Iconic Dishes of Bangladesh
Iconic Dishes
Bangladesh is a country that is wrapped up in cultural heritage. Every dish reflects the culture and tradition of the country through its diverse history and geography. So, you can imagine the variety of unique dishes that you will find in my hometown!
Staying away from home, that is when my team and I thought of coming up with the Iconic Dishes of Bangladesh Recipe Contest. The main aim of the contest was to highlight the diverse and most famous dishes of Bangladesh to the world! Also, the ones who are away from home-this one is for you guys. Now you guys know where to find the recipes for all the iconic dishes of Bangladesh!
Reminiscing of Bangladeshi Cuisine!
Before coming to the US, I remember any dawaat at home meant a range of pithas being made-be it Gurer Payesh Pitha or Chitoi Pitha. My sister and I used to be summoned by our grandma to help her make it. The intricate, traditional process of folding the dough with our hands would always make the dish dearer for us. It was done with so much care and love! As now I don’t get time to follow the traditional method of doing it, to still keep the tradition alive, I got the Rosette Waffle Maker so that my daughter can help me make it.
The kick of nostalgia made my team and me start the contest as soon as possible! The deadline for the submissions was 9th of June and the winners were announced on the 11th of June. Just like the Iftar Recipe Contest, the participants had to submit their recipes through My Alice. And guess what, people could use it easily now to submit recipes. Through our video tutorials, they got used to it and this time, it was a hassle-free process for them!
A Journey of Bangladesh through Iconic Delights:
We were overwhelmed by the responses! We received a total of SIXTY-ONE recipe submissions! Some of the recipes transported me back to
Bangladesh-unfolding all the fond memories of the simpler days.
Let me take you through some of the mouthwatering dishes:
My all-time favorite is the Kacchi Biryani! You can ask anyone what a famous dish is of Bangladesh and Kacchi biryani will surely be on the list! Whenever I think of the flavorful dish, I vividly imagine the succulent marinated mutton that melts in the mouth with just one bite, the soft aloo (potato) infused with spices and the long, thin, yellow hued basmati rice bursting with aromatic spices. This dish surely captivates all of your senses and provides a mesmerizing experience! Ah, writing about Kacchi made me crave it now and will surely make it at the weekend. And of course, the dish deserves its special Nonstick hot pot which I got from Amazon!
Ilish Pulao is another dish which you can’t help but savor! You will find at least 3 recipes on the dish in Wannabe Cook. Coming from the Land of Fish, Ilish
pulao is a must try, if you haven’t already! If you want to show Bangladeshi cuisine to someone, then this dish is a must! Blended with the subtle, aromatic spices of the pulao and the natural oils of the fish-the dish is a winner at any dawaat! Last week, my friend cooked Ilish pulao and, my god, as the dish was lying in the fish curry pot, the shiny, silver texture of the ilish was glistening while the fluffy pulao was complimenting the king of fishes. The dish, itself, was a comfort for the eyes! It is a masterpiece that reflects the traditions of Bangladesh and will definitely be passed on from generations to generations.
Spicy Beef Tehari is quite a unique dish itself. To me, it’s a dish that is not a biryani, but at the same time, it is not really plain pulao. In fact, it is a somewhat a blend of both! Beef Tehari is a dish that you will find in any local biryani, pulao restaurant in Bangladesh. On rainy days, my family and I used to gather up in the dining room to indulge in the delectable dish. The rich smell of the mustard oil used to capture everyone and bring us right at the table to enjoy the tender meat with the fragrant rice. If you still have not tried the dish, you know where to find the recipe from!
The above dishes were a few of the rich culinary experiences of Bangladesh. But this particular dish-Spicy Salmon Curry will give you a tight hug when you are missing home. I was not a big fan of fish curries, but this dish was a favorite since I was a kid. My mama (uncle) was and still is a big fan of fish curries. Every Friday, we would go to their house for lunch, and he would make sure to cook his ‘special’ Spicy Salmon Fish curry. The enticing fiery spices would perfectly blend with the delicate yet robust salmon fillets. The slightly pungent taste would make my tastebuds crave for more! I still cook it at home from time to time. I use the salmon fillet of Polar. The quality is always good and it is fresh. 
Apart from these, we also got a few interesting and appetizing dessert recipe submissions.
Narkel er Chomchom is a dish that I will surely try to make. Even though it is a very popular dish in Bangladesh, I am one of those who still have not tasted it. It is a famous dish that is made on almost all occasions. The dish consists of soft chomchoms or dumplings which are soaked and infused in coconut syrup. It is on my ‘Need to try it’ list for sure!
I am sure no dawaat in a Bangladeshi household is complete without serving payesh as a dessert, especially the Nolen Gurer Payesh in the winters. It is a rich, creamy rice pudding infused with date palm jaggery. The caramel touch to the dish makes it even more unique! The velvety creamy texture and the subtle sweetness of the dish makes it even more appetizing! Whenever I make Nolen Gurer Payesh, I always serve it in the Steel Copper Handi bowl so that I can visually reflect the rich tradition of the dish!
These were some of the dishes that caught my attention. But there are several more unique recipes which you can find in Wannabe Cook!
People’s Choice Awards
As we got a total of sixty-one recipe submissions, it was really hard for us to choose. There were so many mouthwatering dishes that the Wannabe Cook team was in a tight spot. That is when we extended our hand to the Wannabe Cook community to help us out! We introduced the People’s Choice Award where we shortlisted four winners and the fifth winner were chosen by our beloved community!
The steps to the People’s Choice Award were
- Invite your friends and family to the group
- Cast your vote for your favorite dish in the group poll
- Win the contest with the help of the community
The People’s Choice Award helped us tremendously to select the fifth winner. However, the voting in the group poll did create some agreements and disagreements over the last winner. But, we, the Wannabe Cook team, tried to balance the situation and chose the dish with the most votes! You know they say, what is a competition if it’s not competitive?
As it was a close competition, we even kept Runners Up for the contest!
The Iconic Winning Dishes!
The top five winning dishes were:
The three runner-up dishes were:
As you can see, all of them were delectable delicacies! Each of the dishes reflect the rich and diverse culture of Bangladesh. From savory to sweet dishes, each dish translates the cultural heritage and tradition that has been passed on from generation to generations.
So, let’s carry on this tradition and pass it down to future generations! We would love to see more recipes for the iconic dishes of Bangladesh from you!
Keep an eye on all the upcoming contests!
