Asha Philar was born in Bangalore, India, and went to school and college there. She worked briefly with a finance corporate and moved to Surathkal after her marriage to Dr Satish Philar, senior faculty of the Karnataka Regional Engineering College.

Asha's early interests in cooking were inspired by her mother Sushila Aroor and her sister-in-law Padmini Aroor who had range as well as a passion for perfection. Later, in Surathkal, her mother-in-law Sumathi Philar enriched her repertoire of recipes, guided her in the intricacies of traditional food-making and extended her horizons beyond food as a kitchen-bound activity. Surathkal also gave her the opportunity to learn from friends on the campus, and to teach.

To help her sons Tarun and Nikhil and their wives Aparna and Shantal, she created a private website with food, remedies and housekeeping guidelines. Her other interests include painting, sewing and writing.

Asha and Satish live in Bangalore and periodically in the US. They have four grandchildren-Milind, Nidhi, Trisha and Shriya.