Featured recipe

Terong balado

Fried aubergine in chilli sambal

Balado is the Minangkabau way of smothering fried food in a coarse, shiny red chilli sambal, and in West Sumatra the aubergine version is a daily home dish as much as a restaurant one. The aubergine is fried until soft and creamy inside, then folded into a sambal of red chillies, shallots and tomato cooked down until sweet. Serve it at room temperature with rice and fried tofu. Chef's tip: grind the chillies coarsely rather than to a purée; Padang cooks want flecks of skin and seed in a balado.

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ButterbrotRye bread with cheese and vegetables

Every German schoolchild knows the Pausenbrot: two slices of rye or mixed-grain bread spread with good butter, closed around a slice of cheese, wrapped in paper and eaten in the mid-morning break, with a few cucumber or apple slices on the side. Adults take the same Butterbrot to work. The common mistake is spreading cold, hard butter, which tears the bread and leaves bare patches that let any wet filling soak in. Many Gouda-style cheeses use animal rennet, so choose one marked vegetarian. Chef's tip: butter right to the crust on both slices; the butter is a waterproof layer that keeps the bread fresh until lunchtime.

10 min

German Breakfast & Brunch

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Bhure chawalRice with ghee and sugar

Bhure chawal is about as simple as Haryanvi village cooking gets: steaming rice tossed with plenty of desi ghee and bura, the fine, fluffy sugar sold in Haryana, and sometimes a few chopped nuts. It is the treat grandmothers make after the evening milking, at a new daughter-in-law's first meal, or on cold nights when something sweet is needed fast. Use fragrant, well-cooked rice and good ghee, as there is nothing to hide behind. The common mistake is adding the sugar to lukewarm rice, so it stays gritty instead of melting into the ghee. Chef's tip: no bura? Blitz ordinary sugar to a powder and add a pinch of cardamom.

25 min

Indian Rice & Grains

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Huangmen jimifanBraised chicken rice

Huangmen jimifan began in Jinan, in Shandong, and spread to thousands of little clay-pot shops across China where office workers queue at noon for a bubbling pot of chicken braised dark and glossy with shiitake, ginger and green pepper, eaten over plain rice. It reheats perfectly in a work microwave. The common mistake is using breast, which goes dry and stringy in the braise; bone-in thigh stays juicy. Chef's tip: caramelise the rock sugar in the oil before the chicken goes in, which gives the sauce its amber colour without extra dark soy.

45 min

Chinese Chicken

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Bhopali mutton pasandeMarinated mutton escalopes

Pasande come from the Nawabi kitchens of Bhopal, where boneless leg of mutton is cut into thin slices and beaten flat, then marinated in yogurt, raw papaya, ground fried onion and spices and cooked low until meltingly tender. They are made for Eid, weddings and dawats and eaten with sheermal or rotis. This dish contains mutton: marinate it in the fridge and cook it until the meat reaches 71 °C and is fork-tender. The common mistake is cooking on high heat, which seizes the thin slices and toughens them. Chef's tip: beat the slices between cling film with a rolling pin to an even 5 mm; even thickness means every piece is tender at the same time.

100 min

Indian Meat

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Khao kai jiaoThai omelette over rice

When there is no time for anything else, Bangkok office workers, students and taxi drivers eat khao khai jiao: eggs beaten with fish sauce and poured into very hot oil so they puff into a lacy, golden, crisp-edged omelette, slid onto a mound of jasmine rice with a squirt of chilli sauce. It is also the omelette mothers put in school lunch boxes. The common mistake is oil that is not hot enough, so the egg sits flat and greasy instead of ballooning up. For a vegetarian version, season with light soy sauce instead of fish sauce. Chef's tip: beat in a squeeze of lime and a spoon of water until very frothy; the air and steam make it puff dramatically.

10 min

Thai Rice & Grains

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Sop konroBeef rib soup

Sop konro is the pride of Makassar in South Sulawesi, where warung near the harbour serve big bowls of beef ribs in an almost black broth from lunchtime into the night, often with burasa (rice cooked in coconut milk) or plain rice. The colour and earthy, chocolatey depth come from keluak (kluwek) nuts, simmered with a paste of shallots, garlic, ginger, galangal, toasted coriander seed and candlenut until the rib meat slides off the bone. The usual mistake is using raw keluak: the nuts are only safe after long fermentation, so buy them ready-prepared from an Indonesian shop, and discard any that smell sour or are dry inside. A pressure cooker gets the ribs tender in 50 minutes. Chef's tip: toast the coriander seeds until they crackle before grinding; they carry the whole soup.

180 min

Indonesian Soups

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LongganisaGarlic pork sausages

Every Philippine province has its longganisa, from the garlicky, sour sausages of Vigan to the oregano-scented ones of Lucban and the sweet, sticky Pampanga style; this homemade skinless (hubad) version sits between them. These pork sausages are fried until caramelised, then packed into the baon (packed lunch) with sinangag garlic rice and a fried egg. The common mistake is frying them hard from raw, which burns the sugar before the pork is cooked; simmer them in a little water first. Chef's tip: roll the mixture in baking paper and chill overnight, and the sausages slice and fry far more neatly.

45 min

Filipino Meat

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Moong dal cheela fingers for babiesMoong dal pancake fingers for babies

Across Punjab and north India, moong dal cheela is a weekday breakfast griddled to order, usually with green chilli, ginger and a pinch of ajwain. For babies from nine months the batter is just soaked yellow moong and grated carrot, cooked thin and soft and cut into strips that are easy to grab, ideal for baby-led eating alongside spoon food. They are tender, mildly sweet from the carrot and packed with plant protein. They are free of the major allergens: no milk, egg, gluten, nuts, soya, sesame or fish. Chef's tip: grind the batter to the thickness of double cream; thinner batter tears, thicker batter stays raw in the middle.

30 min

Indian Breakfast & Brunch

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TovveToor dal with green chilli

Tovve is the plainest dal of the Udupi temple kitchens and of Kannada homes along the coast: toor or moong cooked soft, seasoned with green chilli and ginger and finished with a sizzling ghee tempering. There is no tomato, no onion and no masala, so it is the first dal children eat and what families cook for a light dinner or after a fast, with rice, a spoon of ghee and a lemon pickle. Its flavour depends on a well-cooked dal, so it must be soft enough to fall apart when stirred. The usual mistake is adding salt before the dal is tender, which keeps it grainy. Chef's tip: whisk the cooked dal hard for 30 seconds before tempering; the smooth, creamy texture is what makes tovve taste of more than its few ingredients.

