MUGLAI FOOD BASICS

Many of us are connisuers of Muglai food:-

Here is a guide to common terms used in Muglai food:-

Achaari:
Made with spices similar to those that go into Indian pickles, Achaari dishes can be medium- to very hot and most often will have a tangy flavor.These dishes will be on the drier side with minimal gravy so order them with a "wet" dish like Daal (soup-like lentils) or a Raita (yogurt preparation) to add textural variety and cut out some of the heat.

Bhuna, Bhoona or Fry:
This means "to stir-fry or sauté". Many Indian dishes require spices to be lightly fried or Bhoono-ed to release their aroma and flavors and prevent them from having a 'raw' taste. Bhuna dishes can range from mild to hot. Expect spices like cardamom, cinnamon, cloves, pepper, bay leaves, chillies, coriander and cumin and ingredients like onions and tomatoes.

Bhuna dishes are characterized by the fact that the meat or vegetable used is cooked in its own liquids and no extra water is added. This makes for medium amounts of thick gravy that go well with both wet and dry dishes.

Bhurji:
This word means scrambled. Bhurji dishes, like scrambled eggs, are stir-fried. They can range from mild to very hot and the main ingredient is usually accompanied by onions, tomatoes, ginger, garlic and a medley of spices like chillies, cumin, coriander and turmeric.

Biryani/ Biriyani:
Biryanis, which can range from medium to very hot, veggies, meat, chicken, fish or seafood is cooked into a curry (with medium gravy) in a variety of spices and then layered in a large dish with pre-cooked, fragrant, long-grained rice.

 Dopiaza:
This term means two (do) onions (piaza) or double onions. This Mughlai (Mughal style) dish is usually prepared with two lots of onions - one that makes up a thick gravy to which the main ingredient is added and the other that is added raw and cooked with the main ingredient or stir-fried till caramelized (onions contain high amounts of natural sugar that caramelizes when they are fried!) and used as a garnish.

Dum:
This is a style of cooking that originated in the North. Dum means pressure and implies that the dish is cooked to a certain stage and then the vessel sealed to pressurize the contents and cause them to slow-cook (for hours sometimes) in their own juices.

Gosht:
This word translates to meat and could mean either lamb or beef.

Jalfreizi:
 Jal (means hot and freizi (means fry) is stir-fry with little gravy. Usually a meat like chicken, lamb or beef is stir-fried with green chillies,  onions and tomatoes and then cooked in its own juices.

Kadhi :
This style of cooking gets its name from the wok-like dish or Karahi it is cooked in. In Karahi/ Kadhai dishes the main ingredient is usually marinated in a yogurt and spice sauce and then stir-fried in a Karahi with sliced onions, bell peppers, ginger, garlic and chopped tomatoes.

Kashmiri:
This style of cooking comes from Kashmir  and is characterized by rich, creamy gravies made up of spices, nuts and dried fruit teamed with milk and cream.

Korma:
There are Kormas and there are Kormas but this Mughlai dish from North India is typically made by marinating the main ingredient in yoghurt and spices like ginger and garlic. It is then cooked in its own juices and a gravy made of onions, lots of tomatoes, green chillies ,cinnamon, cardamom, cloves, coriander, cumin, etc.

Makhni:
This name comes from the word Makkhan which means butter! These typically  dishes are therefore cooked in butter and have substantial creamy gravy in which tomatoes play a predominant role.

Malai:
This word means cream and these dishes have a good amount of creamy, cream-based gravy. This gravy is mild and usually made with onions, tomatoes, ginger and garlic to which spices like coriander, cumin, garam masala etc are added.

Masala:
This word typically means spice mix so recipes for Masala dishes can be as varied as the chefs that cook them! They can therefore range from medium to really hot but will usually have a thick, not very substantial gravy.

Shahi:
means royal. Shahi dishes are similar to Mughlai ones in that they have mildly-flavored, rich, creamy gravies that might contain nuts and dried fruits. Shahi-style foods go well with rice dishes and all kinds of Indian breads.


Tandoori:
Tandoori get their name from the Tandoor (clay oven) they are cooked in.  Tandoori dishesare marinated in a spice mix and then cooked in the tandoor.

Tarka/ Tadka/ Baghaara:
All these words mean tempering which is a process used for flavoring certain dishes. To temper a dish, oil is heated and spices like cumin, coriander, mustard etc. This spice-flavored oil is then added to the dish as a final touch.

Tikka Masala
Tikka means bits or chunks while Masala means spice mix. Tikka dishes consist of chunks of marinated, grilled meat cooked in thick tomato-based gravy. Tikka dishes are mild to medium-hot with plenty of gravy.