Featured recipe

Lumpiang sariwa

Fresh vegetable spring rolls

Lumpiang sariwa ('fresh lumpia') is the unfried cousin of the crisp Filipino spring roll, served at fiestas, family gatherings and as a substantial afternoon merienda around Manila and the Tagalog provinces. A thin, soft egg crepe is wrapped around a lettuce leaf and a warm sauté of sweet potato, jicama, carrot, green beans, cabbage and tofu, then covered in a glossy brown garlic sauce and a shower of crushed peanuts. In Negros the filling is heart of palm (ubod) instead. It is eaten with a knife and fork, or carefully by hand. Chef's tip: make the crepes thin enough that you can almost see light through them; thick ones turn rubbery and hide the filling.

What to eat today?

Around the world

Today's trip: Persian

A new country every day, from every cuisine on the site.

Persian

Morabba-ye albaloo

Sour cherry preserve 65 minMore from Persian (131) →

This week's collection

Kid-friendly dinners541 recipes · a new collection every Monday

New this week

See all new →

Latest recipes

Dum ka murghSlow-cooked chicken in yogurt and cashews

Dum ka murgh is a dish of Hyderabad's Nizami dastarkhwan, still cooked at weddings and Eid lunches: chicken marinated in yogurt, ground cashews, fried onions and whole spices, then sealed in a heavy pot and cooked slowly in its own steam. The gravy is pale, rich and fragrant with cardamom and kewra. The common mistake is opening the lid to check; the steam escapes and the chicken cooks unevenly, so trust the timing and use a heavy pan on a tawa. Food safety: marinate covered in the fridge and cook until the thickest piece reaches 74 °C. Chef's tip: fry the onions slowly to an even deep gold, not brown; burnt birista turns the whole gravy bitter.

205 min

Indian Chicken

by KrazyBadal 0 views

Bilahi chutneySweet-sour tomato chutney

Bilahi is the Assamese word for tomato, and this glossy red chutney, sweet with jaggery and warmed with nigella and dried chilli, closes a festive Assamese meal, especially at weddings and on Bihu, as the sweet-sour last course before curd and sweets. Everyday cooks in Jorhat and Guwahati make a quick batch in winter when tomatoes are cheap. The mistake to avoid is adding the jaggery too early, which scorches before the tomatoes have broken down. Chef's tip: a few dates or raisins added with the jaggery give the chutney a deeper, jammy sweetness.

25 min

Indian Chutneys & Dips

by KrazyBadal 0 views

Durofrío de mangoFrozen mango milk pops

In the hot streets of Centro Habana, durofríos are sold straight from the front windows of family homes: a few pesos buys a frozen cup of fruit juice or fruit and milk, popped out and eaten on a stick or straight from its paper cup. Children queue for them after school in the long summer afternoons, when the sea breeze has dropped. This version blends ripe mango with milk and lime into a creamy, fruity ice that is firm, as the name says ("hard-cold"), rather than soft like ice cream. Swap the milk for water or guava juice for a dairy-free fruit ice. It contains milk. Chef's tip: make the mix taste a little too sweet before freezing; cold dulls sweetness.

240 min

Cuban Desserts

by KrazyBadal 0 views

Cà phê cốt dừa (coconut coffee)

Hanoi takes its coffee seriously, and in the last fifteen years coconut coffee has become one of the city's signatures, sold from Old Quarter cafés, lakeside balconies around Hoàn Kiếm and tiny stools on the pavement. It is a hot-weather drink, at its best on a sticky afternoon between May and September, eaten half with a spoon. Strong Vietnamese robusta drips slowly through an aluminium phin, then is poured over a pale slush of thick coconut cream, sweetened condensed milk and crushed ice, so you get bitter, dark coffee against something rich and cold that tastes like coconut ice cream. The common mistake is blending the slush too long or with too much ice, which leaves it thin and watery, and pouring the coffee in boiling hot so the slush collapses. Blend just until it looks like soft snow, and let the coffee cool for a minute or two. It is ready when the slush holds a spoon upright and the coffee sits in a dark layer on top. Robusta is high in caffeine and this is a strong drink, so it is not for children and one glass is plenty. Chef's tip: chill the coconut cream overnight; cold, thick cream gives a fluffier slush.

15 min

Vietnamese Drinks

by KrazyBadal 0 views

Vazhakkai podimas (raw banana podimas)

Podimas comes from Tamil Brahmin kitchens in Thanjavur and Chennai, where green plantain is boiled whole, grated into soft crumbs and tossed with a tempering of mustard, dal, ginger, green chilli and coconut, then sharpened with lemon. It is light and fluffy, and it sits happily next to sambar rice or rasam rice in a tiffin. The mistake is overboiling the plantain: it turns sticky and will not grate into crumbs. Pull it out as soon as a knife slides in with a little resistance. Chef's tip: grate it on the large holes of a box grater while still warm, then let it cool before tossing, so the shreds stay separate.

