Explore the Royal Flavors of Mughlai Cuisine in India

Be it, youngsters or elderly people, if there is one cuisine that everyone loves – it is the Mughlai Cuisine! Mughlai cuisine is unique, and the only thing that you need to do is be a foodie to appreciate it. How did the Mughlai cuisine originate, and why is it so popular? Today we are going to talk about the history as well as the popular Mughlai dishes. As you can understand, this cuisine was founded by the Mughals, and since then, it has been timeless. There is no doubt that India has accepted Mughlai cuisine with open arms. Not only that, along with acceptance, there have been a lot of twists as well.

As you might know, the Mughals were people of Muslim origin who came from Turk. However, at the same time, they were heavy meat eaters as well. It is why Mughlai cuisine heavily emphasizes the use of meat. It is not only about mutton but chicken is a prevalent form of meat. In the early days, other birds were trendy in the cuisine. Mughlai cuisine also sees heavy usage of spices. To cook the perfect Mughlai dish, you must master the process. Mughlai cuisine is trendy and the most common choice for a lot of people as well.

History of Mughlai Cuisine:

The name of the cuisine makes it pretty evident that Mughlai cuisine originated from the royal kitchen of the Mughal empire. There are influences from different places like the Ottoman, Persian, Karachi, and Turkey. The primary reason behind this is that every part of the Mughal rule had an influence. If we talk about the taste spectrum of the cuisine, it tends to vary from mild to spicy. The rule of the Mughals is usually evident with richness. It also finds a place in cooking with the help of elements like dry fruits, aromatic spices, and ghee!

If we trace back the origin of the in India, then Uttar Pradesh and Delhi regions were central. But traces of Mughlai cuisine are also in places like Hyderabad and Bhopal. A bit of this essence is even seen in Bengal, the capital of the Mughals. One of the primary reasons behind the royalty of the dishes is because they were for the kings. Some of the prevalent dishes from this cuisine are biryani, kebabs, pulao, and kofta! Even after the Mughals left India, they still profoundly impacted the food we eat.

Adoption of Mughlai Cuisine in Indian Kitchen

Once reserved for the royal kitchens of India’s Mughal emperors, Mughlai cuisine has been widely adopted and adapted by Indian home kitchens. This fusion of traditional recipes with local ingredients has transformed Mughlai cuisine into an integral part of the Indian culinary landscape.

If you go by the autobiography of the Mughal emperor Babur, Baburnama, you can understand much about Mughlai. It was the Mughlai rulers who brought forth the Tandoor, which is a traditional style of charring meat. And the Mughals were also the ones who were responsible for introducing different Indian breads as well. The most popular variants of Mughlai bread include the Naan, Tandoori Roti, Baida Roti, Paratha, etc. Also, Mughlai cuisine gets its flavours from places like Pakistan, Bangladesh, Karachi and Lahore.

The Mughals loved dairy so you will see wide usage of butter, cream, or even milk. So, the dairy also finds itself in desserts like halwa and Shahi Tukda. The Mughals also had a rich stock of saffron and dry fruits. Consequently, the use of these items in dishes was also quite widespread. Not only that, the khichdi that we tend to have with so much love is also a product of the Mughal’s khichda. The Mughal kings were also predominantly lovers of sherbet. It is a Mughlai beverage, and you can make it out of many elements.

Popular Mughlai Dishes:

Mughlai cuisine significantly influences the Indian kitchen and has been widely adopted across the country. So, when we talk about Mughlai cuisine, many dishes are a raging favourite. However, today we will discuss some of the most popular ones you need to try. Not only that, we will also talk about the recipes for some dishes. Although it might appear to be complicated, these are simple. Each of the dishes that we will mention tend to have different recipes as well. Each of the regions has an influence and hence the other renditions. Some of the most promising options that we will mention in this case are:

Biryani

Who does not love Biryani, right? Although today people love chicken biryani, we can say that the origin of Biryani was mutton. However, Mughlai cuisine often addresses Biryani as pulao. Not only that, a lot of food historians call pulao the precursor of Biriyani. Along with the rich taste, biryani is unique in its aroma. The presence of meat, rice, and spices makes it a complete dish. And finally, to pair the biryani, a ubiquitous accompaniment is none other than the Salaan.

Haleem

The discussion on Mughlai cuisine will only be complete if we mention Haleem. If you go by the history of Mughlai food, you will see that Haleem is a dish with many mentions. Most testimonies say the royal chefs made Haleem for the kings during winter. One of the primary reasons behind this is that Haleem is rich and can be the perfect meal choice.

It is a thick, spicy stew made with a combination of lentils (dal), meat (usually beef or lamb), and wheat grains. However, you can also make Haleem with chicken, if you want to avoid the use of red meat. To prepare Haleem, you need to slow-cook it for several hours, until it turns into a smooth, creamy texture. When you serve Haleem, make sure you do it with fried onions, fresh herbs, and lemon juice before serving.

Murgh Musallam

When we talk about famous Mughlai food, we must mention the very popular Murgh Musallam. The dish is as royal as it sounds. For this, you need a whole chicken and then stuff the same with spices, dry fruits, and eggs. The royal chefs then cook the chicken in a white gravy where the base usually is cashew nuts. Not only that, the Murgh Musallam is quite buttery, and you can add a splash of cream.

Mutton Kakori Kebab

The first dish that we are going to talk about is the very popular mutton Kakori kebab. If you go by the popular royal cookbooks, we will see the mention of mutton Kakori kebab. So what is it? The kebab variant originated from the kitchens of the royal Mughals and is very popular. The usual recipe contains mutton which is extremely fine in demeanour and a few spices. The best thing about these kebabs is that they are incredibly soft and succulent. You can also pair these up with decadent green chutney and onion slices.

The Bottom Line

Mughlai cuisine has had a significant influence on the Indian kitchen and has been widely adopted across the country. The rich and flavorful dishes from Mughlai cuisine are a testament to the culinary heritage of India and continue to be a favourite among food lovers across the world. Each Mughlai dish is extremely popular, and most of us also love them the same. If you want to make some good chicken mughlai dishes, get good quality chicken. Order Online from us at Zorabian Foods today, and get farm fresh chicken without antibiotics and hormones.

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