Mini Bangladesh: An attempt to connect to my roots
Living abroad has always made me feel like I was missing something. No matter what, a part of me always craved that traditional, cultural touch that was intertwined with my existence and instilled in me by my parents. And whenever I miss Bangladesh, the first image that floats in my mind is of the sizzling sound from the frying pan when my mom is cooking and instantly the house gets diffused with the aromatic smell of the spices. It’s a different feeling altogether – you keep waiting for the dishes while your mother put all her culinary skills to use and, finally, when you put the food into your mouth, it instantly transcends you into a world of ambrosia. Such is the craze of our culture, a big part of which constitutes our rich cuisines.
For Bangalis, the void we feel when living away from our hometown is hard to articulate into words. It is more of a longing driven by a sense of community that can only come from interacting with people who share a common culture and history. And the best way to stay connected to your roots is through food! As they say, I mean very aptly said, food is a culture and you need to listen to it. This is so true for many of us and I am sure there were many people who had a similar feeling like me. That is when we came up with the Facebook group ‘The Wannabe Cook’ to share our own stories, memories and traditions which help us to stay connected to Bangladesh – the place where our hearts belong to.
Connecting Through Wannabe Cook Group
Initially, when we started the group, the members were mostly the friends and family members of the group admin. But we wanted to make it a home for all the food enthusiasts looking for a platform to connect to their roots. Our challenge was to engage them and get them to join our community! So, we thought of giving something everyone can relate to – memories.
As living abroad means quicker and easier ways of cooking food, we asked people whether they were using ready masala mix or not. Slowly, we saw a surge of members in our group.
We also posted something related to Friday nostalgia.
Every Friday was like a mini-celebration at home. As a child and even now, Friday means scrumptious, mouthwatering food-be it the ghee laden, fluffy pulao cooked in basmati rice with ma’s special spicy chicken roast or the array of bhortas served hot with plain rice. You see, Friday was the day where everyone took a break from their mundane routine and took part in all those fireside chats to share all those nuances of life, love and care through food! This exact feeling of carrying on the tradition of Friday binge made us realize that even though we are away from our homes, sharing what we cooked on Fridays will keep us attached to this very fond, old memory. Fortunately, we got a lot of engagements through this post and it made us realize how much we all miss those lazy Fridays!
With the overwhelming response on our Friday post, we saw that so many different dishes are cooked by people. It literally left our taste buds longing to have them. So, in order to satisfy our taste buds, my friend and I decided to begin cooking contests! This would help everyone to try recipes of every district in Bangladesh and help people to engage and participate in the community. As a token of appreciation, we decided to spice it up as well by offering a reward.
The Beef Recipe Contest
From time to time, we all crave tender chunks of beef simmered slowly in a fragrant blend of spices and the gravy with warm white rice and green chilis to add that tinge of spice and warmth to the palate. This is why ‘The Wannabe Cook’ initiated the contest series with the Beef Recipe Contest.
Objective of the Beef Recipe Contest
The goal of the contest was to put the unique beef recipes on display before the world and create a community of food lovers who are passionate about cooking and trying out new dishes! Kicking off on 4th February 2023, the contest continued till 5th March 2023.
Modality of the Contest
The timeline of the contest was from 4th of February, 2023 till 5th of March, 2023. Submissions of the recipes were accepted during this time.
To participate in the contest, three simple rules had to be followed:
1) Must be a BEEF recipe
2) You MUST be a member of our Facebook Group
3) Share your Beef Recipe by commenting on the contest post or inbox us along with a picture of the dish.
The recipes were judged on the originality and presentation of the dish. The top three winners were chosen and active members of the group had an edge over the others!
As an appreciation gesture, a Wannabe Cook mug was awarded.
The Results!
In a small span of time, we got 22 recipe submissions!
Let me tell you, each of the 22 recipes evoked a nostalgic journey back to my hometown.