28 min

Indian Sides

by KrazyBadal 0 views

Ndizi na maharageGreen bananas and red beans

Across Tanzania, from Dar es Salaam to the banana farms around Kilimanjaro, ndizi na maharage is a filling weekday lunch: green cooking bananas and red beans simmered in one pot with tomato, onion and coconut milk until the bananas are soft and the sauce creamy. It needs nothing more than a few slices of avocado or a fresh kachumbari salad on the side. The usual mistake is cooking dried red kidney beans gently from the start: they must boil hard for 10 minutes first to be safe. Peel green bananas with oiled hands, as the sap stains and sticks. Chef's tip: add the bananas only once the beans are tender, then let them simmer until they just break at the edges and thicken the sauce.

90 minEast African Vegetarian

by KrazyBadal 0 views

Ei im GlasSoft-boiled eggs in a glass

In the old coffee houses of Vienna, the breakfast menu still lists Ei im Glas: two very soft-boiled eggs, scooped warm from their shells into a small glass, with a knob of butter, chives, salt and pepper. You stir it into a golden, custardy mess and eat it with a crisp Semmel roll (gluten-free bread if you need it) and a Melange coffee. The mistake almost everyone makes is boiling the eggs a minute too long, so the yolk sets and the dish turns into plain egg salad. Chef's tip: warm the glass with hot water while the eggs cook, so the butter melts on contact and the eggs stay hot to the last spoonful.

8 min

Austrian Breakfast & Brunch

by KrazyBadal 0 views

Ají de fideosNoodles in red chilli with beef

Ají de fideos fills the market comedores of La Paz at lunchtime: spaghetti snapped into short pieces and simmered in a brick-red sauce of dried chilli, onion and tomato with chunks of beef and potato, all eaten with a spoon. It is warming, a little smoky and properly hot, perfect at 3,600 metres. The trap is adding the pasta too early, which leaves it bloated and the sauce gluey. Chef's tip: toast the broken spaghetti in a little oil until golden before it goes into the pot; it keeps its shape and adds a nutty flavour.

90 minAndean Pasta & Noodles

by KrazyBadal 0 views

Awan bangwiSticky rice with nuts

Awan bangwi belongs to the Kokborok-speaking communities of Tripura, who make it for weddings, Garia Puja and New Year gatherings. Soaked sticky rice is mixed with ginger, cashews, raisins and a little ghee, folded into cones of leaf and steamed until glossy and chewy. The mistake to avoid is packing the cones too tightly: the rice swells and the leaves split. Banana leaf or turmeric leaf replaces the local leaf well. Chef's tip: soak the rice overnight; under-soaked grains stay chalky however long you steam them.

75 min

Indian Indian Sweets

by KrazyBadal 0 views

Blote billetjes in het grasWhite and green beans with butter

Dutch grandmothers named this dish 'bare bottoms in the grass' for the pale white beans peeping out between the green ones, and it is a summer weekday supper all over the Netherlands, when runner and French beans are cheap. Green beans and cooked white beans are simmered together, then stirred with butter, a little stock and plenty of pepper, often with boiled potatoes on the side. Many families add bacon or a smoked sausage; this version keeps it vegetarian, so serve it with a fried egg or a vegetarian sausage if you want more. The usual mistake is boiling the green beans until grey: they should stay bright with a slight bite. Chef's tip: a splash of the bean-cooking liquid stirred in with the butter makes a glossy little sauce that clings to everything.

30 min

Dutch Vegetarian

by KrazyBadal 0 views

Empanadas de vientoFried cheese empanadas

In Quito cafés and markets, empanadas de viento ("wind empanadas") are fried to order: big, thin pastries stuffed with crumbled fresh cheese and onion that puff up like balloons in the hot oil, then get a generous shower of sugar. Ecuadorians eat them for breakfast or afternoon cafecito with coffee or a mug of colada morada. The salty-sweet contrast is the point. The common mistake is overfilling; too much cheese stops them puffing and makes them burst. Some queso fresco is made with animal rennet; choose a vegetarian one made with microbial rennet. Chef's tip: roll the dough very thin, under 2 mm, and press the edges firmly; that's what traps the steam and makes the "wind".

