Episode 2 The Chronicles of Nadiya

'I'm Nadiya Hussain.

'Last year, I shocked myself, my family and the nation...'

The winner is Nadiya!

CHEERING

'..when I won The Great British Bake Off.'

I'm never going to say, "I don't think I can."

I can. And I will.

'Now I'm going back to my roots.'

This is Bangladesh like I've never seen it before.

'And I'm taking my love of food...'

That is the best chanachur I've ever tasted.

'..and cooking with me.'

I'm on a moving boat cooking a biryani.

I didn't think I'd ever say that sentence ever in my life.

'This is a journey that takes me home...'

He's my favourite!

'..to the people and places I've missed so much...'

It's like, "Oh, catch it!"

Nothing like the wind in your hijab.

'..and on an adventure through a country I've never explored.'

I love the lead singer.

The lead singer sounds great.

There's a chicken running across my kitchen.

That doesn't happen at home.

I'm feeling a little bit old as a 30-something-year-old

with three children. I don't feel like I fit in.

I feel like a grandfather here. Yeah!

David Attenborough, eat your heart out

because this is the thing of dreams.

NADIYA: I've been staying near Sylhet

with my family for almost a week,

but now I'm about to head off to explore this amazing country

for the very first time.

To think I have been to Bangladesh, if not every year,

every other year of my life up until the age of 20,

I never, ever saw anything past the boundaries of the village.

We landed, we went to the village, we stayed in the village.

Didn't do anything else.

When you come from the culture I've come from

and the way that we've been raised,

it's totally unusual for a woman

to just get up and just travel on her own.

I'm doing something that not everybody does.

Before I leave my home town, Sylhet,

on a 900-mile journey around Bangladesh,

I'm joining the crowds visiting the shrine

of the 14th century Sufi saint Hazrat Shah Jalal.

The story goes that his uncle gave him some soil

and said, "Take this soil, and if you can find the same soil

"with the same smell and the same colour somewhere else,

"then propagate that soil there and spread Islam".

Could this be the reason why my family came here in the first place?

This definitely feels like the right point to head off.

I was going off quietly when I was saying bye to my mum.

I'm not going quietly now.

I just wonder whether they're going to follow me

all the way to Dhaka now!

Bangladesh is in South Asia

and shares borders with India and Myanmar.

My first stop is 120 miles south-west of Sylhet,

Bangladesh's capital city, Dhaka.

Dhaka sits on the Buriganga River

and is one of the fastest-growing megacities in the world.

It's also one of the most overcrowded,

with a population of 17 million.

Despite Bangladesh's booming economy,

three million of Dhaka's residents

still live in incredible poverty in makeshift slums.

I've heard about a great charity called Thrive,

providing free meals to schools right in the heart

of Dhaka's biggest slum and I want to find out more.

Showing me around is Sadia Moyeen,

one of the charity's leading volunteers.

Most of the people here are very hard-working, but some are beggars,

some are rickshaw wallahs and, you know, other menial workers,

perhaps some garment workers, as well.

As you can see, their homes are quite humble.

In theory, attending school is compulsory, but in practice,

only half the children growing up in the slums will go to school.

Since the charity initiated the free school dinner programme,

attendance at school has improved enormously.

It's proven that if a child has a hearty, healthy meal,

they can carry on into the afternoon and study really well.

Absolutely. It's better health, better mental health.

And they can concentrate better during the day.

For the children here, it's different.

It's a question of not eating at all

and going to school on an empty stomach.

I am seeing the difference in the last two years,

the impact that it has, the education and the food

has on the lives of these little children.

Sadia has asked if I could cook a treat for the pupils

attending one of the schools.

As a mother and a cook, this is a cause that's close to my heart.

How could I refuse?

Sweet coconut and fennel samosa is a recipe

I've inherited from my mother.

How are you guys? Not bad.

Very well. Very excited to see you.

I've got 300 samosas to make,

so Sadia and her cousin Amna are lending me a hand,

as well as a kitchen.

My first job is to make the pastry.

Right, so it's just flour...

Good pinch of salt.

And it's quite a nice combination

because it's savoury on the outside, but it's...

Really sweet inside. ..really sweet on the inside.

To bring the dough together, I'm adding cold water

a little at a time.

I'm going to get my hands in now. Yeah.

There's no other way. There's no other way. There's no other way.

Once it's formed a ball, it's time to knead the dough.

I just want it to be smooth, so when I roll it out, when you cut it,

it doesn't lose its shape.

So it shouldn't take too long.

Somebody can roll and somebody else can cut. All right.

I'll leave the dough with you. There's extra flour there.

This is definitely a very modern kitchen

compared to what I've been cooking in for the last week or so.

So it's quite nice, actually, to have an oven

and to have, like, plugs and sockets and whizz things up.

You're itching to bake something.

Yeah. I'm itching to bake something.

Amna, do you cook much? No, I don't.

I've really thrown you in the deep end now.

I have help at home!

While Sadia and Amna roll out the samosa cases,

I need to get the filling started by finely chopping fresh coconut

in a food processor.