40 min

Indian Curries

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DakbaeksukPoached whole chicken

Dakbaeksuk is a whole chicken simmered plain in a big pot, a dish Koreans eat on the boknal 'dog days' of midsummer and at valley restaurants in the mountains, where families sit on platforms by the stream. Unlike samgyetang it is not stuffed; the bird simmers with a fistful of garlic, a few jujubes and dried roots such as astragalus until it falls apart, and you eat the meat with salt and pepper and drink the milky broth. Suitable as part of a balanced diet: high in protein, with no flour or added sugar. About 420 kcal and 8 g carbohydrate per portion; restaurants finish with rice porridge in the broth, so keep that portion small or use brown rice. The usual mistake is boiling it fiercely, which makes the meat stringy; it should simmer gently. Chef's tip: skim the fat off the broth before serving; it tastes cleaner and lighter.

100 min

Korean Chicken

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Bò bíaJicama and sausage rice paper rolls

Bò bía carts park outside the schools of Chợ Lớn, Saigon's Chinatown, every afternoon, and the vendor rolls each one to order: sweet stir-fried jicama and carrot, crisp slices of lạp xưởng (Chinese pork sausage), toasted dried shrimp and ribbons of omelette, wrapped with basil and lettuce in soft rice paper and dipped in hoisin sauce loosened with peanut butter. It is a cousin of Chinese popiah and a favourite after-school snack. Chef's tip: dip the rice paper for only a second or two; it keeps softening as you fill it.

40 min

Vietnamese Snacks & Starters

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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

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Melting momentsLemon buttercream sandwich biscuits

Melting moments are the soft, crumbly biscuits found in Australian and New Zealand bakery jars and grandmother's tins, two rounds made with custard powder and icing sugar sandwiched with a lemon butter icing. The custard powder gives them their yellow colour and tender, short texture that melts in the mouth, hence the name. A common mistake is overbaking; they should be pale, not golden. Chef's tip: press each ball with a floured fork for the classic stripes.

40 min

Australian Baking

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MosbolletjiesAniseed grape buns

Each harvest, wine farms around Paarl and the Boland once used foaming fresh grape must to raise these sweet, tear-apart buns, and some families still bake them every January and dry what is left into rusks for coffee dunking. This home method replaces the must with a starter of pure grape juice, raisins and a little yeast, bubbled overnight; the tiny trace of alcohol the fermentation makes bakes off in the oven. The buns are soft and feathery, gently sweet, scented with aniseed and glazed with a sticky sugar wash. Rushing is the mistake: this dough rises slowly overnight and needs to double properly at each stage, or the buns turn out dense. Chef's tip: use juice with no added preservatives, which stop the starter from fermenting.

105 min

South African Baking

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Mochai kottai kuzhambuField bean gravy

Across Tamil Nadu, from Madurai to Tirunelveli, mochai kottai kuzhambu is a winter and weekend curry: dried field beans and small brinjals stewed in a thick tamarind and sambar-powder gravy with shallots and garlic. It is cooked in a big batch, because everyone agrees it tastes better the next day, and eaten with rice, a spoon of sesame oil and appalam or a simple keerai. The beans turn creamy and the brinjal melts into the sauce. Dried field beans must be soaked and boiled until completely soft; never eat them undercooked. The usual mistake is adding the tamarind before the beans are tender, because acid stops them softening. Slow-cooker: boil the soaked beans hard on the hob for 10 minutes first, then cook everything on low for 6 hours. Chef's tip: fry the brinjal in the oil before the gravy goes in, so it holds its shape instead of dissolving.

85 min

Indian Curries

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Gremolata

Gremolata is the Milanese finishing touch spooned over ossobuco on Sunday tables across Lombardy, and it brightens any slow-cooked stew, roast vegetables, beans or grilled fish. Flat-leaf parsley, lemon zest and raw garlic are chopped together so finely that they become a fragrant green confetti; the fresh, sharp flavour wakes up a dish so much that you need far less salt. About 0.0 g salt per portion. The usual mistake is grating the white pith with the zest, which makes it bitter; take only the yellow skin. Make it no more than an hour ahead, as the garlic gets harsh and the parsley darkens. Chef's tip: chop the garlic first with a few parsley leaves, so the juice soaks into the herbs instead of sticking to the knife.

5 min

Italian Chutneys & Dips

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Leshta chorbaLentil soup

Leshta chorba is cooked in Bulgarian homes all winter, and it is the soup of choice on fasting days before Christmas and Easter, when families eat no meat or dairy. Brown lentils simmer with onion, carrot and tomato, coloured with sweet paprika and scented with chubritsa (summer savory), the herb that makes Bulgarian cooking taste like itself. It is eaten with a slice of wholemeal bread and a few pickles. Suitable as part of a balanced diet. About 280 kcal and 34 g carbohydrate per portion. The usual mistake is frying the paprika in very hot oil: it burns and turns bitter in a few seconds, so take the pan off the heat first. Chef's tip: a splash of vinegar stirred into each bowl at the table brightens the earthy lentils.

50 min

Bulgarian Soups

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BlatjangDried apricot chutney

Bo-Kaap households keep a jar of blatjang beside the salt, because a spoonful goes next to almost everything: bobotie, a bowl of curry and rice, cheese on toast, a braaied mielie. Dried apricots are simmered down in vinegar with onion, ginger, garlic and red chilli until the fruit collapses into a thick, glossy, burnt-orange paste that is sweet first, then sour, then warm at the back of the throat. Some aunties keep it chunky, others push it through a sieve until it is as smooth as a sauce; both are right. The usual mistake is to take it off the heat while it still looks loose in the pot, which leaves a runny chutney that weeps in the jar. Chef's tip: soak the apricots overnight in the vinegar and they break down in half the time, with a cleaner, brighter fruit flavour.

60 min

South African Chutneys & Dips

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BlåbärssoppaBilberry soup

Swedes have drunk blåbärssoppa for generations, warm on a winter morning and cold from a cup after the Vasaloppet ski race, where skiers are handed it at every station. It is a thin, deep purple soup of bilberries or blueberries, sweetened and thickened just enough with potato starch to coat the tongue. The common mistake is boiling the soup after adding the starch: it turns stringy and then thins out again, so take it off the heat as soon as it thickens. Chef's tip: wild bilberries give a far deeper colour and flavour than cultivated blueberries, and frozen ones work perfectly.

15 minScandinavian Soups

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Piri-piri saucePiri-piri chilli sauce

Every barraca on the Costa do Sol in Maputo keeps a bottle of this on the table, and nobody eats grilled prawns, chicken or a bread roll stuffed with chips without a shake of it. Fresh red bird's-eye chillies are blended with raw garlic, lemon juice and oil into a loose, orange-red sauce that is sharp, bright and very hot, with a slow burn that builds after the first bite. A short simmer softens the raw garlic edge and helps it keep in the fridge for two weeks. Spoon it onto grills, seafood, beans, eggs or rice, or loosen it with more oil and use it as a baste. Wear gloves when you trim the chillies and keep your face away from the blender when you open it, because the fumes sting. Chef's tip: leave the seeds in for true Mozambican heat, but pull the green stalks off, as they turn the sauce bitter.