55 minAndean Breakfast & Brunch

by KrazyBadal 0 views

Bolo de pubaFermented cassava cake

In Bahia, Pernambuco and Maranhão the afternoon and early-morning coffee table often carries a slab of bolo de puba, a dense, custardy cake made from puba, cassava that has been soaked until it ferments and softens into a tangy white paste. Coconut milk, grated coconut, eggs and butter turn it into something between a cake and a pudding, with a caramel-brown crust and a moist, slightly springy middle; it is especially loved around the June São João festivals. Puba is sold in Brazilian and African grocers as massa puba or carimã; it contains no wheat, so the cake is naturally gluten free. The common mistake is cutting it hot: it sets as it cools and will be gummy if sliced too early. Chef's tip: squeeze the puba in a clean cloth first if it is very wet, so the batter is thick enough to hold the coconut in suspension rather than letting it sink.

75 min

Brazilian Baking

by KrazyBadal 0 views

Tom BrownRoasted maize and groundnut porridge

Tom Brown is the porridge Ghanaian babies grow up on: a blend of roasted maize, groundnuts (peanuts) and soya beans, ground fine and sold in bags at Makola Market in Accra and in clinics' nutrition corners, or roasted and milled at home. Cooked with water it becomes a smooth, beige porridge that smells of toasted corn and peanuts, and it is rich in protein and energy. It is loved in Nigeria too. For babies there is no salt, sugar, evaporated milk or honey. It contains peanuts and soya. Chef's tip: early, regular peanut is recommended for most babies, but if your baby has severe eczema or a known egg allergy, talk to your health visitor or doctor before the first spoonful.

12 min

Ghanaian Breakfast & Brunch

by KrazyBadal 1 views

Bouillon d'awaraAwara palm fruit stew

Families in Cayenne, Kourou and Mana start bouillon d'awara days before Easter Monday, when it is eaten together and shared with neighbours; local lore says whoever eats it will come back to Guiana. The base is a thick orange paste of awara palm fruit, cooked very slowly with smoked chicken, salted pork, smoked fish, crab or prawns and a mass of vegetables until everything melds. Awara paste is sold frozen or in jars in Guianese and Antillean shops; if you can't find it, use a mix of palm-fruit concentrate (sold for West African banga soup) and puréed pumpkin, which gives a similar richness though not the same flavour. Salted meats must soak in the fridge overnight. The usual mistake is letting the thick stew catch on the bottom, so stir often. Chef's tip: the stew tastes even better on the second day, reheated until piping hot.

360 min

Guyanese Meat

by KrazyBadal 0 views

Ensaladang talongGrilled aubergine salad

Ensaladang talong is the smoky side salad that sits beside grilled fish or pork at Filipino family lunches, from Pampanga to Davao, and on the table at weekend beach outings. Long Asian eggplants are charred whole until the flesh collapses, then peeled and topped with diced tomato, red onion and a sharp vinegar dressing. This version leaves out the usual fermented shrimp paste so it is vegan. Suitable as part of a balanced diet, it is low in starch: about 70 kcal and 10 g carbohydrate per portion. The usual mistake is pulling the eggplants off the heat too soon; they must be soft right through, or the flesh is spongy and raw. Chef's tip: peel the hot eggplants under a trickle of water with your fingertips to keep the smoky flesh whole.

25 min

Filipino Salads

by KrazyBadal 0 views

Escabeche beliceñoChicken and onion soup

Northern Belize, around Orange Walk and Corozal, makes escabeche very differently from the pickled fish of the same name elsewhere: it is a clear, peppery chicken soup piled with sweet sliced onions, sharpened with vinegar and scented with allspice, oregano and plenty of garlic. Families eat it for Sunday lunch or to settle a party night, tearing warm corn tortillas into the bowl. Cook the chicken until it reaches 74 °C at the thickest part next to the bone. The common mistake is adding the onions at the start, so they boil to mush; they go in at the end and stay soft but bright. Chef's tip: brown the chicken under the grill or in a hot pan after boiling, as many Belizean cooks do, for a smoky edge before it goes back into the broth.

75 minCentral American Soups

by KrazyBadal 0 views

Escabeche de pescadoFried fish in sweet-sour onion sauce

In Lima, escabeche de pescado belongs to the criollo kitchen of the old city: it turns up on Friday lunch menus, on buffet tables, and above all in Lent and Holy Week, when families eat fish and this dish can be made the day before. Fish is fried until golden, then covered in a warm sauce of thick-cut red onion softened in oil with garlic, ají amarillo, ají panca, cumin and vinegar, and left to cool so the flavours soak in. It is served cold or at room temperature with boiled sweet potato, hard-boiled egg and purple botija olives. It tastes tangy, sweet and gently fruity-hot, with crunchy onion over tender fish. The fish here is fully cooked, but because it is a cold seafood dish, pregnant people, babies, older people and anyone with weak immunity should eat it well chilled and within 2 days. Common mistake: stewing the onions until limp; they should only lose their raw bite. It is ready when the sauce has soaked a little into the fish and smells of vinegar and toasted chilli. Chef's tip: use thick fillets of corvina or bonito; thin fillets break under the sauce.

