Yudhika Sujanani's new book.
Yudhika Sujanani, a celebrity chef and media personality, recently released her book Madame Curry – Feast Pray Love. This collection of recipes celebrates both beloved heritage dishes and the popular favourites that have become part of our shared national palate. Candice Soobramoney spoke to Sujanani about the cookbook that goes beyond cooking.
Q: Was there a specific moment or realisation that made you feel like it was the right time to put your cooking into a book?
A: There wasn’t one dramatic moment, and I suppose it often feels like there’s never really a perfect time to write a book. This idea of this book has percolated over time in moments, years and decades. I had been collecting recipes, stories, memories, and ideas for a long time, but I also struggled with writer’s block, and that caused delays in the project. Life happens alongside the writing, and sometimes you carry the book within you long before you’re actually able to put it onto paper.
Turning 50 played a significant role in helping me overcome that block. Reaching this stage of my life brought a different kind of clarity and urgency. It made me think deeply about legacy, about preserving not only recipes, but the stories, traditions, and history attached to them. I realised that food is never just food. It carries family, culture, migration, memory, celebration, and survival. And with that came the understanding that this book was important, not only for me personally, but for the people who would one day read it and perhaps see parts of their own lives reflected in its pages.
