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 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.
I missed a trick by not trademarking the word 'curry'. I would have become a billionaire by now :)
2/ Sabzi simply means vegetables/ vegetable dishes/ herbs/ leafy greens in several different languages, so it's a bit like a greengrocer trying to sue someone for calling their book 'Vegetables'.
November 4, 2025 at 11:53 AM
I missed a trick by not trademarking the word 'curry'. I would have become a billionaire by now :)
1/ Ridiculous controversy of the moment: cookery writer Yasmin Khan wrote a vegetarian cookbook called 'Sabzi', only to find the publisher being sued by a Cornwall-based deli chain of the same name, because the deli owner somehow trademarked this very common word (and logo).
November 3, 2025 at 11:07 AM
1/ Ridiculous controversy of the moment: cookery writer Yasmin Khan wrote a vegetarian cookbook called 'Sabzi', only to find the publisher being sued by a Cornwall-based deli chain of the same name, because the deli owner somehow trademarked this very common word (and logo).
Fashionable culinary terms and what they really mean:
- pan-seared: shallow-fried
- burnt (as in 'burnt aubergine'): browned
- whipped (as in 'whipped feta'): chucked in the blender for a few minutes
- rainbow: anything with more than one colour
- jewelled: anything with pomegranate seeds
- pan-seared: shallow-fried
- burnt (as in 'burnt aubergine'): browned
- whipped (as in 'whipped feta'): chucked in the blender for a few minutes
- rainbow: anything with more than one colour
- jewelled: anything with pomegranate seeds
November 2, 2025 at 8:36 PM
Fashionable culinary terms and what they really mean:
- pan-seared: shallow-fried
- burnt (as in 'burnt aubergine'): browned
- whipped (as in 'whipped feta'): chucked in the blender for a few minutes
- rainbow: anything with more than one colour
- jewelled: anything with pomegranate seeds
- pan-seared: shallow-fried
- burnt (as in 'burnt aubergine'): browned
- whipped (as in 'whipped feta'): chucked in the blender for a few minutes
- rainbow: anything with more than one colour
- jewelled: anything with pomegranate seeds
Never used to hear 'pinch punch' at the start of a new month but these days a lot of people say it on social media. I had no idea it was to do with witches and salt (I had to look it up - it's a bit baffling)
November 1, 2025 at 2:24 PM
Never used to hear 'pinch punch' at the start of a new month but these days a lot of people say it on social media. I had no idea it was to do with witches and salt (I had to look it up - it's a bit baffling)
A refreshingly upbeat piece about London restaurants by Ottolenghi, who argues for a change in perspective
October 31, 2025 at 1:51 PM
A refreshingly upbeat piece about London restaurants by Ottolenghi, who argues for a change in perspective
@salutethepig.berlin @deliciouslegacy.bsky.social Just thought of you two while turning down a whole suckling pig feast at Greek restaurant Pyro (on the perfectly legit grounds that I'm vegetarian)
October 30, 2025 at 5:04 PM
@salutethepig.berlin @deliciouslegacy.bsky.social Just thought of you two while turning down a whole suckling pig feast at Greek restaurant Pyro (on the perfectly legit grounds that I'm vegetarian)
Automatically generated AI when you google search something is such a load of nonsense. It doesn't need to generate a response if doesn't have an answer; instead it just makes something up without being asked. This is how I've ended up with fabricated recipes for dishes that don't exist.
October 30, 2025 at 3:54 PM
Automatically generated AI when you google search something is such a load of nonsense. It doesn't need to generate a response if doesn't have an answer; instead it just makes something up without being asked. This is how I've ended up with fabricated recipes for dishes that don't exist.
I'm told small quantities of kesar mangoes are starting to make an appearance in fruit & veg markets in India. Not only due to climate change, but overwhelming demand from export markets is putting pressure on growers to cultivate them earlier and earlier each year.
October 30, 2025 at 9:57 AM
I'm told small quantities of kesar mangoes are starting to make an appearance in fruit & veg markets in India. Not only due to climate change, but overwhelming demand from export markets is putting pressure on growers to cultivate them earlier and earlier each year.
Just got a press release about carving avocados instead of pumpkins for Halloween...
October 29, 2025 at 10:55 AM
Just got a press release about carving avocados instead of pumpkins for Halloween...
I see that pumpkin spice has now made its way to menus in Mumbai
October 28, 2025 at 12:42 PM
I see that pumpkin spice has now made its way to menus in Mumbai
'Eating food from different cultures reduces anti-immigration attitudes'? Umm... but it's not working IRL is it. I know of at least one far-right person whose social media feed is a mixture of Islamophobia and Middle Eastern restaurant recommendations. www.birmingham.ac.uk/news/2025/ea...
Eating food from different cultures reduces anti-immigrant attitudes - study - University of Birmingham
A new UK-based study has found that regularly consuming non-native cuisines isn't just a matter of taste—it might also help reduce prejudice.
www.birmingham.ac.uk
October 25, 2025 at 12:01 PM
'Eating food from different cultures reduces anti-immigration attitudes'? Umm... but it's not working IRL is it. I know of at least one far-right person whose social media feed is a mixture of Islamophobia and Middle Eastern restaurant recommendations. www.birmingham.ac.uk/news/2025/ea...
I can just about deal with an AI chatbot answering a question in a straightforward factual, neutral tone, but when it starts saying things like “that’s a good question”, “an insightful observation”, “how interesting/ fascinating” etc it really creeps me out.
October 24, 2025 at 7:35 PM
I can just about deal with an AI chatbot answering a question in a straightforward factual, neutral tone, but when it starts saying things like “that’s a good question”, “an insightful observation”, “how interesting/ fascinating” etc it really creeps me out.
So 'Indo-Chinese' food has regional Indian variations, with region-specific names/ spellings of some of the dishes? Oh god this is all getting far too complicated...
October 24, 2025 at 2:48 PM
So 'Indo-Chinese' food has regional Indian variations, with region-specific names/ spellings of some of the dishes? Oh god this is all getting far too complicated...
Love the mundane daily soap opera of the Next Door app. There's always a cat missing, some misdirected parcel delivery, someone trying to improve your fitness levels or leadership qualities. Best of all was the guy who wrote an earnest heartfelt poem as a tribute to Brent Cross shopping centre.
October 23, 2025 at 1:46 PM
Love the mundane daily soap opera of the Next Door app. There's always a cat missing, some misdirected parcel delivery, someone trying to improve your fitness levels or leadership qualities. Best of all was the guy who wrote an earnest heartfelt poem as a tribute to Brent Cross shopping centre.
Someone started teaching me how to play chess and I immediately beat them in the first game
October 22, 2025 at 3:58 PM
Someone started teaching me how to play chess and I immediately beat them in the first game