Yudhika Sujanani is celebrating South African heritage through the universal language of food in her new book, blending personal stories, cultural memories and beloved recipes into a heartfelt tribute to identity, family and tradition.
Image: Facebook/Yudhika Sujanani
South African celebrity chef Yudhika Sujanani is celebrating heritage, resilience and family traditions through her latest cookbook, “Madame Curry: Feast Pray Love”.
The 200 page release is Sujanani’s fourth cookbook and explores the flavours, memories and cultural history that shaped South African Indian cuisine.
Known to many as the “Queen of Curry”, the Durban born chef uses the book to honour the generations of Indian families who preserved their traditions while adapting to life in South Africa.
Unlike her earlier self-published books, “Madame Curry: Feast Pray Love" is divided into three emotional sections titled Feast, Pray and Love. Each chapter reflects a different connection to food, family and spirituality.
The Feast section focuses on dishes created for celebrations, weddings, family lunches and Diwali gatherings. Pray centres on vegetarian meals and egg free treats linked to fasting and religious traditions. Love explores comforting home recipes inspired by instinct, family memories and everyday cooking.
Speaking about the release, Sujanani described the process of creating the book as emotional and deeply personal.
“This is not small for me. The first fruit has arrived,” she shared.
“When Beverley Dodd from Penguin Books South Africa contacted me, my brain literally froze. I just stared because how do you process something that you have dreamt about while stirring pots and surviving?”
She revealed that writing the book challenged her in unexpected ways.
“The planning nearly broke me. The writing stretched me. The rewrites humbled me. The blank screen mocked me,” she said.
“I baby-stepped this book into existence. It is the biggest and most exposing thing that I have ever taken on. It feels like I am handing pieces of my soul to strangers and saying, ‘Here. This is how I love.’”
Sujanani also opened up about her personal journey and how food became a source of healing and expression.
“Food is my language. It always has been. I do not fake it. I do not measure it. It runs through me,” she explained.
“I come from a hungry tummy. From period poverty. From being groomed by society to feel shame. I was angry. I was driven. I was not going to stay small.”
The cookbook also pays tribute to Indian ancestors who arrived in South Africa through indenture. Through recipes and storytelling, Sujanani highlights how communities preserved their faith, cooking traditions and identity despite hardship.
Over the years, Sujanani has built a successful career as a chef, restaurateur, television personality and author. Her previous books include “Curry Me Home”, “Curry Me Home Again" and “Memoirs: Yudhika's Treasured Recipes”.
With “Madame Curry: Feast Pray Love”, she now hopes to inspire women who have built something meaningful despite difficult beginnings.
“This one is for every woman who built something beautiful out of nothing,” she said.