Review of Lost Indian Cuisines from the Mughal Era

by Arti · Published 6 December 2025 · Updated 27 November 2025

The Mughal era remains one of the most celebrated periods of Indian history, known for its architecture, art, literature, music, and—perhaps most enchantingly—its food. While modern “Mughlai cuisine” has become synonymous with biryani, korma, kebabs, and rich gravies, this popular understanding only scratches the surface of what was once an extraordinarily diverse, sophisticated culinary tradition.

Over centuries, countless recipes, techniques, ingredients, and cooking philosophies vanished due to political upheavals, shifting agricultural patterns, colonial disruptions, and loss of royal patronage. This review takes a detailed look at these lost or lesser-known Mughal cuisines, the conditions that nurtured them, and the historical forces that caused them to fade away.

1. The Mughal Kitchen: A World of Refinement and Experimentation

The imperial Mughal kitchen—known as the Bawar Khana—was an expansive culinary laboratory. At its peak, the kitchen staff consisted of:

Rakabdars (master chefs)
Bawarchis (cooks)
Nimakis (pickle makers)
Naanpaz (bread-makers)
Muddabir (dieticians)
Shahi halwais (royal confectioners)

Mughal emperors, particularly Akbar and Shah Jahan, encouraged culinary innovation. Their kitchens integrated ingredients and traditions from:

Persia
Central Asia
Rajputana kingdoms
Bengal
Kashmir
The Deccan

This resulted in layered, aromatic, and multi-dimensional cuisine.
However, much of it was never documented. Recipes were transmitted orally and guarded within royal households, making them easy to lose over generations.

2. Lost and Forgotten Mughal Dishes

Many Mughal dishes either disappeared completely or now exist in simplified forms. Here are some of the most significant examples.

A. Meat and Poultry Dishes

1. Original Nargisi Kofta

The modern version loosely resembles the original, but historically:

Quail eggs were used instead of hen eggs
The mince was enriched with saffron, pistachio paste, and almond meal
The gravy included dried rose petals, mace, and stone-flower
The dish was a winter delicacy served only during royal banquets

The complexity and cost made it fade from everyday households.

2. Aftabi Korma

Named after the word Aftab (sun), this saffron-yellow gravy used:

Sun-dried pomegranate seeds
Gold leaf
Charcoal-smoked ghee
Extremely slow-cooked mutton

The technique required up to eight hours of monitoring, hence its disappearance.

3. Bater Mussallam

“Mussallam” refers to whole-bird preparation. Quail was stuffed with:

Spiced minced meat
Nuts
Dried fruits
Saffron milk

Once common in hunting feasts of princes, this dish gradually vanished as game hunting declined.

B. Rice-based Dishes

1. Yakhni Pulao (Imperial Version)

Today’s yakhni pulao is a simplified descendant. The Mughal version required:

Eight-hour bone stock preparation
A potli (bundle) of rare aromatics: dried limes, star flowers, vetiver roots
Use of camel, duck, kid goat, or venison

Its preparation was time-consuming and expensive, causing it to fade from common practice.

2. Shahi Mutanjan

A royal sweet rice dish far more refined than today’s versions:

Used musk essence, ambergris, and edible camphor
Employed hand-crafted candied fruits
Rice was soaked in rose water and milk overnight
The dish was baked in clay pots

Many of its rare perfuming agents are no longer widely available.

C. Kebabs and Roasted Meats

The Mughal courts specialized in incredibly diverse kebabs, many forgotten today.

1. Sugandhi Kebab

Prepared using seasonal flowers such as:

Harsingar
Juhi
Chameli

The kebab had a floral aroma unlike any modern dish.

2. Do-Mahi Kebab

A two-layered fish kebab:

Inner layer: spiced freshwater fish mince
Outer layer: herb paste mixed with lotus stem

Such layered kebabs required skilled chefs and died out as expertise faded.

3. Qaliya Kebab

Prepared with:

Poppy seed paste
Saffron
Charcoal-smoke infusion

Its preparation involved specialized equipment lost over time.

D. Vegetarian Dishes

Contrary to popular belief, the Mughal kitchen had a robust vegetarian repertoire, especially under Emperor Akbar.

1. Nargisi Lauki

A stuffed bottle gourd dish:

Filled with paneer, dried fruits, nut paste
Cooked in milk, saffron, and rose water

This elaborate preparation faded due to the labor required.

2. Arbi ka Qorma

Taro root cooked in:

Cream
Almond paste
Clove and mace-rich gravy

Its delicate preparation made it a royal favorite, now nearly forgotten.