There's nothing like fresh coconut because you get all the...

You know the dark brown bits around the edge? Yeah, the brown bits.

Which you can't get when you buy desiccated coconut from the shops.

Exactly. So I've got coconut, sugar,

added some water and some clarified butter.

I'm going to let that cook down.

This doesn't need a lot of cooking down because it's fresh coconut.

If it was desiccated coconut, you'd need to add a lot more water

and rehydrate that coconut again.

And then, finally, some fennel seeds.

I wouldn't have thought of putting fennel with coconut.

I don't know anybody else who does coconut and fennel.

No, not at all. I just gave away my mum's biggest...

Secret! Biggest secret combination!

I think our kids are going to be very excited to eat this.

The coconut filling needs to be simmered for about 15 minutes

until it's sticky.

Once the coconut mixture has completely cooled,

it's time for the fun part - filling the samosas.

Just flatten it out slightly around the edges.

And then...

I would go a heaped teaspoon

and go over.

Press down. It's still quite moist,

so you don't need anything to seal it. OK.

You just push it down and then just pleat it.

OK. Now, that's the part that we need to learn. Yeah.

You just lift it up from the bottom

and then you twist it over.

OK.

You're a good teacher, Nadiya.

Ah, thank you!

Does that work?

Yeah, that works. That looks really good! Yay!

It's not happening. OK, let me try. You'll get into the swing of it

once you've done a few...

Do you think, after having made these samosas,

do you think it'll encourage you to cook a little bit more? Definitely.

Yeah? Most definitely.

Once filled, the samosas just need to be dropped

into a deep pan of hot vegetable oil and fried until they're golden.

And the thing that I have to be really careful to do

is not to overcrowd the pan.

Because if you put too many in,

it starts to boil and then you get too much moisture in the pan,

so only do a few at a time.

First batch. Oh, that looks good. Oh, wow.

Yummy. I love to sprinkle a little bit of salt on top. Ah! Salt.

And I promise you, it sounds funny, but it really works.

With the first batch done, we all decide it's time for a tea break.

Oh, lovely.

I love your salt.

I'm definitely incorporating this in my...

We're going to make this. Yeah, yeah, yeah.

We'll call it Nadiya Special. Oh, Nadiya Special!

With many more samosas to make

and a delivery deadline of lunchtime tomorrow,

we'd better crack on.

Today, Sadia and I are going to be handing out the samosas

during lunch break.

So the school I'm taking you to now is Jaago.

They have 290 kids here, from nursery up to grade five.

Good morning.

As you can see, it's all that.

So the classes are on top.

This is the nursery school.

Everything about this feels like a school! Yes, yes.

While Sadia organises the food for lunch,

head teacher Ayesha Rahman is going to show me around,

starting with the grade one class for six and seven-year-olds.

May we come in?

CHILDREN: Yes! OK.

And say hello to our guest.

Hello!

CHILDREN: Hello!

Poverty and illiteracy are a vicious cycle in Bangladesh.

Almost 50% of the adults living in these slums are illiterate.

The education that these children are receiving is vital

to their future prospects.

SHE SPEAKS BENGALI

What is that? Tree. A tree?

And what's that? Fish.

Fish?

Can I see your book?

Your writing is very good.

You can do English and Bangla?

Yes. Yes.

Bye!

The majority of secondary school-age children in Bangladesh

do not carry on their education.

But schools like this are working hard to improve that statistic.

What's your name? Hanzalah.

Hanzalah? Yes. How are you?

I'm fine. Yeah? How are you? I'm good, thank you.

Do you enjoy this class? I enjoy this class very much.

What do you want to be when you're older?

I want to be a cricketer. What job do you want to do?

You want to be a cricketer? Yes. Professionally? Yeah.

What do your parents do?

My father is a shopkeeper and my mother is a housewife.

Housewife? Yes. How far do you live from the school?

Near.

Number two! Somebody else!

Right, good.

I'll leave you to it. I think you want to get on with your work,

or you're going to get told off. OK. Bye!

Music, music. Thank you.

It's so nice to see that they're so engaged with what they're doing.

And it means... It just shows something's working.

You know, these kids are happy and they want to learn.

The broad smiles of the children belie the reality of the hunger

and disease that they face each day.

You're welcome.

For many of them, this simple lunch of my samosa,

an egg and a banana may be the only meal they have today.

Thank you! You're welcome.

SHE SPEAKS BENGALI

SHE SPEAKS OWN LANGUAGE

I've never cooked for a more deserving or appreciative crowd.

They are the smiliest, happiest children I've ever seen

and you can tell they're so happy to be here.

It's really clear to see that just that one meal in the day

that they have makes such a difference,

not only to their stomach, but also to their general health.

The children here have less coughs and colds.

They're much more awake, enthusiastic to learn.

I feel like I don't want to leave.

I feel like I want to go back in the kitchen

and make another 300 samosas and do this for a few months.

Coming here, I don't feel sadness.

I feel hope. Like something's happening.

