08/12/2026
Queen Of Cuisine: Siddika Kabir-
Oklahoma women can be found far and wide, both nationally and internationally, and some come from far and wide as well. The state leaves an indelible impact upon all who spend time here.
Siddika Kabir was born in Dhaka, Bangladesh (then British-ruled Bengal, India) in 1931, the second of 6 children of Sayeeda Hasina Khatun and Maulvi Ahmadullah. At that time, most every Bangladeshi girl and woman cooked for their family, be it basic subsistence meals or fine dining. Her father died when she was just 17, but she persevered, taking on the responsibility of looking after her siblings. She earned a Master’s Degree in Mathematics from the University of Dhaka. In 1957, she gained employment as a math teacher for Viquarunnisa School & College before transitioning to Eden Girl’s College in Azimpur, Bangladesh (then Pakistan). Her second Master’s Degree, in Food, Nutrition, and Institutional Administration, was obtained through a grant from the Ford Foundation, allowing her to attend Oklahoma State University (OSU) from 1961-1963. OSU has long offered an acclaimed nutrition program. Upon her return from Oklahoma she joined the nutrition department of the College of Home Economics in Azimpur, eventually becoming Principal before she retired in 1993.
She worked as a Pakistani Radio presenter while going to college for her first degree. Siddika starred on Pakistan Television in her first TV cooking show, Ghare Baire, in 1965, the first in what would become many subsequent shows as star, host, presenter, or guest often on the NTV Network. Her goal was to aid in eradicating malnourishment in her country. She wrote numerous cookbooks, her first being Ranna Khaddya Pushti (Cooking, Food, Nutrition). Publishers had no interest when she first offered it to them, necessitating Siddika to publish it entirely by herself at full cost in 1978. It was her attempt to expose Bangladeshi women to the cuisines of the world and was written in native Bangla for that reason. It won a Gourmand World Cookbook Award in 2011.
Her second book, Bangladesh Curry Cookbook, was written in English and sought to expose the world to Bangladeshi cuisine, and was the first of her works to gain significant international recognition. She also wrote a column in the daily Janakantha that would eventually be published in book form as Rasna in 1997. Her skill and stardom garnered the attentions of many major foreign and domestic food companies like Dano, Nestle, and Radhuni for whom she consulted. Siddika genuinely loved to cook, particularly trying foods from other cultures. She tried to incorporate nutritional value into every meal. Siddika advocated not eating indiscriminately after age 20 and maintaining a diet routine after age 40. She herself preferred less spicy food than much of what can be found on the Indian subcontinent and Southeast Asia. She approached recipes like equations, working on them repeatedly until she reached what she felt was perfection. Her family often got her failures as their snacks, but seldom complained.
She made contributions in the field of children’s literature as well and was an active women’s rights activist. In her personal life, her adopted daughter described her as “balanced,” having the ability to be simultaneously modern and traditional while juggling her professional and home life. Siddika married Journalist and Bangladesh Bank Deputy Governor Syed Kabir and with him came his daughter Zarina, whose mother had died in childbirth in 1964. He said that having her in his life was the best thing that ever happened to him and together they had 3 children- Sakhawat Ahmed, Shahanaz Ahmed Chandana, and Ahmed Saad. Zarina is a Karolinska Institute researcher and writer in Stockholm, Sweden. Siddika’s niece, Sara Zaker, is a Bangladeshi theatre and TV actor and personality, director, business entrepreneur, and social activist. She and Syed maintained a home environment where the search for knowledge was considered both natural and infinite. Syed was openly affectionate with his wife, and for her birthday once hid several Saris about the house where she would likely encounter them throughout her day. Every time she found one she changed into it, cherishing them all afterwards. Siddika won the Anannya Top Ten Award dedicated to women who made major contributions from many different fields in 2004 and the Shelltech Award in 2009. Syed died in 2000, Siddika died of old age in 2012, age 80.