15 minSouthern African Chutneys & Dips

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Naengchae jokbalCold sliced pork trotter

Busan's Jokbal Alley in Bupyeong-dong, beside Kkangtong Market, is where braised pork trotter was first served cold as a salad, a summer trick that spread across Korea. The pork trotters are simmered for hours in soy, ginger and spices until the skin turns sticky and tender, chilled, sliced thin and tossed with cucumber, shredded jellyfish and a nose-tingling dressing of Korean mustard, vinegar and garlic. It is evening food, shared from a big platter. Chef's tip: slice the meat only once it is fully cold; warm trotter meat tears instead of cutting into clean slices.

190 min

Korean Meat

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Bollito mistoMixed boiled meats

In Piedmont, bollito misto is the great winter feast, served from November to carnival in Turin trattorias and on family tables when there are many to feed. Several cuts of beef, a chicken and a cotechino (a soft, rich pork sausage) poach gently in one big pot until tender, then come to the table sliced on a warm platter with a sharp parsley and caper salsa verde; the broth is saved for soup or risotto the next day. The usual mistake is letting the pot boil hard: the meat turns stringy and the broth cloudy, so keep it at a bare shiver. Serve with boiled potatoes or mostarda if you like. Chef's tip: put the beef into water that is already boiling so its juices stay in the meat, and use cold water only if the broth matters more to you than the meat.

240 min

Italian Meat

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Paruppu urundai kuzhambuLentil dumpling gravy

Paruppu urundai kuzhambu is a Sunday-lunch treat in Tamil homes from Chennai to Coimbatore: coarse balls of soaked chana and toor dal, spiked with fennel, chilli and shallot, dropped raw into a bubbling tamarind gravy where they steam and firm up. The dumplings come out soft inside and soak up the sour, spicy sauce, and the crumbs that escape thicken the gravy. Serve it with plain rice, a spoon of sesame oil and a vegetable poriyal. The usual mistake is stirring as soon as the balls go in, which breaks them; leave them alone until they float and feel firm. Chef's tip: drop one test ball in first; if it cracks, knead a spoon of rice flour into the mixture before shaping the rest.

65 min

Indian Curries

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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

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Berinjela refogadaSauteed aubergine with tomato

Brazilian home cooks make berinjela refogada on Sunday and spoon it into the week's marmitas beside rice, beans and a piece of grilled chicken or an egg; it reheats beautifully and tastes even better on the second day. The aubergine cooks down until silky with garlic, onion, tomato and oregano. The common mistake is pouring in more oil every time the pan looks dry; aubergine soaks it up and turns greasy. Add a splash of water instead and cover the pan so the cubes steam soft. Chef's tip: a squeeze of lime and a little chopped parsley just before packing lift the flavour after a night in the fridge.

30 min

Brazilian Sides

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Gigot de sept heuresSeven-hour braised lamb

This is the slow Sunday gigot of the French countryside, set in a low oven after breakfast and eaten at the family lunch or supper, especially in winter and at Easter. The leg of lamb is browned, then braised so long with whole garlic heads, onions, carrots and white wine that the meat is served with a spoon rather than a knife, and the garlic melts into the sauce. Serve with white beans, mashed potatoes or simply crusty bread. It cooks with wine; for an alcohol-free version use the same amount of extra stock with a tablespoon of cider vinegar. The usual mistake is a lid that does not fit, so the liquid escapes and the meat dries; seal it with foil under the lid. Chef's tip: turn the leg every two hours and baste it, so the top never dries above the liquid.

460 min

French Meat

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Chikuwa isobe-ageSeaweed-battered fish cake

Isobe-age, "fried in the style of the rocky shore", means anything coated in a batter speckled with green aonori seaweed, and chikuwa isobe-age is the one every Japanese parent tucks into a bento: tubes of chikuwa fish cake fried until puffed and crisp. It is just as good cold and takes ten minutes. The common mistake is a thick batter, which turns bready; it should be like single cream. Chef's tip: dust the chikuwa with a little flour before dipping, so the batter clings and does not slide off in the oil.

15 min

Japanese Fish

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Bollitos pelonesBeef-stuffed corn dumplings in tomato sauce

Bollitos pelones are proper home cooking from central Venezuela: little balls of corn dough tinted with onoto, stuffed with a spoonful of spiced minced beef and simmered in a light tomato sauce until the dough firms. Mothers make them for school-day lunches with white rice, and they reheat well. The common mistake is stirring the pot, which breaks the balls apart. Chef's tip: give the pan a gentle shake instead of stirring, and don't touch them for the first 10 minutes.

75 min

Venezuelan Meat

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Bonchi curryGreen bean coconut curry

Bonchi curry is one of the small vegetable curries that fill a Sri Lankan rice-and-curry lunch, cooked daily in Colombo kitchens and village homes in the hill country, where green beans grow in terraces near Nuwara Eliya. The beans are simmered in thin coconut milk with turmeric, curry leaves, pandan and green chilli until just tender, then enriched with a splash of thick milk so the sauce is mild, creamy and pale yellow. Suitable as part of a balanced diet, it is a high-fibre vegetable dish: about 150 kcal and 9 g carbohydrate per portion; serve it with red rice for slower-releasing carbohydrate. The usual mistake is boiling the thick coconut milk, which curdles it; add it at the end and only heat through. Chef's tip: cut the beans on a long diagonal so they soak up more of the sauce.

30 min

Sri Lankan Curries

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Variyali sharbat (fennel cooler)

On May afternoons in Ahmedabad and Surat, when the loo wind blows and nobody wants a hot drink, Gujarati homes keep a bottle of variyali sharbat concentrate in the fridge. Fennel seeds are soaked, ground with rock sugar, strained and mixed with lemon and a little black pepper, then diluted with iced water for guests, after lunch, or to break a fast, since nothing in it is off-limits on upvas days if you use rock salt. It is pale green and cloudy, with a sweet aniseed taste, a sharp lemon finish and a faint peppery tingle. The common mistake is grinding dry fennel straight away: it stays gritty and the flavour is harsh. Soak the seeds for at least two hours so they swell and grind into a smooth paste. It is ready when the strained concentrate is silky, smells clearly of fennel and tastes very sweet, as it will be diluted three or four times. The concentrate keeps 5 days in the fridge in a clean bottle. Chef's tip: add a few mint leaves or a pinch of cardamom when grinding for a more rounded cooler.

23 min

Indian Drinks

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Katsu sandoPork cutlet sandwich

Katsu sando began in Tokyo tonkatsu shops in the 1930s as a cutlet you could carry, and is now a fixture of department-store food halls, train-station kiosks and lunchboxes all over Japan: a crisp panko pork loin cutlet soaked in sweet-sour tonkatsu sauce between pillowy white bread, crusts trimmed off. The common mistake is slicing it while hot, which squashes the bread and makes it soggy; let it rest under a light weight first. Pork loin is a whole cut, so cook it to 63 °C and rest it for 3 minutes. Chef's tip: butter the bread with a little mustard mixed in; it stops the sauce soaking through and adds a gentle kick.

