Classic cooking
Tried and tested recipes from the Time and Talents Club’s tome
Today in its 11th edition, the Time and Talents Club popular tome Recipes contains an eclectic collection of over 3,000 recipes from achar to zabaglione. This 1945 cookbook, considered a classic, was conceived well before the days of cholesterol.
The ladies who founded the Time and Talents Club realized that time could be spared from bridge and mah-jong and employed to exploit their talents for the welfare of the disadvantaged. Using their culinary skills provided an enjoyable exercise to raise funds for charity. Cookery demonstrations were held and the recipes collated formed the nucleus for the cookery book.
Over the years, the Recipe Book Committee has been diligently updating and editing the book, using husbands, children and guests as willing guinea pigs. Recipes have been collected from members, office staff and even from visiting musicians. Zubin Mehta’s Curry features here as does Marta Zalan’s Hungarian Scrambled Eggs. With permission from the Committee, Parsiana reprints seven recipes.
Yeast (15 g)
Sugar (1 tsp)
Warm water (½ cup)
Flour (3 cups)
Sugar (2 tbsp)
Egg (1)
Shortening (2 tbsp)
Warm milk (3/4 cup)
Cheese (1 cup – grated)
Walnuts (1 cup – crushed)
Salt (to taste)
In a small bowl, soak yeast, 1 tsp sugar and water. Let stand for five minutes. In a large bowl, sift flour, add in 2 tbsp sugar, salt, egg, shortening, yeast mixture and milk. Knead to make a soft dough. Place in a greased bowl. Cover with a damp cloth. Stand in a warm place for an hour. Punch down and stand for another half hour. Divide into two portions and roll out each one into a 10”x15” rectangle. Sprinkle with cheese and walnuts and roll up like a Swiss roll. Cut into 12 portions. Place in a nine-inch pan. Cover with a damp cloth. Stand in a warm place for half an hour. Bake in a moderate oven for 20-25 minutes.
Grind to a fine paste
Fish (½ kg boiled and flaked)
Coconut (2 tsp – grated)
Poppy seeds (2 tsp)
Garlic (4 cloves)
Ginger (¼” piece)
Green chillies (2)
Garam masala (½ tsp)
Gram flour (2 tsp – roasted)
Ghee for frying
Blend the beaten egg with the fish paste. Mix well. Form into round flat kababs. Fry in ghee till evenly browned.
Sehroo P. Billimoria
Chicken livers (4 – cut into quarters)
Chicken gizzard (4 cut into quarters)
Chicken (½ cup – diced and cooked)
Ghee or oil (1 tbsp)
Onion (1 crushed and 1 sliced)
Salt (to taste)
Green chillies (2-3)
Garlic (2-3 cloves)
Ginger (1” piece)
Cumin seeds (½ tsp)
Worcestershire sauce (1 tsp)
Sauté lightly the sliced onion. Add the crushed onion and masala. Fry for a few minutes. Add the liver, gizzard, chicken and salt. Add enough water to allow liver to cook, cover and keep on a low fire, stirring occasionally. When cooked remove from fire and serve hot.
Najoo S. B. Mehta
Palak or Cholai bhaji (4 bunches)
Water (2 tbsp)
Baking soda (1 pinch)
Onions (3 – chopped fine)
Curd (1 cup)
Sugar (1 tbsp)
Eggs (2 – hard boiled and chopped)
Salt (to taste)
Grind to a masala
Turmeric (1” piece)
Red chillies (6)
Garlic (4 cloves)
Cumin seeds (1 tsp)
Wash and clean the spinach leaves. Add two tbsp water and baking soda and boil till water evaporates. Make a purée of the spinach. Fry onions light brown. Add the masala and brown. Add the spinach, salt to taste, curds and sugar. Stir well. Sprinkle with boiled eggs before serving.
Tehmina Warden
Mix together with a fork
Rice (4 cups – boiled)
Sweet pomegranate juice (¼ cup)
Sour pomegranate juice (¼ cup)
Chilli powder (¼ tsp)
Sugar (1 tsp)
Salt (1 tsp)
Caraway seeds (1 tsp)
Dill seeds (½ tsp)
Ghee or oil (1 tbsp)
Boil the peas in an open pan with the chilli powder, sugar and salt and enough water to cover the peas. Drain off excess water. In a small pan heat the ghee or oil and fry the caraway and dill seeds. Pour into the peas. Shake the pan so that every pea is coated with spiced ghee. Mix the rice with the peas. Mix with a fork or the handle of the spoon, so as not to make the rice mushy. Serve hot.
EGG PICKLE
Eggs (1 doz – hard boiled)
Oil (½ cup)
Mustard seeds (¼ tsp)
Garlic (12 cloves)
Vinegar (2 cups)
Salt (2 tbsp)
Cumin seeds (1 tbsp)
Garlic (1 large pod)
Ginger (2” piece)
Mustard seeds (1 tsp)
Red chillies (2 tbsp – freshly ground)
Turmeric ( ½ tsp – freshly ground)
Vinegar (½ cup)
Heat oil and fry mustard seeds and garlic. When the mustard seeds pop, add the masala and cook till the oil separates. Prick hard-boiled eggs all over with a fork. Place in the masala and mix till eggs are well coated. Add vinegar and salt and boil. Cool and bottle. Keep for 10 days before eating.
CRACKLE BANANAS (serves 4)
Green bananas (4 – skinned)
Flour for sprinkling
Oil for frying
Sift together
Plain flour (3 tbsp)
Cornflour (1/3 cup)
Baking powder (1 tsp)
For the syrup
Sugar (2 cups)
Water (1 cup)
Sesame seeds (3 tbsp – optional)
Keep a large bowl of ice cubes ready on the table.
Peel bananas, cut diagonally into 2’’ pieces. Lightly sprinkle with flour. Put flour in a bowl. Make a well in the center, gradually add in milk, and mix to a smooth batter. Dip bananas in batter and deep fry in hot oil until golden brown. Drain on absorbent paper. Keep warm in the oven, while preparing syrup.
Syrup
Place sugar and water in a saucepan, stir over low heat until sugar has dissolved.Bring to a boil. Boil rapidly until syrup just changes color. Remove from heat and sprinkle with sesame seeds. Pour a little syrup in a greased heatproof serving dish, arrange prepared bananas in the syrup, and pour remaining syrup over, to coat each banana.
At the table have a bowl of ice cubes and cold water ready. Pick up one banana at a time with a fork and quickly drop into iced water. Toffee will harden and form a crackle. (Note: Thin wedges of peeled apples can be used in place of bananas.)
Nargis J. Readymoney