When Kishwar Chowdhury served dishes such as panta bhat, mashed eggplant, and korma in the kitchen of the TV show MasterChef Australia, she quickly realised something important: for many people in the Western world, there was no reference point for these foods. Before they could appreciate the flavours, they needed to understand the history, culture, and stories behind them.

That realisation eventually evolved into Smoke, Rice, Water: Recipes and Stories from a Bengali Home. Two weeks before its official release, the much-anticipated book was unveiled in Dhaka at an intimate event held at The Westin Dhaka. During the launch, Kishwar shared the inspiration behind the project and introduced some of the collaborators who helped bring it to life. Alongside recipes, the book explores Bengali history, migration, family legacies, and cultural identity.

For Kishwar, who was born and raised in Australia, the book fills a longstanding gap. She often felt that while bookstores around the world featured countless titles on global cuisines, there were very few that truly introduced readers to Bengali—particularly Bangladeshi—food through the lens of its people, culture, and way of life.