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Mandelhörnchen

Marzipan almond crescents

Look along the glass counter of almost any German bakery and you will find these: fat crescents of almond paste, crusted in toasted flaked almonds, with both horns dipped in dark chocolate. Inside they stay soft and chewy, almost like a macaroon, while the outside crunches. People buy one to eat with a coffee on the way home rather than keeping them for a festival, though they turn up on Christmas plates too. They need no flour, so they are naturally gluten free. Chef's tip: take them out when the almond flakes are golden but the crescents still feel soft; overbaking is the common mistake, and they set hard as they cool.

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Yaki udonStir-fried udon noodles

Yaki udon (焼うどん) was first made in Kitakyushu, in northern Kyushu, just after the war, when a café owner ran out of soba for yakisoba and fried udon instead. The thick, chewy noodles are tossed in a hot pan with cabbage, onion, mushrooms and carrot, then glazed with soy, mirin and a little vegetarian Worcestershire-style sauce. Meat is usual in Japan; this vegetarian version gets its richness from shiitake and a fried egg on top. A fast, filling weeknight supper. Chef's tip: get the pan really hot and leave the noodles alone for 30 seconds at a time, so they pick up slightly charred edges; that smoky 'koge' is what makes yaki udon taste like the street-stall version.

20 min

Japanese Pasta & Noodles

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Baechu kimchiNapa cabbage kimchi

Baechu kimchi (배추김치) is the napa cabbage kimchi served at almost every Korean meal, from Seoul to Jeju. Salted cabbage quarters are rubbed leaf by leaf with a red paste of chilli flakes, garlic, ginger, radish and spring onion, then left to ferment until sour, fizzy and deeply savoury. Most recipes use fish sauce and salted shrimp; this one gets its depth from kelp stock and tamari, so it is vegetarian and gluten free. Eat it fresh after a day or two, or let it sour for a few weeks for kimchi fried rice, stews and pancakes. Salting takes about 2 hours, then allow 1–2 days for fermenting. Chef's tip: the salting is everything. Under-salted cabbage goes mushy and spoils; over-salted kimchi is harsh. Test a thick white stem: when it bends without snapping, rinse.

150 min

Korean Basics

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TteokbokkiRice cakes in spicy sauce

Tteokbokki (떡볶이) is Korea's best-loved street snack: chewy cylinders of rice cake simmered in a thick, glossy, sweet and spicy red sauce. It became a classic in Seoul, where it is sold from street stalls and snack bars in every neighbourhood. Street versions use anchovy stock and fish cakes; this vegan version uses a quick kelp and shiitake stock with cabbage and spring onions, and has all the same punch. Eat it hot, while the rice cakes are soft and stretchy. Chef's tip: keep stirring and scrape the bottom; the rice cakes release starch that thickens the sauce but also catches. The sauce is right when it clings to the spoon in a glossy coat.

25 min

Korean Snacks & Starters

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Tofu bulgogiTofu in bulgogi marinade

Tofu bulgogi (두부불고기) takes the famous sweet and savoury bulgogi marinade, usually made for thin slices of beef, and uses it on golden pan-fried tofu instead. It is a popular meat-free dish in homes and temple-style restaurants across Korea. Grated pear sweetens the soy and garlic sauce and makes it glossy, and the tofu is fried first so it holds its shape and soaks up the glaze. Serve with rice, lettuce leaves for wrapping and kimchi. Chef's tip: dry the tofu well and leave it alone in the pan until it releases by itself. A good golden crust is what lets it soak up the glaze without falling apart.

30 min

Korean Vegetarian

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BibimbapRice bowl with seasoned vegetables

Bibimbap (비빔밥) means 'mixed rice': a bowl of warm rice topped with small heaps of separately seasoned vegetables, a fried egg and a spoonful of gochujang sauce, all stirred together at the table. The city of Jeonju in North Jeolla province is famous for it and serves it with a dozen or more toppings; this home version keeps five that are easy to find. Each vegetable is cooked on its own so it keeps its colour and texture, and the sauce brings sweetness, heat and a nutty sesame finish. Serve with kimchi and a light soup. Chef's tip: season every vegetable on its own, lightly, and taste each one. If each heap is good alone, the mixed bowl will be balanced; if they are all dressed alike, the bowl tastes flat.

