India Indian Dishes Moghul Cooking The Indian Kitchen Breakfast in India

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It took only two centuries and six rulers for the Moghul empire in India to run its course -- from the prince Babur`s capture of Delhi in 1526 to the death of the last true Moghul emperor, Aurangzeb, in 1707. But even this short dynasty was enough to make a strong mark on Indian culture. The Moghuls were Persian Muslim princes, descended from both Genghis Khan and Tamburlaine, and nothing they did was anything less than glorious. They built the lavish and ambitious palace fortresses, mosques, and tombs that have become emblematic of the country, the most famous example of which is the Taj Mahal, the tomb built by Shah Jahan to honor his favorite wife, Mumtaz Mahal. At its height, the Moghul dynasty was known for its cultured tolerance, even enthusiatic support of and participation in, local customs, arts, and religions.

It is small wonder, then, that the food served in those rose-colored stone and inlaid-marble palaces strewn with silks and tapestries, was lavish as well. Hindu cooking, with its many dietary restrictions, seemed austere to courtiers accustomed to the cuisine of Persia and the eastern Mediterranean, so the court cooks added liberal amounts of cream, ghee (clarified butter), yogurt, spices, raisins, and nuts to local meat dishes, pullaos (rice dishes), and samosas (savory filled pastries).

They brought their own delicacies and cooking methods, as well. The number of meat dishes were increased and often included spiced meats ground with wheat. Slowly braising meat or vegetables with a spiced yogurt and butter sauce in a tightly sealed pan -- a preparation known as "dumpukht" -- is associated with Moghul cuisine. The Moghuls also introduced their share of sweets: the rich, frozen confection known as kulfi, for example, is made of ground almonds and pistachios, cream and sugar, and flavored with saffron or rosewater. The jilebi is a swirl of fried pastry soaked in sugar syrup.