We recently sat down with Asma Khan to discuss everthing from food & pottery to charity. Asma Khan is one of the UK and India's brightest culinary stars. An award winning chef, best-selling cookbook author and the owner of Darjeeling Express.
"The food is true homage to my royal Mughlai ancestry and the busy streets of Calcutta, where Asma grew up. What results is a lovely melange of street food like channa chaat and slow-cooked tamatar gosht, which takes you on a journey from calcutta in the east of India to Hyderabad in the south. Food here is served the way Indian food is meant to be eaten - platters of dishes boasting texture and flavours which compliment each other, encouraging you to gather and share in the style of the traditional 'daawat'(feast)"
"Darjeeling Express started as a dinner for 12 guests at home, serving Indian food lovingly cooked from family recipes. An all-women team...runs the kitchen at Darjeeling Express and have been doing so from day one. What you will taste is home-style food, cooked with passion and the aim to nourish your body and soul."
Asma Khan
1. What drew you to Maham Studio pottery?
The most beautiful thing about Maham�s range is the unique colours and shapes. It also is reminiscent of plates and tableware I grew up using as a child.
2. What did you enjoy most about the process of collaborating with Maham Anjum and creating bespoke tableware?
It is a great privilege to work with an artist like Maham. She sees everything in great detail and is so passionate about her work, she radiates joy and that is visible in every item she creates.
3. Is there a particular dish that really represents Darjeeling Express?
The puchkas which are traditional Caluta street food. It is a classic of our restaurant and from the very beginning the little jugs holding the tamarind water have been made by Maham.
4. If a customer could only read one chapter/dish from any of your books, which would it be and why?
�The Chicken Biryani in Ammu. It is a very fragrant and delicate biryani, which is family friendly and can be made with limited kitchen equipment and space.�
5. Could you tell us more about your involvement with the World Food Programme?
I have worked with the WFP for many years speaking at events, such as the Ramadan Tent Project, were we encouraged everyone who was fasting to donate the cost of their meal (which they did not eat during the fast) to families facing hunger around the world. I was then made the chef advocate of the United Nations WFP to continue the work of raising the risk of hunger to woman and children and highlighting the importance of nutrition for girls.
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