Dina Watt grew up in Bandung, West-Java, Indonesia and now happily married and living in Aberdeenshire, she is known as The Indonesian Cook. Dina fell in love with the amazing scenery that Scotland offers, and her love of nature and gardening fuels her passion for cooking. Her late grandma back in Indonesia has most influenced her cooking, as she watched her use fresh ingredients from her kitchen garden.
In her regular column, Dina will share her own adventurous recipes for delicious home cooked meals that are easy to make, mostly using the homegrown, seasonal, fresh fruits and vegetables from her own Scottish garden. She tries to use every bit of the plant in order to practice zero-waste principles and re-using leftovers is one of her favourite things to share on her Instagram page.
“I am not a professional chef, I just have a great passion for life, food, cooking, and gardening. I believe it all started watching my late grandma in Indonesia using seasonal, fresh ingredients to cook us incredibly delicious food. If there were any leftovers, the next day she would come up with a totally different yet amazing dish. The way she cleverly used her seasonal homegrown vegetables to the max fascinated me. She is definitely the main source of my inspiration.
I started to really cook a lot when I was studying at the University in Pretoria, South Africa – I could not live only on instant noodles and scrambled eggs! And that cooking passion still lives on now. My father was a diplomat and we lived in different parts of the world such as Europe, Asia, and Africa which has also influenced the way I develop my unique recipes, often prepared in unusual ways.
Cherish the fruits and vegetables of your own hard work and treat them as precious treasures to get the most from them. I really hope you enjoy my recipes in Scotland Grows magazine and eat well!”
Looking forward to hearing more from The Indonesian Cook.
Sounds like the perfect blend of gardening and exotic recipes will be coming our way. Can’t wait!