Perzen | Food Writer + Curry Paste Queen

As an Indian food writer building a curry paste empire I often get asked what my favourite Indian restaurant is. My answer is always the same. But not what you think. Here’s the secret to finding the best Indian food, no matter where you live. 🧵🪡

@bankofbaroda how long does it take your complaint team to reply. My parents have left your NRO complaint team endless emails and no response. Ridiculous service.

How to get chai haters to come get you in one easy step: Declare that lemongrass and mint water counts as chai for chai time😂😂

@ricklewisco It’s nice to know I’m not the only one who does this. Sometimes I worry that’s being fake. But I know the memory of how I felt in that moment. And it’s that feeling that’s the most imp part to convey.

Fill in the richness of detail you can't perfectly recall. Then tell the story again and again until those new details are clear in your own memory. Picture them as true—and over time they will help you share your tale.

I want to dispel a myth about personal storytelling. The purpose of sharing a personal story is to convey an experience that had a profound or meaningful impact on you. Not to be some fact-checking stenographer of your own life—recording your history verbatim. That's boring.🧵

@SejalSukhadwala This is so interesting. I’ve always classified them in my head as gravy = thick sauce. While curry is anything that’s more watery or has coconut. And then there’s Sambar-esque curry which is I guess broth or stew?

Me: "I don't know why people are confused by Indian food." Also me: "Although in India gravy means curry, this dish comes in gravy and curry versions that are similar but different. The gravy is made in red and green varieties; and although the curry is red, it's not red curry."

@david_perell Hahaha I’d love to see your face when I take you to a local “everything” restaurant in India. The one my family used to go to the most had a 15 page menu with everything from Chinese to Indian to badly made Chicken Parm.

I don’t like big food menus. Chefs and waiters should tell you exactly what to order based on what’s fresh and what they feel like cooking, especially when they have a signature dish.

@MichaelDean_0 Or when you read it aloud and the whole thing sounds pretentious 😝

When to undergo the pain of a rewrite? - If it'll be faster than line editing - If you're relatively early in the process - If there's time given your deadline - If the piece is "important" enough - If you want to push your craft - If you feel like it - If you have OCD

Recently got some harsh feedback on an essay draft that I was being "trite". In my draft I used Einstein's famous quote about the definition of insanity. A friend suggested that the quote is overused and no longer very impactful. 🧵

@david_perell Eating alone while reading a great book is the best!

When I really need to think, I retreat to somewhere peaceful where I can walk, read, and write in solitude.

@mvarghoose @_stevenfoster @chriscordry @DSaience You KNOW NZ is on the way to everything!

Met some Write of Passage friends this past week! @mvarghoose @chriscordry @DSaience it was wonderful to be with you.

@torreydawley Living with a conventional sales guy I’ve also learned there is plenty of sales things biz owners can do that are not yucky salesperson like at all. Things like following up, sending the offer again, going and talking to real people instead of the social media void etc

@PerzenPatel I like the nuance here. There's a big difference between wanting to leverage a better method than conventional Sales and being afraid to promote your business. I've described my own experience this way: I never spent a minute doing Sales, but I was always selling.

What ONE business skill makes the biggest difference?

@mehulgohil Only if you make me Dahi Kadhi & Dhokla 🤩🥳

@PerzenPatel Team home and you're always welcome to relish a Gujju meal at home Perzen.

As an Indian food writer building a curry paste empire, I often get asked what my favourite restaurant is. My answer is always the same. But, not what you might think. Here’s the secret you need to know to find the best Indian food no matter where you live 🧵🪡😍

@sanjanafeasts I’ve only seen it being used mostly in Gujju food. Didn’t realize it could be used as a seasoning. V interesting

Why isn’t asafoetida more mainstream? It’s fking exceptional. Sprinkle it on your chips and you’ll never look back 🤌🏽

@MallikaBasu_ I do feel the UK is more evolved in that aspect. Sadly here in NZ it’s v much still Mango Chicken, Madras Curry and Vindaloo etc. Everything with a layer of oil floating on it. Unless ofcourse you go to the fancy bougie places which is not always accessible for everyone.

As an Indian food writer building a curry paste empire I often get asked what my favourite Indian restaurant is. My answer is always the same. But not what you think. Here’s the secret to finding the best Indian food, no matter where you live. 🧵🪡

@mvarghoose And to try another now score an invite to your moms friends house lol. #auntiesmakethebestfood

@Shorjoe_B @mvarghoose @MallikaBasu_ @Finelychopped It takes real bravery to have a limited menu and with the $$ pressures most restaurants face I totally get why you’d have something for everyone. My issue is when that ends meaning average food. Biryani by the kilo does a fab job!

@PerzenPatel @mvarghoose @MallikaBasu_ @Finelychopped Normal Indian restaurants have a hard time being the favorite. I think the better answers of food chains that can be real favorites can be ones like "biryani by kilo" or "behrooz biryani" Both are one-product companies that have found ways to stay as a favorite.

What do you reckon @mvarghoose @Shorjoe_B @MallikaBasu_ @Finelychopped do you agree? 👇👇

@Finelychopped @mvarghoose @Shorjoe_B @MallikaBasu_ I guess for this thread I’m referring more to the generic Indian takeaways you find overseas.

@PerzenPatel @mvarghoose @Shorjoe_B @MallikaBasu_ While I do, restaurants are more accessible and one can’t entirely write them off. Many do a creditable job.

Which camp are you in? Team restaurant or Team Home? Tell me in the comments! Also, if you love Indian food, join my weekly newsletter #BeyondButterChicken. Link in the bio!

📣 Craving for an unforgettable Indian food adventure? Stop scouring Facebook groups for restaurant recco’s. Spend that energy befriending an Indian. Score an invite to their home. It won’t be hard. There are more than one billion of us😂🤪🇮🇳🥘