The top ten chefs of India who changed the way we look at gastronomy

All of us go crazy over food but rarely do we remember to compliment the chef who makes it. Cooking is both, an art and a science and a lot of skill, talent and patience is required to be a good chef. India has its own share of extremely brilliant gastronomical experts who've put us out there on the culinary map. This list includes ten of those accomplished food connoisseurs whom you should know about.

Sanjeev Kapoor

Perhaps the most well known face of the Indian food scene, Sanjeev Kapoor was awared the 'Best Chef of India' by the government of our country. He is also the author of several cookbooks and has his own successful TV show Zee Khana Khazana. He has a widely popular international restaurant franchise called Khazana.

Vikas Khanna

A renowned name, Vikas Khanna is a winning Michelin star culinary expert competition who has worked with the likes of Gordon Ramsay and Bobby Flay. He has his own restaurant in New York called 'Junoon' and has even hosted dinner for former President Barack Obama. In 2011, he was awarded 'Sexiest Man Alive' by People Magazine. 

Hari Nayak

Hari Nayak is a restauranteur, cook, creator and culinary teacher. He is the author of several cookery books, his recent one including the one he has written with Chef Daniel Bolud, which was named the best of the season by the LA Times. He is popular for his unique epicurean style in North America. 

Ritu Dalmia

Ritu Dalmia is a celebrity chef and co-owner of the popular Italian restaurant 'Diva' in Delhi. She has her own TV show 'Italian Khaana' on NDTV Good Times and a book by the same name. She was awarded the Order of the Star of Italian Solidarity by Government of Italy and is one of the most well known faces of the Indian food scene.

Anjum Anand

Anjum Anand was a regular guest on  UKTV Food's Great Food Live from 2004 to 2007, and appeared in the BBC Two series Indian Food Made Easy broadcast. She has published 3 recipe books and has launched an Indian sauce brand called The Spice Tailor. She is regarded as one of the top ten chefs of India.

Tarla Dalal

Although she has passed away, Tarla Dalal still manages to remain a household name. She has written over a 100 cookbooks and has sold more than 3 million copies. Her cooking shows 'The Tarla Dalal Show' and 'Cook it up with Tarla Dalal' are wildly popular in India. She was honoured with the Padma Shri in 2007.

Saransh Goila

Saransh Goila is  one of the youngest people on this list. He gained fame when he won the Food Food Maha Challenge supervised by Sanjeev Kapoor and Madhuri Dixit. He also has a spot in the Limca Book of Records for undertaking the longest road journey by a chef. He is also the host of 2 TV shows on Food Food channel.

Atul Kocchar

Atul Kocchar is one of the most acclaimed chefs in Britain for his take on modern Indian cuisine and is the second Indian chef to receive a Michelin Star. He is also a regular guest on BBC's Saturday Kitchen. His restaurant Benares has been regarded as one of the best Indian restaurants in the world.

Madhur Jaffrey

Madhur Jaffrey is recognized for bringing Indian cuisine to America with her debut cookbook, 'An Invitation to Indian Cooking' which was inducted into the James Beard Foundation’s Cookbook Hall of Fame in 2006. She is a food consultant at Dawat, which is considered by many to be one of the best Indian restaurants in New York.

Nita Mehta

Nita Mehta has authored more than 400 cookbooks of which 6 million copies have been sold worldwide. She won the Best Asian Cookbook award in Paris in 1999. She also conducts various cooking programs across many countries and her cooking institute in Delhi, Nita Mehta Cooking Classes is wildly popular. 

Ranveer Brar

Often known as India's most stylish chef, Ranveer Brar is the host of five cookery shows and was recently a judge on Masterchef India Season 4. He is the owner of Banq, a fine Franco-Asian restaurant, which has also received a number of awards including the Best New Restaurant in the World by the magazine Wallpaper. 

Comment below and tell us if we missed out on any of your favourite chefs!