35 min

Japanese Meat

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Bossam kimchiWrapped cabbage kimchi

Bossam kimchi comes from Gaeseong, the old Goryeo capital just north of today's border, and it is the kimchi families make with special care at kimjang time in late November and set out for Seollal guests. Instead of rubbing seasoning into whole cabbage halves, the inner leaves are folded around a rich filling of radish, Korean pear, chestnut, jujube, pine nuts and herbs, then wrapped in large outer leaves like a gift. Unwrapped at the table, it is crisp, juicy and sweet from the pear, with mellow chilli heat and the savoury depth of salted shrimp. Traditional versions add raw oysters; here they are optional. Raw oysters are not safe for pregnant people, babies, older people or anyone with weak immunity, so leave them out for those guests or for any kimchi you mean to keep beyond 3 days. The common mistake is under-rinsing the cabbage, which makes every parcel too salty; rinse three times and taste a stem. It is ready after 3–4 days in the fridge, when the juice turns pleasantly sour and slightly fizzy. Chef's tip: tie each parcel with a blanched scallion if the leaves won't stay closed.

130 min

Korean Chutneys & Dips

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Bokkeum kimchiStir-fried kimchi with pork belly

When a jar of kimchi turns very sour in Korean homes, it gets stir-fried with a little sugar and sesame oil, and often with pork belly, into bokkeum kimchi, a deep, mellow side dish that keeps for days and is a favourite in school and office dosirak. For a vegan version, use kimchi made without fish sauce or salted shrimp and leave out the pork. The usual mistake is using fresh, crisp kimchi, which tastes harsh when fried; it needs to be properly sour. Chef's tip: fry the kimchi until the edges just begin to catch and caramelise, which is where the flavour is.

17 min

Korean Sides

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BostongurkaSweet cucumber relish

Every Swedish korvkiosk, from Stockholm's Södermalm to the ferry ports of Gothenburg, offers bostongurka in a squeeze bottle, and most Swedes still put it on their grillkorv with mustard, ketchup and crispy fried onions. Families make their own in August and September, when cucumbers are cheap at the farm stands, and spoon it onto hot dogs at summer barbecues, beside meatballs, into potato salad and onto cheese sandwiches all winter. It is a fine-chopped relish: sweet and sour, golden-yellow from turmeric, with crunch from the cucumber and the soft warmth of mustard seed. Common mistake: skipping the overnight salting; without it the cucumber leaks water and the relish turns soupy and dull. Squeeze the vegetables hard before cooking. It is ready when the vegetables are just tender but still crunchy and the liquid has thickened enough to cling to them. Chef's tip: chop by hand or pulse very briefly in a processor; a purée loses the crunch that makes it bostongurka.

50 minScandinavian Chutneys & Dips

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DakgangjeongSticky glazed fried chicken

Dakgangjeong is the boxed fried chicken of Sokcho's Jungang market on Korea's east coast, carried home by the tub and packed into lunchboxes the next day, because the double-fried pieces in their sticky glaze stay crunchy even when cold. The common mistake is frying only once; the second fry drives out moisture so the crust holds up to the sauce. Chef's tip: coat with potato starch rather than flour, and let the coated chicken sit for 5 minutes so the starch hydrates into a craggy crust.

55 min

Korean Chicken

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SerobeChopped tripe and offal

At a Tswana wedding or a funeral gathering, the men tending the three-legged pots will make serobe from the insides of the slaughtered goat or ox while the seswaa cooks alongside, and it is served first to the elders. Tripe, heart and liver are boiled until tender, chopped very fine and seasoned simply with salt, onion and a little of the rich broth, so it comes out soft, chewy in places and deeply savoury. Eat it with bogobe, pap or samp and a spoonful of morogo. Buy dressed (cleaned and scalded) tripe from a butcher, and cook everything right through. Chef's tip: chopping it fine by hand is the whole point; a food processor turns it into paste, so take your time with a heavy knife.

180 minSouthern African Meat

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Jambon-beurreHam and butter baguette

France sells millions of jambon-beurre every working day: half a crusty baguette, split, spread with good salted butter and filled with thin slices of jambon de Paris, the delicate cooked pork ham. Parisians eat it at the office, on a park bench or on the train. The common mistake is a stingy smear of hard butter; the butter is a filling, not a glue, so spread it soft and generous. Some add cornichons, which purists call a different sandwich. Chef's tip: fold each slice of ham loosely in half rather than laying it flat, so the sandwich is airy and every bite has ham.

5 min

French Fast Food

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Myoga no amazuzukeSweet pickled myoga ginger

Myoga is the flower bud of a Japanese ginger plant, harvested from the shady corners of gardens across Japan from July to September, and its pickled form is one of summer's small pleasures. Halved buds are blanched and dropped into warm sweet vinegar, and within half an hour the pale purple-white layers blush a vivid pink. They taste crisp and fresh, gently sweet-sour, with the floral, slightly resinous bite that makes myoga unlike ordinary ginger. Serve them beside grilled fish, with cold somen noodles on a hot evening, or tucked into a bento. Look for myoga in Japanese grocers, often frozen; there is no real substitute, but young ginger or small shallots pickled the same way make a pleasing alternative. The common mistake is over-blanching: past 30 seconds the layers turn soft and floppy and lose their crunch. Pour the vinegar over while the buds are still hot, which sets the colour. They are ready when they are evenly pink and taste sour-sweet right through. Chef's tip: slice a few pickled buds into thin strips and fold them into sushi rice for a quick summer chirashi.

15 min

Japanese Chutneys & Dips

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ThenthukHand-pulled noodle soup

In the Tibetan restaurants around Boudha stupa in Kathmandu, thenthuk is what people order on cold evenings and winter mornings: pieces of dough are pulled flat and pinched straight into a light broth with mutton or buffalo, tomato, radish and spinach. The noodles are thick, soft and slightly uneven, and the soup is gentle and warming, with a little soy and spring onion. This home version uses mutton or lamb. Contains wheat and soya. Chef's tip: pull the dough so thin you can almost see your fingers through it; thick pieces stay doughy in the middle.

50 min

Nepali Soups

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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

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Pâté en croûtePork and veal pie in pastry

Lyon's charcuteries display pâté en croûte like jewellery: a tall loaf of crisp, golden pastry wrapped around a coarse terrine of pork and veal. A slice wrapped in paper is a picnic and lunchbox luxury, and the whole loaf is a Sunday project eaten over several days. The common mistake is undercooking it for fear of drying it out: as it is made with minced pork, the centre must reach 71 °C, so use a probe thermometer. The classic farce has a splash of cognac; it's optional here, and apple juice or extra stock is the alcohol-free swap. Chef's tip: chill the filled, unbaked loaf for 30 minutes before baking so the pastry keeps its shape and pattern.