50 min

Peruvian Fish

by KrazyBadal 0 views

SinasirRice pancakes

Across Kano, Zaria and Niger, sinasir is a breakfast and snack food: a fermented rice batter poured into a small pan, covered and cooked on one side only, so the top stays soft and covered in holes like a crumpet while the base turns lightly golden. They are eaten warm with sugar, with groundnut oil and yaji, or alongside miyan taushe (pumpkin soup). Traditionally the rice is soaked and ground; this home version uses rice flour plus a little cooked rice for the same soft chew. The common mistake is flipping them: sinasir is meant to have a pale, holey top, so cover the pan and let steam cook it instead. Chef's tip: the batter is ready when it has doubled and looks bubbly; if it hasn't, give it longer rather than adding more yeast.

165 min

Nigerian Breakfast & Brunch

by KrazyBadal 1 views

Escabeche orientalGrilled chicken in vinegar broth

Valladolid, in eastern Yucatán, gave this dish its name: oriental means from the east of the peninsula. It is a lunchtime staple of the town's loncherías and family tables, eaten hot in a deep bowl with corn tortillas, especially on weekends and at fiestas, and every cook guards a recado of black pepper, allspice, clove and Yucatecan oregano. The chicken is simmered in a garlicky spiced broth, rubbed with the recado and grilled until smoky, then returned to the broth with charred onions and xcatic chillies sharpened with vinegar. The result is light but bold: a clear, tart, peppery broth, smoky juicy chicken and soft, sweet onion with a gentle chilli heat. Common mistake: boiling the chicken hard, which clouds the broth and makes the meat stringy. Keep it at a lazy simmer. It is ready when the broth is clear and golden, smells of vinegar and allspice, and the onions are soft but still hold a bite. Outside Mexico, use güero, banana or Hungarian wax peppers for xcatic. Chef's tip: char the garlic head until black in patches; that smoky sweetness is the soul of the broth.

80 min

Mexican Chicken

by KrazyBadal 0 views

MoshOat and milk drink

In Guatemalan homes, mosh is what a mother hands a child on a chilly highland morning in Quetzaltenango or Huehuetenango: rolled oats cooked long and thin with water, milk, cinnamon and sugar, so it's drunk from a mug rather than eaten with a spoon. The common mistake is making it too thick like porridge; it should pour easily, so keep adding hot milk or water as the oats swell. Chef's tip: whisk it hard for a minute at the end; it breaks up the oats and makes the drink smooth and frothy.

15 minCentral American Drinks

by KrazyBadal 0 views

Fèves au lardBaked beans with salt pork

At the cabanes à sucre (sugar shacks) of Quebec's Beauce and Laurentides each spring, and on many Quebec Sunday breakfast tables, fèves au lard come with eggs, toast and a jug of maple syrup: small white navy beans baked very slowly with salt pork, onion, maple syrup and molasses until they're dark, sticky and tender. Salt pork is cured pork belly. Soak the beans overnight first. The common mistake is adding the syrup, molasses and salt at the start of soaking or boiling; sugar and salt stop the skins softening, so par-cook the beans first. For a vegetarian version, leave out the pork and add 3 tbsp olive oil and 1 tsp smoked paprika. Chef's tip: check every hour and top up with hot water just to the surface; beans that dry out on top go hard and never soften.

420 min

Canadian Breakfast & Brunch

by KrazyBadal 0 views

PepitoGrilled beef and chicken sub

When the bars close in Caracas, the queues form at the pepito stands of Las Mercedes and Altamira: long soft rolls stuffed with griddled strips of beef and chicken, grated cheese, lettuce and tomato, a crunchy handful of potato sticks and squiggles of garlic sauce, ketchup and mustard. It's messy, generous food, best eaten on the pavement. The common mistake is crowding the griddle, so the meat stews instead of searing. Chef's tip: cook the beef and chicken separately in a very hot pan, in small batches.

