Founder
@darjeelingldn
-loves to cook Biryani. An immigrant & proud Londoner-2nd cookbook Ammu out now- 1st 🇬🇧 Chef to feature in season 6 Netflix
#ChefsTable
Last night we had
@LiamPayne
at the restaurant- he was so lovely! I am too old to have had a crush on
#OneDirection
but was still so exciting to meet him and feed him Biryani.
The rider who came to collect a delivery looked at my book & asked me-is that you? I was masked-I said yes. He ran his fingers over the book cover & said “your family must be so proud of you”-so much has happened recently-but that hushed comment made me cry
#immigrants
#Londoners
This is how Biryani is made in my fathers part of the world-not some poncy puff pastry/naan covered thing magically created in 25 min while you eat your starters-The flavour & depth of a Biryani is unique-I tolerate the drama of a family wedding just to be able to eat the Biryani
A couple of years ago I saw a clip of him talking about my Biryani while trying to hold it together on
#HotOnes
- tonight I got to serve him Biryani at my place! Thank you
@kumailn
for finding the time to come to
@Darjeelingldn
on your brief
#LONDON
trip!
Areema Nasreen worked as a hospital cleaner for 15 yes-she then decided to follow her dream & become a nurse-aged 36 she was one of the first nurses in the United Kingdom to die of COVID-19 in April last year. So many
#NHS
families went on to lose their loved ones after that 💔
The hidden cost of your pulled jackfruit burger is a farmer in India who may no longer be able to afford to feed his family. The carbon footprint of transporting the produce is shocking- vegan alternatives are not neutral options- the price is paid by others.
The contrast is stark-when 2 women were killed in a park & police officers took selfies with their dead bodies. There was no uprising of outraged women raising funds-lighting candles-wanting to hold vigils around the country. Seems not all lives are equal
We are returning to our spiritual home- but in a bigger space! This was where we began our journey five years ago- an
#AllFemaleKitchen
serving the food of our families. It is a joyous
#Homecoming
! Details will follow soon.
@CarnabyLondon
#KinglyCourt
Chef
@asma_khanLDn
has found a home for
@darjeelingldn
as a deli and restaurant in former Carluccio's at 2A Garrick Street. Opening scheduled for mid-October via Capco. Deli to serve daily menu based on childhood train journeys; restaurant is dinner Wed-Sat with 3 tasting menus.
This is so AMAZING! Thank you
@danjlevy
for talking about your visit to our restaurant…and that picture that went
#viral
! You can see the whole interview
@JimmyKimmelLive
here Hope to feed you soon Dan ❤️
#LetsDoLondon
TIME’s list of the 100 Most Influential People in the world is out. I’m honoured to be a part of this group and to have been recognised as a pioneer.
#time100
@TIME
Thank you
@PadmaLakshmi
for your beautiful words 🙏🏾 FULL LIST HERE-
I have often talked about how the “leaders” of hospitality represent narrow vested interests & are not representative or diverse.They radiate that Mayfair big boys “members only” club feel. The shouty chef in his new avatar as game show host is not who you need to speak to Rishi
Over the next few weeks I'm speaking to industry leaders and experts to hear how they've reacted to the pandemic.
It starts tomorrow with
@GordonRamsay
who sat down with me to talk about the challenges facing hospitality and how he launched a TV show in lockdown.
#PlanForJobs
My parents could not attend my PhD graduation in 2013 from
@KCL_Law
A decade later-it was my 2nd chance -this time as a
#Fellow
of
@KingsCollegeLon
It was so emotional to see my parents watching me from the balcony as I joined the graduation procession & then received the honour
Staff breakfast this morning-puri & sabzi, aate ka halwa (halwa made with flour) & siwai (vermicelli dessert)- Shanta cooked for us as usual. It makes a super early start on Sunday after a late night on Saturday so much better! Now everyone is singing “chal chal chal mere hathi”
I cannot imagine when I return to Calcutta you will not be there-my dearest friend I will miss your laughter- I will miss you. Part of my childhood died with you last night. We were meant to grow old together & meet up & reminisce about our school & college days over cups of chai
They were so warm and charming-the father & daughter duo
@AnilKapoor
&
@sonamakapoor
took time to talk to all the chefs-AK surprised them by visiting the kitchen & Sonam told them how she enjoyed each dish she had eaten. What an incredible experience for the team.
#HeroInTheHouse
All the tears I never cried since March- I am crying today- today they are tears of joy and gratitude. When I saw the girls stream out in a line to take a group picture- my heart was bursting with pride. They stayed strong & optimistic. They believed we would rise from the ashes
The video has now been deleted- the promo by Ivy Asia was gut wrenching to watch. That a group of people signed off to this says everything about how non-white staff & ethnic cuisine is seen by the top echelons of hospitality & fine dining. Please respect us. Do not ridicule us.
