[COOKERY] INDIAN DOMESTIC ECONOMY AND RECEIPT BOOK BY ROBERT RIDDELL 1877

[RIDDELL, DR. ROBERT]. Indian Domestic Economy and Receipt Book, With Hindustanee Romanized Names; Comprising Numerous Directions for Plain Wholesome Cookery, Both Oriental and English; With Much Miscellaneous Matter Answering for all General Purposes of Reference Connected With Household Affairs, Likely to be Immediately Required by Families, Messes, and Private Individuals, Residing at the Presidencies or Out-Stations. Calcutta, India: Thacker, Spink, and Co., 1877.

EIGHTH EDITION; cloth-bound, hardcover, octavo (20 x 12.5 x 3.5cm), pp. ix, 596. English text. Bound in publisher's original cloth. Condition: GOOD. Binding secure with the addition of new endpapers. Slight bumping to spine ends and marks to covers. Contents fresh and clean, with a couple of short closed tears. A well-preserved copy.

Notes: The rare eighth edition of this fascinating cookbook and domestic guide, including early curry recipes, designed for 'Families and single individuals, residing at the presidencies or the Mofussil [countryside], who may be at times particularly cast on their own resources' (Preface). Riddell's Indian Domestic Economy was a popular work which ran to eight editions, the last appearing in 1877.

With early recipes for 'thickah khubab' (chicken tikka), 'quoormah' (korma) and 'paupuds' (papadams) - all now staples of the British curry house. In addition to recipes, the book contains chapters on small-hold farming, the kitchen garden, and home remedies - apparent cures for baldness include a 'pomatum of hog's lard' blended with 'tincture of cantharidis' (a powerful aphrodisiac) to be applied generously to the head, two 'drachms of pounded sulphate of copper' mixed with brandy, and 'half an ounce of oil of cloves or cinnamon' combined with distilled wine. A section on weights and measures includes a price guide for various commodities and products across the Indian states, as well as useful tables of conversion rates between the different currencies.

Bitting p.567; Simon BG 876; cf.Cagle 1101 & 1102 (third & fourth editions).