The Mughal feast is a delightful transformation of the original Handwritten Persian recipe book nuskha-e-shahjahani from the Mughal emperor Shah Jahan’s time. A culinary journey into the Mughal imperial kitchen, where food was cooked with just the right amount of spices to enhance the base flavours of the dishes, this book is divided into seven sections: Naan, aash, Aliya and do-piyazah, bharta, zeer biryani and Pulao, kabab and shiriniha. It contains a plethora of recipes, ranging from the familiar shami kabab and baqlawa to the more exotic Amba Pulao (tangy mango Lamb rice) and in de Rs a (sweet, deep-fried rice-flour balls). The book also provides helpful tips for cooking, including methods to clean fish and soften bones, throwing light on the creativity of the Mughal cooks. Complementing the mouth-watering dishes, Salma Husain’s informative introduction offers an intriguing glimpse into the royal lifestyle of one of India’s greatest empires. This book effortlessly recaptures the nostalgia of Mughal times while remaining a practical guide for the modern reader.
