Kishwar Chowdhury – the Australian cook of Bangladeshi origin, who placed third in the most popular reality show on food, MasterChef Australia, and won the hearts of Bengalis worldwide for putting everyday Bangladeshi home-cooked food under the limelight – recently met Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina and her sister Sheikh Rehana. Posting photos with the Bangladesh PM and her sister on her Facebook page yesterday, Kishwar shared the experience she called “one I’ll remember for years to come.” Read More: Kishwar Chowdhury: The woman who brought traditional Bangladeshi dishes in MasterChef Australia “I had the immense privilege of being invited into the home of the Prime Minister of Bangladesh and creating some signature dishes that reflected my visits during winters in Bangladesh,” she wrote. “What I thought would be a quick meet and greet, turned into long conversations over several cups of cha, ‘Tungipara Roshogolla’ and my first time trying ‘Mukhsolli Piththa’. Also read: Masterchef Australia finalist Kishwar honoured by Australian High Commission “It was an incredible experience sharing food, learning heritage family recipes and hearing stories of a bygone era of the lived history from two sisters who, despite having lived through so much, hold food, family and heritage at the very heart of their home,” Kishwar added.

Australian High Commissioner to Bangladesh Jeremy Bruer has hosted a reception in honour of Bangladeshi-Australian Masterchef Australia grand finalist Kishwar Chowdhury marking the International Women’s Day.  The reception, held on Wednesday, celebrated Kishwar Chowdhury’s success in promoting the richness of Bangladeshi culture and cuisine to Australians. It also celebrated her achievements as a woman of Bengali background pursuing her dreams in Australia.  The High Commissioner said, “Few have done more than Kishwar to promote in Australia a better, more fully rounded understanding of Bangladesh, including its outstanding achievements in improving the lives of its people. Kishwar has also helped draw a picture for Bangladeshis of Australia’s surprising, rich, diverse multicultural character.” Also read: Kishwar finishes as 2nd runner up in Masterchef Australia Grand Finale The event was attended by officials of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, senior diplomats, business and NGO representatives, and young women chefs, providing them a unique opportunity to be inspired by Kishwar Chowdhury’s achievements. The event was organised as part of the Australian High Commission’s continuing celebrations of the 50th anniversary of diplomatic relations between Australia and Bangladesh. Also read: Kishwar Chowdhury: The woman who brought traditional Bangladeshi dishes in MasterChef Australia

Bangladeshi expat Kishwar Chowdhury, who has made it to this season's MasterChef Australia, has stunned everyone yet again -- this time by serving the humble and traditional 'panta bhat' and 'aloo bhorta' in the grand finale episode of the celebrated show. Currently fighting for the top position of MasterChef Australia Season 13 alongside Justin Narayan and Pete Campbell in the finale, Kishwar presented the most iconic Bangladeshi dish 'panta bhat' (smoked rice water) with 'aloo bhorta' (mashed potato) and sardine before the judges as her ultimate dish in the competition. Read:Kishwar Chowdhury: The woman who brought traditional Bangladeshi dishes in MasterChef Australia Sharing her cuisine selection, the 38-year-old wrote on her official page on Monday: “Smoked Rice Water -- This is my final dish for MasterChef 2021. The extraordinary chefs and mentors I met on my journey here, inspired me to research ancient techniques and reimagine dishes that have been passed down from generation to generation.” “Culinary genius @thehestonblumenthalteam had me thinking about the exciting concept of 'Smoked Water'. Meeting @scottpickettchef and finding out he has Charcoal Smoked Water on his menu, gave me the confidence to reach into my repertoire of dishes that people from my culture only serve at home. So here is my last and final homage to a dish that deserves this stage. As Jock Zonfrillo put it, this food belongs here," Kishwar wrote. Read:Kishwar wins Australians hearts with her Bangladeshi recipe Thanking the judges, she added, “It’s been an honour to be able to bring this food to the MasterChef Australia platform. Thank you @fooderati @andyallencooks and Jock Zonfrillo] for teaching me to unapologetically do so.” The official Facebook page of MasterChef Australia also shared the presentation of Kishwar and her quintessential Bengali dishes before the judges, where she said, "This is a dish that you wouldn't see in a restaurant anywhere. So it is scary, but extremely rewarding to present this as a finale dish.” Judges of Masterchef Australia Jock Zonfrillo, Melissa Leong and Andy Allen were extremely impressed with the dish, deeming it a "powerful dish with history and flavour". Read:Macher Jhol in Melbourne: Transcending borders through food! Netizens have since been sharing this amazing presentation of Kishwar all over social media platforms. The results of the finale will be revealed on July 13.

MasterChef is one of the culinary television reality shows in the universe. About 40 countries around the world have their own MasterChef program. 'MasterChef Australia' is at the top of the list in terms of popularity among the MasterChef events in the world. This is a game show of competitive cooking. Recently a few cooking videos from MasterChef Australia that contain the most popular Bangladeshi dishes went viral on social media. Kishwar Chowdhury, a cook of Bangladeshi descent, got famous overnight by cooking traditional Bangladeshi dishes like Chicken Korma, smoked eggplant (Begun Vorta), Goat Rezala, Rangamati Barramundi curry, etc. Preparing delicious dishes one after another, Kishwar attracted the attention of the audience of different languages, including judges.

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. Read: Kishwar wins Australians hearts with her Bangladeshi recipe on Masterchef 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. Read: Different forms of Vitamin D: Benefits, sources of Vitamin D1 vs D2 vs D3 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. Read Most creative ways to eat more fruits for the non-fruit eaters 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.