ughlai cuisine (Urdu: ال یمغ وان is a South Asian cuisine, influenced by the (پکimperial kitchens of the Mughal Empire. It represents the cooking style used in Delhi and Punjab (now partitioned between Pakistan and India). The cuisine is

strongly influenced by Persian, and Turkish cuisines of Central Asia. The cuisine of most Indian restaurants in UK and USA can be termed Mughlai.

India is a country with vast diversities. Many cultures, traditions, way of worship and wide variety of cuisines found a favorable ground for growth and healthy nourishment. As with fusion and other influences India developed a large number of savory dishes. The cuisine of India is as vast as its people. Each and every ethnic group has its own distinctive food preferences along with their different culture.

India has been subjected to several invasions from Arab, Central Asia, the Mughal Empire and Persia in its early days because of its wealth both material cultural, and religious. These invasions had a great influence on Indian cooking.

The Muslims from western Asia brought the Mughlai cuisines to India in the 12th century when Mughal rulers conquered a large portion of India. During the Mughal dynasty, these dishes were prepared for the Mughal Emperors for elegant and fine dining with dry fruits and nuts. The hospitality of sharing of food with others in Mughal courtly society helped India to absorb it as its own while making Indian cuisine to stand apart with pride.

On one hand these Mughals brought their rich, aromatic food culture in India and their lavish tastes and liberal attitude as far as cuisines are concerned allowed the fusion of culinary art. Now these dishes form an important part of the Indian culinary culture. Quite ideally therefore, apart from giving the greatest architectural monuments, the Mughals have also changed the country’s cooking by merging Middle Eastern cuisine with Indian spices and ingredients to give the most beautiful Mughlai cuisine. As a result of this Mughlai Cuisine emerged.

The Mughal influence on Indian food is immense. Mughlai cuisine is one of the richest, popular and lavish cuisines in the country and world over. These are relatively spicy and have unique fragrance. The cooking method includes lots of milk and cream with exotic

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spices, nuts and dried fruits to make it rich and spicy. Biryani, Korma, Palau and Pasendi are some of the famous Mughlai cuisine.

The Mughal influence on Indian food supported the evolution of Indian food to a great extent. The Mughlai cuisine full of rich gravies, Pulau and non-vegetarian foods such as kebabs, along with the fruits like apricots, peaches, plums and melons contoured the structure of the Indian food while offering it a distinct dimension.

Each of the Muslim rulers offered something or the other to make Indian food the potpourri of spice, taste and flavor. When Babur invaded India he brought his stylish food habits such as grilled meats along with different varieties of fruits and nuts from Central Asia. His son Humayun continued this tradition and also introduced a new tradition of rice-based Pulausand using of fruits and nuts in the meat stews in India. Marriages of Mughal rulers to several Rajput princesses added a new dimension to the Mughal cuisines.

The reigns of Jahangir and Shah Jahan, marked the evolvement of a large number of dishes in Indian cuisine. In the mean time, the Nizams of Hyderabad developed Biryani as their own style of cooking, which is now considered as one of the main dishes in India and world over. Nizami Biryani is made in many varieties using wide variety of herbs, spices, and vegetarian and non vegetarian ingredients.

Apart from the introduction of new dishes, the influence of Mughlai cuisine on Indian food also presented the novel idea of using aromatic spices in cooking. Mughlai food is quite spicy. The spices used in this preparation are easily accessible. These dishes are specially preferred in Delhi, Lucknow in the North and Hyderabad in the South amd now world over as part of fine and elegant dining. These have the strong influence of Muslim cooking style along with their Muslim names.

The saga of Mughlai dish is still continuing. It still remains as one of the most important part in Indian culinary style. Although, Mughlai cuisines are available in all parts of the country, but Delhi is the best place for this royal cuisine. In this present scenario, the Mughlai influence on Indian food reflects the local cooking styles in it. The cuisines available in Delhi and Lucknow are the combination of Indo-Persian style by the addition of typical North Indian spices like cumin, coriander, cardamom, cinnamon, turmeric and ground chilies; whereas in Hyderabad, curry leaves, hot chilies, mustard seeds, tamarind and coconut milk are added to these cuisines to give them a local flavor to create distinct taste differences.