30 min

Venezuelan Fast Food

by KrazyBadal 0 views

Nama saladSea grapes with coconut milk

Nama, the glossy green sea grapes that grow on the reef flats of Fiji's Lau and Kadavu islands, are sold in bundles at the Suva market and eaten as a fresh, salty salad with almost every iTaukei lunch of fish and cassava. The little bubbles pop in the mouth with a taste of the sea. They are dressed in lolo (coconut milk) with lemon, onion, tomato and chilli just before eating. A common mistake is dressing them too early; the salt and acid make the grapes collapse. Chef's tip: soak them in cold water for 5 minutes to plump them and wash away grit.

15 minPacific Islander Salads

by KrazyBadal 0 views

DakjukChicken and rice porridge

All over Korea, dakjuk is the bowl a mother makes on a cold morning or when someone is under the weather: chicken simmered with garlic and ginger, the meat pulled into shreds, and soaked rice cooked down in the broth until it turns into a soft, savoury porridge finished with sesame oil. It is eaten for breakfast or as a gentle lunch, with a little kimchi on the side. The usual mistake is boiling the chicken hard, which clouds the broth and toughens the meat; keep it at a lazy simmer. Chef's tip: fry the soaked rice in sesame oil for two minutes before the broth goes in, so the grains toast lightly and the porridge tastes nutty rather than flat.

90 min

Korean Rice & Grains

by KrazyBadal 1 views

FirindaMashed bean stew

Firinda comes from Ankole and Kigezi in western Uganda, where beans are the backbone of daily meals, eaten at lunch with matooke, millet bread or sweet potatoes. Red beans are boiled until completely soft, then mashed and cooked down with fried onion and tomato into a thick, smooth stew that hugs whatever is beside it. The usual mistake is skimping on the cooking: firinda only gets its creamy texture when the beans are really soft, and dried red beans must be boiled hard for 10 minutes before the long simmer. Pressure cooker option: after the hard boil, cook for 25 minutes at pressure. Chef's tip: mash only two-thirds of the beans and leave the rest whole, for a stew that is creamy but still has some bite.

100 minEast African Curries

by KrazyBadal 0 views

Huevos a la copaSoft-boiled eggs in a glass

In Chilean homes, huevos a la copa are a weekday breakfast and a sick-day comfort: eggs boiled until the whites are just set and the yolks still runny, then scooped out of their shells into a small glass (the copa), broken up with a spoon, salted and eaten with warm marraqueta for dipping. The common mistake is timing from cold water, which makes the result unpredictable; lower the eggs into water that is already boiling. Runny yolks are not suitable for pregnant people, young children, older or vulnerable people; for them, boil the eggs for 9–10 minutes until fully set. If you need it gluten free, serve with gluten-free bread. Chef's tip: a tiny knob of butter stirred into the hot egg in the glass makes it silky.

8 min

Chilean Breakfast & Brunch

by KrazyBadal 1 views

Frijoles volteadosFried black bean log

Breakfast in a Guatemala City comedor often arrives with a glossy, dark log of beans beside the eggs and plantain: frijoles volteados, black beans blended smooth and fried until thick enough to roll out of the pan. The texture is dense and spreadable, almost like a pâté, with a sweet earthiness from slow-cooked onion. Spread them on hot tortillas or eat them with a spoonful of thick cream and crumbled cheese if you are not keeping it vegan. Most people stop frying too soon; if the purée still slumps when you tilt the pan, it needs more time. Chef's tip: use a non-stick pan and keep scraping the base with a flat spatula; the thin crust that forms is what gives the log its deep, almost smoky flavour.

40 minCentral American Sides

by KrazyBadal 0 views

Fuki no nimonoSimmered butterbur stalks

Fuki, giant butterbur, is one of the wild spring vegetables Japanese families look forward to each April, especially in the mountain prefectures of Akita and Tohoku, where the stalks grow taller than a child. Simmered lightly in dashi, the pale green stalks keep a gentle crunch and a fresh, slightly bitter flavour, and they are served cold as a small dish with rice and miso soup. Suitable as part of a balanced diet: it is very high in fibre and low in starch. About 35 kcal and 4 g carbohydrate per portion. The sugar is optional, or use a sweetener. The usual mistake is skipping the salt rub and blanch before peeling: unpeeled fuki is stringy and harsh. For a vegetarian version, use kombu dashi. Chef's tip: cool the stalks in the broth in a bowl set over ice; they keep their bright green colour.

30 min

Japanese Sides

by KrazyBadal 0 views

Gahat ke paratheHorse gram stuffed parathas

Gahat (horse gram) is the warming winter lentil of Uttarakhand, and in Garhwal it is boiled, mashed and stuffed into parathas for cold mornings, served with butter, curd and a hill pickle. The filling is spiked with ginger, garlic, green chilli and coriander, and the parathas keep you full for hours. Gahat is hard, so it needs a long soak and a pressure cooker. The common mistake is leaving the filling wet; moisture steams through the dough and the paratha tears. Chef's tip: dry the mashed gahat in a pan for a few minutes after mashing until it holds together like a soft crumble.

