It is said about Akbar that he was a Mughal emperor who was more of a vegetarian and less of a non-vegetarian. He developed a food mixed with vegetarianism, which he called Sufiana food. He used to eat them during the days of abstinence. By the way, three types of food were prepared in Akbar’s royal kitchen. The method of cooking and preparing them was also different. It was developed by Akbar’s kitchen department in its own way.
salma hussain’s book “The Emperor’s Table – The Art of Mughal Cuisine” Explains this in detail. Three categories of cooked dishes have been mentioned in Ain-e-Akbari.
Sufiana food was the food that was eaten during the days of Akbar’s restraint, meat was not used in it. These dishes were made from rice, wheat, pulses, spinach and some other leafy vegetables along with sherbet etc.
For example, Sheer Biranj, Zard Biranj, Khushka, Arid Khichdi were made from rice, whereas wheat was washed and separated and Chikhi was made by adding spices to it. The second category included foods that combined rice and meat or wheat and meat, such as pulao, shulla, shorba, haleem, haris, kashk and kutub.
In the third category, dishes like yakhni, kebab, dopiaza, musamman, dum pukht and malguba were prepared by cooking meat in ghee, spices, curd and eggs. This system of food continued throughout the Mughal Empire.
Why did the emperor start eating Sufiana food?
Actually Sufiyana Khana is an interesting and unique chapter of Akbar’s personal lifestyle. This was his eating pattern in which he even gave up meat. Did Akbar really become a vegetarian? During the middle period of Akbar’s rule i.e. 1570 to 1580, his inclination increased towards Sufis, Yogis, Jain Acharyas and Hindu saints. The scope of his discussions in Fatehpur Sikri had become so wide that apart from politics, questions of body, mind and soul started being raised.
This food was meant to purify the soul
During this period, he reduced the Tamasic diet i.e. meat and alcohol. Adopted fasting. From this a new type of diet was developed, which was called Sufiyana diet – a kind of restrained, sacred food. Akbar ate this food not just for health or taste, but for “spiritual purification”, this food was often prepared with religious chants. Used to go through special rules. Many times his usual diet was such that he would survive only on fruits or porridge.
According to historians, Akbar ate very little meat. Many times he would give up meat for long periods of time. For some time he remained completely vegetarian. Still he did not become a complete vegetarian throughout his life.
But, during Sufiyana Khana, he would eat only vegetarian food, and at times it would be so light that he would subsist on fruits or porridge only.
sufiana porridge
It was made from wheat, barley and millet. Barley or wheat would be cleaned, roasted and then ground coarsely. Cooked in water, there was very little or no salt. Sometimes a little milk or buttermilk is added to give it a slight sweetness or sourness. It was calming to the body, easy to digest and in line with “Sufiana” principles.
Simple ‘Yakhni’ or broth of vegetables
It was not spicy like today’s Yakhni. For Akbar, this food was very light, almost fasting style. Bottle gourd, ridge gourd, pumpkin, spinach, brinjal, colocasia (very little) were added to it. Boil the vegetables on low flame. Then add ginger, some salt and sometimes black pepper. It was made without ghee and oil. The proportion of water in it was more so that it became “Sufiana Shorba”.
Khichdi (without ghee)
This food was one of Akbar’s favorite dishes. This khichdi was mostly made from lentils and rice. Sometimes with millet and moong. Without ghee, without heavy spices. Just adding turmeric, salt, sometimes a little black pepper. Khichdi was considered a food of self-control for Akbar.
Seasonal fruits, milk, buttermilk and kheer
Akbar used to eat fruits every morning, especially when he was in the “Sufiana period”. In this, melon, grapes, orange, pomegranate, guava, apple (these came from Kashmir). Akbar did not eat much sweets, but he liked light kheer made by adding some rice to milk. Milk with porridge tasted good. Used to take milk with fruits. There was very little sugar in it and things like saffron and cardamom were rarely added to the spiritual food.
breads and plain grains
Akbar used to eat very thin wheat breads like phulka. These were without ghee. Sometimes he also ate roti made of gram flour or millet. Along with boiled vegetables or curd. Didn’t eat more than 2-3 rotis a day.
Light ‘Merakwa’ snack with almonds and pistachios
This was not a sweet, but a medicinal drink. Almonds were soaked and ground. It is boiled in water and filtered. A little milk and a little honey were mixed. It was considered a drink that calms the mind. Used to drink before sleeping at night.
rules of eating sufiana
Not just food, there were many rules along with it. This meal was eaten before sunset. Meditation was done while sitting in posture. In this one had to wash hands and face before eating. There was no talking at all during meals. He used to eat food slowly. There were maximum two dishes in it. Akbar believed that eating less and fresh food keeps both the mind and body clean. There was no onion-garlic, no heavy spices and less use of chilli in Sufiyana cooking.
How Sufiyana food was prepared with mantras
The cooks who prepared Sufiyana food had to take bath first. They had to wear clean and light colored clothes while cooking. He would recite Bismillah or dua before entering the kitchen. Wearing slippers was prohibited there. Many historians say that before preparing Sufi food for Akbar, the kitchen floor was wiped with rose water or water. This was similar to the way the kitchen is purified before the Havan in the Hindu-Vedic tradition.
Sacred religious chants were made in the kitchen. On some occasions, Surah Fatiha or Ayatul Kursi was recited. This was believed to be like chanting mantras – making the food pure, nutritious, and ‘spiritual’.
The cooks cooking Sufiyana food were instructed not to create any noise. Don’t cook in anger. Don’t laugh, joke or abuse. There should be no discussion of politics or war in the kitchen, which means the entire atmosphere of the kitchen should be spiritual. When the meal was complete, the cook would raise both his hands and prayers would be recited. The food is then kept in a state of “silence” for 10–15 seconds.
