Owner of Darjeeling Express in London, Asma is one of the UK’s most prominent female chefs, as well as a celebrated cookery author and presenter.

 

Your restaurant employs an all-women team. How important is it to you to champion women in the restaurant business?

“Justice is at the heart of everything I do. For too long, women’s domestic labour, their skill, creativity, and endurance in the kitchen, has gone unnoticed and undervalued. Many of the women who cook with me at Darjeeling Express, my “spice girls”, had never worked in professional kitchens before. They did not have formal training or polished CVs, but they had something far more valuable: a lifetime of real-world experience. My mission has always been to create a space where that experience is honoured and celebrated. Darjeeling Express is about clearing and forging a path for those who have historically been excluded, giving women the opportunity to rise, to lead, and to shine.”

Which chefs most inspire you in your work?

“Our family cook, Hajji Saheb was one of my biggest influences. He taught me how to make our family’s biryani, a recipe that remains at the heart of my cooking and still features at our special supper clubs at Darjeeling Express. I have also always been influenced and motivated by the women in my family: my mother and the matriarchs who ruled their kitchens. They taught me that cooking is not just about feeding people but about nurturing them. ”

Tell us about your latest book, Monsoon.

“Monsoon is very close to my heart. It is a celebration of the seasons that shaped me growing up in Bengal and of the women who taught me how to cook. The book is filled with simple, homestyle recipes that anyone can make. These are the dishes cooked in Indian homes every day, full of warmth, memory and comfort.
Each chapter follows one of the six seasons of Bengal, because our food changes with the weather and the rhythm of life. In summer we cook lighter, cooling dishes; during the monsoon the food becomes spicier and more indulgent; and in winter we celebrate with slow-cooked feasts and sweets. The art of cooking seasonally is slowly being forgotten – I want to share the joy of mindful cooking.”

 

Buy Asma’s book: Monsoon: Delicious Indian recipes for every day and season
Follow Asma on Instagram: @asmakhanlondon