni (or Crisp) Khichrí

A fragrant, spiced rice and lentil dish from colonial-era Indian cookery, enriched with ghee and finished with crispy fried onions. The rice and dal are fried until the ghee is…

Another (Veal Cutlets)

Tender veal cutlets coated in herb-seasoned breadcrumbs, fried in ghee until golden, then finished in a simple lemon-butter gravy and garnished with crispy bacon rolls. A refine…

Almond Cheese-cakes

Delicate almond-filled pastry tarts made with ground sweet and bitter almonds, sugar, egg yolks, and a hint of lemon and ratafia, baked in a rich puff pastry shell. These dainty…

Andá (or Egg) Kārhī, with Chaná-Ka-Dál

A traditional Indian kārhī made with parboiled chana dal (split chickpea lentils) simmered in aromatic curry spices, finished with eggs poached gently into the dal as it becomes…

Apple or Peach Souffle

A delicate, old-fashioned dessert of scalded fruit pulp layered with a lightly sweetened milk, cream, and egg custard, finished with a cloud of whipped cream prepared the day be…

Acid (or Khdtld Sabzi) KdrhL

A tangy, lightly sweetened vegetable curry made with potatoes, artichokes, and sweet potatoes cooked in tamarind water with warm spices. The dish is finished with a sizzling mus…

Bombay Pudding

A colonial-era Indian pudding made from toasted semolina cooked until thick, set into cakes, dipped in egg yolk and flour, then fried in ghee until deep golden-brown. Served war…

A Thick Ox-tail (or Dum-Ká) Soup

A richly flavoured, velvety ox-tail soup thickened with a butter-and-flour roux, then finished with port, red currant jelly, and anchovy vinegar for a deeply savoury, subtly swe…

Beefsteak Pie (Another Recipe)

A hearty colonial-era beefsteak pie featuring tender pieces of beef dipped in flour, seasoned with pepper, salt, and cayenne, then baked under a golden pastry crust. Simple and…

Another (Rabbits en Matelote)

A classic braised rabbit dish simmered gently with bacon, onions, and mushrooms in stock until tender, then finished with a rich, tangy glaze brightened with lemon, cayenne, and…