Blanche Hulton’s Bindaloo Recipe

This recipe was published just before the Second World War, but Blanche transcribed it from her grandfather’s recipes that he wrote down while commussioned in the East India Company. During his twenty three years in India he hobnobbed with Rajahs and Regiments, and when he finally made it back to England his curry dinner parties quickly became famous.

Bindaloo is much the same as Vindaloo, a Portuguese curry. The word “vindaloo” is believed to come of the Portuguese Vin D’albo (wine and garlic). The Portuguese conquered Goa in the 16th century, and decided though the food was good, they wanted it more like it was back home (like the British in India): spicy meat, sweet and sour elements, and lots of vinegar. They had to persuade the locals to make vinegar, and grow tomatoes, and potatoes, and cashews, and chillies…

Ingredients

6 onions
¼ lb butter
2 tablespoons curry powder (see Dr Kitchener’s recipe)
1 lb steak
¾ small teacupful of white vinegar
Pinch salt

Equipment

Sharp knife
Large frying pan
Small tea cup

Instructions

Slice the onions and brown them in the butter. Or cooking oil, if you want to be a little healthier (remember, this dish would probably have been made with ghee originally).

Cut the steak into small pieces and do the same.

Add the curry powder, and stir in the vinegar drop by drop. “Small teacup” is quite a charming measurement, especially consideing the cost of tea at this point, but if you want something a little more accurate try half a cup, american standard measure.

Simmer slowly for two hours, and serve with boiled rice.