Recipes from the South East Asian region, which now covers the countries of Pakistan and India, have become a favorite among people all over the world. It is a new trend that gives a taste unlike any other cuisines in the west. The Moguls came into this region and brought these mouth-watering recipes with their rich Persian and Turkish influences. Recipes like Biryani, Kebabs, and various types of curry were all part of Mughlai (of or pertaining to the Moguls) cooking. But of course, changing times have evolved the recipes as well.
No one now has time to spend hours making the spices as they were originally created so the process has been simplified. But even after so much progression, South Asian cuisine retains some of the most detailed and original methods in cooking.
Since the words come from the time of the Mogul dynasty, the names of the dishes are mostly Persian which was the official language of the Mogul court. Other delicious dishes are a version of meatballs with curry called Koftas and Karhaii which is a chicken curry with lots of tomatoes, Barbequed skewered chicken pieces called Tikka, a mincemeat recipe called Qeema, a rice dish named Pulao, a spicy meat concoction using a number of traditional herbs called Nihari and of course their famous bread called Naan which is around, fluffy version of bread much like pizza bread and a flatter version called chapatti.
A fried bread prepared with frying oil named paratha. The traditional naan can also be stuffed with a variety of ingredients like mince called qeema naan and potatoes called Aaloo naan. Since the food was for the King’s court, they were used to making everything a little grand. Therefore, cottage cheese called paneer was used to enhance regular vegetable curries like peas and spinach.
Some famous vegetable dishes are aloo gobhi (cauliflower with potatoes) and Bhigaare began (eggplant with a pickled taste and cooked with herbs and spices). They also have some of the world’s most delicious pickles called achaar. These pickles can be of any fruit or vegetable but the most famous is a mixed vegetable version with carrots, mangoes, garlic cloves, lemon, and green peppers.
This cuisine has some delectable desserts as well. The Gulab Jaman is a kind of dessert made in the shape of small balls, and placed in sugar syrup; Sheer Khurma is a mix of roasted vermicelli boiled in sweetened, condensed milk. There is also a kind of rice pudding called kheer. They also make a number of jam-like desserts called Murrabba which is a fruit preserved in sugar and retains the goodness of the original fruit. Any fruit can be used for this purpose but the most famous are the ones made with mangoes, apples, and apricots. There are many other versatile desserts that make Mughlai cuisine a favorite among many.