FOOD AND TRAVEL

The Unforgettable Flavors of Northern India

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Taj Mahal at sunrise

Healthy Indian Recipes

Until they were brought down by the British Raj, the Moghuls wielded tremendous power over much of this region, except Rajasthan, which is mostly desert. Moghul specialties like rich nut purees used in curries, succulent cuts of mutton and chicken swathed in cream marinades and flatbreads called naans are still popular in Northern Indian cuisine. This Moghlai style of cooking influenced the Indian restaurants in Europe and the U.S., although here it is common to find clarified butter used more heavily than it is in the healthy, authentic dishes of the homeland.

After two days of traveling, we arrived in the hotel near the Taj Mahal. We woke in the dark and just before dawn, approached the entryway to the crown palace, Moghul emperor Shah Jahan’s testimony of love for his wife Mumtaz. It was still shrouded in darkness, its marble glistening in the dark. Magically the sun appeared and shed its choicest rays on the dome, bathing it in yellow-gold—every angle of the monument a quiet statement of flawlessness and grandeur.

My photos will always bring me back to that magical sunrise. Better yet, the recipes I brought home—dishes like lively, saucy split peas and chile-spiked potatoes with soothing buttermilk—let me recreate the unforgettable flavors, texture and colors of North India’s cuisine.

Cookbook author and culinary educator Raghavan Iyer is a native of Mumbai, India, and now lives in Minneapolis.

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