It is true that the Mughal emperors were very fond of food. His royal kitchen was always fragrant with spices and dishes. He did many experiments in Indian food. Don’t know how many new dishes were given. But if you think that they used to eat food sitting on tables and chairs like nowadays. If his dastarkhwan was prepared there then you are wrong, because he always used to eat while sitting on the floor.
Most of the Mughal emperors used to eat on carpets, mattresses and “dastarkhwan” spread on the ground. The food style of the Mughal emperors was very formal, rich and a confluence of traditional Indian-Arabic-Persian styles.
Dastarkhwan was a large, strong cloth or carpet, which was made of silk, velvet or damascus cloth. Sometimes it was embroidered with gold thread. There was a thick carpet under it. Royal food was never served without Dastarkhwan.
salma hussain’s book “The Emperor’s Table – The Art of Mughal Cuisine “, states, meals were eaten on the floor. Bedsheets made of leather and covered with white Persian calico protected expensive carpets. This was called dastarkhwan. It was customary for the king to set aside a portion of the food for the poor before he dined. The emperor would begin and end his meals with prayer.
How did the emperor eat while sitting?
The Mughal emperors used to sit on the floor, but not in the manner of a common man, rather they used to sit leaning on soft mattresses with cushions on them. Due to the influence of Indian civilization, he used to sit with his legs folded. In Persian style it is called “Taha Bazdan”. Aurangzeb used to sit in the most simple posture. He used to eat food sitting on a simple carpet and small cushions in a room with few mattresses and minimal decorations.
In Mughal palaces like Agra Fort, Fatehpur Sikri, Red Fort, Shalimar Bagh, Nur Mahal, the emperor had a private dining area. However, the Mughal emperor used to get his royal Dastarkhwan installed wherever he wanted. Be it in the garden, on a marble platform, in a veranda or airy room or in your private dining room.
How was the food prepared?
Their food was always rich, colorful and decorated with gold and silver leaves. Every cook tried his best to make something unique and best. Some food items looked like gems and jewels, fruits were cut in the shape of flowers and leaves, dry fruits were glazed with acacia gum and added to pulao.
Ghee was colored and flavored for cooking. Curd was served in a single bowl in seven colours. Paneer was served in isambu baskets. During the reign of Jahangir, the color and decoration of food touched a new dimension because Nur Jahan was artistic.
Many types of food were prepared for the emperor every day. Some dishes were kept half cooked, so that they could be served immediately when the emperor asked for them. Many types of fruits and pickles were definitely kept in his dastarkhwan. Fruits increased appetite, kept diseases away and also improved digestion. Only the chief butler of the king touched the king’s plate. Every plate was tested before eating to avoid poisonous substances.
when the portuguese brought potatoes
In the post-Mughal period, with the arrival of the Portuguese, potatoes and chillies were also included in their food list. In the post-Jahangir era, royal cuisine featured exquisitely prepared potatoes cooked in a variety of ways. Apart from various types of kurma, rotis, kebabs and pulao, there was plenty of spicy food on Shahjahan’s Dastarkhwan.
Many Indian and some European dishes were also served at the royal Dastarkhwan. Over time the royal Dastarkhwan became more and more Indian with local and regional spices and flavours.
The most magnificent table was that of Balindir Shah Zafar. Every kind of cuisine was present on his table – Turkish, Afghani and Indian. The Mughal emperors had greatly developed the culinary art.
Where did the emperor dine
Apart from the regular banquets held in the court, the emperor used to dine alone in the privacy of his harem. No outsider has ever seen an emperor eating. Yes, once the eunuch of the harem, the Portuguese priest Friar Sebastian Manriques, secretly showed Shahjahan eating quietly in the harem, where Shahjahan was eating with Noorjahan’s brother Asaf Khan.
Although Akbar often ate with Brahmins, Sufis and scholars, he ate “Sufiana food” alone. Jahangir definitely liked to show off his grandeur. Shahjahan used to have meals with his family. He used to eat in big gatherings only when special guests had come. Aurangzeb usually had simple meals alone.
What kind of paan did you chew after eating?
Paan was definitely chewed after eating. This was a special part of Mughal culture. When the king washed his hands after eating, he was given a betel leaf. Betel leaves were rubbed with camphor and rose water. A beeda was made from eleven leaves. Betel nut was boiled in sandalwood juice. Saffron and rose water were mixed in lemon. There were many benefits of chewing Tambul.
Have you ever eaten at tables or high chairs?
This did not happen during much of the Mughal period. European-style tables and chairs were used only occasionally to show off to guests or when desired. The king usually always sat on the floor during royal meals. Shahjahan ordered European chairs but only for formal meetings and not for meals.
There was a huge budget for drinking Ganga water
Drinking water was a major item of expenditure in the royal household, because the Mughal emperors were very picky about water. Generally they drank only from river Ganga, which had to be brought from a long distance. Akbar called it the water of immortality.
Water was brought in sealed pitchers. A special department called Auldar-Khana was in charge of supplying water to the royal household; experienced water-tasters were a regular part of the royal entourage. He also used to accompany the kings on hunting. For cooking, water from the Yamuna and Chenab rivers was mixed with a little water from the Ganga river. Rain water was also collected and kept in the kitchen.
