I turn into a machine when nervous: Chef Atul Kochhar

Chef Patron of the highly acclaimed Benares restaurant in London, Atul Kochhar rose to fame as one of the first Indian chefs to win a coveted Michelin in 2007, an accolade he has retained since. Thanks to his cooking and achievements, Kochhar was asked to cook for England's royal family, and he says that this meal was nerve-wracking. "I was asked to cook for the Queen and I was really nervous. I have this system that just shuts down when I am nervous. I just get quiet and tell myself to get on with it. I turn into a machine," Kochhar says.

Kochhar was so focused on the cooking that he didn't even notice he was about to make a royal blunder. He explains, "I was busy in the kitchen, and I am used to chefs and managers coming up and calling out 'Chef, chef!' But this time, since I was busy and nervous, I responded, "Not now." I turned around and it was Prince Charles. I gasped and offered my sincere apologies," he says. Kochhar, who launched his own restaurant in Mumbai called NRI (Not Really Indian), has also cooked for Hollywood royalty.

Kochhar, a fan of Tom Cruise, says he had the pleasure of cooking for him and his children multiple times. In fact, once Cruise paid him what Kochhar considers to be one of the best compliments he's received.

He says, "Once after a meal, he told me that even though he knew he could not afford it, he would like to hire me as his personal chef. After eating tandoori chicken with dal and some other simple food, he told me he wanted me to cook every day for him and his kids. I told him, 'Don't worry. I'll take half the salary, take me,'" says Kochhar with a laugh.