The women of the family play an equally important role as they are the custodians of spices and their combinations
Their ancestors had seen the best and the worst of Rampur royalty — from coronation of its first nawab, Faizullah Khan, to the high and mighty becoming the 'erstwhile'. And yet, their own role always remained crucial, for what is a royal celebration without equally glorious food?
But now, the khansamas, or traditional chefs, of the yore are faced with a rapidly changing world, revolving on the axis of rampant consumerism and where almost everything is available in an "instant" version. Not ones to give up easily though, a handful of khansamas are trying to conserve and revive their heritage.
Haji Bhoora, 49, of the fourth generation of chefs, is in the city with his team for the 10-day Rampuri Food Festival, hosted by Taj Palace. Bhoora has been rightly credited with establishing a separate entity for his city through food.
"My great grandfather was especially hand-picked by Faizullah to take over the kitchen. The nawab had just set up the princely state in 1774. Like his counterparts, he was very particular about his cuisine being unique. And so began my family's culinary journey," Bhoora says.
Talking even as the team serves the best of their culinary gems at the event, Bhoora reveals that his family has a 100-year-old recipe book. Though its pages have turned yellow turning with the wheels of time, the notebook is a chamber of secrets, one the family holds close to its chest.
"Our forefathers have meticulously recorded recipes for more than 150 dishes and over 40 combinations of spices in the notebook. These were collected during years of experiments in the kitchen. The diary is fast falling apart but we have retained most of its contents in a fresh journal, because that is our only heritage," Bhoora adds.
The women of the family play an equally important role as they are the custodians of spices and their combinations. These spices hold the key to Rampur's unique taste, and are hand-picked and mixed by the women, who store the mixtures in small potlis. Their book of reference obviously remains the 100-year-old notebook.
With several unusual dishes, such as adrak ka halwa and a dessert made entirely with neem leaves, the family is now travelling the length and breadth of the country in a bid to revive their heritage.
"It has not been an easy task. The Rampuri cuisine has always been overshadowed by its richer cousin, the Awadhi cuisine. So, more often than not, we are forced to make do with the reflected glory," chef Suroor Khan rues.
"We want to showcase our art to the world so that they taste something beyond Awadhi dishes. In fact, there is a stark difference between Awadh and Rampur. The former is very spicy, while we are all about subtlety and engagement of all the five senses," Khan says with pride.
ROLE OF WOMEN
- The women of the family play an equally important role as they are the custodians of spices and their combinations
- These spices hold the key to Rampur’s unique taste, and are hand-picked and mixed by the women, who store the mixtures in small potlis
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 "Rampuri Food Festival")
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