KULSUM BEGUM

THE CUSTODIAN

Kunwar Rani Kulsum Begum is a name synonymous with the grandeur and authenticity of royal Hyderabadi and Mughlai cuisine.

A niece of Salar Jung III and married to Rajkumar Amir Naqi Khan of Basaha Estate, Mahmudabad, she represents a remarkable confluence of two distinguished culinary traditions — the royal heritage of Hyderabad and the refined culinary traditions of Awadh and Mughal India.

Her extraordinary inheritance began when she persuaded her grandmother to entrust her with more than 300 royal-era recipes — recipes that had never been passed to a daughter before. For Kulsum Begum, they were more than recipes; they were a living heritage of technique, patience, balance and the art of royal hospitality.

As Celebrity Master Chef with ITC Hotels Limited for 17 years (2001–2017), she took these traditions to food festivals across India, trained fellow chefs and left her mark on some of the country's finest five-star kitchens. Her culinary journey later extended internationally to Dubai and Thailand, with further showcases continuing to unfold.

From 2022–2024, she played a key role in launching Adi at The Leela Hyderabad, personally training its kitchen team and shaping its Salar Jung-inspired menu.

Featured extensively in The Telegraph, The Hindu, Hindustan Times, Mint and other leading publications, Kulsum Begum has become not simply a celebrated chef, but a trusted custodian of a culinary inheritance few have been entrusted to preserve.

Knowing that such a legacy must remain in safe hands, Kulsum Begum devoted years to personally teaching her daughter,  Maliha Khan, the family’s heirloom recipes, techniques, proportions and the subtle knowledge that cannot be written in a cookbook. She wanted the legacy to pass forward without alteration, dilution or reinterpretation.

Today, that knowledge rests with Maliha — and together, mother and daughter bring this extraordinary inheritance into its next chapter through The Heirloom Kitchen.

A legacy entrusted to her.
A legacy faithfully passed forward.