A book of food and experiences

UK-based restaurant owner Asma Khans book "Asmas Indian Kitchen" has been launched here for Indian readers with veteran food writer Marryam H Reshii discussing her journey and experience of touching lives through her food and the emotional experiences of her customers.

The author runs an award-winning restaurant, Darjeeling Express, which started as a supper club in her Kensington home and went on to open the award-winning restaurant in Soho. Khan's remarkable All-women team consists of housewives who run the kitchen at Darjeeling Express, offering home-style food that is cooked with passion.

"Over the years, I have discovered that food is a wonderful unifying force, providing a way for immigrants to make connections in a new country. Breaking bread with others leads to conversations about ‘home', no matter how far away that place might be or how little knowledge of a country or culture people may have. I am always willing to share a plate of parathas with those who knock at my door," said Khan at the launch of her book at Oxford bookstore here on Sunday evening.

In the book, Khan reveals the secret to her success, telling her immigrant's story and how food brought her home. The recipes pay homage to her royal Mughlai ancestry and follow the route of the Darjeeling Express train from the busy streets of Bengal, through Calcutta, where she grew up, and along the foothills of the Himalayas to Hyderabad. Starting with simple midweek feasts for two, the book reveals the way to quick and easy cooking with less spice for Family Feasts.

The book is billed as more than just a collection of delicious and accessible recipes. It is said to be a celebration of heritage, culture, community and quality. "Asma's Indian Kitchen" has been published by Pavilion Books, London.