150 min

French Meat

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BourrideFish stew with garlic sauce

Bourride is the fish stew of Sète and the Provençal coast, a quieter, creamier cousin of bouillabaisse eaten for Friday lunch and summer dinners by the sea. Firm white fish poaches in a broth of fennel, leek, orange peel and thyme, then the broth is thickened with a rich garlic aïoli until it turns silky and pale gold. It is high in protein and suitable as part of a balanced diet; skip the traditional bread or keep it to one thin slice, and serve with steamed greens. About 400 kcal and 8 g carbohydrate per portion. The usual mistake is letting the broth boil after the aïoli goes in, which splits it like scrambled egg. Chef's tip: use pasteurised egg yolks, and stir the broth over a low heat until it coats a spoon and reaches about 72 °C.

50 min

French Fish

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Aussie salad sandwich

The salad sandwich is the backbone of the Australian lunchbox and the school tuckshop order: soft bread built up with tinned beetroot, grated carrot, tasty cheese, tomato and crisp lettuce, cut into triangles and wrapped in paper. Beetroot is what makes it unmistakably Aussie. The common mistake is laying wet beetroot and tomato straight on bare bread, so by lunchtime it is pink and soggy. Many Cheddar-style "tasty" cheeses use animal rennet; choose one labelled vegetarian. Chef's tip: butter both slices to the edge and put the cheese and lettuce next to the bread, with the wet fillings sealed in the middle.

10 min

Australian Snacks & Starters

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NalysnykyCrepes with sweet curd filling

Nalysnyky are what Ukrainian families make for a slow weekend breakfast or a festive morning: thin crêpes filled with sweet tvorog curd cheese, rolled up, packed into a dish and baked with sour cream and butter until bubbling. The crêpes go soft and custardy where they meet the cream and crisp at the edges. The common mistake is making the crêpes too thick; they should be thin enough to see the pan through, or the rolls become heavy and doughy. Chef's tip: rest the batter for 20 minutes before frying so the flour absorbs the milk and the first crêpe doesn't tear.

60 min

Ukrainian Breakfast & Brunch

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Curried egg sandwich

A school canteen and church-fete favourite across Australia, the curried egg sandwich is soft white or wholemeal bread filled with hard-boiled egg mashed with mayonnaise and a little mild curry powder, often with lettuce or cress. It goes into lunch boxes cut into fingers. The common mistake is mashing the eggs while warm, which turns the mayonnaise oily and the filling runny; let them cool completely. Chef's tip: warm the curry powder in a dry pan for 20 seconds first, and the raw, dusty taste turns sweet and toasty.

20 min

Australian Snacks & Starters

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LampreadoCassava starch cheese fritters

Paraguayan grandmothers fry lampreado on Sunday evenings to eat with a mug of cocido, the toasted yerba mate drink: small pan-fried cakes of cassava starch, egg, milk and grated cheese with a little onion, crisp at the edges and stretchy inside. Some families also make it with leftover meat, but this version is all cheese. Queso Paraguay is set with animal rennet; a vegetarian Parmesan-style cheese plus mozzarella works well. The trap is a batter that is too thick, which gives heavy, gluey cakes. Chef's tip: the batter should drop slowly off a spoon like thick pancake batter; add milk a spoonful at a time until it does.

30 min

Paraguayan Snacks & Starters

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Tarta de zapallitosCourgette and cheese tart

In Buenos Aires every rotisería sells tartas by the slice, and at home a tarta de zapallitos is baked on Sunday evening so that a wedge can go into the vianda (packed lunch) for school and work all week. Zapallitos are round green courgettes; ordinary courgettes work just as well. The common mistake is adding the courgette raw, which floods the pastry; sauté it until the liquid has cooked away. Argentine queso rallado and many hard cheeses are made with animal rennet, so use a vegetarian hard cheese. Chef's tip: bake the tart on a preheated baking tray so the base crisps before the filling soaks in.

70 min

Argentinian Baking

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ThorSugar-coated fried dough discs

At the Shrinathji temple in Nathdwara, near Udaipur, thor is one of the dry prasads that pilgrims carry home in paper parcels, because it keeps for weeks. A very short dough of flour, semolina and plenty of ghee is shaped into thick discs, fried slowly in ghee until cooked right through, then coated in sugar syrup that dries to a crisp white glaze. It crumbles like shortbread. The common mistake is frying in hot fat; the outside browns while the thick centre stays raw. Chef's tip: the ghee should be only warm when the discs go in, rising slowly to medium, so they take a full 15 minutes.

65 min

Indian Indian Sweets

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Torta de chile rellenoStuffed poblano sandwich

At Mexico City's torta stands and school gates, the chile relleno torta is the meat-free favourite: a whole poblano, roasted, peeled, stuffed with melting cheese, dipped in fluffy egg batter and fried, then pressed into a bolillo spread with refried beans and salsa. People buy them warm mid-morning or wrap them in foil for lunch. The common mistake is frying a wet chile: the batter slides off, so pat it dry and dust it with flour first. Oaxaca cheese and Monterey Jack are often made with animal rennet, so choose a vegetarian melting cheese, and check the refried beans are made without lard. Chef's tip: beat the egg whites to stiff peaks before folding in the yolks; that airy capeado is what makes it puff and stay crisp.

60 min

Mexican Fast Food

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Bubur kacang hijauSweet mung bean porridge

In Java, the bubur kacang ijo seller pushes a cart through the neighbourhood from early morning, ladling warm mung bean porridge sweetened with palm sugar and topped with thick coconut milk. Many people eat it with a slice of white bread dunked in, and late-night stalls in Jakarta sell it alongside instant noodles. The common mistake is adding the sugar too early, which keeps the beans firm; cook them soft first. Chef's tip: cook the coconut milk separately with a pinch of salt and a pandan leaf and pour it on top, so the bowl has a sweet layer and a slightly salty, creamy one.

60 min

Indonesian Breakfast & Brunch

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TsukuneChicken meatball skewers

Tsukune are the minced chicken patties of yakitori bars all over Japan, and squashed into small ovals they are one of the most loved bento fillers, eaten cold at school or the office. Ginger and spring onion keep them fresh, and a glossy soy tare makes them sticky and sweet. The tare uses mirin, a sweet rice wine; most of its alcohol cooks off as it bubbles, and for an alcohol-free glaze use 1 tbsp sugar and 2 tbsp water instead. The common mistake is a loose mix that falls apart in the pan; knead it until sticky. Chef's tip: add a spoon of grated tofu or potato starch to the mince, which keeps the patties juicy even the next day.

30 min

Japanese Chicken

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Budín de zapallo italianoBaked courgette pudding

In late summer, when courgettes (zapallo italiano) pile up in Santiago's ferias, home cooks turn them into budín: a soft, savoury bake bound with eggs, milk and cheese, served in squares with rice or a tomato salad for a light weekday lunch. Chileans use mild queso chanco or gouda, which is usually made with animal rennet; choose a cheese marked vegetarian if that matters to you. The big mistake is skipping the draining step: courgettes are mostly water, and a budín made with wet courgette weeps in the dish. Chef's tip: salt the grated courgette, leave it 15 minutes and squeeze it hard in a clean tea towel until it stops dripping.

