Welcome to my new series, What they Ate! I’m delving into two of my favorite topics, history and food so join me every other week as we unravel the delicious history of food on the Subcontinent. In each episode, I’ll talk about a particular historical figure or period of history, and do my best to recreate a historical recipe from that time. I might just go on a few anticolonial tangents here and there as well.

This is episode 2 of the series, and today we’re diving into the food, and history of the second Mughal emperor, Humayun and the humble rice and lentil dish that he, and many other Mughal rulers, loved to eat. It’s a delicious, comforting meal that is indigenous to the subcontinent, and eaten all over India and Pakistan today too. But it was more than just a dish, it was a colonizer’s subtle attempt at diplomacy.

I’ve posted the recipe on my substack. Subscription to my substack is still free at the moment, so head on over:
https://substack.com/@sairathemusafir

Watch my trip to Taxila, the ancient ruins near Islamabad here:    • Buddhist Roots in India & Pakistan | ...  

Also, please subscribe to my channel so you don’t miss a single episode of this new series. I really appreciate your support :)

Lastly, I post (irregularly) on my personal accounts too. Thanks for following!

Insta: saira_the_musafir
Tiktok: @sairathemusafir

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Resources & Research

Abu’lFazl ’Allami, The Ain I Akbari, trans. Henry Blochmann, vol. 1 (Calcutta: Rouse, 1873)
Colleen Taylor Sen. 2014. Feasts and Fasts. Reaktion Books.

#food #history #foodhistory #indianfood #southasianfood #pakistanifood #pakistan