Sohla, as a fellow Bangladeshi, my first introduction to your cooking was your piyaju recipe on Bon Appétit, and I’ve been an admirer ever since. I remember running to show my mom and we were both so surprised but proud to see something so unmistakably Bengali on such a visible platform.
Our culture is incredibly rich, and Ramadan in particular holds a kind of comfort and stillness that transcends religion. You definitely don’t have to be Muslim to feel the warmth of the rituals. Wishing you all the best 🫶🏽
I remember reading your zucchini fritters recipe and thinking to myself - is this piyaju? I hate that you were asked to make the recipe more “publishable” (read palatable) for their specific audience at that time. Knowing the backstory of that post makes the memory of discovering that recipe tainted. I love that you’re reclaiming the recipe in this post. As soon as I read “Rinse the lentils..” I ran downstairs and soaked some right away! We were supposed to be off fried foods for iftar this week (as a weak attempt to watch our cholesterol) but that’s going out the window tonight!
Thank you for being you. I’ve loved you and your work (especially that Morog Polau recipe that sustained me through a tough time). I have followed your career closely through all the ups and downs - I gained a small confidence to share parts of my heritage I didn’t always feel confident sharing. Will always be rooting for your success! I am currently on a side quest to conquering dough and have been slowly working my way through the Dough chapter of your book. Manakeesh is happening this weekend!
I have vivid dreams about the food I used to eat at church growing up. I’m always surprised that even now, 25 years later, as a non religious adult those flavors still mean so much. My white bread suburban church food wasn’t nearly as fucking delicious as your recipes though lol
Thank you for sharing your experiences, feelings, and recipes. Your authenticity and emotional connection to food and cooking has always meant so much. Sending love from one difficult girl with a dramatic mother to another <3
omg sohla, ilu so much in an absolute parasocial way. those zucchini fritters were my main form of feeding myself for a VERY long time - i used to make a triple batch and freeze em so that i could pull them out when i needed my fix. this recipe is exactly what i need to reinvigorate my love. tysm for sharing ur love thru food!
Thank you for ALL of it... what you have done and what you are doing! The sharing of the real, real... it is healing. In many ways. For all of us. Thank you.
And you... your food, your Insta videos, the YouTube channel... you as a cook, a mom, a partner, a friend... Yes! All of it! Thank you.
Looks amazing and will be trying soon. I also always love a reminder that there’s basically nothing redeemable from a childhood spent as a Jehovah’s Witness. No food and definitely no fun traditions or holidays lol. Well, maybe the gas station jungle juice and hostess cake after an afternoon spent knocking on doors.
Sohla! Another Bengali-American, no-longer-religious (but w/ lots of feelings re: Ramadan and Eid), has-complicated-relationships-with-my-family, human here! And long-time follower of your career and fan of your work. I just created a Substack so I can comment here to say I'm crying reading this post (and did so reading your cookies + Ammu post). Thank you for sharing this, what you've lived through, and who you are with us 💜
Away from home this season and I was craving these today and seeing your recipe was the sign I needed! I had no idea how easy it was to make them?? I never learned to cook Bangali food bc my mom wanted me to learn so badly - so therefore I didn’t want to lol, but now that I’m older and away from home (also my ego won’t let me ask her how to), Sohla this was exactly what I needed, so selfishly, thank you so much!!
You made me cry with this post. You perfectly explained what Ramadan and iftaar looked and sounded like in my Bangladeshi American house growing up, down to the furiously mad mother who stayed up all night cooking the day before Eid. My house smelled like delicious butter and spices as she cooked her korma and fulao. Fiyaazi (I'm Sylheti lol) was also my favorite part of iftaar. And dailor bora. So good. I'm so glad you reclaimed the piyaju recipe. I'm so proud of you. Keep doing your thing.
Wow, this post hit me in a way I didn't expect. I've been feeling a lot about Ramadan and Eid lately. There are so many aspects and memories I love and cherish, but also a bittersweet feeling that it will never quite be the same observing it in the US versus Indonesia.