#Memories
This was my parents 1st meal at
@Darjeelingldn
-I was so overwhelmed seeing my parents seated on the table. My mother embraced me and told me how her heart was bursting with pride. Finally it felt like the real opening of my restaurant-when I took my parents food order
So happy to see how well
@chefsantoshshah
has done. More than half my team is
#Nepali
and most know Santosh from working with him at
@CinnamonClub
few years ago- he is doing an amazing job in highlighting a cuisine which is very distinct in South Asia. Congratulations Santosh!
We have the packaging ready for our nationwide Biryani delivery! Made with ❤️ in the heart of
@CoventGardenLDN
. We will be doing a chicken & a
#Vegan
Version-there will be 3 accompanying sauces/chutneys-including the royal Hyderabadi mirchi ka saalan-a unique chilly & onion gravy
This was not staged for a photo- this was how the women gathered to talk in my family! My mother was born in this room- the picture was taken in my family home in Calcutta. One of the hardest things over the pandemic has been the separation from family. I miss their faces ❤️
The
#London
fireworks were so meaningful-absolutely loved it! Thank you
@SadiqKhan
& the team who put it together. We are so indebted to the
#NHS
-for all their sacrifices- their tireless duty to look after
#Londoners
. Also great to see the acknowledgment to the
#BLM
movement.
In her name. I feel my mothers presence tonight next to me. To my
#Ammu
with love- this book is a story told in recipes of a lifetime of loving and cooking. Thank you
@EburyPublishing
for bringing this book to life! ❤️
@RachJConway
You can pre-order the book now.
Grateful for walk-ins who filled the table for 8 that did not bother to cancel their booking and did not rock up. I am so upset as we spent an hour turning away people waiting for the 8 to turn up. I have ONE group table- how selfish not to text or call to say you are not coming.
Today thousands of Londoners of all faiths, ages and backgrounds joined
@rizmc
@Asma_KhanLDN
& many more to celebrate
#Eid
in Trafalgar Square.
Together we sent a clear message across the world: London's diversity is our strength - and
#LondonIsOpen
to everyone.
#EidMubarak
This is how to be two-faced and still think you can tweet so sanctimoniously! Remember how you supported fans booing? It is better if you stayed consistently nasty. At least you don’t need to fake being humane.
I am disgusted that
@England
players who have given so much for our country this summer have been subject to vile racist abuse on social media.
It has no place in our country and I back the police to hold those responsible accountable.
The unveiling of my forthcoming cookbook cover is here! Ammu wore her trademark ferozi bangles. I felt so emotional sitting next to her- a book that celebrated everything she taught me- from recipes to how to shake the world gently & use food as a vehicle of communication &change
The first meal at home- kari chawal- Aloo chop (a Calcutta speciality!) with Kissan Tomato Ketchup and mango sliced into cubes by my mother. Every time it is the same food- every trip! What do you usually eat on your first day home when you visit your parents?
Very honoured to be nominated for
@The_NRAs
Restaurateur of the Year shortlist. Grateful to my amazing team who stood by me through these difficult times-as we tried to find ways to survive-In the end we learnt new skills & we made it!
@CoventGardenLDN
#NationalRestaurantAwards
Thank you for speaking to me
@HandCNews
@thetimes
-I guess I drew the short straw-to present the view of a chef & restaurant owner on this issue! Although I cannot see a queue of chefs wanting to speak up on this issue. The conspiracy of silence is not a good look for our industry
After many difficult weeks- it was wonderful to see some of the team and celebrate my birthday. I have to get used to saying I am 51- I have no idea what happened after March- it’s all a blur. Then suddenly it was July the 12th.
“This is the story of constantly being an immigrant.”
@Asma_KhanLDN
is struggling to find a new home for her restaurant Darjeeling Express and its kitchen staffed by women. She told
@krishgm
that she blames the “all white, Mayfair, men only club” of the hospitality industry.
Thank you so much for having me
@MasterChefUK
This was both an exhilarating & frightening experience in equal measure-I wanted all the contestants to excel. All the recipes they cooked mean so much to me-I was so nervous watching them cook under pressure-tonight 8pm on
@BBCOne
Big hug
@jamesmartinchef
- it was so wonderful visiting your home and cooking with you on the show- it seems like the world has changed since we met- stay safe! Oh and sorry to see that some people have not understood what pre-recorded means 😀
Wow what abuse is out there .. if those lot got up at 9.30 and heard this first .. we recorded 7 shows way back before any of these rules came out .. and we where due to film this weekend and of course followed all the government advice and stopped and stayed home ..stay safe all
My interview in
@Caterertweets
on why I am leaving my beautiful restaurant in Kingly Court- I want a bigger space to create an incubator for the next generation of women in food leaders -
Deeply humbled to see my name on the
@BritishVogue
list of "the women of the moment” who are leading us through 2020 with “prescience, power and poise".
