The Mughals ruled northern India for three centuries, and their gardens and tombs are famous. But the part of their world most people meet every day is on the plate.
A court cuisine
The first Mughal emperor, Babur, came from Central Asia and missed its melons and grapes; he wrote about them in his memoirs. His descendants built kitchens that blended Persian and Central Asian cooking with the spices and ingredients of India. The result was rich and slow: meat cooked with yoghurt, cream and ground nuts, perfumed with saffron and rosewater, finished with dried fruit.
Dishes you already know
Biryani, rice and meat layered and sealed in a pot to cook in their own steam. Korma, a gentle braise in yoghurt and nuts. Kebabs, from coarse, charcoal-grilled skewers to melting minced meat. Naan from the tandoor, and sheer khurma, vermicelli simmered in milk with dates.
Where to taste it
The best Mughlai cooking is still found in family kitchens in Old Delhi, where recipes are passed down rather than written. On our Mughal journey, one of those families opens its home for dinner.
