Royalty in India has really lived it up. Stories pertaining to the lavish and opulent lifestyles our kings and queens have indulged in are legendary. And much has to do with the art of eating. They lived well and entertained even better. India has always been a land of great hospitality.

While most Indian kings are believed to have been vegetarian in their palaces particularly, the queens in fact are said to have been staunch vegetarians. Though the Nizams were not followers of this belief and there are many brilliant non-vegetarian recipes contributed by them, it is a fact that Mughal Emperor Akbar was a pure vegetarian on three important days of each year. The day his father Babur died, the day his son Humayun was born and on his own birthday.

Many beliefs are supported by facts. For example in many palaces, the prayer room was adjacent to the kitchen making it out of bounds for all but Brahmin chefs. Religion and Vaastu played a large role in the royal kitchen and in the lives of their royalty. Often kings would not eat before feeding their rajgurus or rajrishis. This food would be vegetarian and hence the king's meal, also being made in the same kitchen, would have to be vegetarian.

India is a country of diverse cultures and traditions and the nuances of each culture shines through in their cuisine. As a chef I was intrigued by this diversity and I started off on an educational project which went on to become my passion. My curiosity and eagerness took me through the length and breadth of this vast country. And I went through many experiences with food of the 'Raj Gharanas" which gave me insights into the lives the royals may have led in their days of glory.

It is believed that the kings and emperors usually ate alone or with their wives, rather their beloved queen. They were always attended to during their meals by helpers and attendants who would fan them, serve them and look after the slightest of needs. The king would never serve himself while eating, because he believed that unclean hands would render the food unfit for consumption.

It is also believed that he was guided on the direction he was to face while dining. If he faced east it was for prosperity. West was for fame.

His food would be cooked only in earthen ware pots. This again followed Ayurvedic principals and the type of earth used was very important.

He was always served his meals in silver or gold vessels. Once again this follows ancient Indian beliefs that the intake of meals from a particular metal is important and gold and silver are good for health.

A king's way of life was also largely governed by religion and based on wise men's teachings. His day unfolded following these principals.

His bed would usually face a temple so that the first thing he saw in the morning was God.

The first prayer in the day was usually conducted by the king for the welfare of his subjects. This prayer could be conducted as early as 5 in the morning as it would be before day break.

His first meal was usually the Mahaprasad at the temple, which possibly is the origin of the rich sheera, puri and other such vegetarian delights.

It is also observed, that often the temple would be on a hillock, ensuring that the King walked up and got his measure of fitness each morning.

The morning was usually spent attending to the affairs of the State in the Royal Court. Lunch was the main and most important meal of the day. The heavy meal would be followed by a nap.

He would then wake up to a short stroll in his gardens or to spend time with his queen. This would typically be accompanied by an afternoon snack. Dinners were not usually the main meal and often consisted of only fruits.

Wine was not a customary part of a royal meal. It is believed, they only consumed it when they were leaving for a war or celebrating a victory. Wine was usually drunk by women. It was thought that the wine improved their skin and complexion, amongst the many other benefits it gave them.

The king's tryst with meat often occurred when he went hunting or out to war. The meat was prepared in the his hunting lodges or on open fires during their camps.

The food served at Kandahar for this royal festival picked the specialties of five Rajwadas of India. Benares, Travencore, Rajasthan, Hyderabad and Kashmir.

The spread laid out for the UpperCrust Team included an assortment of surprises. The first being the simple Dahiwada and we did have the editor fooled!

Gosht Dahiwada
Region: Rajasthan

Kings paid great attention to their food and good chefs were richly rewarded and recognized. Consequently chefs tried every trick in the book to delight their masters.

One of these was the art of deception. The chef would create a dish that would create an expectation but then suddenly surprise the king by creating something that looked completely different from how it tasted! The Gosht Dahiwada is a perfect example. The king would expect a sweet vegetarian dish but be surprised and delighted by a delicate minced lamb instead of a fried pakora. His glee would usually result in a bag full of guineas for the chef!!!