@standardnews
Tonight my bank blocked my card as they thought it was stolen because of the intensity of spending- I explained to the fraud team person- I am opening a restaurant in 20 days-sadly it’s very much me spending money like it’s stolen 😂
Such an honour! Thank you
@QueensCollegeOx
for electing me as an Honorary Fellow
#OxfordUniversity
. Looking forward to supporting the College in the work they are doing on the environment, sustainability & reduction of food waste. Also looking forward to dinners in College! 🙏🏾
'Guess who's back?! Before opening the doors of our new location this winter, we are launching a pop-up in partnership with The Pembroke! A beautiful gastropub located in the heart of Kensington and Chelsea. Bookings are now available from 24th August!
Why am I not surprised-recent allegations of drug taking, violence & domestic abuse by a male chef has been met by silence by our hospitality leaders. No-you do not need to be a violent abusive person to run a kitchen. But seems it’s all right- the industry closes ranks...again
If you are going out to restaurant or cafe this week- please be patient and considerate- leave a generous tip. The team preparing & serving your food- the kitchen Porter washing dishes in this heat are all working in very hot kitchens.
#BeKind
I walked out from the kitchen after running our final Saturday lunch pass at
#CoventGarden
to cheers and clapping by the kitchen team- the KPs banging the pots…there was something in my eye….the onions made me cry.
#GoodbyeGarrickStreet
Patrick Wilson is following a strict fitness & diet regime for
#Aquaman2
- he told me he was looking forward to this meal for a week-he called it his treat!
@Darjeelingldn
@CoventGardenLDN
“The pressure in a kitchen is intense, that’s for sure. But if abusing someone else is your reaction, you ought to be in therapy and not working there at all...”
It’s a very painful personal tragedy but I am sharing it- this is the 2nd death in 2 weeks in my family-South Asian men are at higher risk. Do not put members of your family at risk-social distancing is critical. Even if you are no longer staying home-avoid close contact please.
Imagine a
#SundayBrunch
with a choice of Mattar Bhari Roti (roti stuffed with peas & chillies), zeera Aloo, Halwa Channa Puri & chicken Kati Roll-served with steaming hot masala chai-For the 1st time you will not have to book for brunch-you can just walk-in for brunch
#ComingSoon
Is this the apology??? Or did I miss it? Kitchn: “Top kitchens the world over can be high-pressure, frenetic and challenging environments where emotions often run high” The arrogance! Call your kitchen a “top kitchen” when your team is respected, staff paid well & women feel safe
This Times story (paywall, but 2 stories free if you register) has corroborated testimony by hugely brave individuals of the environment in
@tomkitchin
's restaurants. Respect to
@palebackwriter
for the reporting here and getting this out.
For many in my team-this was their dream come true-their hero had come to
@Darjeelingldn
& they had cooked for him💗-when they all came up to the dining room to thank the iconic
@AnilKapoor
- they broke into song! To their surprise-he had gone to the kitchen to meet them earlier!
This is my ideal Biryani serving proportion of Aloo, mutton and rice. You can take the girl out of Bengal but you cannot take Bengal out of the girl!
#TeamAloo
Yes totally get that! My mother called this morning and told me that my father was listening to the speech of Kamala Harris and told my mother “asma will become PM one day” 😂
#desiproblems
This is a licence to get employers to pressure low paid- mostly women who are cleaners, nannies, sandwich makers, contract caterer & trainee hair stylist to walk/cycle/drive to work. We want their service in a pandemic. As their lives matter less. Or did I misunderstand this
In my cookbook I describe how to reduce the excess liquid in a gravy- “till the oil separates”. This is Aloo Gosht where I let the gravy reduce to a thick clingy saalan (sauce)- in my house we eat this with Roti.
