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Think of
Northern India and you think Moghul. Think Moghul and you are thinking
of the Taj Mahal. This wonder of the world, built as a memorial to an
emperor's wife, epitomizes Moghulai superlatives. Another legacy of
those heady days, and a wonder of the culinary world, is classic north
Indian Moghulai cuisine.
India's most
fabulous dynasty began at the time of the English Tudors, and remained
all-powerful for some 200 years, in the hands of just six emperors,
known as the Great Moghuls. Everything they did was magnificent. Their
army consisted of 100,000 heavily armed men, 10,000 camels, 5,000 cannon
and 1,000 war elephants, and was invincible. Their rule, though austere
for their subjects, created great wealth and a luxurious lifestyle for
themselves. Opulence at court was displayed in exaggerated robes,
oversized jewels, huge harems of 1,000 women and their eunuch guards,
elephant jousting, massive parades, ostentatious parties. Their four
great cities of Srinagar, Lahore, Delhi and Agra were unparalleled in
their forts, palaces, gardens, mosques and mausoleums - as is witnessed
Agra's Taj Mahal, built by Emperor Shah Jehan as a memorial to his wife
Mumtaz after her premature death.
Food did not
escape Moghul attention. Northern Indian cuisine has been evolving for
thousands of years, but Moghulai chefs took it to the heights of
perfection, matching the savories of the Punjab with the aromatics of
Kashmir, while creating a creamy delicacy which remains, to this day,
distinctly Moghul. Great banquets were frequently held at court, and non
one was more important than the emperor's personal chef. It is said that
the Emperor Akbar's inner court was composed of just nine advisors,
known as the Navrattan, of which the chef was one, along with the prime
minister, senior general, physician, astrologer, musician, poet, artist
and biographer. True or not, Moghulai cooking has not been bettered
since those days, and it is the backbone of all cooking in the modern
Indian restaurant.
Here are some
of the best classical North Indian Moghulai recipes. Their ingredients
and spices are widely available, and are easy to prepare and cool.
More Indian Cooking Recipes
Edible Gold
or Silver Leaf (vark) : The Moghul emperors used to garnish dishes such
as korma, biriani and sweets with gold or silver leaf. Although it looks
exotic, it is absolutely tasteless, but the Moghuls, it is said,
believed it to be an aphrodisiac! Beware of cheap imitations, which
contain aluminum.
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