65 min

Chilean Vegetarian

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Menchi katsuCrumbed meat patties

Menchi katsu, a juicy mince patty of beef and pork in a crisp panko coat, is sold hot at Tokyo butchers' shops like the famous ones in Kichijoji and packed cold in bento across Japan, with shredded cabbage and a drizzle of tonkatsu sauce. Sweet fried onion makes the inside tender. The common mistake is frying in oil that is too hot, so the crumb burns before the pork and beef in the middle are cooked. Chef's tip: chill the shaped patties for 20 minutes before crumbing so they keep their shape and stay juicy.

45 min

Japanese Meat

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Bún mọcVermicelli with pork balls

Bún mọc is a Hanoi breakfast from the old Mọc village, now swallowed by the city: a clear, gently sweet pork broth poured over soft rice vermicelli, with bouncy balls of pounded pork and wood ear mushroom, slices of pork and a fistful of herbs. Locals eat it early at low plastic stools before work. The common mistake is mixing the pork paste with a spoon; it needs a hard beating so the balls turn springy instead of crumbly. Chef's tip: wet your hands and slap the paste against the bowl twenty times, and chill it for 15 minutes before shaping.

95 min

Vietnamese Soups

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CuchuflíFilled wafer tubes

Cuchuflí are the thin, crisp wafer tubes filled with manjar that vendors sell from baskets on Chilean beaches and outside football stadiums, and that children beg for at the Fiestas Patrias fondas. At home you can bake the wafers yourself and roll them round a wooden spoon handle. The usual mistake is waiting too long to roll them: the wafers set within seconds and crack. Bake only three at a time. Chef's tip: fill them with a piping bag just before serving, or the manjar softens the wafer; dip the ends in melted chocolate if you like.

30 min

Chilean Desserts

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Bún đậu mắm tômNoodles, tofu and shrimp paste

Bún đậu mắm tôm is served on round bamboo trays in the narrow alleys of Hanoi's Old Quarter, where groups of friends squat on low stools at lunch to share squares of pressed rice noodles, cubes of tofu fried until puffy, slices of boiled pork leg or belly and bundles of perilla and Vietnamese balm. Everything is dipped into mắm tôm, pungent fermented shrimp paste whisked with lime, sugar and a splash of hot oil until it foams. It is loud, salty and moreish. Chef's tip: whisk the shrimp paste hard for a full minute; it turns pale and fluffy and its harshness mellows.

50 min

Vietnamese Pasta & Noodles

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MchemshoBeef and vegetable pot

The name just means 'boiled', but Dar es Salaam families treat mchemsho as comfort food, made on a cool rainy evening or for anyone feeling under the weather. Beef on the bone simmers with garlic and ginger into a clear, savoury broth, and whole potatoes, carrots, green bananas and wedges of cabbage go in late so each stays distinct. It arrives in wide bowls, everything in big pieces, with lime and fresh chilli on the table to sharpen it to your taste; some cooks make it with chicken instead. Adding all the vegetables at once is the common error, leaving the cabbage grey and the potatoes in pieces. Chef's tip: blanch and rinse the beef first, then start again in fresh water, for a broth that stays clear.

90 minEast African Meat

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Bún ốcSnail noodle soup

In the lanes around Đồng Xuân Market in Hanoi, bún ốc is a cold-weather lunch for people who love a sharp, sour broth: tomatoes cooked down with the gently fermented rice vinegar called giấm bỗng, a pork-bone stock, golden fried tofu and plenty of tender river snails, served over soft rice noodles with perilla and a spoon of chilli. This home version uses cooked frozen snail meat from Vietnamese or Asian grocers and ordinary rice vinegar. The stock is made from pork bones. Chef's tip: add the snails at the end and just heat them through; long boiling makes them rubbery.

95 min

Vietnamese Soups

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NoribenSeaweed and fish cake bento

Noriben is the humblest and most nostalgic Japanese packed lunch: rice spread with okaka (bonito flakes in soy) and covered with a whole sheet of nori, sometimes twice in layers, then topped with something fried such as chikuwa fish cake or white fish. Convenience stores and bento shops across Japan sell it for a few hundred yen. The usual mistake is laying the nori on steaming rice and closing the lid, which leaves it soggy and torn; let the rice cool a little first. Chef's tip: snip the nori into a few strips before it goes on, so it is easy to bite through with chopsticks.

15 min

Japanese Rice & Grains

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Nilagang saba mash for babiesBoiled banana mash for babies

Saba, the short, square-edged cooking banana piled in every palengke from Quezon City to Davao, is boiled in its skin for nilagang saging, a merienda (afternoon snack) eaten with a cup of coffee. For babies, the same boiled saba is peeled and mashed into a soft, peachy, honey-sweet purée, and it is one of the most common first foods in Filipino homes. Saba is firmer and starchier than an eating banana, which is why it is always cooked. Nothing is added: no salt, sugar or condensed milk under one. It is free of the major allergens. Chef's tip: pick saba whose skins are yellow with black spots; green ones are too starchy and can upset small tummies.

20 min

Filipino Desserts

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Guiso de fideosBeef and pasta stew

Guiso de fideos is the winter weeknight stew of Argentina, cooked in Buenos Aires flats and on estancias alike, and as loved by children as by grandparents. Beef, potatoes and vegetables simmer in a light tomato and sweet-paprika broth, then short pasta cooks straight in the pot and thickens it into something between a soup and a stew. Serve it in deep plates with crusty bread and grated cheese for those who want it. The usual mistake is adding the pasta too early, so it swells and turns mushy; it goes in only for the last 10–12 minutes. Chef's tip: cut the beef into small cubes, about 2 cm, so it is tender in under an hour.

75 min

Argentinian Meat

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Kefir

Kefir is the sour, lightly fizzy fermented milk that families across Russia, Georgia and the North Caucasus drink plain from a glass at breakfast, as an evening snack or alongside a meal, and also use in pancakes and cold soups. It is made by leaving milk with kefir grains, a living culture of yeasts and bacteria, at room temperature for a day until it thickens. Nothing is added: no salt and no sugar. About 0.25 g salt per 250 ml glass, all from the milk itself. Always use pasteurised milk. The usual mistake is leaving it too long, until it separates into curds and whey; check after 18 hours and stop when it is just thick and pourable. Chef's tip: a second ferment of 6 hours in the fridge in a closed bottle makes it smoother and a little fizzier.

1445 min

Russian Drinks

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TenmusuPrawn tempura rice balls

Tenmusu, short for tempura musubi, began in Tsu and became a Nagoya speciality: small salted rice balls with a crisp little prawn tempura poking out of the top, wrapped in nori and sold in boxes at Nagoya Station as a travel lunch. The common mistake is wrapping hot, crunchy tempura straight into the rice, so it steams soft; let it cool on a rack first. Use raw prawns that smell of the sea; throw away any that smell of ammonia. Chef's tip: brush the cooled tempura with a quick sweet soy dip before you shape the rice round it, which is the Nagoya secret to its flavour.

