The Mughal Feast

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!

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.

This is the best recipe book ever. The quality of the pages, the paintings in between. Everything is just awesome.

This book has everything - Beautiful pictures depicting important events in Mughal history, the introduction has a brief history of the Mughal Cuisine and how it was impacted through various additions of new vegetables and cooking customs from India and from the new world. Each page is beautifully laid out with various recipes from the Imperial Mughal Kitchen. Step into the world of the Mughal emperors, Empresses and Begums and see what they might eaten....learn to prepare those dishes and surprise your family, friends and guests.....

Haven’t tested the recipes but love the concept the historical perspective and the lovely presentation. It’s a beautiful book for those that love history and culinary tradition!

Laudable effort but many of the combinations seem bizzarre and unworkable for today's palette

It is a wonderful book full of exotic recipes... must buy for all who like to try new recipes or collect great cookery books