These children live in the middle of these slums,

yet they have a place where they can come, they can have a meal,

they can learn and they can walk away and they have hope.

Today I'm leaving Dhaka,

setting sail from Sadarghat Port on a passenger ferry.

I've been invited as a guest of the captain and, in return,

I've offered to cook dinner for him and his crew.

I've come to Kawran Bazar to pick up a few ingredients for my recipe

before I board the boat.

I have to say, I'm really shocked.

I remember a bazaar from years ago where it was busy,

but I very rarely got to be in the centre of it.

I feel like my senses are being bashed around right now.

Mostly smell.

There is no hiding from where things come from.

It's all very real.

This is Dhaka's oldest and largest market.

It's a hub of activity, 24 hours a day,

and the produce comes from all over Bangladesh.

On my shopping list are chillies and spices

and it's very easy to get distracted here.

I'm always tempted by the dry fish.

They've got really big ones there.

They have so much fish

that sometimes they need a way of preserving it

and so what they'll do is they dry some of it,

they'll ferment some of it.

And it just adds such a delicious flavour to some of the broths

and things that they make. I mean, these are delicious.

They're just the smallest prawns you can get.

You dry fry them in a pan and then add them with onions and chillies

and then you just kind of macerate them

and then just eat them as they are. Delicious.

That's a liquid form of sugar.

My God, that's so sweet.

But if you buy that now as it is

and then add that to plain flour and some water and just cook it,

it's delicious.

I recognise that instantly, it's tamarind.

Some of it's in pulp and some of it is just in, like, a pod,

but it's, like, attached by string.

I prefer it like that because it just tastes so much sweeter.

If you want a chutney to be slightly tangy,

you add a little bit of tamarind to it.

Or quite often, my mum will cook with it

just to make a tangy fish curry.

He's just told me that it's really, really spicy.

But I believe him because there's a way of testing it.

So if you press the chilli hard, it should be really tight

and packed with seeds inside it.

So when he says it's spicy, I believe him.

I love the measuring system. Look at this.

Can't get more old school than that, can you?

Thank you.

When I used to come to the bazaar with my dad,

he was quite protective.

Literally, I used to be in a circle of uncles and Dad.

But this time, I've been able to kind of walk around

and see things for myself,

and I won't say that I haven't been afraid,

cos you almost kind of step back and think,

"Oh, my goodness, this is quite full-on."

But it's like anywhere. If you just remind yourself,

actually, it's just a market. It is just a market.

Oh, chickens!

There's something quite exciting

about something that's not completely orderly.

I don't quite know what I'm going to get around the corner.

TRAIN HORN

Did you see those children?

They made it look easy, standing on a train.

That's one way to travel.

With my shopping done, it's time to catch my boat.

With around 300 ferries and over 150,000 passengers passing through

Sadarghat Port every day, it's one of the busiest in the world.

I'm booked on the 6.30 departure heading south.

We're travelling overnight and for those on a standard-class ticket,

it's a case of making a camp on the open deck.

But for the lucky few like me, there are first-class cabins.

I'm heading there now to drop off my bag before I get to work on dinner

for the captain and his crew.

This is first class.

Let's just say I'm never, ever going to complain on first class

when the meals feel like

they've come out of the microwave on a train!

It's got a fan, it's got a television.

Let's see if we can get that to work.

I've been electrocuted so many times.

Hey, it works!

You know what? I shouldn't complain. This is very cosy.

There are people downstairs on the floor, who are going to be in

the sweltering heat, sleeping on the floor, so this is not bad at all.

I do feel a little bit out of my depth,

but I feel super brave.

You know, the more you sit in here and enjoy the fan,

it feels more and more like first class.

It's fab.

This is one of the four remaining paddle steamers built during

the time of British rule and dates back to 1929.

The captain and crew live and work on the boat all year round.

It's a pretty tough life.

I've decided to cook them a traditional biryani

topped with a fried egg,

a dish that my family usually cook and share for celebrations.

So I hope it will be a real treat.

My first job is to chop the garlic, onion and ginger.

My last boat trip was when I was 11, and I went to Boulogne.

Sick as a dog the whole way.

So I'm a little bit nervous about how rocky this is going to be.

Now I'm melting a knob of ghee to toast the bay leaves,

peppercorns and a cinnamon stick...

..and then softening the chopped garlic, chilli, ginger and onion.

Add my salt.

You have to be a bit overgenerous with the salt,

because you are going to add rice to this and when you mix it up,

you need to have the flavour going through all the way.

Then, add a splash of water...

Just to help to soften the onions.

You don't want it to boil, you want it to brown,

but adding water stops it from sticking.

Hot.

Really, really hot. And I used to complain about being in my kitchen.

I'm not used to wearing my scarf when I'm cooking,

so it's really hard.

Once the onions have softened, it's time to add the spices.

We bought these at the market today,

in these lovely makeshift...

I think these look like... This paper's come from the bank, I think.

And they've used... Recycled.

They recycle everything.

Oh, there's some account numbers in here! Better put that down.

So...add this chilli first.

Then a few teaspoons each of turmeric,

garam masala and coriander.