80 min

Indian Breads & Parathas

by KrazyBadal 0 views

Vary sosoaRice soup with greens

In Antananarivo and across the highlands, the day starts with a bowl of vary sosoa: rice cooked with plenty of water until the grains are soft and loose in their milky cooking liquid, wetter than plain rice but not as smooth as congee. Stalls serve it with kitoza (dried meat), eggs or a spoon of fiery sakay; this vegan version tops it with garlicky greens and homemade sakay chilli paste. The common mistake is stirring it like risotto, which makes it gluey; stir only now and then. Chef's tip: make the sakay the day before; the ginger and chilli mellow overnight in the oil.

40 min

Malagasy Rice & Grains

by KrazyBadal 0 views

Gaji kimchiStuffed aubergine kimchi

When the long jangma rains end and markets across Korea are heaped with slim purple eggplants in July and August, home cooks turn some of them into gaji kimchi, a short-lived summer kimchi eaten cold beside barley rice, cucumber naengguk or a simple grilled fish. The eggplant is steamed just long enough to soften, then split into a cross and stuffed with garlic chives, shredded radish and a bright chilli dressing seasoned with fish sauce. It is silky and juicy, almost melting, with a crunchy, garlicky centre, and after a day the juices turn gently tangy. The usual mistake is steaming too long: the pieces collapse when you stuff them and go mushy in the jar, so pull them as soon as the skin darkens and the flesh bends but still springs back. It is ready to eat after a few hours, best on day two, when the brine in the box tastes lightly sour and the eggplant has turned deep red at the cuts. For a vegetarian version use tamari in place of fish sauce. Chef's tip: choose slim Korean or Japanese eggplants with few seeds; fat globe eggplants hold too much water.

41 min

Korean Chutneys & Dips

by KrazyBadal 0 views

Café con lecheCoffee with hot milk

Every morning from Havana to Miami's Little Havana, breakfast is a big cup of café con leche with a length of buttered, pressed Cuban bread (tostada) to dunk in it. A moka pot of dark espresso-style coffee is whipped with sugar into a pale foam, the espumita, and poured into a mug of hot, lightly salted milk. The usual mistake is boiling the milk, which gives it a skin and a cooked taste; heat it only until it steams. Coffee contains caffeine, so this is a grown-up drink; children traditionally get a cup that is mostly milk. Chef's tip: whisk the first few drops of coffee hard with the sugar to a thick paste before adding the rest; that is what makes the creamy espumita on top.

10 min

Cuban Drinks

by KrazyBadal 0 views

Garbanzos en dulceChickpeas in spiced syrup

In Antigua Guatemala, where the Semana Santa processions walk over carpets of coloured sawdust, the kitchens fill with sweets in dark panela syrup, and chickpeas are among the first to be made. The peeled garbanzos are cooked tender and then simmered slowly in syrup with cinnamon, allspice and cloves until they turn mahogany and glossy, sweet right through but still holding their shape. They are eaten cold from small bowls, often beside sweet mango or fig preserves. Hurrying the syrup is the usual mistake: boil it hard and the chickpeas stay pale inside and the syrup tastes burnt. Chef's tip: rub off the chickpea skins after the first cooking; it takes ten minutes but lets the syrup soak in and gives a silky bite.

90 minCentral American Desserts

by KrazyBadal 0 views

Nasi liwet SoloCoconut rice with shredded chicken

In Solo (Surakarta), Central Java, nasi liwet sellers set out at dawn with baskets of rice cooked in coconut milk and fragrant salam leaves, served on a banana leaf with shredded chicken, a mild chayote stew in coconut gravy (sayur labu siam) and a hard-boiled egg, all topped with a spoon of thick coconut cream called areh. It is a soft, gentle, savoury breakfast. The usual mistake is boiling the coconut rice too fast, which scorches the bottom before the grains are soft. Chef's tip: once the liquid is absorbed, finish the rice on the lowest heat with a clean tea towel under the lid so it steams fluffy, not wet.

80 min

Indonesian Rice & Grains

by KrazyBadal 0 views

SwaleFried lentil-stuffed breads

In Garhwal, swale are fried in huge batches for weddings, for the bride's send-off parcel and for festivals like Basant Panchami, then eaten warm or cold over the next couple of days. Soaked urad or gahat dal is ground with ginger and spices and sealed inside wholewheat dough, then fried until the breads puff and blister. They travel well and taste good with raita or a hill pickle. The common mistake is overfilling, which tears the dough and makes the oil spit. Chef's tip: roll them gently from the centre outwards with almost no dusting flour, so the edges seal and the swale puffs evenly.

