The Curry Cook's Assistant

A cook's advice on spices, sauces and serving rice shapes this practical guide by Daniel Santiagoe. Written to help readers prepare curries in England, it gives ingredient options for England and Ceylon, alongside English and Tamil names for cooking supplies. Its recipes range from meat and fish dishes to potatoes, cabbage, beans and several kinds of egg curry. Chutneys, samball and instructions for boiling rice extend the meal beyond the main dish.

Santiagoe pays close attention to timing and balance: an omelet should be made just before serving, while its sauce can be prepared ahead. He distinguishes brown sauces from yellow ones and explains how ingredients can spoil a dish when used too freely. Between recipes, his account of a quickly prepared breakfast at a Ceylon rest house connects kitchen methods with everyday hospitality. Readers interested in older cookbooks will find both detailed household instructions and a cook's personal judgments about regional tastes.