Yudhika Sujanani brings Durban curry heritage to Beverly Hills masterclass - IOL

From left: Beverly Hills Hotel Executive Chef Hagashen Moodley, Yudhika Sujanani and Darren Maule.

Chef Yudhika Sujanani shared family recipes, curry techniques and stories of Isipingo at her sold-out Royal Feast masterclass at the Beverly Hills Hotel in uMhlanga.

The spread for the guests at the event.

There was plenty of laughter, learning and, most importantly, good food at the event.

The afternoon was more than just a cooking class.

It was a celebration of Durban’s rich food heritage, childhood memories and the recipes passed down through generations.

Women and men filled the venue, eager to learn the tips, tricks and secrets that have helped Sujanani turn familiar Durban dishes into culinary experiences.

With Darren Maul keeping the afternoon lively as the MC, guests were treated to a hands-on experience that combined cooking techniques with the stories behind the food, while the Beverly Hills Hotel ensured that the hospitality matched the occasion.

The audience enjoying the master class.

For Sujanani, cooking is deeply personal.

“Food doesn't come from me. I'm telling a story. I'm sharing the recipes of my childhood. It comes from a little town in the south of Durban called Isipingo. You would think curry and rice would limit you. And it sets you free,” she said.

That connection to her roots was evident throughout the masterclass, as Sujanani opened up about the food she grew up with and the lessons she inherited from the women in her family.

The menu was nothing short of a royal spread, featuring Royal Parda Lamb Biryani, Shahi Masala Chicken, Tamarind and Tomato Prawn Curry and Burfee Soji.

Each dish carried its own story, but it was the little details that appeared to fascinate guests most.

Many of the women in the audience shared how they prepare their food differently at home, but were equally invested in understanding the small changes Sujanani suggested could make a significant difference to the final dish.

Some of the techniques she explained were the kind traditionally followed in many South African Indian homes, often without question, because that was simply how mothers and grandmothers had taught their daughters to cook.

From left: Darren Maule, Beverly Hills Hotel Executive Chef Hagashen Moodley and Yudhika Sujanani.

With her characteristic humour, Sujanani encouraged guests to question some of those long-held practices.

“No-one is putting eyes on your food,” she said, explaining why the pot should remain open while cooking.

The comment was met with laughter, but it also captured the spirit of the afternoon, a willingness to look at familiar recipes differently while still respecting where they came from.

For those attending, the masterclass offered an opportunity not only to learn how to cook, but to understand why certain techniques mattered and how generations of home cooks had shaped Durban's distinctive culinary identity.

The desserts at the Royal Feast masterclass at the Beverly Hills Hotel.

Adding to the experience was Beverly Hills Hotel’s Executive Chef Hagashen Moodley, who was ‘lent’ to Sujanani for the class and helped ensure that the afternoon ran seamlessly.

From the kitchen to the dining table, the Beverly Hills Hotel and Southern Sun team played an important role in creating an atmosphere of warmth and hospitality.

And the culinary celebrations did not stop there.

Sujanani also hosted a Baking Masterclass the next day, featuring favourites from her ‘Durban Tea Room’, giving food lovers another opportunity to explore the flavours and techniques that have become synonymous with her cooking.

The guests enjoying the buffet at the Royal Feast masterclass at the Beverly Hills Hotel.

At the heart of both experiences is Sujanani's belief that food is about far more than simply following a recipe. It is about memory. It is about family and it is about keeping stories alive through the dishes that make their way from one generation to the next.

For Sujanani, the recipes may have begun in Isipingo, but at the Beverly Hills Hotel they became everyone's story to share.

It was an afternoon filled with laughs, lessons and food, a fitting feast for a city where curry and rice are not merely a meal, but a language of love, family and belonging.