[Sca-cooks] OOP - curries

[Patrick Levesque]

Wow! Thanks for the info! I will be careful and try and double check the
measures.  But not being used to the imperial system, what exactly is a
troy ounce?


>If I have the measures right, a pala = 2.3 ounces (based on copper coinage
>so the measure is probably troy), a prastha = 16 pala or about 3 pounds
>troy, a kumbha (probably your kuduba) is a vessel (also the Indian
>astrological equivalent of Aquarius) that has been translated as 20 dronas
>or 2 dronas which may represent a variation between dry and wet measure.  20
>dronas = 3 bushels 3 gal. = 30.9 gal or 1.54 gal/drona.  In this instance I
>would use 3 gal for a kumbha and probably vary it to match the recipe.
>
>Dharana, I haven't been able to work out, but it is a small apothecary
>measure.  If the 10:1 ration between dharanas and pala is correct then you
>are talking .23 troy ounces.
>2 yavas (barley grain) = 1 gunja (berry)
>2 gunja = 1 valla (wheat grain)
>8 valla = 1 dharana (rice grain)
>
>Be careful using these measures, because I am uncertain of the accuracy of
>the translators.

Well it's more than I had to begin with!! In a foot note I had for
information that a pala = 25 rattis and a Dharana, 2.5 rattis. Hence 10
dharana in a pala.

I also had a note that 1 kuduba = 22 tolas, and 1 prastha = 29 tolas. Hence
the approximate 3 to 4 ratio.

However, if a prastha is a vessel, it may be safer to assume that the meat
was cooked in it rather than on a spit.


>You are using the little red berry-like Szechuan pepper (Zanthoxylum
>simulans) rather than the small elongated pepper (which is actually a New
>World capsicum?  I'm curious rather than captious.

The first one indeed; although I'd have to do more research as to its
authenticity in early Indian cuisine

>
>Also, I'm unfamiliar with Kautilya, so a little historical reference would
>be appreciated.


The excerpt I used was from the Arthasastra, which is Kautilya's treatise
on government (and which I haven't read yet, so don't ask me why a
political works bothers with the details of cookery :-)))). It was quoted
in Food and Drinks of Ancient India, by Prakash; I'm collecting references
right now to pick up a few of those sources at McGill's library because I
want to check first hand the information (ok, second hand, 'cause I can't
read sanskrit so an english or french translation will have to do).
A quick search on Google will also reveal that nobody agrees on the exact
dating of the work. I will not take sides on this issue, being a complete
newcomer to Indian history.