Sejal Sukhadwala
@sejalsukhadwala.bsky.social
London food writer. Author of The Philosophy Of Curry (British Library Publishing). Working on an Indian food dictionary for the past decade or so. I often write about Indian food history, culture and restaurants.
I would love to see an Indian Christmas cookbook with traditional Christmas recipes from Goa, Kerala, the Anglo-Indian community and so on - everything from rose cookies and guava cheese, to neureos and Allahabadi cake all recorded in one book.
December 1, 2025 at 3:44 PM
I would love to see an Indian Christmas cookbook with traditional Christmas recipes from Goa, Kerala, the Anglo-Indian community and so on - everything from rose cookies and guava cheese, to neureos and Allahabadi cake all recorded in one book.
When does 'Black Friday' actually end? Or does it ever end?!
December 1, 2025 at 1:50 PM
When does 'Black Friday' actually end? Or does it ever end?!
Reading a restaurant review in which the critic says the spinach curry "had plenty of spinach flavour". This is food writing at its best.
November 30, 2025 at 10:15 AM
Reading a restaurant review in which the critic says the spinach curry "had plenty of spinach flavour". This is food writing at its best.
Just discovered this site that sells rare and unusual heirloom beans in the UK - look how beautiful they are! I'm in bean heaven... www.heirloombeans.co.uk/shop
Shop | Discover Quality Beans Today — The Heirloom Bean Co, bringing rare dried beans to the UK
Explore The Heirloom Bean Co's selection of premium heirloom beans, perfect for cooking and recipes. Shop now for fresh, flavorful legumes with free shipping over £35.
www.heirloombeans.co.uk
November 29, 2025 at 11:19 AM
Just discovered this site that sells rare and unusual heirloom beans in the UK - look how beautiful they are! I'm in bean heaven... www.heirloombeans.co.uk/shop
Happy green bean casserole day to my American friends
November 27, 2025 at 1:15 PM
Happy green bean casserole day to my American friends
Food and drink writers! I'm very excited about the Guild of Food Writers awards, which are now open. You don't have to be a member of the Guild to enter. Why not submit your favourite work from this year? www.gfw.co.uk/guild-of-foo...
Guild of Food Writers Awards - Guild of Food Writers
The Guild of Food Writers Awards recognise outstanding achievement in areas where food writers work and have influence. The Guild Awards were inaugurated in 1996 and reflect the Guild’s commitment to ...
www.gfw.co.uk
November 26, 2025 at 9:53 AM
Food and drink writers! I'm very excited about the Guild of Food Writers awards, which are now open. You don't have to be a member of the Guild to enter. Why not submit your favourite work from this year? www.gfw.co.uk/guild-of-foo...
Is the Waitrose Christmas ad supposed to be a tribute to trashy Christmas movies
November 25, 2025 at 10:18 PM
Is the Waitrose Christmas ad supposed to be a tribute to trashy Christmas movies
I mostly agree with this lovely piece - BUT if someone changes a traditional recipe to such an extent that it becomes a completely different dish, or if they create an outlandish version to go viral on social media, are they 'living' the recipe or ruining it?
thecommontable.eu/the-living-r...
thecommontable.eu/the-living-r...
The Living Recipe — The Common Table
Nathan Farrell addresses the received wisdom of the recipe in formal culinary education.
thecommontable.eu
November 25, 2025 at 2:37 PM
I mostly agree with this lovely piece - BUT if someone changes a traditional recipe to such an extent that it becomes a completely different dish, or if they create an outlandish version to go viral on social media, are they 'living' the recipe or ruining it?
thecommontable.eu/the-living-r...
thecommontable.eu/the-living-r...
There are a lot of school boys and teenage guys in my gym at this time - and, a bit bafflingly, today they’re exchanging casserole recipes. “You have to brown the onions properly.” “Make sure you add fresh thyme and rosemary.”
November 24, 2025 at 5:18 PM
There are a lot of school boys and teenage guys in my gym at this time - and, a bit bafflingly, today they’re exchanging casserole recipes. “You have to brown the onions properly.” “Make sure you add fresh thyme and rosemary.”
