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Ekpang nkukwo
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Ekpang nkukwo

Grated cocoyam and plantain parcels

Patience is the main ingredient of ekpang nkukwo, a festive dish of the Efik and Ibibio of Calabar and Akwa Ibom. Grated cocoyam and unripe plantain are rolled into little leaf parcels, stacked in a pot and cooked slowly in a broth of palm oil, periwinkles, prawns, smoked fish and pepper until the parcels set into soft, sliceable rolls in a thick, orange sauce. It is a meal in itself, often made for Christmas and family gatherings. Cocoyam leaves are traditional; large spinach or chard leaves work if you blanch them first. Raw cocoyam can itch the skin, so wear gloves to grate it, and cook the dish fully. Chef's tip: do not stir until the parcels have cooked for at least 25 minutes, or they will unroll and dissolve into the broth.

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Sauce pistacheMelon seed stew with smoked fish

In Côte d'Ivoire, 'pistache' means the creamy white seeds of a wild melon (the same family as West African egusi), and sauce pistache is a beloved stew of the Baoulé and Abidjan home kitchens, served for Sunday lunch with foutou, rice or attiéké. The ground seeds are mixed with water into a paste, then simmered with smoked fish, beef or chicken, tomato and chilli until they set into soft, savoury curds in a rich orange sauce. The usual mistake is stirring as soon as the seed paste goes in, which breaks it into grainy specks; leave it alone for 10 minutes so it can form lumps. Fish is done when it flakes easily. Chef's tip: toast the seed flour very lightly in a dry pan before mixing, for a nuttier, deeper sauce.

90 minIvorianSoupsGluten free
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Ensalada de pulpoOctopus salad

Ensalada de pulpo is a beach-shack favourite of Puerto Rico, sold at the kiosks of Luquillo and Piñones and made at home for summer gatherings and Christmas parties. Tender octopus is cut into bite-sized pieces and dressed with sweet peppers, red onion, olives, cilantro, olive oil and vinegar, then chilled so the flavours soak in. Lean protein with no starch, suitable as part of a balanced diet; eat it with a green salad rather than tostones. About 260 kcal and 8 g carbohydrate per portion. The usual mistake is undercooking the octopus, which leaves it rubbery; it needs a slow simmer until a skewer slides easily into the thickest part of a tentacle. Chef's tip: buy octopus frozen, or freeze fresh octopus for a day, because freezing tenderises it.

90 minPuerto RicanFishGluten free
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Da chang bao xiao changSausage in a sticky rice bun

'Big sausage wraps small sausage' is one of the most photographed snacks at Shilin and Raohe night markets in Taipei. A plump, garlicky glutinous-rice sausage is grilled until crisp, split like a hot-dog bun and stuffed with a sweet Taiwanese pork sausage, pickled cucumber, sliced raw garlic, basil and a smear of sauce. This home version shapes the sticky rice in cling film instead of casing, so you do not need intestines. The Taiwanese sausage is pork and must be cooked through. Contains soy and peanuts. Chef's tip: chill the steamed rice log overnight; it slices and grills cleanly and holds its crust.

60 minTaiwaneseFast Food
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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 minItalianFast Food
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ScafataBroad bean and chard stew

Scafata comes from the hill towns of Umbria, around Spoleto and Foligno, where it is cooked in late April and May when the first fresh broad beans, chard and spring onions arrive together. The beans are stewed slowly in olive oil and tomato until they are soft and creamy, with the chard melting into a green, fragrant sauce scented with wild fennel or mint. Eat it warm with a slice of wholegrain bread. Suitable as part of a balanced diet, it is rich in fibre and plant protein: about 240 kcal and 22 g carbohydrate per portion. The usual mistake is boiling it fast, which toughens the beans; it needs a lazy simmer. Chef's tip: double-pod only the large, older beans; young ones can be cooked in their pale skins.

50 minItalianVegetarianVeganGluten free
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Lolo bunsCoconut cream baked buns

Lolo buns are the Sunday treat of Fijian kitchens, made for church lunches and family get-togethers in Lautoka and Suva: soft yeast buns packed into a tin and baked in a bath of sweetened coconut cream (lolo), which soaks into the bottoms and bakes into a sticky, caramel-edged sauce. Everyone pulls one out warm from the tin. A common mistake is pouring the coconut cream on too early; add it just before baking so the buns have risen fully. Chef's tip: use thick, full-fat coconut cream for a rich glaze.

65 minPacific IslanderBakingVegan
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Daing na bangusMarinated fried milkfish

Bangus (milkfish) is the national fish of the Philippines, and daing na bangus, butterflied and soaked overnight in vinegar, garlic and pepper, then fried until the skin shatters, is a favourite morning plate from Pangasinan to Manila. It comes with garlic rice, a fried egg and a dip of spiced vinegar. Buy it boneless (deboned bangus) from Filipino shops, or use mackerel fillets. The usual mistake is putting the wet fish straight into the oil, which spits and stops it crisping. Chef's tip: pat the fish completely dry and fry skin side down first, pressing gently, without moving it for five minutes.

