
‘Smoke, Rice, Water’: Bengali Stories with Kishwar Chowdhury
From Chats Over Chai by Australia India Institute
June 4, 2026 · 35 min
About this episode
Lisa Singh interviews Kishwar Chowdhury about her book 'Smoke, Rice, Water' and the cultural significance of Bengali cuisine.
CEO Lisa Singh joins Melbourne-born chef and MasterChef Australia finalist Kishwar Chowdhury to delve into the cultural stories behind her new book 'Smoke, Rice, Water', for this episode of Chats Over Chai. Drawing on her experience as a second-generation migrant, Kishwar shares stories of cooking Bengali dishes combined with local produce and methods. Her personal approach to Bengali cuisine has resonated with audiences around the world, as well as through her work as an advocate for food se...
People in this episode
Host: Lisa Singh
Guest: Kishwar Chowdhury
Topics covered
- Bengali cuisine
- cultural stories
- migration
- cooking
- food advocacy
Keywords
- Bengali dishes
- cooking stories
- MasterChef Australia
- second-generation migrant
- local produce
Mentioned in this episode
Books & works: Smoke, Rice, Water
More episodes of Chats Over Chai
- Transforming Lives Through Education: In Conversation with Dr Kiran Martin · May 19, 2026 · 39 min
- Music, Collaboration and Cultural Exchange: The Sounds of the Three Seas · May 1, 2026 · 30 min
- Bridging Theory and Practice: Rethinking Secondary Education Through Applied Learning · April 29, 2026 · 31 min
- Digital Public Infrastructure and Citizenship: In Conversation with Dr Preeti Mudliar · March 22, 2026 · 26 min
- Two Decades of Australia India Relations: Insights from Australian High Commissioners Past and Present · March 16, 2026 · 54 min
- Culture, Community and Creative Healing: In Conversation with Piyali Somaia · February 25, 2026 · 30 min
Explore listener stats, chart rankings, contacts and more on the Chats Over Chai podcast page.