Arlington Community Education

Several Muslim kingdoms were established in northern India when Afghan and Turkish armies from central Asia began making incursions in 1000 AD. The Muslim emperors lived a lavish and extravagant lifestyle where presentation of food was of equal importance to the taste itself. They brought with them a rich cuisine of exotic spices, nuts, and cream, and the clay ovens called tandoor, where delicate breads and hearty meat dishes were prepared. Indian cuisine of North India went through a transformation, adapting and adopting the Mogul banquet of kababs, pulaos, and biryanis. We will prepare vegetable biryani (basmati rice cooked with saffron, vegetables, two types of spice blends, and yogurt), hare mirch ki salan (spicy curry of a variety of peppers in a creamy sauce), and a vermicelli dessert with almonds and pistachio.