In a list which includes Anthony Bourdain, Clare Smyth, Prince Charles, Megan Markle, George Clooney & some of the most exciting people in food & drink in the world-Business Insider has ranked me at No.1 on the list. I am so overwhelmed and so grateful
Practicing making chicken biryani for 8-10 people. Halfway through I stopped writing the recipe so will have to make it again & this time remember to keep writing! I am wondering if I should write a pure murgh Pulao recipe-without the potatoes. My mother’s recipe of Murgh Pulao
#Malala
embodies the invincible spirit of women from South Asia-her dignity, courage, advocacy & compassion is so admirable. It was truly humbling to cook for her at
@Darjeelingldn
& have her stand alongside my team of South Asian women
#AllFemaleKitchen
#WomenEmpoweringWomen
My big news!!! Delighted to be working with
@EburyPublishing
on my second book- a book dedicated to my mother- Ammu. “The five chapters of my second cookbook cover the five decades of my life. A lifetime of learning about spices, flavours and how to cook with love and patience”
‘We have fallen in love with the way Asma communicates about cooking’ - we are so proud to welcome
@Asma_KhanLDN
to Ebury 🎉 Ammu is out next March via
@thebookseller
To capture a lifetime of love and food over five decades seemed an impossible task- but the memories came flooding back. I am so excited I could reveal the cover of my book with my Ammu by my side. In our beloved
#Calcutta
@EburyPublishing
@InterlinkBooks
@RachJConway
I heard there was going to be a vacancy in that address- so I went to check it out this morning! The kitchen has inductions- no gas- that means no baingan ka Bharta or chapati 😎
Customers need to care- it should matter that the food presented on their table is prepared by staff who are being paid fair wages- that there is equality of opportunity to progress for men and women in that kitchen. There is no bullying & harassment.
Boris Johnson delayed closing the border for travellers from India for some shoddy trade deal. For his petty moment of glory of announcing a trade deal- we all may pay a price. You are not fit to lead.
#ResignBoris
Please be kind to all those serving you today in London restaurants- the kitchen is like an oven. Much love to all those getting roasted in kitchens this afternoon.
Every time it rains back home-my father watches the rain falling in the courtyard & calls me and tells me he wishes I was home. I wanted the interior of my restaurant to have a feel of my home. Thank you Alessio Nardi for making this space feel like my home. 📸
@mingtangevans
Halwa Puri ❤️ staff breakfast this morning! This halwa takes me back to Maulvi Lane in Calcutta. It is an early start this morning-guests arrive for our Biryani Supperclub in a bit. We have a ritual of having a decent Sunday breakfast in the kitchen-last week it was idli & sambar
Took my Chef Asha to
@theritzlondon
tonight-dressed in a traditional Nepali dress-she stood next to the lovely
@johnwilliamschef
the executive chef of
#Ritz
-a beautiful picture that celebrates the diversity of the London food scene! Hospitality is the beating heart of this city
I am a huge fan! It was such a privilege to have Asha Bhosle at the restaurant this afternoon- she loved the kosha Mangino, chicken chaap, prawn malaikari and masala chai. She joked that in her food choices she showed she was the daughter in law of Bengal.
For those who remember the chicken masala toast at Tollygunge Club in Calcutta- this is going to be on my new menu soon! Chicken with onions & green chillies on heavily buttered white bread.
#HomageToCalcutta
To put the life of your child in danger by sending them away into the unknown is often the only option available to a desperate mother in a war zone. No one chooses this path unless the threat is real & separation is the only option. Please support the
#FamiliesTogetherCoalition
We have an opening date! We are very excited and look forward to serving you again. You can now book for our tasting menu dinners and Sunday Brunch online.
This is what I miss from my restaurant- chilli garlic tangra prawns- named after the only Chinatown in India- Tangra in
#Calcutta
Photo credit:
@ridahb
Our new lunchtime menu looks like this. Thank you for taking such a lovely picture Ciera! You can reserve a table for lunch from 12 to 2.30 from Wednesday to Saturday. We also have tables for walk-ins in our deli and some tables outside.
Bookings are now open for Darjeeling Express Kingly Court! We have been promised that we can open on 23rd Jan but to be on the safe side we are taking bookings from the 30th as there are always last minute delays with a building project-
#SeeYouAtKingly
Two layers complete. The lamb & potatoes are in the Biryani degh. The potatoes are glistening with a coating of saffron infused milk. The lamb stock will create the steam & slowly cook the rice once we seal the pot. Looking forward to welcoming our
#BiryaniSupperclub
guests today
My first time on Saturday Kitchen! It was such fun- everyone was so laid back and relaxed. The food so delicious- I have never had such a decadent cheesy soufflé before- yet it was super light- thank you
@TheoRandall
for explaining to me how to make the perfect risotto!
Keema Mattar is one of my favourite dishes-when I was young it was made every week by our family cook-sometimes he would add potatoes or spinach/methi. Keema is brilliant stuffed inside a toastie or an omelette. Those who have my cookbook I have a keema Pulao recipe in there.
When we reopen inshallah-we plan to sell small jars of ghee-jars will be tagged with the name of the person who made the ghee-All of us in the team have memories of watching our mothers/grandmothers making ghee-I want to share this family tradition with our guests.
#TribeOfWomen