Who is Asma Khan? Indian-origin woman who sent King Charles home with a chicken biryani takeaway
Asma Khan, the Indian-origin chef behind Darjeeling Express, hosted King Charles and Camilla, who joined her in Ramadan preparations.
London witnessed a royal touch to Ramadan preparations as King Charles III and Queen Camilla visited Darjeeling Express, an Indian restaurant owned by British-Indian chef Asma Khan. The royal couple participated in charitable activities by helping to package dates for donation.
(Also read: King Charles, Queen Camilla visit Indian restaurant, help pack dates and biryani for Ramadan)
Asma Khan, a celebrated restaurateur, shared a clip of their visit on her official Instagram account. The video captures the King and Queen interacting with the staff and Khan herself. Sharing the moment, Khan captioned the post:
"Today the King and Queen joined us at @darjeelingldn for a pre-Ramadan gathering where they packed dates and biryani – and yes, they took some biryani home! 'Deliver-who?'"
During the visit, Asma Khan sent King Charles home with a chicken biryani takeaway. In a playful moment, the monarch was seen packing the dish himself. Khan wrote, "King Charles packs up a takeaway chicken biryani on a visit to see Asma Khan at the @darjeelingldn in Carnaby Street, London. In a visit ahead of Ramadan, the King saw how the deli was cooking for charitable causes."
Watch the clip here:
Who is Asma Khan?
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.
(Also read: Indian billionaire dines with British royal family member in Mumbai, shares inside pics)
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.
Expanding her influence beyond the kitchen
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.