45 min

Korean Rice & Grains

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SunomonoCucumber and wakame salad

Sunomono (酢の物, 'vinegared things') are small, refreshing dishes served alongside rice and richer food in homes all over Japan. This one, kyūri to wakame no sunomono, is the most common: paper-thin salted cucumber and wakame seaweed in a sweet, gentle rice-vinegar dressing. It cuts through fried food like tempura or gyoza. Ready in ten minutes, and best eaten chilled. Chef's tip: salt the cucumber and squeeze it hard. It draws out the water so the slices turn pleasantly crunchy and drink up the dressing instead of diluting it.

10 min

Japanese Salads

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Agedashi tofuFried tofu in warm broth

Agedashi tofu (揚げ出し豆腐) is a classic izakaya dish eaten all over Japan: cubes of soft tofu dusted in potato starch, fried until they form a thin, crisp shell, then bathed in a hot, savoury broth. The coating turns silky as it soaks up the sauce while the tofu inside stays creamy. Usually topped with bonito flakes; here it's grated daikon, ginger and spring onion with a kombu-shiitake broth instead. Chef's tip: coat the tofu in starch right before it goes into the oil, not ahead of time; if it sits, the starch turns damp and the coating fries up gummy instead of crisp.

20 min

Japanese Snacks & Starters

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Vegetable gyoza

Gyoza (餃子) came to Japan from China and became a passion in Utsunomiya, a city north of Tokyo that calls itself the gyoza capital, with a gyoza statue outside the station. These vegetarian dumplings are filled with salted cabbage, shiitake, tofu and garlic chives. They're pan-fried and then steamed, so the bottoms turn crisp and golden while the tops stay soft. Shape a big batch and freeze some for later. Chef's tip: squeeze the salted cabbage really hard. Watery filling makes soggy, torn gyoza; a dry filling keeps the wrappers sealed and the bottoms crisp.

60 min

Japanese Snacks & Starters

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Vegetable tempura

Tempura (天ぷら) became a Tokyo street food in the Edo period, when stalls fried it to order by the city's riverbanks. The secret to the thin, lacy coating is an ice-cold, lumpy batter mixed at the last second and vegetables fried in small batches. Sweet potato, aubergine, pepper, shiitake and green beans all work well. Serve straight from the pan with a light dipping sauce and grated daikon. Chef's tip: keep everything cold. Use ice-cold water, mix the batter only seconds before frying, leave it lumpy, and stand the bowl in a larger bowl of ice. Cold batter hitting hot oil is what makes the lacy, crackly shell that Tokyo tempura masters prize.

35 min

Japanese Snacks & Starters

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Edamame with sea salt

Edamame (枝豆) are young green soybeans cooked in their pods, the classic snack with a cold drink in izakaya and beer gardens all over Japan, especially in summer. You squeeze the beans straight from the salty pod into your mouth. Rubbing the pods with salt before boiling seasons them through and keeps them bright green. They're a good source of plant protein too. Chef's tip: rub the pods with salt before boiling, as izakaya cooks do. It scrubs off the fuzz, keeps the pods bright green and seasons the beans inside.

8 min

Japanese Snacks & Starters

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Vegetable miso ramen

Miso ramen was born in Sapporo, Hokkaido, and is now eaten all over Japan. This vegetarian version builds a deep broth from kombu and dried shiitake instead of pork bones, then thickens it with miso and toasted sesame paste. A pile of quickly stir-fried cabbage, bean sprouts, carrot and sweetcorn goes on top with a soft-boiled egg. Slurp it while it's piping hot on a cold day. Chef's tip: fry the miso paste for a minute in the hot wok with the garlic and ginger before it meets the broth, as Sapporo shops do; the toasted miso gives the soup its deep, roasted flavour.

35 min

Japanese Pasta & Noodles

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Zaru sobaChilled buckwheat noodles

Zaru soba (ざるそば) is the simplest and most loved way to eat buckwheat noodles in Japan, served chilled on a bamboo tray (zaru) with a small cup of dipping sauce. You pick up a mouthful of noodles, dip them, and slurp. The usual tsuyu sauce is made with bonito; this one gets its savoury depth from kombu and dried shiitake. Refreshing on a hot day, with grated wasabi, spring onion and a little nori. Chef's tip: the ice-water rinse is not optional. It washes off the surface starch and tightens the noodles so they're slippery and firm; soba shops call this 'shime', the finishing chill.

