Mughal Feast: Recipes From The Kitchen Of Emperor Shah Jahan

Beautiful and valuable collection of recipes from a bygone era, but which are still being cooked today.

Book title: The Mughal Feast Salma Husain's (2019) The Mughal Feast: Recipes From The Kitchen Of Emperor Shahjahan (translation of the original hand-written manuscript - Nuskha-E Shahjahani) - is the best ever title available on Mughal cuisine. It's a masterpiece - in terms of both content/text and book design (reflecting the Mughal culture). Both the author and publishers (Lustre Press/Roli Books) together brilliantly put out this imperial cookbook as a feast for the reader. I was specially curious to find a sourcebook of Mughal dishes where I could check out the authenticity of any particular dish served at home or in a restaurant today. This is the sourcebook. It is my Rosetta Stone. This meticulously designed and flawless publication indeed serves as a befitting tribute to the great Mughal emperor Shahjahan who was not only the wealthiest but also an aesthetic who built the Taj Mahal. Along with the flawless translation of the original manuscript, this title offers features such as an introduction, glossary [culinary terms], a section on helpful hints, and an index that are educational in nature and, thus, help demystify the cooking of Mughlai dishes. This translated imperial cookbook is a great service to the English-speaking readers who are unable to access/read the original manuscript. Compared to Salma Husain's three other titles I am familiar with [1. The Emperor's Table (2008); 2. Flavours of Awadh (2015); And 3. Nuskha-E-Shahahani: Pulaos .... (2004)], this publication is superior in terms of text, font, paper quality, binding, inclusion of some rare Mughal paintings and colorful design of each page. As an old-timer and traditional reader (concerned about the authenticity of text in this age of careless/mindless online publishing), I take this imperial cookbook not only as a very valuable work of scholarship and conventional publishing but also as a collectible item for my personal library. Emperor Shahjahan ruled the Mughal Empire when it was at its zenith. As is characteristic of all other Muslim empires (like the Abbasid, the Safavid/Persian and the Ottoman), the Mughals gave importance to food, hospitality, entertainment and holding palace feasts - the Mughal Emperor Shahjahan not only held palace feasts but is also known to have brought its high-cuisine to the market place at Chadni Chowk - thus, its journey of Mughlai food from the emperor's palace kitchen to the street corner began. (Ref.: Origin of Mughlai Cuisine - Salma Yusuf Husain, Youtube.com, viewed on 10-07-25) THE MUGHAL FEAST [Nuskha-e Shahjahani] provides a view of the "complete Mughal feast" to be served on the dastarkhwan of Emperor Shahjahan. The author/translator (2019) Salma Husain categorizes Mughal food into 7 chapters. Further, she provided an introduction to each chapter that helps educate and guide the novice readers/cooks (unfamiliar with Mughlai cuisine) about the recipes included. The 7 chapters (what they would mean to the readers today) are as follows: 1. Naan [Breads] 2. Aash (Soups] 3. Qaliya and Dopiyazah [Qorma, qaliya, and other variations of Mughal curries/stews] 4. Bharta [Mashed preparations] 5. Zeer Biryan and Pulao [Biryanis, pulaos] 6. Kabab, Harisa, Shisranga and Khagina; and [Kababs, harisa/halim] 7. Shiriniha (Desserts, sweets, snacks] I look forward to using the recipes provided in its various chapters to check out the authenticity of some major dishes such as kababs, biryanis, pulaos, qormas, qaliyas, niharis, and similar other salans (curries/stews) so proudly served as Mughlai today everywhere around us. The Amazon book seller (THE RED FOX BOOK SHOP) surprisingly delivered the shipment 5 days earlier than expected. The book is new and in its best condition. Therefore, my rating is 5-star. - Dr. Solaiman Ali. USA (October 06, 2025)

If you have someone in your life who is interested in Mughal cuisine, cooking, art, or just Mughal history, get this book for them - or yourself! It's expensive, yes, but the quality is fabulous and you get over 100 Mughal recipes with detailed instructions on high-quality glossy paper, as well as notes about history and a few miniature painting spreads. I love flipping through this book and we enjoy showing it to guests as well. The recipes are easy to follow, though the portions are very kingly (ha). There are no photos of the food, or illustrations, so manage your expectations. This is more of a cookbook for people who are experienced in the kitchen. Think biryanis, types of pulao, naan varieties, barthas, etc. About 95% of them feature lamb as the main ingredient. Enjoy!

Love the recipes here.

The book presents a wonderful blend of culinary history and recipes. We tried out a number of recipes at home, and each time we were surprised by how good the food tasted. As these recipes tell us, the Mughal kitchen used a rather limited variety of ingredients compared to what we use today. There is, for instance, no use of spices like turmeric or chillies or ingredients like tomatoes or potatoes which are so common in contemporary Indian food. On the other hand we see use of such thickening agents like rice paste which have largely gone out of practice. This makes the Mughal dishes compiled by Salma Hussain taste wonderfully unique and very different from anything that you might be able to order today in a restaurant. And of course the sensation that you are tasting the exact same thing that emperor Shahjahan tasted more than three hundred years ago is priceless! Also, the lavish use of Mughal miniature paintings in this book gives it an aesthetic appeal that is usually missing from most cookbooks brought out by Indian publishers. This book is a true feast for the senses and it is a must have!

I read some reviews that said the book is useless because it doesn't have photos. I have recipe books that were collected by my mum and those are excellent books but have no photo. My mum still managed to feel inspired and whip up excellent stuff out of those books !! It is lame to rate a recipe book on its photos . The content is beyond brilliant and informative. This is not for the beginner but an experienced cook will enjoy cooking from this book.