Due to the flavored sauces and butter based curries in the Mughlai cuisine, they are very much popular among the food lovers. Mughlai food offers tempting and delicious variety of food such as kulfi with rose petals sprinkled on it, hot spicy soup and ginger based roasted meats.

People in India and all over the world are crazy about Mughlai cuisines. Some of the popular Mughlai dishes are, Aloo Ka Raita; Carrot and Capsicum Raita; Badaam Halwa; Chicken Korma; Chaamp Masala or Lamb Chops Curry; Chole or Chane; Kesar Chawal;

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Chicken Tikka; Jhinga Malai Curry or Creamy Prawn Curry; Naan a type of Indian Bread; Palak Gosht; Palak Paneer; Seekh Kebabs; Tandoori Chicken Legs or Grilled Chicken Drumsticks; and the most favorite dish Biryani.

The taste of Mughlai cuisine vary from extremely mild to spicy and is often associated with a distinctive aroma and the taste of ground and whole spices. A Mughlai meal course is an elaborate buffet of main course dishes with a variety of accompaniments.

The origin of Chicken Tikka Masala has been debated, but the flavors of these dishes confirm the tradition of Mughlai cuisine.

Dishes

The names of the various Mughlai dishes are quite often Persian, the official language of the Mughal court. Dishes include various kebabs, kofta (meatballs), nihari (a national dish of Pakistan), pulao, and biryani. Paneer is used for preparing vegetarian dishes to suit Hinduor vegetarian dietary requirements.

Other dishes include:

1. Chicken Makhni 2. Mughlai Chicken3. Mughai paratha4. Biryani Badshahi 5. Keema Matar 6. Meat Durbari 7. Mughlai Chicken Pulao 8. Murg Kababs Mughlai 9. Murg Noorjehani 10. Murg Kali Mirch 11. Malai Kofta 12. Navratan korma 13. Shahi mutton curry of Agra 14. Shami Kabab 15. Seekh kabab 16. Boti kabab 17. Shahjehani Murg Masala 18. Shahi Chicken Korma 19. Shahi Kaju Aloo 20. Shahi Rogan Josh

Mughlai cuisine is one of the most popular cuisines, whose origin can be traced back to the times of Mughal Empire. Mughlai cuisine consists of the dishes that were prepared in the kitchens of the royal Mughal Emperors. Indian cuisine is predominantly influenced by the

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cooking style practiced during the Mughal era. Mughlai food is quite spicy and has a very unique aroma. On eating Mughlai food, one can get a feel of the ground spices. The spices used in the preparation of Mughlai food are easily accessible.

Mughlai food is especially preferred in Northern parts of the country. Some of the Mughlai dishes have Muslim names such as biryani, pulao, kebabs, kofta. This is suggestive of the strong influence of Muslim cooking style. The Mughals have truly left a long lasting influence on India, which is also reflected in the cuisine of India. Mughlai food occupies a commanding position in the popular cuisines of India.

The rich preparation of Mughlai food consisting of flavored sauces and butter based curries is so tempting that food lovers are bound to crave for more and more food. Mughlai food offers an amazingly delicious variety of food ranging from hot spicy shorba or soup to ginger based roasted meats to kulfi with rose petals sprinkled on it. Even, the names of the Mughlai food are so attractive that a person gets tempted to try out different dishes.

Though, Mughlai food is cooked in all parts of the country, but the best feel of this cuisine can be had only in Delhi, which specializes in the preparation of this royal cuisine. In the 16th century, India was invaded by Mughals, who introduced the exotic spices, nuts and fruits to India. Also, the Indians got an opportunity to learn new techniques of cooking. In the preparation of most of the Mughlai dishes, milk and cream is used liberally. Mughlai Biriyanis, Pasandas, Kormas and Pulao are so enticing that people usually end up licking their fingers.