It is frequently said that recipes are historical treasures, and in saving them, you’re preserving a part of the records from dying down. In her modern transcreation of the original handwritten Persian recipe ebook ‘Nuska-e-Shahjahani,’ renowned food historian and creator Salma Yusuf Husain has taken on a mammoth challenge of bringing alive a few boisterous Mughal recipes. The Mughal Feast: Recipes from the Kitchen of Emperor Shah Jahan, posted with the aid of Roli Books, gives a delightful peek into the wealthy culinary heritage of one of India’s greatest empires.
It is regularly stated that recipes are ancient treasures, and in saving them, you are preserving part of the records from dying down. In her trendy transcreation of the original handwritten Persian recipe book ‘Nuska-e-Shahjahani,’ renowned meals historian and author Salma Yusuf Husain has taken on a huge mission, bringing alive some boisterous Mughal recipes. The Mughal Feast: Recipes from the Kitchen of Emperor Shah Jahan, published employing Roli Books, gives a pleasing peek into the rich culinary history of one of India’s best empires.
Through her informative creation, Salma attempts to familiarise her readers with the mystique of ‘Mughal delicacies,’ which borrowed heavily from Turkish, Afghan, and Persian styles. The Mughal Khansamas effectively married the foreign effects with Kashmiri, Punjabi, and Deccan substances. In 1638, when Shah Jahan moved his capital from Agra to Delhi, the newly evolved Shahjahanabad flourished in arts, literature, and architecture. The foodscape of the metropolis additionally saw a major transformation during the emperor’s rule. Mughlai delicacies have not only become a melting pot of various cultures, but Shah Jahan is credited with adding new spices to the delicacies.
Husain additionally tells us that because Mughals shared congenial relationships with the Portuguese, the imperial kitchens also became privy to the Portuguese preferred chili, which added a revolution of kinds in Indian cooking. The food became vibrant, flavourful, and hot. Imports like potatoes and tomatoes additionally changed the face of Indian food appropriately. The Mughals also delivered India with various fruits like cherries, apricots, grapes, and melons. Shah Jahan’s special penchant for mangoes coaxed the imperial kitchens to give you many creative recipes using mangoes. The new alternate routes and roads facilitated the import of almonds, pistachios, walnuts, apricots, saffron, and aromatic herbs, which determined their prominent vicinity in Mughal qormas, soups, and rice dishes.
While rice turned into a staple in Indian households a long time before the Mughals arrived, in their reign, the art of cooking rice saw a unique refinement, giving us a number of our favorite pulao dishes like moti pulao, sarangi pulao, and more. The Mughal ceremonial dinner, in conjunction with being a nostalgic recapturing of the conventional recipes, is likewise a special tribute to Khansamas, who, together with their group, could spend countless hours curating the special Dawat. The formal spreads had been numerous local and international favorites, from kebabs and qormas to European desserts and puddings.
The day-by-day food, however, has been an affair of a laugh and gaiety. The kings desired to have their meal with their queens or concubines; the menu turned into deliberate by a hakim (medical doctor), who would ensure that the food had some medicinal components. The food was also cooked in rainwater mixed with water from the Ganges and was served in silver and gold utensils. The ebook is divided into seven sections: Naan, Aash, Qaliya, and Do Piyazah, Bharta, Zeer Biryani and Pulao, Keba,b, and Shirin. The recipes are simplified for the ease of modern readers. The book also comes with a reachable index, useful tips for cooking, easy fish, melt bones, and coloring meals using vegetable juice.
Cooked in a tandoor or on an iron griddle, Mughlai Naans (a general call for bread) was a lavish affair even earlier than Shah Jahan took the throne. In the book, you will find recipes for a plethora of these flatbreads. For instance, Naan Tunuk – conventional complete-wheat flatbread became additionally stated with the aid of famous historian Amir Khusrao, or something more wholesome like Naan Paneer – baked flatbread crowned with cottage cheese. Needless to say, the e-book additionally has recipes for traditional Sheermal and Baqarkhani. The transcreation additionally documents Mughals’ fixation with nuts and the dry result, something they tried to include in their bread too with Naan-e-Badami, Naan-e-Khurma (dates), and Naan-e-Warqi (Shallow-fried bread layered with Pistachios). Then, Naan-e-Besani and Naan-e-Jowar dominate atta and maida inside the world of bread.