So I'll add each of these one by one.

And you have to be sure to cook this out for at least ten minutes.

The trick now is to just let it cook.

And you know the spices have cooked when all the oil, the red oil

comes to the top.

This is the perfect time now to get the meat in.

I've used mutton, or lamb or beef at home, because they're easy to find.

But they don't have mutton here.

Can you imagine a sheep with all that wool in Bangladesh?

It would just be torture, really.

So I think it's just...

It's just animal-friendly just to use a goat.

So before it starts to stick too much

I'm going to add all my goat into the pan.

I mean, it's...

You can tell this goat was looked after.

It's just marbled with lots of beautiful fat.

So I've got all the meat in.

It's all coated in all the spices.

I'm going to put the lid on and leave it for half an hour.

And while that cooks, I'm going up on deck to get my bearings

before the boat sets sail.

Now, this is Bangladesh like I've never seen before.

It's odd, because rivers are usually quite calm and quite serene.

But it feels like the mayhem of the land

has somehow seeped into the water.

This quarter-of-a-mile-wide stretch of the Buriganga River

is one of the most dangerous waterways on earth.

All day long, thousands of commuters cross the river in wooden boats,

vying for space with hundreds of passenger ferries

and huge cargo barges.

That's teetering on the edge of danger, that is.

One more bag of rice and they're on tipping point.

They don't seem too worried.

They look like they're going to school.

Where are you from?

London!

London? Ah!

I think I'm getting chatted up!

What is your name?

"What is your name?", he says!

The crew are preparing the boat for departure,

so I'd better get on with their dinner.

So the meat looks cooked.

ROARING

And the engine's just started.

The meat is looking good, so I'm adding some yoghurt and dried fruit.

These are actually called boroi.

I really struggle to find these when I'm back in England,

so I'd use dried plums.

HORN

Looks like we're about to set sail. I'd better hold on to my dish.

You can see people kind of scurrying on.

It's like, "Oh, my God! There's only one plank left! Run!"

Finally, some fresh coriander leaves,

and that's the meat curry done.

Now it's time to assemble the biryani by layering up

parboiled rice and curry.

But first, I'm lining the pot with melted ghee.

So what I'm going to do,

the first layer is going to be a layer of rice.

And what that'll do is, as it's cooking slowly,

it'll create a really crunchy layer of rice on the outside.

So when I stir it all through together, with every bite,

everybody will get some crunchy rice, some soft rice.

So it adds that extra bit of texture.

So I'm going to go in with my hands, just because it's easier.

Then it's in with the meat,

and I'm going to keep on alternating the layers until the pot is filled.

We're actually moving off. Aaah!

ENGINE ROARS

I'm on a moving boat, cooking a biryani.

I didn't think I'd ever say that sentence ever in my life.

I'm tempted to say, "Ahoy!"

Ahoy!

The biryani needs another half an hour on a medium heat.

And to make sure no moisture escapes,

I'm putting a tea towel under the lid.

You know it's a good biryani when you open the lid and it goes...

Just, poof!

Whilst my day's drawing to a close,

the captain and crew are just getting started.

They'll be steering our passage south through the night

and need a good meal.

I just hope they like my biryani.

That's really sweet.

They've all just turned round and given thumbs-up.

There's nothing more heart-warming than that.

In 12 hours, I will arrive in Barisal and, from there,

I'll continue my journey by road to Gobra, a remote river village.

It's 6am and I thought I'd get some more sleep in the car,

but the view through my window is far too interesting.

The last part of my journey is by boat on a tributary of the Padma,

known in India as the Ganges.

Never, ever had the pleasure of doing this before...

..just to kind of drift and see.

There's, like, a commuter belt where people take cows.

People are taking... Schoolchildren are going across to school.

Motorbikes.

I'm used to seeing graffiti, but they're drying their fishing net.

That's one way of using a bridge.

Bangladesh sits on the world's largest delta

and is covered in more than 700 rivers.

Now I understand, I suppose,

why fish is such a massive part of our diet.

I've arrived in Gobra,

where I'm spending the day with the local fishermen,

whose fishing technique dates back more than a thousand years.

Bangla is the official language of Bangladesh,

but there are regional dialects,

so I'm hoping I'll be able to communicate with everyone.

Robin's fishing method is unique to this area of Bangladesh.

But his lifestyle is under threat,

and he is one of only 150 men still fishing in this way.

LOUD SQUEAKING Am I going across here?

That loud noise is the sound of Robin's hungry workforce,

his family of otters - mum, dad and their four babies.

They're feeding the adults on the outside,

but the babies get fed on the inside.

I've never, ever seen an otter this close.

What I didn't realise is they've got webbed feet.

I didn't realise that they were webbed, but I suppose they're

in the water a lot and they need them to be webbed.

How much fish do they go through every single day?

Robin has bred and trained these Asian short-clawed otters.

I know some people object to working animals,

but his breeding programme plays a vital role in the conservation

of this species, which is native to Bangladesh

and vulnerable to extinction.

They play with his hands, and if he calls them,

they all recognise him and they all come running.

