An Indian Table

An Indian Adventure

Born and raised and still living in Sussex today, Bryony Hill is a true Sussex girl. Yet dig a little deeper and you will find the heat, spice and adventure of India running through her veins.

Bryony’s ancestors first set foot in India at the beginning of the nineteenth century. Six generations then followed living there during the time of The British Raj (when the British Crown ruled the Indian subcontinent from 1858 to 1947), ending with Bryony’s mother.

“It was 1935 when my mother left India for New Zealand. She was 12,” Bryony told me. “She had so many memories of her time there, but whenever she started to tell us about them when we were children we would say ‘Boring!’ and not pay attention. How I wish I asked her more questions and listened to her stories.”

One story that did stick with Bryony was her mother’s journey to school. She would walk up Tiger Hill every day to her school, the hill so called because there were tigers living there! If this was just a story to get the school children to hurry to lessons or if there really were tigers prowling in the bushes as young children skipped past, we will never know.

Another of Bryony’s mother’s memorable stories involved a beautiful Indian embroidered blouse, which was once a dress, worn by one of her distant relatives nicknamed ‘Queenie Rice’. The story goes Queenie Rice danced with the Prince of Wales in the garment. It was Bryony Hill, cook, writer, painter and keen gardener, shares her family history, recipes, watercolours and sketches from life in India during the Raj, with Sara Whatley

passed down to Bryony who has worn the piece of history herself.

When Bryony’s mother died in 2007 a wealth of recipes were discovered in the attic of the old family home. These treasures had lain dormant for decades. Previous to this Bryony had been shown a number of historical albums, again from her family’s time in India. They are comprised of exquisite watercolours and detailed pencil sketches, many of which are highly detailed and botanically accurate. “They had time and they were taught,” Bryony explained. “It was what they all did.” They all contributed to each other’s albums, along with fellow officers doing pencil sketches of their surroundings. “They are a social documentation of that time,” Bryony said. Having made these discoveries Bryony knew she had to do something with them. A memoir came first, Scotland to Shalimar: A Family’s Life in India followed by a recipe book, An Indian Table: A Family’s Recipes During The Raj both of which are illustrated with the watercolours and sketches.

Emily Frances The recipes Margaret Campbell were collected by Bryony’s 3x

great-grandmother Frances Charlotte Campbell and her 2x great-grandmother Emily Frances Margaret Begbie (nee Campbell) and her great-grandmother Eleanor ‘Nell’ Geraldine Birch (nee Begbie). “They would have swapped recipes with other military wives as well,” recalled Bryony, “before giving the recipes to the cooks to make the meals.”

I asked Bryony about her own mother’s cooking at home, and how influenced she was by the Anglo-Indian food she had eaten as a child. “We often had Great Uncle Alick’s fish ragout, and my mother used the Raj spices for her curry. She was a very economical cook, no waste. She would do leftover chicken from the roast and turn it into a curry with fruit and chutney. She used the recipe for emergency chutney a great deal too.”

Bryony did not attend school until she was 5½, instead her mother taught her and her brothers at home. “We cooked with mum at home. She was dyslexic but bright as a button and taught us how to read, underlining the boy words in blue and the girl words in red. She went on to train as a nurse.”

Beetroot as a full meal

Like Bryony, her mother grew a lot of her own vegetables, which they also did in India. “They grew classic English varieties of vegetables and flowers from seed brought over from England.” They used many of these varieties for their still life drawings, as well as their inspirational surroundings – village scenes, vistas, castles and temples.

Bryony is a painter herself having studied at Brighton College of Art, and drawing and painting her whole life. “I remember

drawing a little still life of mushrooms and parsley as a child and when my mother saw me Great Grandmother she was aghast I Eleanor (Nell) aged 18 was using a biro. ‘What if you make a mistake?’ she asked me and I replied, ‘Mother, I never make mistakes!’” Bryony laughed as she told me, recalling her brazen confidence of youth. “My mother drew as well, but she was not as confident as I was,” said Bryony. “Painting is in my blood.” When Bryony collated the discovered recipes she was struck by the amount of soups, stews and steamed puddings, which seemed incongruous to the sultry climate. Then she learned that to escape the punishing heat of the plains the family retreated to higher altitudes. Here it was warm and pleasant during the day but nights were chilly and there could even be snow on the ground. Warming hearty meals were required to boost the morale of body and soul. “I still cook a lot of the recipes today, some have become family favourites in our home,” Bryony told me. “The marmalade recipe is still the one I make every year, it’s tried and tested and carried on through the generations.” l Scotland to Shalimar: A Family’s Life in India and An Indian Table: A Family’s Recipes During The Raj Both by Bryony Hill and published by Red Door

These recipes are taken from An Indian Table by Bryony Hill, collected during the time of the Raj. Emily Frances Begbie (nee Campbell) and Eleanor ‘Nell’ Geraldine Birch (nee Begbie), who jotted the recipes down, were both very proficient and instinctive cooks which explains the lack of instruction in some of the recipes

GHEE Melt 1lb of the best unsalted butter you can find – the better the butter, the better the ghee. This will give you approximately ¾ lb of ghee. Break up 1lb of butter and put into a saucepan with 2 bay leaves and a few cloves. Bring to the boil, the water will evaporate and the butter will separate, leaving sediment on the bottom of the pan. Continue boiling (but do not stir) until the clear butter stops making a noise and the sediment begins to take on a light brown colour. This may take a little more than 15 minutes. Remove from the heat and allow to cool a little, but while still hot pass through a sieve lined with a fine muslin cloth. Pour into sterilised jars, cover and keep in a cool place. Once cold the ghee will turn hard and is an opaque yellow. It will last indefinitely.

