History on a plate: How Chef Bridget White-Kumar is bringing back forgotten Anglo-Indian flavours

The Bangalorean staple spicy pepper chicken, tempered with curry leaves and mustard seeds, might be a crowd-pleaser today, but it is an evolution of a humble Anglo-Indian delicacy. The original version—cooked using only pepper, garlic, onion and meat—has been a longstanding staple in Anglo-Indian households. 

Chef Bridget White-Kumar shared this trivia with YS Life during a conversation at her pop-up in Renaissance Bengaluru Race Course Hotel. Meeting the culinary historian, independent food consultant, and cookbook writer immediately evokes the very culture that she champions. 

Even her name, ‘White-Kumar’, is a coming together of English and Indian roots, much like the Anglo-Indian cuisine that she has dedicated her retirement life to preserving. 

What started as a gesture of maternal love evolved into a larger calling for Chef Bridget. “My daughter went to England to do her Master’s. I wrote a book for her of all our simple, everyday recipes. And then…I thought, why not record all the old recipes?” says the 73-year-old. 

In the last 25 years, the Bengaluru-based chef has authored eight cookbooks on Anglo-Indian cuisine. Two of them—Anglo-Indian Cuisine—A Legacy of Flavours from the Past, and Nostalgic Anglo-Indian Comfort Food, won the best Culinary History Book in India, and Gourmand World Cookbook Awards in 2012; and 4th Best in the World, Digital Category, and Gourmand World Cookbook Awards in 2023, respectively. 

She has partnered with notable establishments, including the JW Marriott Aerocity in New Delhi, The Oberoi Mumbai, The Taj Group of Hotels, Sujan Luxury Rajmahal Palace in Jaipur, and Hyatt Bengaluru, to spotlight the lost recipes of the community. 

Tracing the roots 

Bridget grew up in Karnataka’s ‘Little England’— Kolar Gold Fields or KGF—a colonial mining town which once housed generations of Anglo-Indian families. “My great, great, great grandfather came from Cornwall with the John Taylor and Sons Company…Our community evolved in KGF…It was the intermingling and intermarrying of the various races that gave rise to our community,”  she says. 

However, Bridget’s journey with food was far from planned. She started her career as a teacher, and then moved to the banking sector in 1977, working with Canara Bank for 26 years. She retired as an officer with a golden handshake. 

While one chapter ended, another began for Bridget. 

While writing down everyday recipes from her household for her daughter in England, Bridget had a lightbulb moment, urging her to document the recipes of the Anglo-Indian community. “Once I started experimenting with all the old recipes…I went deeper into the colonial past, and I found that there is so much history in our cuisine.” 

Reviving lost recipes 

While writing her eight cookbooks, Chef Bridget also hosted several immersive dining experiences and ran a YouTube channel. The chef also curated ‘At My Table’ dining experiences and cooking demonstrations. Her goal was simple: to document, celebrate and revive Anglo-Indian culinary traditions that risk being forgotten. 

The turning point for Chef Bridget was when she was invited by the Taj West End in Bengaluru to curate a menu for them. “They were celebrating 125 years of the Taj West End. So we started with Mulligatawny soup (a curried soup that originated around the 18th century in the Madras Presidency as a simple concoction to satisfy the British, who demanded a soup course for dinner) and bread pudding (An old British Bread and milk Pudding that has passed down through the ages)…Since the West End used my services, many other Taj hotels asked me to come in.” 

Today, Chef Bridget is known for her deeply researched pop-ups that offer guests a plate of history. People are quite curious to know the history behind each dish, the chef says, stating the example of the railway mutton curry. “It was served on the blue train. This particular dish was innovated by the chefs of the Spencer’s Catering Company. So it would be cooked in Victoria Terminus…then all along the way, (at) major stations. The food would come on from there onto the train,” the chef explains. 

While the chef’s pop-up serves hundreds, the authenticity and quality remain non-negotiable. She provides recipes and ingredient lists for six guests and then increases the quantities accordingly. She also doesn’t believe in ready-made gravies and pastes, saying “we are judicious with the use of species and ingredients.” 

When asked about a dish that best defines the Anglo-Indian cuisine, Bridget mentions the meatball curry. “Also called the bad word curry,” she jokes, referring to the cheeky nickname coined by schoolboys. The special coconut rice and devil chutney, which is red due to the chemical reaction between sugar, vinegar and red chilli, are other delicacies that best define the cuisine. 

However, her personal favourite is the chicken stew. “We use whole spices, and also add mint, coconut milk and peppercorns…I add two green chillies too!” she says. With the excitement visible on her face, it’s clear that Chef Bridget isn’t only feeding people’s stomachs with her pop-ups—there’s also plenty of storytelling, history and nourishment of the soul.