JEDDAH, 12 July 2005 — Mughlai dishes are probably the only lasting legacy of the three centuries of Mogul rule in India. The tandoor (an earthen oven) is used in preparing some of the famous Mughlai dishes including tandoori chicken, seekh and boti kabab and tandoori fish.
These and other varieties are on offer at a three-day Mughlai food festival, which opened at Jeddah Trident Hotel on Sunday night.
The opening night attractions included lamb kebabs laced with spices, rice pulaos and biryanis, tandoori, grill items, and crunchy salads. Vegetarians too are offered some mouth-watering delights of the Mogul era.
“Mughlai food is very rich, its sauces consisting of curd, cream and crushed nuts like cashew,” said a specialist chef who prepares the food in front of guests. The biryani from the kitchens of the nawabs of Hyderabad is a flavored and spiced rice cooked in ghee with chicken or meat, and is a meal-in-a-dish eaten with raita and salad. Aromatic spices and ghee make Mughlai food a very rich form of cuisine, he said.