45 min

Japanese Fish

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Burma athoBurmese noodle salad

When Tamil families returned from Burma in the 1960s they brought atho with them, and today it is cooked on carts around Burma Bazaar, Parry's Corner and along the roads near the harbour in George Town, busiest at lunch and in the early evening. Cold noodles are mixed by hand with raw cabbage and onion, crisp fried garlic, tamarind, chilli flakes, roasted gram powder and lime, and come with a peppery banana-stem soup on the side. It is sour, hot, crunchy and very moreish. Contains wheat. Chef's tip: fry the garlic slowly until only pale gold; it keeps darkening off the heat and turns bitter if you wait for brown.

35 min

Indian Pasta & Noodles

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Cà ri chayVegetarian sweet potato curry

Cà ri chay is served at Buddhist temples and vegetarian restaurants across Saigon and the Mekong Delta, and many families cook it at home on rằm days, the first and fifteenth of the lunar month, when they eat no meat. Sweet potato and taro soften into a golden, lemongrass-scented coconut curry with fried tofu and meaty oyster mushrooms; it is mild and fragrant rather than fiery. Mop it up with a crusty baguette, or ladle it over rice vermicelli. The usual mistake is putting all the vegetables in at once: the sweet potato dissolves before the taro is cooked. Chef's tip: fry the taro and sweet potato briefly before simmering, which seals the outside so the chunks hold their shape in the sauce.

55 min

Vietnamese Curries

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Burong isdaFermented fish and rice

Burong isda is a Kapampangan treasure. In Pampanga, and in neighbouring Bulacan and Tarlac, families make buro in the rainy months when mudfish and tilapia are plentiful, and the sautéed paste is set out at home lunches with fried or grilled fish, steamed okra and eggplant, and blanched mustard leaves (mustasa) to wrap it in. Cooked rice and salted fish ferment together for about a week until the rice has melted into a soft, pinkish porridge and the fish bones soften. Sautéed with garlic, onion and tomato, it becomes creamy, sour, salty and deeply savoury, a little like a cheese spread. Because the fish ferments raw, two rules matter: cure it first in 20% salt, and always cook the buro until bubbling hot before eating; never eat it straight from the jar. Pregnant people, babies, older people and anyone with weak immunity should only eat it freshly cooked, or skip it. Common mistake: packing hot rice, which spoils the ferment; cool it fully. It is ready to cook when it smells pleasantly sour, like sourdough, and the rice is soft. Chef's tip: a teaspoon of angkak (red yeast rice) gives the traditional pink colour.

75 min

Filipino Chutneys & Dips

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Masu zushiPressed trout sushi

Masu zushi is Toyama's famous ekiben, the boxed lunch sold at the station for the train ride: a round, flat cake of vinegared rice pressed under a layer of salted, vinegar-cured trout and wrapped in bright green bamboo leaves, cut into wedges like a pie. The fish is cured but raw, so use only fish sold as safe to eat raw and previously frozen, and keep everything cold; this version is not for pregnant women, young children or anyone with a weakened immune system. For a safer version, use hot-smoked trout fillet instead, which is fully cooked. The usual mistake is pressing the rice while it is still warm, which turns it mushy; cool it to body temperature first. Chef's tip: press the cake for a full hour under a heavy weight so it slices cleanly, then cut it with a wet knife.

85 min

Japanese Fish

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Yubu jumeoniFried tofu pouches with glass noodles

Yubu jumeoni, "tofu pockets", are a Bupyeong Kkangtong Market speciality, said to have been dreamed up by a fish-cake vendor there in the 1980s. Little fried tofu pouches are stuffed with glass noodles and vegetables, tied with a strip of chive like a drawstring purse and left to soak in a steaming pot of anchovy and kelp broth. On cold Busan evenings they are served in a paper cup with a ladle of broth and a dab of soy. Chef's tip: fill the pouches only three-quarters full; they swell as they absorb the broth and split if packed tight.

50 min

Korean Snacks & Starters

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HumbaBraised pork belly

Humba is the sweet, dark braise of the Visayas, cooked in Cebu and Bohol homes for fiestas, birthdays and Sunday lunch. Pork belly simmers in soy sauce, cane vinegar and brown sugar with garlic, bay and peppercorns until the fat turns meltingly soft and the sauce becomes sticky; salted black beans (tausi) and dried lily buds, sold as dried banana blossoms, give it its Visayan character. Eat it with plenty of steamed rice. The usual mistake is stirring as soon as the vinegar goes in: let it boil uncovered for a few minutes first so its raw sharpness cooks off. Pressure-cooker: cook for 35 minutes at high pressure, then reduce the sauce uncovered. Chef's tip: humba tastes even better the next day, when the pork has soaked up the sauce.

130 min

Filipino Meat

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MondongoTripe soup

In Antioquia, around Medellín, mondongo is the hearty soup families cook at the weekend and that restaurants serve at lunch with rice, avocado, ripe banana and a squeeze of lime. Cleaned beef tripe simmers slowly with pork shoulder and chorizo (both pork), then potatoes, annatto, cumin and plenty of cilantro thicken and colour the broth. The usual mistake is skimping on cleaning the tripe: rinse and blanch it well or the soup will taste strong. Pressure-cooker: cook the tripe for 40 minutes at high pressure instead of 2 hours. Chef's tip: use some small yellow potatoes (papa criolla) along with the floury ones, as they melt and thicken the broth naturally.

240 min

Colombian Soups

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Đậu hũ khoBraised tofu with shiitake

Đậu hũ kho is the vegetarian cousin of the caramel braises (kho) cooked in clay pots all over Vietnam, and in the south it is a standard of Buddhist fasting days and a good companion for a pot of rice through the week. Golden fried tofu and chewy shiitake are braised in a dark caramel, soy sauce and coconut water until the sauce turns sticky, salty-sweet and peppery. Serve with steamed rice, a plate of fresh cucumber and a light soup. The usual mistake is letting the caramel go too dark, which makes the whole dish bitter; stop when it is the colour of strong tea. Chef's tip: coconut water gives a rounder sweetness than plain water, and the braise keeps for 3 days in the fridge.

35 min

Vietnamese Vegetarian

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Cà tím om đậuBraised aubergine and tofu

In Hanoi, cà tím om đậu is a humble lunch dish of the old quarter rice shops and home kitchens, especially in the cooler months, and it is traditionally braised with pork and a spoon of fermented shrimp paste. This vegan version keeps the soft, smoky aubergine, golden tofu and sweet-sour tomato sauce, and swaps the shrimp paste for soy sauce, while purple perilla (tía tô) adds its unmistakable minty-anise lift. Serve it with plain rice and a bowl of clear vegetable soup. The usual mistake is crowding the tofu in the pan so it steams instead of frying, leaving it pale and soft. Chef's tip: soak the cut aubergine in lightly salted water with a dash of vinegar for 10 minutes, which stops it browning and keeps it from soaking up too much oil.

