I’m pleased to introduce Dyutima Jha — a name well known in food photography and culinary storytelling — and the creative force behind the My Food Lens podcast. Raised by a schoolteacher mother who loved to experiment in the kitchen and a neurologist father, Dyutima spent her childhood moving across India every three years because her father served in the military. Those frequent relocations gave her a deep familiarity with India’s many regions, cuisines, and ways of life.
Today Dyutima channels those memories into evocative food stories and striking photographs. Her path has been anything but linear: she built a successful career as a healthcare architect, chose to follow a longtime love, and ultimately embraced a new chapter as a food photographer and podcaster. Her work blends technical skill with warmth, curiosity, and respect for the cultural roots of food.
Highlights
- Memories of family meals and the question, “What would you like to eat?”
- A recent, meaningful tour of India visiting relatives and reconnecting with her past
- A tender childhood memory of her mother feeding her a dish by hand
- Traditional cooking techniques, including the use of mustard oil
- Perseverance in the kitchen — “Don’t give up!” — and mastering mustard sauce
- The wide diversity of her mother’s cooking and the everyday skills that shaped her
- First encounters with new foods, like coleslaw, alongside classic Indian dishes
- Moving frequently across India and how it shaped her outlook
- Reflections on the city of Patna and the history of the places she’s lived
- Choosing a partner from childhood and how that choice affected her life
- Her rewarding career in healthcare architecture and why she ultimately changed direction
- Emotional decisions and the resolve to pursue food photography without regrets
Listen to Dyutima Now
Hear Dyutima’s episode and her stories on the My Food Lens podcast and The Storied Recipe. Her conversation covers family food memories, regional dishes, the role of scent and texture in photography, and her favorite mustard-based recipes.
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Dyutima’s Storied Recipe: Shorshe Mach (Mustard Fish Curry)
Dyutima shares a classic Bengali favorite: Shorshe Mach, a mustard fish curry that highlights bold, tangy mustard flavors balanced with gentle aromatics. Read the full recipe and the story behind it at the recipe source linked below.
Shorshe Mach (Mustard Fish Curry)
How To Contact Dyutima Jha
Instagram: @dyutima_myfoodlens
Facebook: My Food Lens
Pinterest: @dyutima_myfoodlens
Apple Podcasts: My Food Lens
Website: www.myfoodlens.com
Places That Dyutima Mentions
Connaught Place
City of Patna
Le Corbusier architecture in India
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