Beyond Biryani: The 8 Royal Soups That Warmed Mughal Winters.

• Mughal emperors, especially during winter, heartily consumed 8 distinct types of soups, both vegetarian and non-vegetarian.
• The cookbook "Nuskha-e-Shahjahani" from Shah Jahan's reign details these 8 soups, including Aash-e-Keshtaleh, Aash-e-Bawardi, and Shorba-e-Gosht.
• Soups were integral to Mughal royal cuisine, valued for being light, digestive, nutritious, and for stimulating appetite before heavy meals.
• Mughals adopted soups, influenced by Central Asian and Persian traditions, and used them for health, balancing "doshas" as per Unani Tibb.
• These soups, often meat-based like keema shorba and yakhni, were also crucial for sustenance during journeys and wars.

Why It Matters: Mughal emperors enjoyed 8 diverse soups, detailed in "Nuskha-e-Shahjahani," for health, appetite, and sustenance.