40 min

Vietnamese Vegetarian

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Frijoles coladosStrained black beans

Every cocina económica and family kitchen in Mérida keeps a pot of frijoles colados for the midday meal, the smooth, almost soupy black beans that sit beside cochinita, poc chuc, eggs or simply rice and tortillas across the Yucatán. The beans are cooked soft with epazote, pushed through a sieve, then simmered with onion fried until sweet. Traditionally the onion is fried in pork lard; this version uses oil so it is vegan. The usual mistake is straining beans that are not fully cooked, which gives a gritty, floury purée, so cook them until they crush with no effort. Chef's tip: drop a whole habanero into the simmering purée for 5 minutes for perfume without much heat, then fish it out.

120 min

Mexican Sides

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BulaloBeef shank and marrow soup

Bulalo is the pride of Batangas, south of Manila, served at roadside eateries on the way to Tagaytay where the cool upland air makes a steaming bowl the thing to order. Beef shank on the bone simmers for hours until the meat falls away and the marrow turns soft and wobbly, giving a clear, beefy broth seasoned just with fish sauce, onion and peppercorns. Corn on the cob, cabbage and pechay go in at the end. Spoon the marrow onto rice and dip the meat in fish sauce with calamansi and chilli. The usual mistake is skipping the first blanch: the broth turns grey and murky. Slow-cooker: after blanching, cook on low for 10 hours, adding the vegetables for the last 30 minutes on high. Chef's tip: keep the pot at a lazy simmer, never a boil, for the clearest broth.

240 min

Filipino Soups

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Chungmu gimbapRice rolls with spicy squid

In the harbour town of Tongyeong (once called Chungmu), fishermen's wives made plain rice rolls in laver with the spicy side dishes packed separately, because filled gimbap spoiled in the heat of the boats. Today Chungmu gimbap is a lunchbox and road-trip classic all over Korea: finger-sized rolls eaten with a toothpick, sweet-spicy squid and fish cake, and crunchy radish kimchi. The common mistake is overcooking the squid, which goes rubbery; blanch it just until it turns white and curls. Chef's tip: brush the gim lightly with sesame oil before rolling, which keeps it from going chewy.

45 min

Korean Rice & Grains

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Café de higoFig and grain coffee

In the farmhouses of central Chile, in the Maule and O'Higgins valleys, people have long drunk café de higo: a dark, caffeine-free "coffee" made from dried figs roasted with grains such as barley and wheat, then ground. It's mellow, fruity and slightly caramel-like, and many Chileans still prefer it with milk at breakfast. The fig granules are sold in Chilean and Latin grocers. The common mistake is brewing it like instant coffee, with a quick stir; it's a ground blend, so simmer it briefly and strain. It contains grains, so it is not gluten free. Chef's tip: a strip of orange peel in the pan brings out the fig flavour.

10 min

Chilean Drinks

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Frijoles maneadosPinto beans with chile and cheese

Frijoles maneados are the rich party beans of Sonora in northern Mexico, cooked for carne asada gatherings, weddings and Sunday lunch, and spooned onto flour tortillas. Soft pinto beans are mashed and beaten (maneados means stirred or worked) with dried red chile colorado, milk and so much melting cheese that the pot pulls into strings. Serve them with flour tortillas, grilled vegetables and a sharp salsa. The usual mistake is adding the cheese while the pot is boiling hard, which makes it go rubbery and oily; take the heat right down first. Chef's tip: Sonoran queso regional or Chihuahua cheese is often made with animal rennet, so for a vegetarian pot choose a vegetarian Monterey Jack-style or mild Cheddar cheese labelled suitable for vegetarians.

130 min

Mexican Vegetarian

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Ceci in ziminoChickpeas stewed with chard

In Genoa and along the Tuscan coast, ceci in zimino is the dish of Lenten Fridays and the first cold days of All Souls in November, when the household cooks a big pot of chickpeas and stews them with chard and a little tomato. The chickpeas turn creamy, the chard gives a gently bitter green sauce, and a spoon of good oil on top makes it taste of the Riviera. Serve it as a main dish with toasted wholegrain bread. Suitable as part of a balanced diet, it is high in fibre and plant protein: about 300 kcal and 32 g carbohydrate per portion. The usual mistake is adding the chard leaves too early so they turn brown; keep them for the last 10 minutes. Chef's tip: mash a ladleful of chickpeas with a fork and stir them back in to thicken the zimino naturally.

50 min

Italian Curries

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GroenboontjiebredieLamb and green bean stew

Groenboontjiebredie is one of the old bredies of the Western Cape, the slow stews Cape families have cooked for generations, usually for Sunday lunch with white rice and a sweet beetroot salad. Lamb on the bone is browned with onions, then simmered for hours with sliced green beans and potatoes until the beans soften completely and the potatoes break down to thicken the sauce. The usual mistake is treating the beans like a crisp vegetable: here they should be soft and olive green. Slow-cooker: after browning, cook on low for 8 hours. Chef's tip: grate a little nutmeg in at the end; it is the classic Cape seasoning for a green bean bredie.

160 min

South African Meat

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Mugicha (roasted barley tea)

From the rainy season in June until the cicadas fall quiet in September, almost every Japanese household keeps a tall jug of mugicha in the fridge. It is poured for children coming in from summer club practice, for grandparents after an afternoon nap, and alongside cold sōmen at lunch, because it carries no caffeine and can be drunk all day. Whole barley grains roasted until deep brown give a cup that tastes of toast, a little of coffee and a little of popcorn, with a clean, dry finish and no sweetness at all. Supermarkets sell it in tea bags, but loose roasted grains simmered in a pan make a rounder, darker brew. The usual mistake is leaving the grains in the jug or letting the hot tea sit out on the counter for hours: it turns bitter and, being a grain infusion, it sours quickly in summer heat. Strain it, cool it fast in a sink of cold water, and drink it within two days. It is ready when the liquid is a clear amber-brown and smells like freshly toasted bread. Chef's tip: dry-toast the grains for two minutes before brewing to wake up a bag that has been open a while.

20 min

Japanese Drinks

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TequicheCornmeal and coconut baked pudding

Tequiche comes from the shores of Lake Maracaibo, where coconut palms are everywhere: toasted cornmeal is cooked with coconut milk, milk and sugar, then baked into a soft, golden pudding with a nutty, almost caramel taste. In Zulia homes it's cut into warm squares for an afternoon snack with coffee. The usual mistake is toasting the cornmeal too little, which leaves a raw, floury flavour. Chef's tip: keep toasting until it smells of popcorn and turns a light tan; that toast is the whole character of the dish.

65 min

Venezuelan Desserts

by KrazyBadal 0 views

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