The list begins with one of my favorite dishes –Beef Tehari. It is a flavorful and aromatic rice dish in Bangladesh. The distinctive taste of the mustard oil, tender pieces of beef and the blend of spices bring together a harmonious blend of flavors that dance upon the plate! Oh my gosh, as I am writing this piece now, I can vividly picture the hot tehari served with caramelized onions and salad. A squeeze of the lemon juice for that pinch of tanginess is enough to relish the dish further.
Spicy Beef Curry/Jhal Beef Curry is another recipe that awakens the taste buds! On a rainy day, the rich, robust flavors of the curry is paired exceptionally well with the neutral and soft texture of the rice. One trick that my mother told me was to cook beef in an electric cooker as it saves time. However, even though I prefer cooking it on those large cooking pots to infuse the flavors, to save time, an electric cooker is always a better option! Another dish that you need to add to your rainy-day recipes is Beef Bhuna Khichuri! It takes me back to my childhood days when my nanu (grandmother) used to cook beef bhuna khichuri whenever it poured outside! It is literally the best comfort food for gloomy, rainy days.
In Bangladesh, as much as people love indulging in beef with warm rice/pulao, the crispy exterior of parathas is quite popular for breakfast. Usually, a wholesome breakfast will contain crispy, flaky parathas with Achari Beef. This particular dish offers a bold and unique taste that appeals to the taste buds. The tanginess and spiciness create a distinctive taste experience that is both satisfying and exciting to the taste buds.
Along with achari beef, another dish that I would definitely try is Mezbani Beef. I actually never got the chance to savor it so I guess this is my chance to try it! For me, I have always perceived it to be a dish that hails from the culinary traditions of Bangladesh, particularly a famous dish in Chattogram. It is a specialty known for its richness, spiciness and the creamy curry texture.
We also got some interesting recipes such as Porda Biryani, Beef Biryani, Beef Kochuri and Beef Yogurt Tomato. As interesting as the names sound, they taste equally delicious!
Some of the lip smacking, winter comfort food that I really crave back home is Beef Nihari. A perfect dish for winter mornings! My friends and I would often go to Puran Dhaka for it. The taste of beef nihari is rich, aromatic and mildly spicy. Naan bread complements the dish perfectly! And, of course, warm milk tea to end the appetizing breakfast.
Usually, if I am looking for something light and non-traditional, then Beef Noodle Soup and Beef Momos are my go-to dishes. Both the dishes offer a comforting embrace if I am having a bad day. I usually buy the instant beef noodles soup packets but thanks to this recipe, I can now try this!
Beef Kebabs
We got a few kebab recipe submissions. At any dawaat or party, my family loves to add at least one kebab dish to the menu. I guess Bangladesh has got the influence of its neighboring countries-India and Pakistan. Some of the dishes were Shami Kebab, Beef Seekh Kebab, Turky Adana Kebab and Beef Shashlik. So, if you have any upcoming dawaats, you know where to find your kebab recipes!
Home Food
As a kid, I remember I used to never eat spinach. That is when my mom decided to make me have Beef Spinach Curry. The dish was tasty and nutritious. Whenever I miss home, I instantly think of cooking this dish to cherish the fond memories of my mother feeding me. This is a delightful and nourishing dish that will surely take you down the memory lane.
Lastly, Beef Curry is indeed a comforting and satisfying home food for many people. It is a dish that evokes warmth and contentment. For me, food often holds a strong emotional connection. It takes me back to my family gatherings and the comforting meals cooked by my nanu and mother. It gives me a sense of home and makes it a go to curry.
Winner Announcement
Well, it was a tough choice to actually decide the winners. All the recipes were mouth-watering. This is why we decided to select 5 winners instead of 3!
The 5 recipes that won are:
All the recipes are available on the website, so you can check them out.
FYI, we are learning from our contests on how to get better. FIRST MISTAKE, did not ask for quality pictures! You might not enjoy all the pictures but hopefully we will be getting better with our showcase of recipes as we understand how to run a successful contest!
Next time you miss your home and home-made food, don’t lose heart. Instead, visit our website to get your gun of nostalgia reloaded and prepare it for the next contest (yeah, it’s cooking) as well, so that you can fire to your full throttle.
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