The Indian Dishes That Were Created in Royal Kitchens

Long before restaurants began competing over tasting menus, India's royal kitchens were laboratories of food. Nawabs, emperors and regional rulers employed teams of cooks, specialists and kitchen staff who experimented with ingredients, cooking times and presentation. Some famous dishes became closely associated with these courts, while others evolved as royal recipes met local ingredients and tastes. The result was not a single "royal cuisine" but a fascinating collection of culinary traditions, particularly in places such as Awadh, Delhi, Hyderabad and Rajasthan. Their influence is still visible on Indian menus today.