40 minFilipinoFishGluten free
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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 minIndianDrinksGluten free
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Semita altaLayered sweet bread with pineapple jam

Salvadoran panaderías sell two semitas: the flat semita pacha and this tall one, built from soft sweet dough layered with pineapple or panela jam, so each slice shows dark stripes of fruit. It is bought by the slab for breakfast and afternoon coffee across the country. Dry dough is the common mistake; it should feel soft and slightly tacky, or the layers bake up like biscuit. Chef's tip: make the pineapple jam the day before and chill it; cold, thick jam spreads cleanly and doesn't leak out of the layers.

120 minCentral AmericanBaking
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Empal gepukSweet spiced fried beef

Empal gepuk is a Sundanese speciality from Bandung in West Java: beef simmered in coconut water and spices with palm sugar until the liquid is gone, pounded (gepuk) to loosen the fibres, then fried until the edges are crisp and sweet. Because it is dry and keeps for days, it is a classic in Indonesian bekal lunchboxes with rice, sambal and raw vegetables. The common mistake is cutting the beef with the grain, which makes it stringy; slice it across the grain before pounding. Chef's tip: pound gently with a pestle just until the slices fan out, then fry quickly; too long in the oil and they turn hard.

120 minIndonesianMeatGluten free
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Dak hanmariWhole chicken hot pot

Dak hanmari, literally 'one chicken', comes from the alley of restaurants beside Dongdaemun market in Seoul, where a whole chicken arrives in a basin of pale broth and finishes cooking on a burner at the table. Potatoes and chewy rice cakes simmer alongside, and each piece is dunked in a sharp dipping sauce of chilli, soy, vinegar and mustard that you mix to your own taste. When the chicken is gone, knife-cut noodles go into the broth. The usual mistake is rushing the first simmer: the broth needs its full time with garlic and leek to taste of chicken. Chef's tip: let everyone build their own dip, adding a spoon of hot broth so the chilli flakes bloom.

75 minKoreanChicken
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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 minFrenchMeatGluten free
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Dal baflaBaked wheat balls with dal

Dal bafla is Malwa's answer to Rajasthan's dal baati: the dough balls are first boiled until they float, then baked until crusty, so they turn out softer inside and lighter than baati. In Indore and Ujjain it is the meal for Sunday lunches, picnics and big family gatherings, broken open and drowned in ghee next to a bowl of tadka dal and garlic chutney. The common mistake is skipping the rest after boiling; wet baflas go straight into the oven and stay pale and leathery. Chef's tip: let the boiled baflas dry for 10 minutes and score a cross on top before baking, so they crack open and soak up the ghee.

75 minIndianBreads & Parathas
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Dal panniyeMaize flour breads baked in leaves

Panniye are the festive breads of the Bhil communities of Jhabua and Alirajpur in western Madhya Pradesh, made for weddings, Bhagoria and harvest gatherings. Thick maize-flour discs are pressed between palash or banana leaves and baked over cow-dung embers until smoky and crisp outside, then served with a garlicky dal and ghee. At home you can bake them on a tawa and finish in the oven. The common mistake is rolling the dough too thin, so it dries out and cracks before it cooks through. Chef's tip: knead the maize dough with warm water and a little curd and let it rest; it holds together much better.

65 minIndianBreads & ParathasGluten free
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ShankarpaliFried sweet diamond biscuits

Every Maharashtrian Diwali faral box has a pile of shankarpali: small diamond-shaped biscuits, flaky and crisp, sweet with sugar dissolved in warm milk and ghee. Families make large batches in the week before Diwali alongside chakli and karanji, and the tin is raided until Tulsi Vivah. The common mistake is frying too hot, which browns them outside before the layers crisp, so they soften within a day; fry slowly until pale golden. Chef's tip: dissolve the sugar fully in the warm milk and ghee before adding flour, or sugar crystals burn in the oil as dark specks.

70 minIndianIndian Sweets
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HrousFermented onion chilli paste

Hrous is the old pantry paste of Sfax and Djerba, made in late spring when the sweet onions come out of the ground and stored for months to season the year's fish couscous, stews, lablabi and simple saucers of olive oil for dipping bread. The onions are sliced, salted heavily and left for about a week to wilt and ferment, then squeezed dry and pounded with sweet and hot dried chilli, turmeric, caraway, coriander and crushed dried rosebuds, and packed into a jar under olive oil. A teaspoon goes a long way: it is brick red, salty, sour and fiery, with a funky onion sweetness and a perfumed finish from the roses, earthier and more complex than harissa. Sfaxi families stir it into fish dishes and spread it thinly on bread with olive oil at breakfast. The mistake to avoid is cutting the salt to make it milder, as the salt is what keeps the ferment safe; stick to 10% of the onion weight. The onions are ready when they are limp, smell pleasantly sour and pickled, and the paste turns glossy after a week under oil. Chef's tip: grind the rosebuds fresh, just before mixing, for the full perfume.