Sad to hear that chef Skye Gyngell has died. I loved her restaurant Spring at Somerset House (especially its zero-waste Scratch menu based on discarded ingredients - pretty innovative for a smart restaurant at the time).
November 23, 2025 at 3:49 PM
Sad to hear that chef Skye Gyngell has died. I loved her restaurant Spring at Somerset House (especially its zero-waste Scratch menu based on discarded ingredients - pretty innovative for a smart restaurant at the time).
Was Bluesky down? Wasn’t able to log on earlier.
November 23, 2025 at 2:56 PM
Was Bluesky down? Wasn’t able to log on earlier.
In my Indian food dictionary, should I include dishes that are hugely popularised by certain chefs but only associated with those chefs and haven't translated to everyday folk cooking them, therefore they haven't become part of the cuisine's repertoire?
November 22, 2025 at 1:42 PM
In my Indian food dictionary, should I include dishes that are hugely popularised by certain chefs but only associated with those chefs and haven't translated to everyday folk cooking them, therefore they haven't become part of the cuisine's repertoire?
Although it's understandable that UK's 2nd/ 3rd generation diaspora-owned Indian restaurants have Brit-Indian dishes like 'masala turkey' on their Christmas menus, wouldn't it be great to see traditional Christmas dishes from India's Goan, Kerala and Anglo-Indian Christian communities too.
November 18, 2025 at 2:15 PM
Although it's understandable that UK's 2nd/ 3rd generation diaspora-owned Indian restaurants have Brit-Indian dishes like 'masala turkey' on their Christmas menus, wouldn't it be great to see traditional Christmas dishes from India's Goan, Kerala and Anglo-Indian Christian communities too.
Chefs, you know it's okay to cook a dish that's not a journey or a story
November 17, 2025 at 1:30 PM
Chefs, you know it's okay to cook a dish that's not a journey or a story
This event sounds brilliant and it's something different from the usual jolly festivities
✨ Dark Feasts: The Sinister Side of Festive Dining ✨
Join me on 6 December 2025 at 3:30 pm for a talk with London Month of the Dead on the darker palate of festive food and how Christmas eating can slip into ritual, memory, unease & the uncanny.
Tickets: londonmonthofthedead.com/gothicdinner... 🖤
Join me on 6 December 2025 at 3:30 pm for a talk with London Month of the Dead on the darker palate of festive food and how Christmas eating can slip into ritual, memory, unease & the uncanny.
Tickets: londonmonthofthedead.com/gothicdinner... 🖤
November 17, 2025 at 9:24 AM
This event sounds brilliant and it's something different from the usual jolly festivities
There’s a Food Film Festival at Selfridges cinema on Thurs 20 Nov (I didn’t even know there was a cinema in Selfridges). Not sure you can really have a food film festival without Tampopo but still, here’s your chance to watch Babette’s Feast on big screen: www.thecinemaatselfridges.com/whats-on/mubi
Olympic Studios
A hub of entertainment, with cinema at its heart, set in iconic locations
www.thecinemaatselfridges.com
November 15, 2025 at 12:34 PM
There’s a Food Film Festival at Selfridges cinema on Thurs 20 Nov (I didn’t even know there was a cinema in Selfridges). Not sure you can really have a food film festival without Tampopo but still, here’s your chance to watch Babette’s Feast on big screen: www.thecinemaatselfridges.com/whats-on/mubi
I blame ‘Dubai chocolate’
November 13, 2025 at 2:46 PM
I blame ‘Dubai chocolate’
If you want to grab a bargain, my book is at the lowest price I have ever seen on Amazon at £7 (it's also still available in many bookshops, including British Library's own)
www.amazon.co.uk/Philosophy-C...
www.amazon.co.uk/Philosophy-C...
