Asma Khan, an Indian-origin British restaurateur and author, was earlier named among TIME’s 100 Most Influential People of 2024.
According to TIME, Khan’s London-based Darjeeling Express is known for its all-female kitchen, where most chefs are older South Asian immigrants without formal training.
As per a report by BBC, Khan was born and raised in Kolkata, India, in a family with royal lineage—her mother’s side being Bengali aristocrats and her father’s side Rajput royals. She moved to London in 1996 to pursue law at King’s College London, where she also started her family. She completed her PhD in 2013, but her passion for food never faded.
Khan first ventured into the food industry in 2012 with a home supper club, donating all proceeds to charity. The women who later became chefs at Darjeeling Express were South Asian nannies, who spent their Sundays with Khan, bonding over Indian soap operas, tea, and samosas. Inspired by their camaraderie and shared love for cooking, Khan decided to open a restaurant, creating a space where these women could showcase their culinary skills.
Khan’s journey extends beyond her restaurant. According to BBC, she published two cookbooks:
Asma’s Indian Kitchen (2018), a collection of family recipes.
Ammu (2022), a tribute to her mother’s cooking, which was named The Times Cookbook of the Year 2022.
In 2019, she became the first British chef to be featured on Netflix’s Chef’s Table.
