Not just songs, Asha Bhosle’s cooking also won hearts; Established restaurant chain
Asha Bhosle, the legendary singer who delighted her fans with her tunes, was also an avid cook. His sister Lata Mangeshkar was a great fan of Shami Kebab made by Asha Bhosle. Thus, with his signature maa ka dal and biryani, Bhosale won hearts and went on to run restaurants abroad.
Legendary playback singer Asha Bhosle, whose voice enthralled millions for more than seven decades, Died on Sunday (April 12). While most people know her as the tune empress of India, very few know that Asha Bhosle was a keen cook and food connoisseur who delighted the film industry with her iconic dishes like Maa ki Dal and Biryani. His elder sister and singing legend Lata Mangeshkar loved Shami kebabs made by Asha Bhosle..
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His love for cooking and serving food was not limited to his home. He also established a fine dining restaurant named “Ashaaz” in Dubai. The chain has since expanded to locations in the Middle East and the United Kingdom.
Asha Bhosle often talked about her love for cooking and singing, both art forms.
In an interview with the BBC in 2015, Bhosle said, “I love cooking as much as I love singing. Cooking comes from the heart… It has to be made with love, for others to enjoy, just like singing.”
Asha Bhosle’s mother’s dal, biryani became Bollywood hit
In an interview with the YouTube channel, Curly Tales in 2025, Asha Bhosle revealed that Peshawari Maa ki Dal was her particular favourite.
She proudly explained how she mastered this recipe and how it is different from others.
He told Curly Tales, “Meri dal jo hai… Maa ki dal bolte hain na… I have learned that from the people of Peshawar. Meri jo dal hai is not available anywhere else.”
Asha regularly cooked massive meals for people from the film industry, she revealed in the Curly Tales interview.
She said, “My food is famous in the entire industry. Main har week 60-70 people used to come. Itne bade patle mein khana banti thi… (My food is famous in the whole industry. Every week 60-70 people used to come… I used to cook food in big utensils).”
She also recalled how she would run home to feed her children during the recording of songs. Recalling her son Anand’s childhood, she shared, “When he was four-five years old…when I would come from recording, he would say, ‘Aai tu kya karte?’ Mujhe maloom tha, inko biryani chahiye, inko mutton chicken chahiye (When he was four or five years old, when I would return from recording, he would say, ‘Hey, what are you making?’ I knew he wanted biryani or mutton-chicken).”
his sister, Lata Mangeshkar was a fan of his cooking And often praised her cooking. Bhosle said in an interview with Cinema Journal magazine, “Lataji is a fan of my cooking and often tells people that no one can cook like me. I think she especially likes my Shammi Kebabs, which she even asks for sometimes.”
She learned how to make momos from actress Mala Sinha and learned the tips of Peshawari Biryani from Raj Kapoor. “I learned how to make dal makhani from an Afghan chef at Bukhara restaurant in New Delhi and biryani from the Begum of Majrooh Sultanpuri,” Bhosale told Gulf News in 2021.
How Asha’s passion for cooking led to her own restaurant chain
This deep love for cooking inspired Asha Bhosle to open her own restaurant. In 2002, he opened Ashaaz in Dubai. The brand later expanded with outlets in the UAE, other GCC countries and Birmingham and Manchester in the UK, each serving their favorite dishes.
Bhosale told the BBC in 2015, “I sing from the heart, with love for the enjoyment of others. I love cooking as much as I love singing. That’s why I have my signature dishes in my restaurants.”
He also played an active role in running the restaurant chain, whether it was making changes to the recipes or sharing his favorite dishes with the chefs.
Bhosale said in an interview with Curly Tales, “I feel so happy wearing this chef coat. When I wear this coat, it feels like wearing a nice dress.”
Asha Bhosle represented an era of melody, versatility and originality in music that Bollywood never experienced again. Even at the peak of her great career, she remained a passionate home cook and a true connoisseur of food, a person who found as much fulfillment in the kitchen as she did behind the microphone.