What to eat today?

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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 min

Indonesian Meat

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Dalimbi usalSprouted field bean curry

In Konkan and Pune homes, dalimbi usal is a festival dish, cooked for Ganesh Chaturthi, weddings and thread ceremonies and served on the thali beside puran poli and rice. Dalimbi are dried field beans (val) that are soaked, sprouted and peeled; the work takes two days but turns them creamy and sweet. They are simmered gently with fresh coconut, goda masala, kokum and a little jaggery, without onion or garlic. Field beans must always be cooked until fully soft; never eat them raw or half-cooked. The usual mistake is boiling them hard, which bursts the soft peeled beans into mash; keep the simmer gentle. Chef's tip: soak the sprouted beans in warm water for 30 minutes before peeling, and the skins slip off with a pinch.

60 min

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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 min

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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 min

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Twigim (vegetable and egg)

Twigim is the fried side of Seoul's bunsik stalls: a glass case of sweet potato, vegetable fritters, boiled eggs and squid in a thicker, crunchier batter than Japanese tempura. Around the student bars of Sinchon and in Tongin Market, people order a mixed plate in the evening and have the pieces snipped and drowned in tteokbokki sauce. Squid is the other classic; this version keeps it vegetarian. It contains egg and wheat. Chef's tip: fry everything twice, the second time hotter, the way the stalls do; it is the secret to batter that stays crisp under sauce.

40 min

Korean Snacks & Starters

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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 min

Indian Meat

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GodsheBroken rice and jaggery pudding

Godshe is the quiet sweet of Goan Saraswat and Gaud Saraswat kitchens, made on festival mornings, for a family puja, or simply when there is fresh coconut and good jaggery in the house. Broken rice is cooked until soft and creamy, then sweetened with dark coconut jaggery and loosened with first-press coconut milk, giving a pudding thicker than payasam and deeply caramel in flavour. Many families make the same dish with chana dal instead of rice. The usual mistake is adding jaggery while the rice is still firm, because the sugar stops the grains from softening any further. Chef's tip: a few slivers of fresh coconut and a pinch of nutmeg on top make it taste like a temple offering.

45 min

Indian Breakfast & Brunch

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Sopa negraBlack bean soup with egg

Costa Rican grandmothers make sopa negra with the broth from the week's pot of black beans, and in San José sodas it comes to the table steaming, with a soft-boiled egg halved into the bowl and rice or tortillas alongside. The broth is thin rather than creamy, savoury with sofrito of onion, sweet pepper, celery and culantro, and half the beans are blended to give it body. It is rainy-season comfort food. Blending all the beans is the common mistake: you lose the whole beans that make it a soup rather than a purée. Chef's tip: cook the eggs for exactly 6½ minutes so the yolks stay jammy and melt into the hot broth.

45 minCentral American Soups

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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

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Moong dal pakodeMoong dal fritters

When the monsoon breaks over Delhi, the pakora stalls of Lajpat Nagar and the lanes off Chandni Chowk do their best trade, and moong dal pakode are the favourite: light, airy balls of soaked and coarsely ground yellow lentils, fried until crunchy and served in paper plates with grated white radish and green chutney. They are naturally gluten free and vegan. Chef's tip: beat the ground batter hard with your hand for a few minutes; the trapped air is what makes them fluffy inside.

40 min

Indian Snacks & Starters

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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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DebreceniPaprika pork sausage

Debreceni are long, thin pork sausages seasoned with sweet paprika, garlic and caraway, and they are the standing snack of Budapest's büfé counters: at the Nagyvásárcsarnok, at Christmas markets on Vörösmarty tér and outside the Keleti railway station. The stand heats them on a griddle (or simmers them), then hands them over on a paper plate with a slice of rye bread, a big spoon of mustard and a pile of pickled peppers or gherkins. This home version uses bought debreceni and adds a quick paprika glaze. Chef's tip: simmer them gently before grilling; a hard boil splits the skins and dries the pork.

20 min

Hungarian Meat

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GamjatangPork backbone stew

Gamjatang is a late-night favourite in Seoul and Incheon, where restaurants keep huge pots of pork backbone stew bubbling for shift workers and friends after a night out. Pork neck bones are soaked, blanched and simmered with doenjang until the meat pulls away, then finished with potatoes, napa cabbage, perilla leaves and nutty ground perilla seeds in a chilli-red broth. Everyone picks the meat off the bones at the table and ends the meal by frying rice in the leftover broth. The usual mistake is skipping the soaking and blanching, which leaves the broth grey and scummy. A pressure cooker cuts the bone simmering to 45 minutes. Chef's tip: stir the perilla seed powder in only at the end; boiled too long it loses its fragrance.

