When the people from areas such as Arabia, the Mughal empire, Persia and central Asia invaded India, there came a major impact on the cooking of India. Influences came from traders, such as those who were Portuguese, and Arabs who helped add variety to the tastes of the people in India. Indians have embraced vegetables such as chili peppers, potatoes and tomatoes as essentials. From the British and Portuguese came New World vegetables such as squash, potatoes and tomatoes. These people also introduced a new way of cooking - baking.