Introduction to Mughlai Cooking of South Asia

According to The Complete Book of Indian Cooking by Shahzad Husain and Rafi Fernandez, "The vast and far-reaching sub-continent of India offers a range of culinary delights as rich and diverse as it's people and history. Each region has it's own unique cooking style: yogurt, ghee, cream and nuts dominate dishes in the north, while the south favors chillies, coconut and coconut oil. Fish and mustard oil reign supreme in the east while the west incorporates the greatest number of foreign ingredients." There is one element that unites these diverse and delicious styles - the use of exotic spices to create the flavors, layers and aromas distinctive of South Asian cuisine."

The flavors of Indian food are appreciated all over the world and although delicious, the nutritional content of some traditional Indian dishes has been at odds with our modern view of healthy eating. Liberal use of ghee, also known as clarified butter, adds an unsettling amount of saturated fat to prepared dishes.

In Western society, the healthy living message is everywhere; and that most definitely includes our daily diet. While implementing the recipes posted in this blog you will find a bounty of healthful ingredients; items such as lentils and legumes, fresh vegetables, lean meats and seafood. Poultry can be prepared without the skin and meats can be trimmed of excess fat. Heavy cream can be substituted with plain non-fat yogurt and ghee can be replaced with olive oil. So you see, there is no reason anyone needs to abstain from enjoying scrumptious Indian food!

For the purpose of focus, I will narrow my articles to regions of Northern Indian and Pakistan. I hope that you all enjoy the recipes and please feel free to add pointers, ancient family secrets and the likes in the comments section! If you'd like a more far-reaching introduction, I highly recommend An Invitation to Indian Cooking by Madhur Jaffery. The original was published in 1973 and may be difficult to find however, it is worth it's weight in gold.