70 min

Indian Breads & Parathas

by KrazyBadal 0 views

Tomato bredieMutton and tomato stew

Winter Sundays in the Boland and the Cape Flats smell of tamatiebredie: fatty mutton neck left to murmur for two hours with a kilo of ripe tomatoes, a stick of cinnamon, a few cloves and potatoes that soften into the sauce. The tomatoes collapse into a thick, brick-red gravy that is sweet, gently spiced and glossy with mutton fat, and the meat falls from the bone at a nudge. Serve it over plain white rice with a spoonful of fruit chutney or a beetroot salad on the side; like most bredies it tastes even better the next day. Most people drown it in water at the start, which leaves a thin, sour soup, so let the tomatoes provide the liquid and top up only by the splash. Chef's tip: for a meat-free pot, skip the mutton, soften the onions and spices the same way, then simmer two drained 400 g tins of butter beans with the tomatoes and potatoes for 40 minutes.

150 min

South African Meat

by KrazyBadal 0 views

Ipoh white coffee

Ipoh's old town kopitiams, with their marble tables and morning crowds queueing for kai si hor fun and egg tarts, gave Malaysia its 'white coffee'. The name comes not from milk but from the roast: beans are roasted with palm-oil margarine, lighter than the dark, sugar-roasted kopi of the rest of the country, then brewed and served with condensed milk. It is smoother and less bitter than ordinary kopi, nutty and buttery, pale caramel in the cup, drunk hot at breakfast or iced in the afternoon heat. At home, buy ground Ipoh-style white coffee from an Asian grocer; you cannot easily reproduce the margarine roast in a kitchen. The common mistake is brewing it like espresso: forced extraction makes it bitter and kills the soft, toasty flavour. Steep it in a cloth sock or a coffee filter with water just off the boil. It is ready when the brew is reddish-brown and clear, not inky. This is a strong coffee with real caffeine, not for children. Chef's tip: warm the cups with hot water first; white coffee cools fast and loses its aroma.

10 min

Malaysian Drinks

by KrazyBadal 0 views

Pain maisonCrusty bread rolls

Every morning in Port Louis, Mahébourg and Rose-Hill, the boulangerie or a man on a bicycle delivers bags of pain maison: small, round white rolls with a thin, crackly crust and soft middle, split and filled with butter and cheese, with chilli-spiked gâteaux piments, or with leftover curry. They're a simple lean dough baked very hot. The common mistake is under-baking because they look golden early; give them the full time so the crust stays crisp after cooling. Chef's tip: spray the oven walls with water as the rolls go in; the burst of steam makes the shiny, cracked crust.

140 min

Mauritian Breads & Parathas

by KrazyBadal 0 views

Bissy tea (kola nut tea)

Kola trees came to Jamaica with enslaved West Africans, and the nut, called bissy on the island, has stayed in country medicine ever since. Older people in St Mary, St Elizabeth and the hills of Clarendon still keep a dried bissy in the kitchen and grate some into boiling water when the stomach is upset or after eating something that disagreed with them,. Parched in a dry pan first, the grated nut gives a reddish-brown tea that smells faintly of cocoa and tastes bitter and astringent, softened by plenty of sugar. The common mistake is boiling raw, ungrated nut and expecting much flavour: whole pieces give little. Grate it finely, parch it until it darkens and smells like toasted cocoa, then boil. It is ready when the tea is a deep reddish-brown and coats the tongue with bitterness. Kola nut is very high in caffeine, as strong as a big mug of coffee or more, so drink one cup, not late in the day, and keep it away from children, pregnant people and anyone sensitive to caffeine or with heart trouble. Chef's tip: strain it through a fine cloth; the grated nut leaves a gritty sediment that a sieve lets through.

20 min

Jamaican Drinks

by KrazyBadal 0 views

CuzzetielloBread boat filled with ragu

The cuzzetiello is the crusty end of a big Neapolitan loaf, hollowed out and stuffed with whatever is in the Sunday pot, most often the slow ragù and its meatballs. It began as a way for families in the Rione Sanità and Forcella to use up bread and sauce on Monday, and now small shops near Piazza Bellini sell it at lunchtime, wrapped in paper. The meatballs here are pork and beef, and the ragù traditionally takes a splash of red wine, which is boiled off; use extra stock or water with a teaspoon of red wine vinegar instead if you avoid alcohol. Chef's tip: let the sauce soak into the bread for a couple of minutes before biting; that soaked crumb is the point.

