Page:Mrs Beeton's Book of Household Management.djvu/1783

 CHAPTER LVIII

General Observations on Cookery in India, and Recipes for Typical Indian Dishes

Housekeeping in India is totally different from housekeeping here. The mistress cannot undertake the personal supervision of her kitchen, which is not in the house or bungalow, but outside, and often some distance away. She will also soon learn (that is supposing she has been accustomed to English housekeeping) that it is impossible to treat Indian servants in the same manner as those on whom she has been accustomed to depend for daily service. Indian servants are good, many of them: but they cannot be trusted and will cheat if they have a chance, and it is absolutely necessary to look after the cook (Khansa-man), who will probably be the marketer.

It is best to give him his orders overnight, that he may go early to the bazaar to buy. There is a tariff of all articles sold at the bazaar, regulated by the bazaar master and cantonment magistrate: therefore, having mastered the value of the various coins and a few words for everyday wants in the way of food, it should be difficult for your Khansa-man to exercise his proclivities for defrauding you.

Drink is the greatest expense in housekeeping. The climate is a thirsty one, and the water is bad, and so filled with animalculæ that it cannot be drunk with safety unless it is boiled and filtered. Then it is so flat and unpalatable that it is necessary to add something to make it more pleasant to the taste.

One of the most refreshing drinks is lime-juice and water, and iced tea is another very pleasant beverage. Bottled beer is a favourite drink, but this, as well as draught beer, is expensive. Still, drinking is, after all, more of a habit than a necessity: and those in India who wish to preserve their constitutions should drink as few "pegs" (as the brandies and sodas and other drinks are generally denominated) as possible. 1509