Is it easy to train an otter?

How many years does it take before it can start fishing?

Robin and his otters usually fish at night to avoid the heat of the day.

But he's kindly offered to take me out now to show me how it's done.

Otters fish in pairs in the wild, too, so Robin is harnessing

their natural skills.

Robin and his uncle fish together every day of the year,

and between them they have over 70 years' experience.

They've got this enormous, U-shaped piece of bamboo,

and they've got nets attached to it,

and they're kind of pushing it into the bottom of the bed of the river.

And they've got the otters,

who they're controlling with these enormous sticks with their feet,

and the otters are pushing the fish into the net.

He seems to have his own little language with the otters.

They look like they're looking for each other.

They're communicating with each other, and every now and again,

they get close and have a little kiss and then go away.

It's so sweet.

At night, Robin usually catches about ten to 15 kilos of fish.

But in his grandfather's day,

the catch could be over six times as big.

So in sync with each other.

It's quite beautiful to watch.

Bangladesh is particularly vulnerable to rising sea levels

linked to climate change, and I wonder if this is why

there are fewer fish in the rivers.

Do you know why the fish stocks have gone down in the river?

When you were 18, when you started fishing,

was it a profitable thing to do?

As the catch has got smaller, the market price of the fish has risen.

Robin can still just about make a living as a fisherman,

but it's not easy.

And despite everyone's best efforts,

we don't catch anything today.

I'd love my kids to come and see this in a few years' time,

but I wonder if this skill will still be around.

I hope it is.

Islam is the official religion of Bangladesh,

and 90% of the population are Muslim.

Robin and his wife Alo are part of a small Hindu minority

that makes up only 8%.

This evening, their village is hosting a group of

devotional musicians, but before they perform,

I've been invited to share a meal.

My contribution is grilled chicken,

marinated in spiced yoghurt and served with a deliciously tangy

pickle made from shatkora, a type of lime from Sylhet.

They're not used to eating something like this.

They're probably used to eating chicken that's stewed like a curry,

but I thought, "If we're going to make something,

"let's make something slightly different and see if they enjoy it."

Alo is making one of their traditional fish curries,

and her daughter Brishti is in the middle of making a curry paste.

My first job is to marinade the chicken to tenderise the meat,

but also give it a fantastic flavour.

I've just added some yoghurt to it.

Going to add a bit of salt,

and I'm going to add a bit of turmeric.

To that, I'm going to add the juice of a shatkora lime.

This looks so much like a grapefruit.

The reason it's called shatkora is because it's got seven segments.

So you could use grapefruit, you could use orange.

There's a chicken running across my kitchen!

That doesn't happen at home.

These are FULL of juice.

They will impart so much flavour into this chicken.

I thought cooking in Bangladesh might be a challenge,

but I didn't expect to be constantly observed.

My kitchen's definitely my safe place, I've worked that out.

I quite like just whipping off the scarf, putting on some music,

dancing around in some shorts and cooking.

I definitely can't do that here.

I don't know if I'm going to miss the audience.

While my chicken marinades,

I need to make a start on the shatkora pickle

by finely chopping onion, ginger and garlic.

Into hot oil go the whole spices -

bay, cardamom seeds and a cinnamon stick.

I'm going to add my garlic, ginger and my onions.

Brishti is in charge of keeping my cooking fires burning.

And for even more of a kick, I'm adding turmeric, chilli, cumin

and curry powder to the pickle.

Hard work, all this cooking outdoors lark.

Now, I'm finally chopping a quarter of a whole shatkora,

and I need to stir that into the pan.

Add some water and then leave it to reduce for 15 minutes.

I'm going to add the chicken

to the grill.

Have a sizzle.

Grilled chicken is such a favourite of mine,

but it's very unusual to cook like this here.

Traditionally, meat and fish are always cooked in a lot of sauce.

It needs to be cooked really, really well.

It is very different for them,

and I don't want to give them undercooked meat, either.

She is not convinced at all by my methods!

I assume that they've never seen grilled chicken.

She doesn't think it's cooked and she's not sure how to eat it.

That's all it is. I was worried that it was something to do with perhaps

her religion or perhaps there's a way I've cooked it

that she can't eat it. But I suppose if we show her,

it might change her mind...

She's going for it. Look.

No inhibitions.

It's such a strong flavour and they've never tasted it before.

And here I am, this foreigner, coming in and cooking

this grilled chicken.

I was really nervous that they would hate it

and they would not want to eat it.

But they liked it, so I'm pleased.

Thank you.

I'm pretty sure Robin's family would have preferred a more traditional

chicken curry, but I've loved cooking for them,

and now it's my turn for a new experience.

TRADITIONAL HINDU MUSIC

They come every few months

and they just do, like, blessings around the villages

and they get everybody together and it's lovely.

It's nice to experience blessings from a different religion.

I'm so used to, obviously, my own...

The way we do things in Islam.

It's nice to see how other people do it.

Islam doesn't really have very much music, but we do have drums.

The drums are quite familiar.