20 min

Japanese Pasta & Noodles

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Japanese curry rice

Japanese curry rice (カレーライス) arrived in Japan from Britain via the navy in the late 1800s and is now a national comfort food, cooked in homes from Hokkaido to Okinawa. It is nothing like an Indian curry: the sauce is thick, glossy and mild, made with a roux of butter, flour and curry powder, and sweetened with grated apple. This vegetarian version is packed with potato, carrot, onion and mushrooms. It tastes even better the next day, and children love it. Chef's tip: take the onions all the way to a deep golden brown before anything else goes in. Japanese home cooks swear by this step, as the caramelised onion gives the curry its rounded sweetness.

50 min

Japanese Curries

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Yaki onigiriGrilled rice balls

Yaki onigiri (焼きおにぎり) are rice balls grilled until they form a crisp, toasty crust, then brushed with soy sauce glaze. They are eaten all over Japan, at izakaya, at barbecues and from the freezer section, as a snack or with miso soup. The inside stays soft and steamy while the outside crackles. Best eaten hot, straight from the pan. Chef's tip: let the shaped rice balls dry for 10 minutes before they go in the pan. A drier surface forms a better crust and won't stick, and the glaze goes on only at the end so it doesn't burn.

30 min

Japanese Snacks & Starters

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Tofu katsu curry

Katsu curry (カツカレー) is a favourite in canteens and curry houses across Japan, first served in Tokyo's Ginza in the 1940s. A crunchy breaded cutlet is sliced and laid over rice, then half of it is smothered in thick, mild curry sauce, so you get crisp and saucy bites. Here firm tofu replaces the pork. It is a little more work than plain curry rice, but children love it. Chef's tip: fry the katsu at the last minute and pour the curry over only half of it, so you always keep some crunch; Japanese curry houses serve it exactly this way.

45 min

Japanese Curries

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Matcha latte

Matcha (抹茶) is finely ground green tea from Uji, near Kyoto, the heart of Japanese tea-growing for centuries. A matcha latte (抹茶ラテ) is the café version: the powder is whisked to a smooth, frothy shot, then topped up with steamed milk and lightly sweetened. It tastes grassy, creamy and gently bitter. Use any milk you like; oat milk froths especially well. Chef's tip: keep the water at about 80°C. Boiling water scorches matcha and makes it bitter; let the kettle stand for 2–3 minutes after boiling before you pour.

7 min

Japanese Drinks

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Japanese cheesecake

Japanese soufflé cheesecake (スフレチーズケーキ) is soft, airy and barely sweet, somewhere between a cheesecake and a chiffon sponge, and it wobbles when it comes out of the oven. It became popular in Japanese bakeries in the 1960s and later spread from Osaka and Fukuoka shops around the world. Cream cheese is folded with stiffly whipped meringue and baked slowly in a water bath so it rises without cracking. It takes patience, but the result melts in the mouth. Chef's tip: whip the meringue only to soft-to-medium peaks and bake low and slow in the water bath. Over-whipped egg whites and a hot oven are the two reasons this cake cracks and then collapses.

100 min

Japanese Baking

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Kimchi fried rice

Kimchi fried rice (김치볶음밥, kimchi bokkeumbap) is the dish Korean households all over the country make when the kimchi has turned sour and there is leftover rice in the fridge. The kimchi and its juice are fried first so they caramelise, then the rice is tossed through until every grain is red, tangy and a little smoky. A fried egg with a runny yolk on top makes it a meal. Use well-fermented vegetarian kimchi, such as the baechu kimchi in this collection; many shop-bought kimchis contain fish sauce or shrimp, so check the label. Chef's tip: the kimchi must be properly sour, at least two or three weeks old. Fresh kimchi makes a flat, watery fried rice; fry it until it catches slightly before the rice goes in.