100 min

Italian Fast Food

by KrazyBadal 0 views

Goan pezRice porridge with pickle and papad

Pez is the plainest food in a Goan kitchen and one of the most loved: red parboiled rice simmered in plenty of water until the grains burst and the liquid turns milky. Fishermen and farmers ate it before a day's work, mothers serve it to anyone who feels unwell, and on heavy monsoon evenings it comes with a spoon of mango or lime pickle, a roasted papad and sometimes a dry fish or vegetable on the side. The mistake is cooking it in too little water so it becomes a sticky porridge; good pez has whole soft grains floating in thin, starchy broth. Chef's tip: stir in a little salt only at the end and let everyone add buttermilk or coconut milk to their own bowl.

45 min

Indian Rice & Grains

by KrazyBadal 0 views

Godeulppaegi kimchiBitter wild lettuce kimchi

In Suncheon and the hills of South Jeolla, godeulppaegi is dug up from fields and banks in late autumn and again in early spring, and the kimchi made from it is a point of local pride, eaten through winter beside rice, grilled fish and pork. The plant is a small wild lettuce with a pale, carrot-like root and leaves full of milky, bitter sap. Soaked in salt water for several days, the bitterness softens to a pleasant, coffee-like edge that pairs with the deep anchovy sauce and sweet, sticky chilli dressing. Chewy roots, tender leaves, sweet, savoury and gently bitter all at once. The common mistake is rushing the soak: the kimchi is then too bitter to enjoy. Change the brine every day and taste a leaf; stop when the bitterness is noticeable but no longer harsh, usually day 3 to 5. Outside Korea, look for it frozen or dried in Korean shops, or use young dandelion plants with their roots. The kimchi is ready after about 2 weeks in the fridge, when the dressing turns glossy and the roots taste mellow and sour-sweet. Chef's tip: twist a few plants into small coils so each serving comes out of the jar neatly.

83 min

Korean Chutneys & Dips

by KrazyBadal 0 views

GodrogodroCoconut rice flour sweet

Along the northern coast around Antsiranana, and down to Mahajanga, godrogodro is a festival and family-celebration sweet, cut into diamonds and passed round at weddings, circumcision ceremonies and the New Year. Coconut milk, rice flour and dark sugar are stirred for the best part of an hour until the mixture thickens, darkens and pulls away from the pan, then it sets into a dense, sliceable fudge-like block, fragrant with vanilla and cardamom. It is rich, so small squares with a cup of tea are plenty. Stopping too early is the mistake to avoid: undercooked godrogodro stays sticky and pale and will not hold a clean edge. Chef's tip: use a heavy, non-stick pan and a flat wooden spatula that scrapes the whole base, and keep stirring as it thickens, as the bottom scorches easily.

70 min

Malagasy Desserts

by KrazyBadal 0 views

Gondhoraj gholLime-scented yogurt drink

In Kolkata the gondhoraj lime arrives with the monsoon heat, a knobbly green fruit whose peel smells of flowers and pine more than of sour citrus. Bengali households use it to lift dal and fish, but in the sticky months from Boishakh into Srabon it goes into ghol: dahi churned with cold water until frothy, sweetened lightly and scented with the zest, a squeeze of juice and a torn leaf. Cafés along Gariahat and old sweet shops serve it in clay bhaar cups after lunch, and it is just as good mid-afternoon with a plate of muri. It drinks thin, cool and silky, with a soft tang and a perfume that hits the nose before the first sip. The usual mistake is grating too deep or leaving the zest to sit for an hour: the white pith and the oils turn bitter. Take only the green outer layer, add it just before serving, and stop when the ghol smells floral rather than sharp. It is ready when the top is covered in fine foam and a spoon comes out lightly coated. Chef's tip: for the salted version, swap the sugar for black salt and a pinch of roasted cumin, as many Kolkata homes do on the hottest days.

10 min

Indian Drinks

by KrazyBadal 0 views

Harina de maíz dulceSweet cornmeal porridge

In Cuban homes "harina" means cornmeal, and harina dulce is the soft, sweet porridge that grandmothers in Havana and Santiago cooked for children before school, scented with cinnamon and a curl of lime peel the way rice pudding is. It should be smooth and spoonable, like a loose polenta. The usual mistake is pouring the cornmeal into boiling milk, which seizes into lumps at once: start it in cold liquid and whisk as it heats. Chef's tip: take the lime peel out once the porridge thickens, or its oils turn bitter as it sits.

25 min

Cuban Breakfast & Brunch

by KrazyBadal 0 views

Showing 45 of 7,888 recipes

Show more recipes

Page 136 of 877