They're singing for Krishna, I believe.

Beautiful! It's so beautiful.

I love the lead singer.

The lead singer sounds great.

MUSIC CONTINUES

I have a feeling that this celebration could go on a while.

It's time for me to slip away.

I'm spending the night on a boat moored just down the river,

and I'm keen to get on board before it gets too dark.

I'm always kind of taken aback a bit

at how welcoming everyone is,

despite the language barrier,

despite all of the different...

despite all the differences.

They're still there. Look.

Hi!

I've just come from a Hindu ceremony across the way

and I can hear the call to prayer all across this side.

Which is odd, cos I'm not at home,

but, by hearing that, I kind of almost feel at home.

It's lovely that two sides can live together like this.

I just... I can't... I have to keep pinching myself.

I cannot believe where I am right now.

David Attenborough, eat your heart out,

because this is the thing of dreams.

After a night gently rocked to sleep on the river,

I'm up early to cook myself a simple dhal for breakfast

before I continue my journey.

Going home and cooking in the kitchen isn't going to quite feel

the same any more.

In ten years, I'll be like, "There was a time when I was on a boat

"and I was cooking my lentils for breakfast."

We came from a farming village

and I know that my uncles grew up on lentils.

They ate a lot of lentils.

I think it was because it was cheap and it was easy to make in one pot

and it was hearty and it filled a hole.

I mean, I do wonder, do I really need that kind of fuel

first thing in the morning?

It's one tradition that's stayed.

So on a Sunday, every now and again, why not?

BIRDS CHIRP AND SQUAWK

I have an uncle who knows, like, every bird call.

He can tell me from the bird call what kind of bird it is.

He'd be useful right now.

At certain times of the year,

over 600 types of birds can be found in this part of Bangladesh

and there are hundreds of other animal species living in and around

this river, including the endangered Ganges river dolphin.

The dolphins that I'm looking for, they're freshwater dolphins

and they're very rare.

And the only other place we can see them is in the Amazon.

I should just let somebody else take over while I look for dolphins.

Oh!

I saw one!

I just saw one. Oh!

When you squeeze it, if it's got that powdery bit in the centre,

it's not cooked.

I'll put it back.

I feel so awful for having seen this,

cos the boys would be so jealous.

They really want to see something like this.

I'm going to serve this up into a bowl with some chapatis

and I'm going to sit down on top of the boat

and see if I can spot some more dolphins.

Oh, look! There's another splash just there.

I'm driving 180 miles north of Gobra

to the rural region of Sirajganj.

50 million people still live in poverty in Bangladesh

and almost three-quarters of them are based in rural communities.

I'm on my way to meet an entrepreneurial couple who have

pulled themselves out of extreme poverty by producing street food

snacks a little like Bombay mix.

They're hugely popular in Bangladesh and I love them.

Assalamu alaikum. Walaikum salaam.

Johir and Hamida run their street food business from home

and they've invited me along to show me how they make a couple of

their bestselling snacks - nimki and chanachur.

Their first job is to make two simple savoury doughs.

Before starting the business,

Johir was employed as a weaver

in one of the many local loom factories,

a job he did for over 25 years.

It was quite a risky thing to do.

How has your life changed since starting your business?

With the dough ready, it's time to get cooking.

Johir and Hamida have three children

and today their 16-year-old daughter is lending a hand.

Freshly cut strips of the nimki dough

are the first thing to go into the fryer.

How can I describe them?

They're like fried biscuits.

As if biscuits aren't delicious enough, you fry them.

He just knows.

He wasn't wrong about them being the best. They are absolutely delicious.

You can tell he knows he's good at what he does

and he's confident in what he makes.

Johir has a special bit of kit to make the chanachur,

which is the main ingredient in Bombay mix.

The machine presses the dough through a metal sieve,

creating fine noodles that drop straight into the boiling oil.

I've come to Bangladesh 100 times and eaten this 100 times

and never have I ever seen this being made.

They've been married 28 years.

The secret to a successful marriage - make chanachur!

Making the chanachur is clearly a team job,

but when it comes to selling the finished product,

Johir works on his own.

Six days a week,

he sets up his stall and stays open until he's sold out.

We're going for four chillies.

I did ask for hot!

When we were younger,

me and my mum used to love stopping for these in the street

and we'd compete as to who would have it spiciest.

I don't know how spicy his spicy is, but I am going to give it a go.

Johir makes his chanachur to order

by mixing the fried noodles with his own secret blend of spices.

And it's all from a great height and...

Oh, I can smell that. That smells good.

Some people like it really soft. Some people like it quite crunchy.

You're not eating it right if you're not eating it out of newspaper.

It's not a bank statement this time, it's just a newspaper.

That is the best chanachur I've ever tasted.

That's, er...

less than 10p

in England.

That is it. That is a cheap snack.

They've taken a skill,

simple food that you see everywhere in Bangladesh,

and they've made it extra special.

And they've made that their livelihood.

And they are so proud and they're so happy with what they've done.

They are proof of the Bangladesh that I know,

the people that I know of Bangladesh,

who are always so willing to try and try hard

to constantly try and improve their lives.

