Abul Fazl was an Indian-born Muslim, a scholar and a diplomat. He soon rose to the rank of prime minister and had command of 4,000 horsemen. He wielded an enormous amount of influence at court. We are indebted to Fazl for his meticulous recording and for his own great interest in food. His food consumption was gargantuan. His son sat by his side to serve him when he ate, while the kitchen superintendent stood by, watching closely to observe which dishes met Fazl's favour. This they would gauge if Fazl enjoyed a second helping of any particular dish. If he did not approve of a dish, he would, without uttering a word, indicate that his son taste it, and with great disdain the dish was passed to the superintendent to be removed and improved upon or never to be presented again.

When Abul Fazl was sent to the Deccan to relieve Akbar's drunken son from his command, he set off with 3,000 men. He lived in grand style during this time and his table was further embellished with dishes from that region. His daily fare apparently included 1,000 dishes, which were also relished by his officers. In another large tent nearby allcomers came to dine; khichri, one of the favourite dishes, was prepared in great quantities and distributed throughout the day. Today the very special cuisine of Hyberabad is a mixture of Moghul and Hindu influences, with a further injection of flavours from the south.

Back at the Moghul court we learn a lot from Abul Fazl about Akbar's policy on food. He philosophised on Akbar's pedantic concern for dishes presented at his table – every dish had to be perfect. Abul Fazl explains that,

The equilibrium of man's nature, the strength of the body, the capability of receiving external and internal blessings and the acquisition of worldly and religious advantages depend ultimately on the proper care being shown for appropriate food. This knowledge distinguishes man from beasts.

For Akbar, the right balance was more important than mere eating.

We learn too that Akbar ate only once in the course of 24 hours, but there was no fixed time for eating, so the kitchen staff were constantly at the ready, waiting for the royal command, and within an hour no fewer than 100 dishes were presented. With the ladies of his harem it was a different story – their kitchen staff were on the go from morning to night running back and forth with trays of delicacies to cater to special whims.