the name of the soupy dish or stew which (with many variations) is eaten all over the south of India, using sambar podi/masala as the spice mixture, see masala. It is usually fiery hot, because of the presence of red chilli pepper in this. It also contains black pepper, turmeric, coriander seeds, fenugreek, cumin seeds, and also—an unexpected touch in a spice mixture—small amounts of dal (split pea), e.g. chana, urd, and arhar dal.
Alan Davidson was a distinguished author and publisher, and one of the world's best-known writers on fish and fish cookery. In 1975 he retired early from the diplomatic service—after serving in, among other places, Washington, Egypt, Tunisia, and Laos, where he was British Ambassador—to pursue a fruitful second career as a food historian and food writer extraordinaire. Among his popular books are Seafood of South-East Asia, North Atlantic Seafood, and Mediterranean Seafood. In 2003, shortly before his death, he was awarded the Erasmus Prize for his contribution to European culture.