When you said "Not because I'm supposed to, but because I want to. Because the food was always the part that felt most purely mine," it really resonated. There's something powerful about reclaiming what has always been yours, even if your relationship with it has shifted and taken on new meaning over time.
We're big on fried crunchy things for iftar in Indonesia too. I'll definitely be adding piyaju to the rotation!
Sohla, your zucchini lentil fritters continue to be on heavy rotation in my house, they’re one of my favorite veg dinner recipes of all time! I came to see you on book tour in DC and got my book signed. In my brief moment I got with you I mentioned how much I love this recipe and you said something to the effect of “Yum!” and recommended I try making them with ramps. I’ve yet to make them with ramps, but I still think of that perky “Yum!” every time I eat them. Thank you for all you do
I’m so excited to make these! My husband grew up Muslim but is also not religious and we are trying to figure out how to celebrate all our combined holidays non-religiously but still make it special & meaningful for our kids. For me that means it’s always gonna be about the food! I’m the cook of the family so getting to make the recipes that feel like home for him (he’s Pakistani) but in my own way/following my favorite chefs (you!) makes it feel like me too. Thank you for this gift! Gonna have to make your Haleem too as I have come to love eating that at my sister in law’s. Ramadan Mubarak to you in your own way! Going out to finally buy your cookbook today ♥️and if you ever made a South-Asian focused cookbook I would LOVE that (bc I want to learn it but in a cheffy way and you’re the best teacher!)
sohla, thank you for sharing your childhood/family holiday food experiences and for your piyaju recipe. i'm so excited to make it. the photos are insanely mouth watering.
Sohla, as a fellow Bangladeshi, my first introduction to your cooking was your piyaju recipe on Bon Appétit, and I’ve been an admirer ever since. I remember running to show my mom and we were both so surprised but proud to see something so unmistakably Bengali on such a visible platform.
Our culture is incredibly rich, and Ramadan in particular holds a kind of comfort and stillness that transcends religion. You definitely don’t have to be Muslim to feel the warmth of the rituals. Wishing you all the best 🫶🏽
I remember reading your zucchini fritters recipe and thinking to myself - is this piyaju? I hate that you were asked to make the recipe more “publishable” (read palatable) for their specific audience at that time. Knowing the backstory of that post makes the memory of discovering that recipe tainted. I love that you’re reclaiming the recipe in this post. As soon as I read “Rinse the lentils..” I ran downstairs and soaked some right away! We were supposed to be off fried foods for iftar this week (as a weak attempt to watch our cholesterol) but that’s going out the window tonight!
Thank you for being you. I’ve loved you and your work (especially that Morog Polau recipe that sustained me through a tough time). I have followed your career closely through all the ups and downs - I gained a small confidence to share parts of my heritage I didn’t always feel confident sharing. Will always be rooting for your success! I am currently on a side quest to conquering dough and have been slowly working my way through the Dough chapter of your book. Manakeesh is happening this weekend!
I have vivid dreams about the food I used to eat at church growing up. I’m always surprised that even now, 25 years later, as a non religious adult those flavors still mean so much. My white bread suburban church food wasn’t nearly as fucking delicious as your recipes though lol
Thank you for sharing your experiences, feelings, and recipes. Your authenticity and emotional connection to food and cooking has always meant so much. Sending love from one difficult girl with a dramatic mother to another <3
omg sohla, ilu so much in an absolute parasocial way. those zucchini fritters were my main form of feeding myself for a VERY long time - i used to make a triple batch and freeze em so that i could pull them out when i needed my fix. this recipe is exactly what i need to reinvigorate my love. tysm for sharing ur love thru food!
SOHLA KNOWS WHO I AAMMMMMM ⚰️
Sohla... I love you. We love you!!!
Thank you for ALL of it... what you have done and what you are doing! The sharing of the real, real... it is healing. In many ways. For all of us. Thank you.
