If you have stereotyped image about Anglo Indian women, then meeting Bridget White-Kumar will dispel such notions. She is industrious, enterprising and a self-published author of five Anglo-Indian Cookery Books which are a collection of authentic recipes of the Colonial era. These recipes are genuine and reflect the true taste of Colonial Anglo-Indian Cuisine and is compiled with the intention of reviving the old tastes of the Colonial Era which is slowly getting eroded.

Her three earlier books, The best of Anglo-Indian Cuisine - a legacy; Flavours of the past and A Collection of Anglo-Indian roasts, casseroles and bakes, focused mainly on Anglo-Indian Cuisine, which was largely influenced by the flavours of Southern India.

Bowing to popular demand from the people who bought my earlier books, she has now brought out two new Anglo-Indian Cookery Books. In her fourth book Anglo-Indian delicacies she has tried to cover some of the old favourites of the community from Calcutta , Bombay and the North. Her fifth book The Anglo-Indian Festive Hamper contains all the old festive goodies and brought out in time for the Christmas season.

Bridget, an Anglo-Indian was born and brought up in Kolar Gold Fields, which had a sizable European and Anglo- Indian Community and was known for its Colonial ambience. Due to the influences of various factors, Anglo-Indian Cuisine, which is a gourmet's delight, is slowly getting extinct.

“In these days of fast foods and instant mixes, many people do not find the time to cook even a simple meal everyday, leave alone the old traditional dishes while many others do not know how to prepare them”, says Bridget.

“My collection of recipes is compiled with the intention of reviving and preserving the old tastes of the Colonial Era, thereby preserving its culinary heritage.

Many of the dishes featured in my books were prepared by the older generation and are now almost forgotten.   Moreover these old traditional recipes are not found in any other typical Indian cookery book”, she adds.
Anglo-Indian Cuisine has taken the best of both European and Indian Cuisine and altered it by adding, or substituting some of the ingredients so that a completely different cuisine evolved over hundreds of years.

Many of the dishes have rhyming alliterative names like Dodol, kalkal and Ding-Ding.  The very nomenclature of the dishes is unique and original and synonymous only to the Anglo-Indian Community.

“Anglo-Indian Delicacies” is a collection of Recipes of popular vintage and contemporary Cuisine of Colonial India with special emphasis on the cuisine of old Anglo-Calcutta. Old favourites such as Pork Bhooni, Devil Pork Curry, Calcutta Cutlets, Fish Kedegeree, Double Onions Meat Curry, Camp Soup, Bengal Lancers Shrimp Curry, Boiled Mutton chops have been given a new lease of life.

 “The Anglo-Indian Festive Hamper” is a collection of popular Anglo-Indian festive goodies, such as Cakes, Sweets, Puddings, Sandwiches, Preserves and Home-made Wines.

The repertoire is rich and quite vast and takes you on a sentimental and nostalgic trip of old forgotten delicacies. These mouth watering concoctions are a mix of both 'European' and 'Indian', thus making it a veritable "Anglo-Indian" Festive Hamper. The books are priced at Rs 130 per copy. For copies contact Bridget on 25504137 / 98455 71254.