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Osborne met Maharaja Ranjit Singh in 1838. He writes: 1. 26th June.—This morning, at sunrise, ordered our elephants, and went out to try and relieve the monotony of our life by a few hours' shooting. Proceeded straight to a rumna, or preserve, of the Maharajah's, which we supposed to abound in wild hog, hares, and black partridges. The Sihks, in contradiction to the religious tenets of most of the other castes in India, are very fond of pork, and Runjeet cultivates grain and sugar- cane round this preserve for the wild hog who frequent it to feed upon. Beef is as much a forbidden food in the Punjab as pork is in Hindostan to the natives ; and to kill a cow across the Sutlege would subject the perpe-trator of the deed to almost certain death. We found a considerable quantity of wild hog, and a few black partridges, in the rumna, and had altogether two hours' very tolerable shooting. 2. In less than five minutes, we found ourselves seated on golden chairs opposite Runjeet, who re- mained in his litter supported on the bearers' shoulders. Five minutes more sufficed to produce breakfast. Runjeet's table was formed by one of his servants standing up close to his litter with his back towards him, and then stooping till his shoulders were on a level with its floor. A tray containing different sorts of curry, rice, sweetmeats, and milk, was then placed upon the man's shoulders; and the Maharajah commenced his breakfast with an appa- rently good appetite. The different eatables were served up in the nicest and coolest little vessels possible, about the size of tea-cups, made of fresh green leaves, so closely sewn together as to be capable of retaining liquids, and beautifully cool and clean. A tray was brought to McGregor and myself, upon each of which was arranged about six of these little cups, containing different sorts of curry, rice, curds, and some re- markably fat quails, with all the bones taken out, and highly spiced and seasoned. We set to work with our fingers, (following our host's example,) and though from want of practice not quite so expert, contrived to make a very hearty breakfast, which we wound up with a delicious draught of iced sherbet.

https://archive.org/details/in.ernet.dli.2015.502825 colonel Steinbach wrote a book in 1846 which can be downloaded at above link. He wrote about the sikh diet in the book.