Whenever we talk about culinary arts, the picture that comes in mind is of lavish sea food dipped in sauces or some delicacy stewed in piping hot curry. Most people think that it’s the west which has taught the Indians the art of cooking these dishes. And here’s where they falter. India always had a rich tradition of cooking. In fact, it would not be wrong to say that culinary art is one skill that almost every Indian household holds. India always had the rich culture of khansamas. Khansamas were these fabulous cooks that were a regular feature in the kitchens of every royal household. They were not product of foreign invasion and were thoroughly home bred. Who can forget that the ‘shahi tukda’ of the Lakhnavi Nawabs was an invention of these Indian chefs? Most of them were illiterate, but a master in their craft. Fast forwarding to the modern times, this trend of khansamas has declined, but what remains is traces of their skills. We the modern generation can learn a l...