CA Sujata Shukla Rajan is a Chartered Accountant by profession, culinary chronicler by passion. She is the author of “Bhog Naivedya: Food Offerings to the Gods” (Rupa Publications)
Sujata blogs at PepperOnPizza.com, Recipes beyond Borders - Sometimes Exotic, Often Traditional, Always Delicious, showcasing traditional regional Indian recipes including almost forgotten ingredients from her native Tamizh cuisine, as well as her favourite recipes from around the world.
She has recently commenced a series of podcasts on Indian Food History with Anirudh Kanisetti on ‘All Things Policy’.
She enjoys cooking, reading, researching on food, book club meets, travel, music, Formula 1 races, as well as being grandmother to three amazing grand-daughters who appreciate food and books as much as she does.
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Sujata Shukla is the author of “Bhog Naivedya: Food Offerings ToThe Gods” (published by Rupa Publications in May 2021) wherein she has explored the diverse food offerings to deities, food stories and mythology at some of India’s most ancient and renowned temples. In the course of research for the book she visited more than a 100 sacred sites across India, talking to priests and temple cooks for first-hand information on what is offered to deities, not just as the prasadam we know, but the many foods that are ritually offered as bhog or naivedya, from dawn to dusk.
“Temple’s foods have a wide variety. When we prepare food for Bhog, and one is aware of that, there is added ingredient of devotion that makes the food more delicious. One thing to note about temple food is that all food is traditional recipes for ages. Nobody makes pasta for the blog. The utilization of traditional ingredients keeps the taste as it was before except when creating any fusion. Specific deity has specific food offering. I travelled a long distance searching various temples, knowing their history of food and all-around significantly I would like to mention of Chaushtha Yogini temple. It is an extreme example of devotion where 64 forms of Goddess Durga reside. In Bengal, I also experienced Durga Pujo Bhog, where every Pandal has its special menu on each puja day. It was a mouthwatering experience as I ate a lot. Attukal Pongala Festival in Trivandrum was the finest experience where lakhs of women take over the street to cook Naivedyam for offering the Goddess. I spend a lot in my CA practice and family. I started a food blog, and editors from Rupa publication suggested writing sacred food. I loved food, so I took this challenge and, with due research, wrote this book.”