While talking about the favourite dishes of most Indians, one cannot miss delicacies like biryani, kebabs, chicken korma and shahi paneer. But very few Indians know that their favourite dishes are either Mughlai or Awadhi originally. The same is with desserts too. Numerous widely enjoyed desserts of India are originally from the kitchens of the Mughals. No Mughlai feast was complete without a lip-smacking sweet delight. If you are also a sucker for Indian desserts, we have curated 5 of your favourite desserts that have Mughlai roots.
Shahi tukda
Our favourite bread pudding, dunked in condensed milk or rabdi and topped with some crunchy dry fruits is actually a gift from the Mughal’s kitchens. First discovered in Egypt by Umm Ali, Shahi Tukda travelled across Middle East Asia and became a popular dessert everywhere.
Phirni
The treasured dessert of North India, Phirni is made from rice, milk, saffron, cardamom, dry fruits and rose water. Most North Indians cannot think of completing a biryani meal without a sweet note of Phirni at the end. However, not a lot of them know that Phirni originally hailed from ancient Persia or Middle East and was introduced in India by the Mughals.
Falooda
Gastronomes in North India cannot spend their summer without a glass of cold Falooda. Made with rose syrup, vermicelli, soaked basil seeds and milk or rabdi, Falooda is usually served with ice cream of any flavour to beat the heat. Falooda is the Indian version of the Persian dish ‘Faloodeh’ and was introduced in the country by the Mughals.
Sheer Khurma
We cannot call Eid a day without a bowl of moreish Sheer Khurma. It is originally from Central Asia and Afghanistan and was introduced in Hyderabad by the Mughals. Made with creamy milk, dry fruits, dates and sewai, Sheer Khurma is served as breakfast after the prayers on Eid.
Sevaiyyan
On similar lines with Sheer Khurma, Sevaiyyan is also a must-have in households of Lucknow and the streets of Old Delhi. Different than Sheer Khurma in terms of consistency and some ingredients, Sevaiyyan was introduced by the Mughals and involved under their rule too.
Are you surprised? Well, we were post knowing the roots of these famous Indian desserts. There are many delicious dishes popular in India which are the gifts of the rulers of ancient India. From the Dutch explorers of the 16th century to the Britishers, each one of them has contributed something or the other to the diverse culinary culture of India that we take pride in.