3. Kachaloo Paneer Chaat

A tangy appetizer made of:

Spiced yam
Fresh curd
Rock salt and dried mango powder
Sliced paneer

Eaten by nobles as a light meal or evening snack.

E. Lost Mughal Desserts

1. Kheer Komola

A Mughal-Bengal hybrid dessert:

Thickened milk combined with orange pulp
Required precise timing to avoid curdling
Extremely delicate and seasonal

This dish disappeared as the technique demanded rare skill.

2. Ande Ka Halwa

Prepared for winter nourishment:

Eggs slow-cooked in ghee
Mixed with saffron and dry fruits
Finished with rosewater

Its rich, heavy texture fell out of favor in contemporary low-fat diets.

3. Sheer Birinj

A milk-rice dessert:

Made with rare honey varieties
Infused with vetiver, cardamom, and sandalwood essence

Labor-intensive and ingredient-heavy, it vanished over the centuries.

3. Forgotten Mughal Ingredients

Many ingredients widely used during the Mughal era are either rare today or completely unavailable.

1. High-grade Pampore saffron

The Mughal courts used the finest saffron from Kashmir, now extremely rare and expensive.

2. Ambergris, musk, and rose attar

Used in desserts and rice dishes, these perfuming agents are seldom used today.

3. Edible flowers

Flowers such as parijat, juhi, and chameli were once common in Mughal dishes.

4. Ancient wheat and rice varieties

Some grains used for breads and pulao are no longer cultivated.

5. Rare herbs

Wild garlic leaves, vetiver roots, and certain aromatic barks have become scarce.

4. Lost Techniques of the Mughal Kitchen

Mughal cooking was not just about ingredients—techniques mattered immensely.

1. Original Dumpukht Cooking

The pot was sealed with dough and slow-cooked using:

Charcoal above and below
Clay ovens
Long, precise cooking durations

Today’s restaurants replicate the name, not the method.

2. Perfumed Smoke Technique (Dhurrat)

Infusing dishes with:

Sandalwood smoke
Clove smoke
Ghee-wick smoke

This technique required specific chambers rarely found today.

3. Multi-layer Bhagona Cooking

Layering rice, meats, herbs, nuts, and essences in copper vessels—now replaced with steel.

4. Slow milk evaporation

Used in desserts like sheer khurma and kheer komola, requiring uninterrupted attention.

5. Why These Cuisines Disappeared

Several historical, cultural, and economic shifts caused Mughal dishes to vanish.

1. Decline of Royal Courts

As Mughal power waned, their kitchens dissolved and chefs dispersed.

2. Colonial Influence

The British preferred simpler, milder foods, which influenced urban tastes.

3. Oral Tradition

Because recipes were rarely written, once a chef died or migrated, knowledge vanished.

4. Cost and Complexity

Many dishes required:

Rare ingredients
Long preparation times
Teams of specialized cooks

This made them impractical for modern households.

5. Change in agriculture

Several heritage crops used by the Mughals are no longer cultivated.

6. Partition and migration

Many culinary families, especially in Delhi and Lucknow, were displaced, breaking generational transmission.

6. Modern Revival Efforts

In recent years, historians and chefs across India have revived interest in Mughal culinary heritage. They are:

Reconstructing manuscripts like the Nuskha-e-Shahjahani
Interviewing descendants of royal cooks
Hosting heritage food festivals
Attempting to recreate lost dishes using available ingredients
Reintroducing aromatic distillates and old cooking vessels

Though full authenticity is nearly impossible due to ingredient unavailability, these efforts have revived awareness of India’s forgotten culinary wealth.

7. Why Re-discovering Lost Mughal Cuisine Matters

Understanding lost Mughal cuisine helps us:

Appreciate India’s gastronomic diversity
Reconnect with ancient agricultural practices
Preserve culinary history
Inspire new generations of chefs
Understand how culture, science, and food intersect

Mughal food was not merely about indulgence—it reflected philosophy, precision, aesthetics, and deep respect for ingredients.

Conclusion

The lost cuisines of the Mughal era offer a fascinating glimpse into a world where food was elevated to an art. These dishes—rich in flavor, aroma, technique, and cultural meaning—remind us of a time when meals were crafted slowly, thoughtfully, and communally.

Though many recipes have faded, their essence survives in fragments of modern Mughlai cuisine. By studying, documenting, and reviving them, India rekindles not just forgotten flavors but a vital part of its historical and cultural identity.

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