The Snowdrop Inn

Lindfield

Come join Ellie & Chris at the Snowdrop

At the Snowdrop we’ve worked hard to create a warm and welcoming pub environment, a place where you can feel at home and a place where you can disconnect from the world. Enjoy sipping a glass of wine by the wood burner in the winter, a tasty beer or a refreshing gin & tonic on our open terrace in the summer or indulge yourself with freshly prepared local produce on our homemade seasonal menus all year round.

OPENING TIMES

Wednesday to Saturday – 12pm to 11.30pm Sunday – 12pm to 9pm FOOD AND TAKEAWAY SERVICE TIMES

Wednesday & Thursday – Food Service 12pm to 3pm & 6pm to 9pm Friday & Saturday – Food Service 12pm to 9pm Sunday – Food Service 12pm to 6pm Sweet treats and hot drinks will be available during food service times.

Snowdrop Lane, Lindfield, West Sussex, RH16 2QE T: 01444 416 316 W: www.snowdropinn.co.uk

DEVIL MEAT The dish is normally prepared with raw chicken but it is very suitable for cooked poultry and meats, which should be first cut into slices.

INGREDIENTS *1 unit = 1 tablespoon 2 oz ghee 1 unit of chutney 1 unit of Worcestershire sauce 1 teaspoonful powdered chillies 1 teaspoonful made mustard 2 units vinegar 1 teaspoonful salt 2 oz sliced onions Water

Fry the onions in the ghee until brown and add all the other condiments, mixing well. Add the pieces of raw chicken and fry until brown. If using cooked meat, add about ¼ pint of hot water at the same time. Stir and cover and simmer until the chicken is tender and the water absorbed. FISH RAGOUT Peel, chop and drain 5 small tomatoes and put them in a saucepan with 1 small, chopped onion, a tablespoon of Worcestershire sauce and 2 tablespoons of olive oil.

Season with salt and pepper and cook for 20 minutes, stirring regularly. Then add 2lbs of firm, white fish, skin removed and cut into pieces. Cover closely and simmer for 25 minutes. Serve with plain boiled rice.

THE GREEN MAN

Horsted Keynes, West Sussex, RH17 7AS

Old fashioned village pub sitting on the green

SPECIAL FOOD OFFERS

2 courses for £10 Mon & Tues evenings Free bottle of wine with every 2 steaks Thurs evenings

(NOT APPLICABLE on Bank Holidays e.g. Xmas Eve etc)

Serving great beers –Timothy Taylors Landlord, Abbot Ale & St Austell Brewery Tribute Ale

Fantastic centuries old fireplace Separate restaurant area

Serving good home cooked food with a truly sincere attitude. Menus available on our website or by post – free parking front & back www.greenmanhorstedkeynes.co.uk 01825 790656

The Dorset Arms Withyham

East Sussex TN7 4BL 01892 770278 enquiries@dorset-arms.co.uk www.dorset-arms.co.uk

The Earl De La Warr and family welcomes you to The Dorset Arms, part of the Buckhurst Estate. A traditional village pub offering an excellent dining experience, with locally-sourced produce, a summer garden and B&B accommodation.

We are now taking bookings inside for tables of 6 people or 2 households of any size

Book now online at www.dorset-arms.co.uk or on 01892 770278 to avoid disappointment

GINGER BREAD (MRS CAHUSAC)

INGREDIENTS 1 lb flour 4 oz demerara sugar 4 oz butter 12 oz treacle 2 oz ginger 1 teaspoon bicarbonate of soda 4 eggs Put the treacle, sugar and butter into a saucepan and stir over a low fire until the whole has melted. Take off the fire and add the flour, ginger, bicarbonate of soda and 2 eggs by degrees. Mix the whole together until it looks like a smooth paste, then add the remaining 2 eggs. Put in a tin that has been lined with buttered paper and bake.

FRESH TOMATO CHUTNEY

INGREDIENTS 3 large ripe tomatoes 1 teaspoonful sugar 1 dessertspoon vinegar ½ teaspoonful salt ½ teaspoonful powdered chillies Bake the tomatoes in the oven till they split, peel and core them, break up the pulp thoroughly and add the vinegar, sugar, salt and powdered chillies.

Wednesday to Saturday 10am - 5pm

Enjoy a cuppa from The Poachers Pocket

Grass reared lamb, goat, free range pork and local wild game Try our delicious speciality sausages, burgers and koftas! Seasonal vegetables from our veg patch, free range eggs Handmade quiches, tarts and pies

Lamb boxes for your freezer Whole or half lamb Please call to order

Quality local: Fruit * Cheeses * Milk & ice cream * Bread & cakes * Jams, jellies & juices

01825 750 466

South Brockwells Farm Shop, Little Horsted, Nr Uckfield TN22 5QS www.southbrockwellsfarm.com * farmshop@southbrockwellsfarm.com

The Eight Bells

BOLNEY

We are so happy to be back open again both outside and inside, even though restrictions have lifted we are still very COVID conscious in all that we do.

We have introduced a third chef to our already fantastic team here at The Eight Bells, and have a brand new menu showcasing the talents of our chefs.

We are open for food 7 days a week, booking is advisable either by phone, email or social media.

Fancy extending your stay in the lovely village of Bolney? We have overnight accommodation in our beautiful B&B just a stones throw away from the pub.

Got a celebration coming up? We can hold wedding receptions, christening parties, baby showers, birthdays, or any other commemorative event in our spacious restaurant, bar area or large decked area.

The Eight Bells,The Street, Bolney, Haywards Heath, RH17 5QW 01444 881396 ◆ info@sasdavltd.co.uk www.theeightbellsatbolney.co.uk