15 min

Korean Rice & Grains

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Gimbap

Gimbap (김밥) are rolls of sesame-seasoned rice and colourful fillings wrapped in roasted seaweed, then sliced into rounds. They are the classic Korean picnic and lunchbox food, sold on almost every street corner nationwide. Unlike sushi rice, gimbap rice is seasoned with salt and sesame oil rather than vinegar, so it tastes nutty and savoury. This vegetarian version is filled with omelette strips, garlicky spinach, carrot, soy-glazed tofu, cucumber and the bright yellow pickled radish called danmuji. They keep well for a few hours, so they are good to make ahead for a trip. Chef's tip: season the rice while it is warm and spread it thin, no more than a few grains deep. Thick rice and wet fillings are the two reasons rolls burst or go soggy.

50 min

Korean Snacks & Starters

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Bibim guksuCold spicy noodles

Bibim guksu (비빔국수) is a bowl of chilled thin wheat noodles mixed with a sweet, tangy and fiery gochujang dressing and topped with crunchy cucumber, lettuce and kimchi. It is a summer favourite all over Korea, quick enough for lunch and refreshing on a hot day. The noodles are rinsed in cold water until springy, then tossed with the sauce just before eating. Many versions add half a boiled egg; this one is fully vegan. Chef's tip: rinse the noodles hard in cold water, rubbing them like laundry, then drain them really well. Leftover starch or water dulls the dressing and makes the noodles sticky.

20 min

Korean Pasta & Noodles

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Miso soup

Miso soup (味噌汁) is drunk every day in homes all over Japan, at breakfast as well as dinner, beside a bowl of rice. The base is dashi; this vegan version uses kombu and dried shiitake instead of bonito, which gives it a deep, rounded flavour. Silken tofu and wakame seaweed are the classic fillings. It takes ten minutes; just remember not to boil the miso. Chef's tip: add the miso at the very end and never let it boil. Boiling kills the miso's fresh, fermented aroma; Japanese cooks say the soup should only 'smile', with the surface barely trembling.

10 min

Japanese Soups

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Matcha mochiGreen tea rice cakes

Mochi (もち) are soft, chewy rice cakes made from glutinous rice flour, and Kyoto's confectioners have long flavoured them with matcha from nearby Uji. This quick home version cooks the dough in the microwave rather than pounding steamed rice. Each little green ball is wrapped around a centre of sweet red bean paste and dusted with cornflour. They are best eaten the day they are made, while still soft. Chef's tip: work while the dough is still warm, and keep your hands and the tray well dusted with starch. Warm mochi stretches easily around the filling; once it cools it tears and won't seal.

26 min

Japanese Desserts

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Arabian date pinwheels

Crumbly, buttery biscuit dough is rolled out, spread with a soft date filling flavoured with cinnamon and lemon, rolled into logs, sliced and baked into pretty pinwheels. They make a big batch of 50 and keep well in an airtight tin. Serve with tea, or with ice cream as a dessert.

60 minMiddle Eastern Baking

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Lebanese date cake

A soft, moist cake made without eggs: self-raising flour and brown sugar are rubbed with butter, then mixed with milk and sour cream and studded with chopped dates, raisins and pistachios, with a warm hint of nutmeg and vanilla. Lovely with tea or served warm with cream.

70 minMiddle Eastern Baking

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Baba ganoush

A creamy, smoky dip of baked aubergine blended with tahini dip, yogurt, lemon juice, garlic, a touch of chilli and olive oil. Sprinkled with parsley, it is perfect with toasted pitta or a plate of vegetable sticks as a starter or part of a mezze spread.

55 minMiddle Eastern Chutneys & Dips

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Spicy Thai noodles

Soft rice noodles tossed with a colourful stir-fry of bean sprouts, carrot, snow peas, capsicum and celery, seasoned with red curry paste, soy sauce and a dash of vinegar. Crushed roasted peanuts, fresh mint and lemon wedges finish it. A quick, spicy one-wok meal.

40 min

Thai Pasta & Noodles

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Thai bean burger

A Thai-flavoured veggie burger: butter beans are blended with fresh coconut, spring onions, coriander, roasted peanuts and red curry paste into coarse patties, shallow-fried until crisp and stacked in toasted buns with lettuce, onion and a little sweet chilli sauce. Filling, crunchy and full of flavour. Serve with a salad or chips.

40 min

Thai Fast Food

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