Shikhampuri Kebabs
Region: Hyderabad

It is believed, kebabs were usually eaten as an evening snack rather than a part of the main meal. Stuffed with yoghurt and ginger the outside of these kebabs is crisp while the inside is soft.
The chef would put a piece of ice in the center of the kebabs and fry it. The ice melted away creating a vacuum and hence space for the stuffing to melt!

A quick word of caution from Chef Narayan Rao to UpperCrust readers… Do not try this at home. If incorrectly done, this will result in serious oil burns. It is common knowledge that a royal chef had years of specialized training to achieve his level of expertise!!! It took years of learning the art before they were allowed to attempt these " cookery stunts".

Murgh Kagina
Region: Hyderabad

Chicken marinated in tamarind and yoghurt.
An element of sourness was frequently found in Southern kingdoms due to the use of tamarind. This could have been due to the high fluoride content in the water. It is believed that tamarind contains properties that help eliminate fluoride from the body.

The cuisine of the Nizam's had a strong Mughal influence. The Nizam's rule was in the Telangana region. The spiciness of the cuisine in the Warangal belt may be due to the weather in the region. The dry heat led to the need of spicy food. The spice made the king sweat which led to a cooling of the body helping him deal better with the dry heat.

The use of yoghurt could well be a combatant to the spice and its effect on the king's stomach.

Nadur Yakhni
Region: Kashmir

The easy availability of the lotus stem made this a very popular dish in Kashmir. Mostly found on the famous Dal Lake, lotus stems are believed to generate heat in the body which helped the king withstand the long and cold winters in Kashmir.

Laal Maas

Region: Rajasthan
A spicy dish usually made for the king while he was out hunting. Seated by a fire, this dish was slow cooked over a charcoal fire. Usually eaten with rice, this spicy dish is believed to have helped him combat the dry heat of the desert.

The peculiarity of this dish is also the use of Mathania chillies. A variety grown in Mathania near Jodhpur, they are used as a dry spice to lend colour, body and pungency to the cuisine.

Chui Mui Kofta
Region: Rajasthan

Koftas are the softest form of kebabs. They are believed to have been created for ageing or ailing kings and were cooked to melt in their mouth.

Koftas were made using a very special cut of lamb. The inner most part of the thigh. The meat would be without any muscle tissue. This ensured that the king was given the pleasure of eating lamb but in a creation so special, that the meat was easy to chew and to digest.

The attention to detail ensured that the meat was very expensive as one would usually not obtain more the 120gm per lamb!

Koftas had a very sophisticated taste, were never spicy, were always soft, delicate and full of flavour but without the presence of a dominant spice. Truly fit for a King!

Chonk Ki Bhindi
Region: Benaras

The simplest form of cooking is showcased in this preparation. Saatvik food is lightly cooked, minimally spiced and easy to digest. Overpowering or harsh spices like red chillies and black pepper are prohibited.

It is believed that saatvik food makes a persons disposition calm and he is not easily provoked.

Dal Kayoti
Region: Kashmir

An unusual combination, this Royal preparation uses a mix of urad and channa dal. The channa dal lends a "bite" to this otherwise fluid preparation. The light and delicate flavour and aroma of a touch of aniseed (saunf) lend the regal touch to this dish. Rice is a very important part of a Kashmiri meal. Kashmiri rice is light and aromatic and is believed to be unparalleled. All dishes are built around the main course of rice. In fact the Kashmiri word for food is the same as that for rice.

Kalonji ke Baingan
Region: Benaras
A completely saatvik preparation, this dish uses no onion or garlic. Instead hing, kalonji, ginger and coriander are used as taste enhancers.

Sabz Shammi
Region: Hyderabad

This was a vegetarian version of the shammi kebab. Created to taste as good if not better than its minced lamb counterpart, this preparation never ceases to delight vegetarians.

Khasta Roti
Region: Kashmir

Rotis are an accompaniment to tea in Kashmir and not a part of a meal. The tea in Kashmir is of two varieties as different and distinct as sugar and salt!