Smoke Rice Water is a heartfelt celebration of Bengali cuisine, blending 100 recipes with rich storytelling, culture and the vibrant flavours of this deeply interconnected region.

In Smoke Rice Water, Kishwar Chowdhury shares 100 recipes from the vibrant, interconnected and culinarily underrepresented region of Bengal.

With warmth and clarity, she invites readers into her suburban Melbourne kitchen to discover traditional techniques, bold flavours and the foodways of more than 200 million people – from street snacks and Mughal court dishes to fish stews, green mango lentils and the cherished sweets of Bengal.

Drawing on her experience as a second-generation migrant, Kishwar brings cultural knowledge, personal history and a fresh perspective to the table, honouring her Bengali heritage while making its recipes accessible and deeply satisfying for modern home cooks.

Details

ISBN13: 9781743799345
Format: Hardback
Number of Pages: 336
Edition:
Publication Date: 26 May 2026
Publisher: Hardie Grant Books
Publication City, Country: South Yarra, Australia
Dimensions (cm): 24(H)x17.3(L)x3.8(W)1192
Weight (gm): 1192

Author Biography

Kishwar Chowdhury is a Melbourne-born cook and MasterChef Australia finalist whose modern, deeply personal approach to Bengali food has resonated with audiences around the world. Passionate about preserving and sharing her heritage, she has collaborated with award-winning restaurants, appeared across various national media platforms, and built a dedicated global following. Through her cooking, Kishwar is redefining how Bengali cuisine is seen — making it more visible, more accessible, and more celebrated than ever before.

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