And you... your food, your Insta videos, the YouTube channel... you as a cook, a mom, a partner, a friend... Yes! All of it! Thank you.
:-)
Looks amazing and will be trying soon. I also always love a reminder that there’s basically nothing redeemable from a childhood spent as a Jehovah’s Witness. No food and definitely no fun traditions or holidays lol. Well, maybe the gas station jungle juice and hostess cake after an afternoon spent knocking on doors.
even better reason to celebrate whatever holidays you want!
Former JW living/eating vicariously along with Sohla 🙌🏽
Sohla! Another Bengali-American, no-longer-religious (but w/ lots of feelings re: Ramadan and Eid), has-complicated-relationships-with-my-family, human here! And long-time follower of your career and fan of your work. I just created a Substack so I can comment here to say I'm crying reading this post (and did so reading your cookies + Ammu post). Thank you for sharing this, what you've lived through, and who you are with us 💜
Away from home this season and I was craving these today and seeing your recipe was the sign I needed! I had no idea how easy it was to make them?? I never learned to cook Bangali food bc my mom wanted me to learn so badly - so therefore I didn’t want to lol, but now that I’m older and away from home (also my ego won’t let me ask her how to), Sohla this was exactly what I needed, so selfishly, thank you so much!!
Omg Sohla, you posted!! On the west side of Bengal, we call them peyaji. Delicious with a cup of strong, mildly milky Assam tea ❤️
You made me cry with this post. You perfectly explained what Ramadan and iftaar looked and sounded like in my Bangladeshi American house growing up, down to the furiously mad mother who stayed up all night cooking the day before Eid. My house smelled like delicious butter and spices as she cooked her korma and fulao. Fiyaazi (I'm Sylheti lol) was also my favorite part of iftaar. And dailor bora. So good. I'm so glad you reclaimed the piyaju recipe. I'm so proud of you. Keep doing your thing.
Wow, this post hit me in a way I didn't expect. I've been feeling a lot about Ramadan and Eid lately. There are so many aspects and memories I love and cherish, but also a bittersweet feeling that it will never quite be the same observing it in the US versus Indonesia.
When you said "Not because I'm supposed to, but because I want to. Because the food was always the part that felt most purely mine," it really resonated. There's something powerful about reclaiming what has always been yours, even if your relationship with it has shifted and taken on new meaning over time.
We're big on fried crunchy things for iftar in Indonesia too. I'll definitely be adding piyaju to the rotation!
I love the concept of reclaiming the parts that seemed off limits or distorted. The zucchini fritters were great but I can’t wait to make these!
I love that you're keeping what serves you and dropping what doesn't. Thank you for sharing the yumminess with us! ("Publishable" - GAG)
Sohla, your zucchini lentil fritters continue to be on heavy rotation in my house, they’re one of my favorite veg dinner recipes of all time! I came to see you on book tour in DC and got my book signed. In my brief moment I got with you I mentioned how much I love this recipe and you said something to the effect of “Yum!” and recommended I try making them with ramps. I’ve yet to make them with ramps, but I still think of that perky “Yum!” every time I eat them. Thank you for all you do
I’m so excited to make these! My husband grew up Muslim but is also not religious and we are trying to figure out how to celebrate all our combined holidays non-religiously but still make it special & meaningful for our kids. For me that means it’s always gonna be about the food! I’m the cook of the family so getting to make the recipes that feel like home for him (he’s Pakistani) but in my own way/following my favorite chefs (you!) makes it feel like me too. Thank you for this gift! Gonna have to make your Haleem too as I have come to love eating that at my sister in law’s. Ramadan Mubarak to you in your own way! Going out to finally buy your cookbook today ♥️and if you ever made a South-Asian focused cookbook I would LOVE that (bc I want to learn it but in a cheffy way and you’re the best teacher!)
sohla, thank you for sharing your childhood/family holiday food experiences and for your piyaju recipe. i'm so excited to make it. the photos are insanely mouth watering.