The Philosophy of Curry: 10 (British Library Philosophies) : Sejal Sukhadwala: Amazon.co.uk: Books
The Philosophy of Curry: 10 (British Library Philosophies) : Sejal Sukhadwala: Amazon.co.uk: Books
www.amazon.co.uk
November 13, 2025 at 9:54 AM
If you want to grab a bargain, my book is at the lowest price I have ever seen on Amazon at £7 (it's also still available in many bookshops, including British Library's own)
www.amazon.co.uk/Philosophy-C...
www.amazon.co.uk/Philosophy-C...
This sounds great - a kimchi festival at SOAS on 28 Nov, 5pm-8 pm, with seminars led by Korean academics and food industry figures, followed by kimchi making and tasting. Free to attend but there's a brief registration form. www.soas.ac.uk/about/event/...
Kimchi Festival 2025
To recognise the cultural and nutritional value of this unique food, Kimchi Day is celebrated each year on 22 November in South Korea. By celebrating Kimchi Day together, we acknowledge how a simple f...
www.soas.ac.uk
November 11, 2025 at 4:31 PM
This sounds great - a kimchi festival at SOAS on 28 Nov, 5pm-8 pm, with seminars led by Korean academics and food industry figures, followed by kimchi making and tasting. Free to attend but there's a brief registration form. www.soas.ac.uk/about/event/...
I read that Mamdani was "mostly just eating biryani" on his campaign trail. Eating a storied Mughlai classic... as a snack? I approve.
November 8, 2025 at 1:28 PM
I read that Mamdani was "mostly just eating biryani" on his campaign trail. Eating a storied Mughlai classic... as a snack? I approve.
English food writers posting at this time of the year about 'bletting medlars' sounds both incredibly cute and incredibly medieval
November 8, 2025 at 11:05 AM
English food writers posting at this time of the year about 'bletting medlars' sounds both incredibly cute and incredibly medieval
Tickets for next year's Oxford Food Symposium, 10-12 July, are now available to book. Given the theme is 'Poverty Food' though, maybe they should be less expensive...
www.oxfordsymposium.org.uk/next-symposi...
www.oxfordsymposium.org.uk/next-symposi...
Next symposium - Oxford Food Symposium
www.oxfordsymposium.org.uk
November 6, 2025 at 3:02 PM
Tickets for next year's Oxford Food Symposium, 10-12 July, are now available to book. Given the theme is 'Poverty Food' though, maybe they should be less expensive...
www.oxfordsymposium.org.uk/next-symposi...
www.oxfordsymposium.org.uk/next-symposi...
These are delicious - and traditional - with salt and vinegar on bonfire night. Bold Bean Co also sells them in jars. hodmedods.co.uk/products/bla...
Carlin Peas, Organic
One of Britain's best-kept secrets, Carlin Peas (available dried, canned and jarred) are a much-loved traditional food in the North of England and make a great alternative to chickpeas, with excellent...
hodmedods.co.uk
November 5, 2025 at 1:48 PM
These are delicious - and traditional - with salt and vinegar on bonfire night. Bold Bean Co also sells them in jars. hodmedods.co.uk/products/bla...
Good luck, Mr Mayor
I think today is a good day to share this video we were all talking about (on Twitter) back in 2019 - Mamdani with Madhur Jaffrey. Remember Mr Cardamom's 'Nani'? www.youtube.com/watch?v=iQVs...
Mr. Cardamom - Nani (starring Madhur Jaffrey)
YouTube video by Mr. Cardamom
www.youtube.com
November 5, 2025 at 9:58 AM
Good luck, Mr Mayor
Food writers pivoting to writing food-themed novels is my new favourite thing. Wish I could do it. I have tried. I got as far as writing food-themed short stories, but my characters are literally unbelievable and the dialogues stilted beyond belief. I'll leave it to the experts.
November 4, 2025 at 3:03 PM
Food writers pivoting to writing food-themed novels is my new favourite thing. Wish I could do it. I have tried. I got as far as writing food-themed short stories, but my characters are literally unbelievable and the dialogues stilted beyond belief. I'll leave it to the experts.