Food Expert

Atul Kochhar

Michelin-starred chef who redefined Indian cuisine in the UK, blending traditional flavours with contemporary style.

One of the pioneers of Indian fine dining, two-Michelin-starred chef Atul Kochhar, was responsible for changing our perceptions of the cuisine and helping British diners realise how refined Indian food can be. Combining the flavours of north, east, and south India with the finest produce, his contemporary style and love for traditional cooking have brought him his success. Today, he continues to showcase the incredible flavours of his home country in the UK.

Born in east India but growing up in the north of the country, Atul came to appreciate food from a young age thanks to his grandfather – a baker – and his father, who owned a catering business. ‘I learnt a lot of things from a young age,’ he says. ‘Going to the market, buying the right ingredients, looking at the melons and pumpkins – it was a part of my everyday life’.

Atul already had a good knowledge of northern and eastern Indian cuisine, so he decided to study in southern India to expand his culinary knowledge even further. ‘It was like being in a new country,’ he says. ‘The language was different, the people were different, the food was different; I had to put my learning boots on and start all over again. I loved living there.’

In 1994, Atul migrated to the UK and opened Tamarind, which was soon known as one of the best Indian restaurants in the world. In 2001 it won a Michelin star – making Atul the first Michelin-starred Indian chef in the world. This spurred him on to leave Tamarind and open his own restaurant, Benares, which was awarded its own Michelin star in 2006. Since then, he has opened numerous successful, award-winning restaurants: Sindhu and Hawkyns in Buckinghamshire and Indian Essence in Kent. In 2018, Atul left Benares to pursue other independent ventures, most recently Kanishka in Mayfair, London.
Atul has published several cookbooks, including Curries of the World and Indian Essence. He is also an International and UK nationwide TV personality – featuring on Million Dollar Menu and Saturday Kitchen and the first three series of Great British Menu.

Related course

Indian Cuisine

£45
Level: Peer






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What’s the difference between PEER and EXPERT options?

At Peer and Expert level, you get access to the same core content and features:

  • Video lesson tutorials led by your expert tutor
  • Downloadable lesson notes
  • Option to practise what you learn with lesson assignments
  • Group learning within an online interactive classroom of up to 20 classmates
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If you choose Expert level, you get all of the above plus the following:

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  • Certificate of completion.
What is an online classroom?

Our online classroom has been developed to allow you to learn from our experts in a sociable environment alongside up to 20 other students. After each video tutorial led by your expert, you will be encouraged to practice what you have learned with optional assignments - these can be seen by the other students in your class, who are free to share their own thoughts and questions with you.

You will be encouraged to take part in an ongoing class discussion where you can discuss ideas, post images or work, and comment on each other’s assignments. It’s a great way to learn from other like-minded people who share your passion from all over the world.

This means not only do you benefit from people who are outstanding in their field, but also from a close-knit group of like-minded people whom you can learn alongside. Group learning has shown to greatly improve not just the experience of studying, but also how well you retain the knowledge, and we have built our classroom experience around this fact.
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