This is chanachur that's made with love.

I'm nearing the end of my stay in Bangladesh,

but before I head back to Sylhet to say goodbye to my family,

I've heard about an exciting new foodie destination

and I'm keen to check it out.

It's a four-hour drive from Sirajganj

back to the capital city, Dhaka.

Kazi Food Island is an open-air market

hosting a collection of food stalls,

all clustered around a central shared dining space.

My escort for the evening is Tanim Ahmed,

a Dhaka-based journalist

and self-styled gastronomical enthusiast.

As I walk in, straight away, there are only young people here.

Yeah. Young, hip, happening.

They also cater to this kind of crowd. Yeah.

It's supposed to be loud.

And the music and the food and everything is...

I'm feeling a little bit old as a 30-something-year-old

with three children here. I don't feel like I fit in.

I feel like a grandfather here!

This laid-back scene is so different

from the strict and sheltered culture of my youth.

I've looked around and there's all these kids

and they're all in mixed groups.

There's no chaperones, not one to be seen.

Right, that's one of the attractions of this place.

It's not just the vibe of this place that feels new to me.

The food on sale is also surprising.

The Bizarre Cafe.

The names are interesting, aren't they?

Then you've got all sorts of influences.

You've got Chinese, you've got American, Italian.

I don't know about you, but as I stand here, I worry slightly about

the next generation's waistline.

You're right to be worried, actually.

One in every five women is said to be obese in Bangladesh. Really? Yes.

While I've been travelling, all I've had is rice, curry and lots of fish.

Right, yes.

Is all this kind of different types of food,

is that representative of Dhaka now?

For a certain level of restaurant, yes.

It's so popular here, if you want a seat,

it's a case of sharing a table.

Can we join you? Yeah?

What's your favourite thing to eat here?

The sub sandwich and the cold coffee.

The cold coffee. Everyone says the cold coffee is really nice.

Maybe because of the weather.

Do you guys come here regularly, then? Yeah.

It's really close to our university. Do you guys study at the university?

Yeah. OK.

In Dhaka, I've seen there is a lot more continental foods,

much like England, where there's lots of different types of country.

Here, you've got more variety.

Do you guys find that you guys are cooking more like that at home

or do you guys just come out to eat like this?

We just come out and eat like this.

We don't actually... I don't think most of us cook like that at home.

If I make dinner for myself,

then I would go for pastas or steak or mashed potato and so on.

But if my mum's cooking dinner, she's never going to cook that,

she's probably going to cook just rice.

So from, like, the last generation, from our parents' generation,

that trend does not follow.

You know, apart from traditional foods,

we do like to open up to new tastes and all that. So...

These students, all in their early twenties,

are clearly connected to the world beyond Bangladesh.

Do you see yourself staying in Dhaka,

or do you see yourself going abroad to work?

We would like to be in Bangladesh and get some corporate experience,

and then go outside.

But I personally do not think that staying abroad as a Bangladeshi

might not be the best option

because, at the end of the day, I am a Bangladeshi

and I need to come back and contribute to my country.

I'd like to go abroad for educational purposes,

learn new things

and maybe implement those in my country when I come back.

So, permanently, staying abroad is probably not an option for us.

Patriotism to your country, I don't think that's ever changed,

because, actually, you see all those people

who do travel abroad and go abroad,

they spend a lot of their money back in Bangladesh.

You know, they live in England, but they're kind of...

Everything comes back here.

You know, so I suppose in some ways,

whether you travel there or don't travel there,

that sense of belonging

or that loyalty to your country still kind of stays, yeah.

Got my first selfie in Bangladesh.

MAN LAUGHS

This is a very modern Bangladesh that I have yet to experience.

It's the first time I've experienced something like it.

This is definitely the other side of the coin.

I'm used to traditional Bangladesh.

This is definitely modern Bangladesh.

You know, you meet these young, articulate people,

who have got so much to say and, you know, so many hopes and aspirations

and that's Bangladesh's future, perhaps.

Two weeks ago, I arrived in Bangladesh, and now,

over 900 miles and some incredible experiences later,

my journey is coming to an end.

The final leg is a six-hour drive from Dhaka

back to my family village, near Sylhet.

This is the longest I've spent away from Abdal and the kids,

who are back home in England,

and I'm really looking forward to seeing them.

Just texting Abdal to let him know that I've done a grocery shop.

Can he be at home on Sunday, please?

They've got school on Monday, so I'm doing all the packed lunch shopping.

I'm afraid that he's not going to know what to get them

and it'll be Jaffa Cakes and crisps!

I'm heading back to the village to see my family now.

And I couldn't not see them before going back home to England.

I think they'll have lots of questions.

Or at least I hope they have lots of questions,

because I've got lots to tell them. I've got lots to tell them.

I want to scream and shout and say, "Guys, get out of the village!

"Get a car, find a boat, do anything, just leave!

"Go see it."

I can't believe I've been able to see parts of Bangladesh

that a lot of my family members have never seen.

