Vivacious yet reverent, rapidly rising home-grown chef, Dina, is popularising the underrepresented cuisine of Bangladesh in the UK, and meaningfully too. “Rice and fish dishes are the staple foods of this cuisine, but there are also a lot of vegetarian options that many people, even those of the culture, might not know.” Indeed, as Dina herself emphasised, “South-Asian cooking is mostly passed down verbally,” and so tragically risks being forgotten over the generations. This is agitated by the fact that food from this subcontinent, both within the community and across the West, is often generalised as simply Indian: an aggravating imperial aftertaste where the nuances of ethnicity can be harshly overlooked. As a result, Dina has sought to raise awareness about the incredible richness and broadness of Bangladeshi cuisine alongside cooking a vast array of individual recipes, using her own expert touch.
“Never formally trained, I was hugely inspired by my grandmother and mother, and I can’t think that we might lose such a wonderful culinary heritage. I want to keep it alive,” hopefully making it more widespread foodie knowledge! Indeed, authentic Ethiopian food has recently begun to enjoy the attention of increasingly dedicated diners as an example of individualistic African cuisine. Dina has written extensively on Bangladeshi food, having created a feature and recipe series for Great British Chefs, a prestigious platform that honours the best of British cooks, and filmed a spice blends tutorial series that teaches the precise art of Bangladeshi cooking: “Bengali 5 Spice which is a special whole spice mixture, mustard, coconut and dry and fermented fish are all very popular. The series introduces people to the key elements of Bangladeshi cooking and demystifies it for them.”
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Furthermore, Dina describes her style as very classical with an accessible modern twist. This best preserves the precious, piquant ancestral formulas while “saving time” to cater to the busy schedules of today: “I won’t really change the savoury recipes because main courses are fundamental to the cuisine, but will experiment with desserts. There is a lot of sweetness in Bangladeshi food, and I do love to play with this.” The spins on such luscious treats include “Rasgulla”, soft and yummy, white spheres that are this Asian Voice writer’s childhood favourite, and “Mishti Doi” otherwise known as sweet yoghurt which Dina has transformed into a fusion “Mishti Doi” cheesecake. Perhaps not surprisingly then, sugary conceptions are some of Dina’s best sellers.
However, the soulful cook also makes sure to infuse a crucial social flavour too: author of the brilliant Brick Lane Cookbook, she wanted to “honour the Bangladeshi culture and the geography behind the food.” The book explores the human history of the characteristic area as well as detailing chosen dishes: “I focussed on both traditional and modern Bangladeshi preparations while keeping to the geographical theme. It’s nostalgic for me. I remember going to the market with my father on Sundays. He would buy groceries or meet with friends from the leather garments factory he worked in – tailoring was his trade and we’d also eat at one of the cafes there. There was such a buzz within the community and a diverse meeting of minds and nationalities which stuck with me as a child.” This sentiment certainly extends to modern times. Dina has hosted many popular “pop-ups,” or temporary, restaurants, which have expressly allowed her to bond with the customers, really giving life to her cooking, and uniting a variety of people. “I really enjoy hosting Supper Clubs, and would love to one day have a small café or eatery in London. This would allow me to continue talking on food as well as writing. A proper restaurant, by contrast, may be all-consuming. The cuisine is still growing, and I feel it’s important to stay true to a grass-roots model that establishes the unique food.”
Consequently, real Bangladeshi cuisine can be spread rather than a multiplicity of contrived, watered-down versions: “Take the curry houses of Brick Lane, for example. Curry culture has become a sub-cuisine of India in itself, but where there used to be around fifty, now there are only a dozen! The blanket approach definitely doesn't work.” And so, through her warm investment and extroversion, Dina’s professional journey not only invigorates a worthy cuisine but also delectably demonstrates the base of a true multicultural meld: strong interpersonal acknowledgement that accompanies the surface indicators of culture. Comprehensively adopting food, a visceral part of society, represents the wholesome integration of the people behind it: “I really want to emphasise the mutual positivity of respecting a marginalised culture: Bangladesh, for example, is still looked at in terms of poverty or disaster, but it needn’t be the case. The practices and lifestyle are so dynamic.” No wonder then that the crusading cook has already taken Bangladeshi cuisine further West, to the capital city of the world’s most lauded melting pot: New York in the US. And at a time of difficult tensions too. Dina deeply celebrates difference, refusing to treat it as a clinical project that should be wrought.
What else constitutes Bangladeshi cuisine?
It’s quite a mixture. Dhaka, Bangladeshi’s capital city, has more similarities with Mogul or traditional Indian food with familiar overlaps in dishes such as biryanis and kebabs, while southern Bangladeshi food has exotic South-east Asian influences: you’ve got sweet and sour flavours, coconut and bamboo shoots which you wouldn’t normally think about. Generally, there’s a tradition of rice-based sweets and savouries called Pitha – including pastries, dumplings, pancakes, and flatbreads. While there are some similarities with West Bengal, Bangladeshi food is very distinct. Food is very seasonal, and centred around festivals.
What are some of your favourite ingredients to experiment with?
Tonka beans, which have a vanilla and floral undertone. They look coffee-bean sized and can be used in sauces and custards. They’re really amazing for a release of flavour. A little goes a long way! It’s a powerful, fragrant spice. I enjoy using orange blossom water, especially around Ramadan and enjoy cooking with rhubarb. My dad has an allotment where he grows a lot of produce and I love experimenting with fresh ingredients and cooking from scratch. I’ll use tender stem broccoli, purple broccoli, and spinach among other traditional veg and fruit.
Name another popular dish?
My mother’s Chicken Roast. It’s a traditional pan-fried roast dish in a thick, onion gravy - so very delicious. It’s my comfort food.
Do you think food had the potential to unite people?
Definitely. At Ramadan, for example, people are brought together. Friends and family come over and spend time together over food. There’s connection around exchanging food with neighbours and the local community. It’s a good way for children and parents to bond - especially when cooking together.
Finally, what really grabs you about cooking?
I love feeding people, and culinary history. Food is woven into the fabric of society and I love the idea of preserving food traditions. Finally, it helps me relax and unwind. It’s a great feeling to be able to create something delicious and then share it with others.
Twitter & Instagram: @dinasfoodstory
