Anjum Anand was born on 15 August 1971 in London, England, to Indian immigrant parents. Her father, Prem Anand, was a furniture businessman originally from what is now Pakistan; her mother was a vegetarian home cook who inspired Anand’s passion for Indian food.

Her cooking philosophy centres on making Indian food accessible, light, and healthy for modern home cooks. She follows Ayurvedic principles, emphasising fresh, seasonal ingredients and balanced flavours over heavy, restaurant-style dishes. After completing her business degree, she worked in top restaurants in New York, Los Angeles, and New Delhi to gain professional kitchen experience.

She has travelled extensively across India, exploring regional cuisines from Kashmir to Goa, and incorporates these diverse influences into her seven bestselling cookbooks. Her signature style simplifies complex recipes while preserving authentic layers of flavour, making Indian cooking achievable for busy families. On television, she hosted the BBC Two series Indian Food Made Easy and later Anjum’s Australian Spice Stories on SBS in Australia.

Anand is married to Adarsh Sethia (also spelled Adarsh Sein Anand in some sources), a businessman and entrepreneur. The couple married in 2003 and have two children: a daughter, Mahiya (born c. 2006), and a son, Aditey (born c. 2010). They live in North London, and Anand also owns family homes in Delhi and Calcutta, India.