It is no secret that an average urbanite struggles to maintain a healthy balance in their food intake. Deadlines, late dinners, and the pressure of being punctual and performing at an optimum level have always been at the top of our priorities. Such a lifestyle eventually leads to health-related issues in the long run. However, it can be minimised if we become conscious of what food we intake on a daily basis.

World Food Day is observed to highlight the importance of an inclusive society where everyone, including children, must not be left behind when it comes to food security. In line with this theme, we need to make sure our children are growing up healthy and have access to nutritious foods, whether at home or school.

Office lunches are a chore, the novelty of the canteen food dies down when you have the same insipid chicken curry and beef tehari every day. There is no getting around it, and packing your own lunch is the only way to stay on track with your health goals. You can also opt for ready-to-eat box meals, which are now available in Dhaka, but it is preferable if you can pack simple lunches for work. You need a well-balanced meal even for lunch, and it should include lean protein, fibre-rich carbohydrates and vegetables, and healthy fats. Try these simple recipes for next week’s work lunches.

My saudade-home is anchored in the memories of my teenager-into-early-twenties life in Dhaka. Spending my free time sitting with a hot cup of coffee in North End on winter nights, having hour-long addas with friends, playing cards and ludo, or sharing stories with cousins in our drawing room in Old Dhaka.

Food holds a special place in Bengali culture. While we do have our grand dishes, it is the simpler dishes that really steal the show. Not everyone has mastered Bengali cuisine, be it for lack of interest or practice or complexity. And so, the following recipes are just some of the popular dishes that are not only easy to make but also easy on the stomach. Try them out; they will most certainly not disappoint.

The atmosphere already feels jovial as we prepare for the auspicious occasion of Durga Puja. The traditional sweets of our country are unlike any other. The amount of effort and time that goes into making our delicate mishtis truly define what labour of love stands for. The lengthy process often resists us from making these at home. But what if I told you that these desserts can easily be replicated in your own kitchen? Yes, they can! That too, by using a simple ingredient such as All Time Bread.

Bengalis celebrate the Durga Puja in style and food is at the heart of all Bengali celebrations. Puja festivities are incomplete without the snacks, the desserts, the vegetarian dishes, and even the non-veg dishes made from mutton. Handed over from one generation to the next, the following must-try recipes are at the heart of the puja festivities in Bengal.

Have you ever had one of those days when you just craved ‘biye bari food’? You just want the familiar food, but in the particular taste that can only be found at weddings. As unlikely as it sounds, one does not have to wait for a wedding anymore for such a treat. BiyeBari Restaurant now offers those dishes whenever you want them.

The ilish is a versatile fish as it can be used to prepare a variety of dishes. Hilsa is as suitable for preparing delectable dishes on those special occasions, as it is for cooking a regular everyday curry. The hilsa season is almost coming to an end. Now is the time to get your fresh ilish from the bazaars of Chandpur and Mawa. The following are some easy to make recipes with hilsa. Try them out and you will not be disappointed!

Food, stories, love and bonds — that is what Bengali people are made of. From macher jhol or shutki bhorta, every dish carries a different emotion. Although people have been introduced to food from different countries, the love towards our home cuisine remains unmatched. Keeping that in mind, Utshob began its journey in October last year with the aim of celebrating the beauty of Bengali food and it is everything a Bengali heart craves.

Taal (Palmyra Palm) is a quintessential summer fruit for Bengalis. Whether consumed in its unripe form or as the sap of the ripe fruit, taal or palm has a wide range of uses in Bangladeshi cuisine, from simple summer drinks to varied desserts. The following are some recipes that are simple to follow but produce delectable results.   

The city of Dhaka caters to different palates, providing a wide range of choices for everyone. However, despite the flurry of foreign options, a Bengali heart sometimes craves the taste of deshi cuisine. Thus, we took a tour around the city in search of the best places offering Bangali food, and here are our top 7 picks.

Dessert consists of variations of tastes, textures, and appearances. There are a wide variety such as cakes, cookies, biscuits, gelatins, pastries, ice-creams, pies, puddings and candies. Fruit is also commonly found in dessert courses as of its natural sweetness. Many different cultures have their own variations of similar desserts around the world as in modern times, the variations of desserts have usually been passed down or come from geographical regions. Here’s a list of some lip-smacking desserts recipes from around the world that everyone must try once in their lifetime.

Bread and regal desserts put together may sound like an oxymoron at first, but it is amazing to think that a humble ingredient such as bread can be used as the core ingredient in decadent desserts that scream grandiose. All Time Milk Bread is prepared fresh, and its soft texture makes it the perfect pick to make your bread desserts.

Street food is at the heart of the Bangladeshi culinary experience, what even is a Bengali without their undying love for fuchka? Almost every single locality has its special vendors with the ‘best’ fuchka. Now the humble fuchka has once again etched a place for Bangladeshi cuisine on the world culinary map as it made its way into the list of “50 of the best street foods in Asia” by CNN.

The nutritious anadromous-migratory-fish, ilish (Hilsa), has merged with Bengali tradition over the years. It is one of the most favourite dishes of Bengalis and is cooked in almost every home in both Bangladesh and West Bengal. Ilish was recognized as a GI-product of Bangladesh in 2016. It also contains a lot of essential fatty acids that are very beneficial for health.

It is no secret that the reigning royalty of summer fruits includes mangoes, lychees, pineapples, various berries, guavas, etc. And while we have said goodbye to most of these fruits as the season comes to an end, guavas are just about coming to a peak. Here are 8 ways to make the most out of this guava season while they are still in the markets!

Sugarcane is a quintessential summer delight in our country and now is that time of the year where various sugarcane juice carts have started to pop up. The most common ways of consuming it is by having its juice directly squeezed out or by chewing it and crushing it to swallow the juices. However, sugarcane is more than just its juices. There are so many recipes both sweet and savoury that you may try out using sugarcane. In the joy of summer and this glorious summer delight, here are a couple of tantalizing sugarcane juice and skewer recipes.

What can be a better thirst quencher than a glass of chilled and refreshing iced tea in this hot and humid weather? Nothing beats the heat better than a rejuvenating glass of iced tea. Here is an array of fruity, soul replenishing iced tea recipes for you to enjoy this summer.

Fish recipes are key to getting fresh, delicious meals on the table quickly and easily. There are many ways to cook fish — grilled, baked, fried or stewed. This list of fish recipes is simple and easy to make with full of global flavours will delight fish lovers and definitely improve the dinner table game.