60 minTunisianChutneys & DipsVeganGluten freeSpicy
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Dalia chikkiRoasted chana and jaggery brittle

For Uttarayan, the January kite festival, every Gujarati kitchen turns out trays of chikki, and dalia (roasted split chana, the yellow dal sold for chutneys) is the one that gets forgotten until someone tastes it. It is lighter and crunchier than peanut chikki, with a toasty, slightly savoury edge from the dal. It is all about the jaggery syrup. The common mistake is pulling the jaggery off too early; underdone syrup gives sticky, chewy chikki that never snaps. Chef's tip: drop a little syrup into cold water: when it sets hard and cracks cleanly (hard-crack stage), tip in the dalia straight away.

25 minIndianIndian SweetsGluten free
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Lavang latikaClove-sealed syrup pastries

Lavang latika is a festive sweet of Bengal and Bihar, shaped like a tiny sealed envelope with a single clove pinned through the flap; it fills sweet-shop trays at Bijoya Dashami, Diwali and Bhai Phonta. Inside is mawa with coconut, nuts and cardamom, and after slow frying the parcels are soaked in syrup, so the outside is crisp and sweet and the clove gives a warm, peppery bite. The common mistake is folding the pastry loosely; the flaps must overlap well and be pressed shut before the clove goes in, or the parcels unfold in the ghee. Remove the clove before eating if you prefer. Chef's tip: soak the cloves in hot water for 5 minutes so they push through the pastry without cracking it.

90 minIndianIndian Sweets
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Daniwal kormaMutton in yogurt and onion gravy

Daniwal korma is one of the gentler dishes of the Kashmiri wazwan, the many-course Muslim wedding feast cooked by the waza, and it is also a favourite for Eid lunches at home. Mutton is cooked with fried onion and whisked yogurt, scented with cardamom and fennel, and finished with a great fistful of fresh coriander, 'daniwal', that turns the pale gravy green-flecked and fresh. It is served with plenty of rice. The common mistake is adding cold yogurt to a hot pan, which makes it split; whisk it smooth and stir it in off the heat. Chef's tip: fry the onions dark gold, then grind them to a paste with the yogurt for a silky, nutty gravy.

95 minIndianMeatGluten free
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Tuver tothaGreen pigeon peas in garlic gravy

Tuver totha is a winter street-stall and wedding favourite from Mehsana and the villages of North Gujarat, eaten hot on cold evenings when fresh green tuver is in season. The peas are boiled soft, then simmered in a fiery, garlicky gravy of onion, tomato and green chilli and finished with chopped onion, coriander and lemon. In Gujarat it is mopped up with bread; for a lower-GI plate serve it with a bajra rotla or a small bowl of brown rice. It is suitable as part of a balanced diet. About 260 kcal and 30 g carbohydrate per portion. The usual mistake is undercooking the peas, which then stay chalky in the gravy. Out of season, use frozen green pigeon peas, or dried green tuver soaked overnight and pressure-cooked. Chef's tip: mash a ladle of the cooked peas and stir them back in so the gravy thickens without any flour.

45 minIndianCurriesVeganGluten free
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Shiitake no umaniSimmered shiitake mushrooms

These sweet-savoury simmered mushrooms are a fixture of Japanese bento and of osechi New Year boxes, and they are sliced into chirashi sushi and inari as well. The caps are rehydrated, then cooked in their own deep-flavoured soaking water with soy and sugar until the liquid becomes a sticky glaze. The common mistake is throwing away the soaking water, which holds most of the flavour. Chef's tip: soak the mushrooms in the fridge overnight if you can; a slow, cold soak gives a far meatier texture than a quick hot one.

60 minJapaneseSidesVegan
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Tvarohová pomazánkaQuark spread

Tvarohová pomazánka is the savoury quark spread made in Czech and Slovak kitchens for breakfast, snacks and the evening bread plate: tvaroh beaten with a little butter, finely chopped onion, sweet paprika and chives, then spread on dark rye bread. It is fresh, tangy and pale orange. The mistake is using raw onion cut too coarsely, which overpowers the mild quark and makes the spread watery; chop it very finely or grate it. Chef's tip: make it 30 minutes ahead and chill it, so the paprika colours the spread and the onion mellows.

10 minCzechBreakfast & BrunchGluten free
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