I feel quite privileged to be able to have done that.

I love coming home!

That's full of water now.

When I left last week,

it was just slightly in the middle. It's all full.

Hi, Dad.

Assalamu alaikum. Walaikum salaam.

How are you, darling? I'm all right.

It's always been so important to my dad

that I feel connected to Bangladesh,

so I know he's desperate to hear about my trip.

I could just go on all day

and tell you about all the things that I've seen, honestly.

I am officially more Bangladeshi than you are!

I'm proud. I'm proud.

Yeah, I know you are.

I'm so proud that you have seen it

and you can at least influence your children.

Dad, can we have some otters?

THEY LAUGH

My mum and dad will be returning to the UK soon.

It's the rest of my family I need to say goodbye to.

And especially my grandma.

She gets really upset.

She always says that whenever she sees us,

she feels like it's the last time that she'll see us.

For my last dinner here,

I'm cooking a comforting beef curry with garlic and paprika-spiced okra

and some simple rice chapatis.

And because I always prefer to chat while I cook,

my cousins Sumi and Iva are joining me in the kitchen.

OK, come on.

Iva, we'll give you the easy jobs.

Yes, please. Come on, then.

The beef curry that I'm doing is just a classic beef curry.

It doesn't have any vegetables in it,

it's just beef and spices and lots of onions.

And traditionally, when you make a big pot of beef curry,

you always have it with rice chapatis.

So we're going to make a few of those today.

And...

..it's going to be easy work, because I've got lots of help.

Extra hands are essential,

because there are no mod cons in my grandma's kitchen.

Take this here. Put that on top.

I've got Iva doing the okra for me, so she's splitting them lengthways.

I'm having a feeble attempt

at peeling all this ginger and garlic and onions.

And Sumi, she's the human food processor.

But Mum's just keeping an eye on the fire for us and washing the meat,

and keeping the cat away. Mum, you want to keep the cat away!

Everyone's got back pain.

Our mums...

Our mums are always complaining about having really bad backs.

We know why.

I'm quite looking forward to getting back to my own kitchen,

with its work surfaces and familiar knives.

I'm too slow. I'm going to have to practise and come back

so I can be a bit faster.

This time last week, I was on a rocket steamer,

boat, cooking for the captain.

Wow. What did you cook?

What did I cook? I cooked a mutton biryani,

and they really liked it. I was really surprised, actually.

Did you do any shopping?

For the first time in my life, I didn't actually come for shopping.

Oh.

Are you slightly disappointed?

Yeah!

So you didn't get anything? Not really, no. Nothing? Nah.

I still feel out of my depth here.

I need to go back down to gas mark one.

Don't quite know how to do it. I'm going to set myself on fire.

Right, no. That didn't work. OK, let's just go with it.

Sumi is making the chapati dough

by adding rice flour to boiling salted water.

Right, I've got bay leaves.

When you're looking for bay leaves, they're always above your head.

I'm making the beef curry and the first job is to get the base going.

So I've got my oil and then I've put my whole spices,

so cinnamon, cardamom and some bay leaves, and I've added my...

that Sumi did for me, my ginger, my garlic and my onion paste.

That just needs about ten minutes' cooking

and then it's time to add the beef.

I'll miss the fun that comes with cooking in a kitchen like this.

I definitely have a different appreciation

for how hard everybody works just to cook one meal.

The final stage is to add some whole green chillies...

..and the ground spices, turmeric, chilli, cumin and curry powder.

And then that just needs to tick away for about half an hour

while Sumi finishes the chapatis and Iva and I make the okra.

I'll do the oil bit and you do the rest.

We're coating the okra in a delicious blend of salt,

garlic powder and dried chilli flakes.

Heat the oil up, throw it in, two minutes, out. That's it.

I'm adding some fresh coriander to the curry,

and as soon as the okra and chapatis are done, it will be ready to serve.

Going to all head over to Dad's, get together,

have our last meal together as a family

and then just, yeah, enjoy the night and say goodbye.

Mum, you know your coconut samosas?

I gave away your secret, I'm sorry.

It's OK. I've got another secret. Are you going to tell me?

She's not going to tell me anything any more.

She's not going to tell me anything

because I'll just put it in a cookbook or something.

They liked your recipe, Mum. Thank you.

Coming to Bangladesh and teaching my children about Bangladesh

was never really that important to me,

but it feels important to me now.

You enjoy yourself? Yeah. Good.

I've always called Bangladesh "back home",

because that's what my dad called it.

But I know why it's "back home" now.

I know why it's "back home".

And I'm not going to leave it another decade

to come back.

I went into complete strangers' homes

and fed them things that they had never seen

and they cooked for me and we ate together.

And despite the language barriers and despite the cultural barriers,

despite everything, we could sit down in the same place

and be together.

I've learned so much about the people.

But I've learned stuff about myself, as well.

To be able to experience it properly

in parts of it that I've not seen before,

you know, it's given me an opportunity

to see really, actually, where do I belong.

I'm British, I'm a Muslim,

I'm Bangladeshi, and I'm proud of all three.