Macher Jhol in Melbourne: Transcending borders through food
She aims to put Bangladeshi cuisine on the global culinary map with her passion for cooking
The quintessential Bengali 'Macher Jhol' or fish curry has now reached the table of Masterchef Australia. All thanks to 38-year-old Bangladeshi expat Kishwar Chowdhury who has made it to the celebrated show this season.
A mother of two, Chowdhury is pursuing her dream of becoming a cookbook author aiming to showcase recipes handed down by her mother Laila Chowdhury (recent one being the macher jhol or fish curry).
The homemaker made her way to MasterChef Australia Season 13 with her sardines in green mango broth, served with black lentils, beetroot and blood orange bhorta.
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Later, she cooked several drool-worthy Bengali cuisines on the show -- from Chingri Bhorta (mashed prawns) to the humble Maach Bhaja (fish fry).
She aims to put Bangladeshi cuisine on the global culinary map with her passion for cooking, bringing international recognition to homegrown flavours but with a twist.
"If I don't do that this food recipe and flavor will fade with me, I really want to pass them to my children," she said in an earlier interview.
"This is testament to the fact that simple food, you have nowhere to hide with it, can be the best and most triumphant in the world," one of the judges said about Kishwar's dishes in the competition.
MasterChef Australia is an Australian competitive cooking show based on the original British MasterChef.
Initial rounds consist of a large number of hopeful contestants from across Australia individually "auditioning" by presenting a food dish before the three judges in order to gain one of 50 semi-final places.
The semi-finalists then compete in several challenges that test their food knowledge and preparation skills.
The contestants will then be whittled down through a number of individual and team-based cooking challenges and weekly elimination rounds until a winning MasterChef is crowned.
The contestants of MasterChef Australia, play for a prize that includes chef training from leading professional chefs, the chance to have their own cookbook published, and $ 250,000 in cash.
