Everybody eats. The prince with gold, the pauper who is old, the student on a budget, the boss with an Amex - everybody needs to eat. Perhaps that's why food forms such an important part of our lives and axiomatically a part of our history.

And speaking of history, an all-time favourite that comes to mind is kheer, the mention of which dates back to 400 BC and the sweet treat was recently featured as a heritage food alongside pilaf, cheesecake and other food dishes on a food history website. It's as simple as it is unique. The recipe includes milk, primarily, and a sweetener and a grain, millet, fruit or vegetable. It is unique in the many variants available across the country such as payasam, payesh, phirni and so on.