Mughlai Cuisine: Did the Mughals create korma and kebabs? Learn the full truth behind these claims.

Twinkle Khanna: Emperor Babur, the founder of the Mughal dynasty, is said to have been unimpressed by the simplicity of Indian cuisine upon his arrival in India. He then brought Persian chefs with him.

Did the Mughals create Korma and Kebabs?

Tukaram Munde, Food Safety: FDA Commissioner Tukaram Munde's actions regarding food safety in Maharashtra are currently in the news. Meanwhile, Twinkle Khanna took a dig at the entire issue in her recent "Mrs. Funnybones" column. She jokingly linked the crackdown on food businesses to her own kitchen, stating that she was inspired by Munde's campaign and decided to "raid" her own home.

Twinkle wrote that while inspecting her kitchen, she found an old packet of "Shahi Masala." She quipped about its expiration date, writing that it appeared to be from the "Mughal Empire." With this joke, she also took a dig at the ongoing debate about Mughal history and its associated food. She questioned that if attempts are being made to remove the Mughal influence from history books, then questions should also be raised about the items considered to be associated with their era. In this context, she mentioned popular dishes like kofta, korma, and kebabs.

Mughlai cuisine traces its roots to the royal kitchens that prepared meals for the Mughal emperors who ruled the Indian subcontinent from the early 16th century to the mid-19th century. The Mughals, who arrived from Central Asia, brought with them Persian, Turkish, and Afghan culinary traditions. When these traditions were combined with India's rich spice culture, a culinary style developed that is today known as Mughlai cuisine. Emperor Babur, the founder of the Mughal dynasty, is said to have been unimpressed by the simplicity of the Indian cuisine upon his arrival in India. He subsequently brought Persian chefs with him, who began to combine Central Asian cooking techniques with Indian ingredients and spices. This fusion is considered the initial foundation of Mughlai cuisine.

Royal Cuisine during the times of Shah Jahan and Aurangzeb