Kishwar Chowdhury’s journey in MasterChef Australia

Kishwar Chowdhury is the first Bangladeshi-Australian to secure the third place in the internationally renowned show MasterChef Australia. Throughout her journey, she stunned the judges, participants, and viewers by introducing different recipes and innovative dishes inspired by her Bangladeshi roots.

Kishwar may not have won the title, but she certainly won the hearts of millions across the world. In most foreign countries, Bangladeshi food is often associated with Indian food, drowning out Bangladesh's own flavours and recipes. On a global platform, Kishwar presented Bangladeshi cuisine in its simplest and most authentic form, courageously.

Born and raised in Australia, the mother of two had been experimenting with flavours and spices in her own home for years.  Though Kishwar herself was not raised in Bangladesh, she represents the millions of Bangladeshi stay-at-home mothers, whose culinary brilliance is more often than not, taken for granted. Kishwar's journey showcased a re-introduction of Bangladesh through food.

Her inspiring story proved the power of Bangladeshi cuisine, cementing the capability of our mothers, sisters, and grandmothers' home-cooked food.

Kishwar cooked traditional Bangladeshi dishes like 'Lau Chingri', 'Jau Bhaat', 'Niramish', 'Mach Bhaja' and 'Mutton Rezala.'

It was emotional for any Bangladeshi to see the simple food that we eat at home, make its way into the MasterChef kitchen. When Kishwar presented the judges with her own version of a dessert inspired by 'Mishti Paan', one of the judges termed it as Kishwar's 'love letter to Bangladesh'. In a bold move, Kishwar presented 'Panta Bhaat' and 'Aloo Bhorta' , arguably the most iconic Bangladeshi food, as her finale dish in the competition.

One hopes that inspired by Kishwar's journey, Bangladeshi-owned restaurants across the globe will now be proud to serve solely Bangladeshi cuisine, and our hardworking home cooks and small restaurant owners serving simple food will be proud of their dishes, which are filled with love and warmth.