There’s nothing like watching a global cooking show and witnessing Southeast Asian representation. Judges losing their minds over pani puri and butter chicken does leave us proud of the indomitable culture and cuisine. This time, a viral video from The Great Canadian Baking Show has resurfaced, where a Bangladeshi woman is seen wowing the judges with her dessert feast of barfis and kheer.
The Great Canadian Baking Show Video Goes Viral
A reel posted on The Great Canadian Baking Show’s official Instagram handle shows the judges heaping praises on Elora, a Bangladeshi contestant. While taking up the challenge to cook three sweets, Ellora told the judges that her Eid tradition involves laying the dinner table with 15 to 16 different kinds of sweets. “Three is nothing, right?” asks judge Kyla Kennaley.
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Elora revealed that, unlike many Southeast Asians, she prefers to bake her barfi despite many finding it weird. The next element of her dish is kheer, a rice pudding. But it’s not any ordinary kheer. It’s kheer straight from Bangladesh, sweetened with jaggery. The contestant’s beautiful element adorned with vibrant barfis and a cup of kheer wowed the judges instantly. They took in the sights and smells of the green Pistachio Lemon Barfi, caramel-brown Kheer and Kalojam.
French chef Bruno Feldeisen loved the aroma of the barfi and the punchiness of the lemon in it. He commended Elora for the crust that formed at the bottom, thanks to the baking. Next, they dug into Kalogam, which Elora explained is similar to Guilab Jamun. A yellow cream shell encases the soft jamun with a pink centre. While the Bangladeshi woman was hesitant about the dessert being cloyingly sweet, the judges assured her that it wasn’t the case. Bruno described the saffron in Kalojam to be musical and said, “Who’d think something so gooey could be so pleasant?”
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Kheer & Barfi Win Hearts Of Netizens
Finally, the duo tucked into Ellora’s bowl of kheer sweetened with date palm jaggery. Kyla took a fancy to the jaggery and found it to be like the best brown sugar. “It’s like caramel but not burnt,” she exclaims. What was the final verdict on Elora’s performance? “Magical,” sums up Bruno.
Even Netizens found it magical indeed. Many took to the comments section to fondly recollect the traditional desserts cooked in their Bangladeshi households. The Eid special video had many wishing each other in the comments. A commenter even declared that they were moving to her home. Others coaxed her to open a bakery.
Also Read: 7 Most Common Mistakes To Avoid While Baking A Cake At Home
Well, what do you think about baked barfi and jaggery kheer? We’d love to taste it!
Cover Image Courtesy: cbcbakingshow/ Instagram