180 min

Korean Meat

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Nagori halwaSemolina puris with halwa

On cold winter mornings in Old Delhi, the halwais near Chawri Bazar and Sitaram Bazar set out trays of nagori: thumb-sized, rock-crisp puris made with semolina. You crack one open, spoon in warm, ghee-rich sooji halwa and eat it with a bite of spicy potato curry, the sweet and the savoury taking turns. It is a breakfast that keeps you going through a foggy December day. Chef's tip: roast the semolina for the halwa slowly until it smells of toasted nuts; under-roasted semolina makes a pasty, flat halwa.

60 min

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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

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Sorakaya pulusuBottle gourd in tamarind gravy

Sorakaya pulusu is everyday Telugu home cooking from Vijayawada to Visakhapatnam, made on weekdays when there's a bottle gourd in the basket and the family wants something light and sour with rice. Soft pieces of gourd simmer in a thin tamarind broth balanced with a little jaggery, chilli and onion, thickened only lightly with rice flour, and finished with a mustard and fenugreek tempering. Mix it into hot rice with a spoon of ghee or eat it with a crisp vada. The usual mistake is overcooking the gourd to mush; it should be tender and translucent but still in pieces. Chef's tip: taste a raw slice of the gourd before cooking, and throw it away if it is bitter, because bitter bottle gourd should not be eaten.

35 min

Chilean Breads & Parathas

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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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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

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Nasi bakarGrilled banana-leaf rice with chicken

In Jakarta, nasi bakar parcels are sold from warung grills at lunchtime and in office canteens: rice cooked with coconut milk, lemongrass and salam leaves, filled with spicy shredded chicken (ayam suwir) and lemon basil, wrapped in banana leaf and grilled until the leaf chars and the rice crisps at the edges. Small dried anchovies (teri) are the other classic filling. The common mistake is wrapping the parcels loosely, so they fall open on the grill; fold them tight and pin with toothpicks. Chef's tip: grill until the leaf is blackened in patches; the smoke perfumes the rice inside.

65 min

Indonesian Rice & Grains

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Spritz venezianoProsecco spritz

In Venice the spritz is not a trend but a timetable. From late afternoon the bàcari around Rialto fill up, and people stand at the counter with a glowing orange glass in one hand and a cicchetto of baccalà or a meatball in the other. The drink goes back to the Austrian soldiers who 'spritzed' Veneto wine with water; the bitter aperitivo came later. It is for adults only, light and long: bitter orange and rhubarb notes, dry bubbles from the Prosecco, a briny note from the olive, and a clean, cold finish that makes you hungry. The common mistake is pouring the aperitivo in first, so it sinks to the bottom and the first sips are just wine. Follow the Venetian 3-2-1: Prosecco first, aperitivo next, a splash of soda last, then one stir. It is ready when the colour is even, the glass is beaded and the bubbles are still lively. Have one or two with food and drink responsibly. Choose a Prosecco labelled vegan if that matters. Chef's tip: in Venice you will be asked which bitter you want; a sharper, more bitter red aperitivo makes a drier spritz than the sweeter orange one.

5 min

Italian Drinks

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Nasi timbelRice with fried chicken and tofu

Nasi timbel is the packed lunch of West Java: rice pressed tight into a banana leaf, which keeps it warm and fragrant until noon, served with turmeric fried chicken, fried tofu and tempeh, crisp salted fish, raw vegetables (lalapan) and a fiery sambal terasi. Sundanese restaurants in Bandung and Jakarta serve it as a lunch platter. The usual mistake is frying the chicken straight from raw, which browns the outside long before the bone is cooked; simmer it in the spice paste first. Chef's tip: roll the rice in the leaf while it is very hot and wrap it tightly, then let it rest for 10 minutes so it sets firm.

85 min

Indonesian Rice & Grains

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DiphaphataGriddle muffins

In Gaborone and villages across Botswana, diphaphata (sometimes called flat cakes or Botswana muffins) are a weekend breakfast: little rounds of soft yeast dough cooked on a dry, heavy pan until they puff and brown on both sides, then split while hot and spread with butter, jam or syrup. They look like English muffins but are softer and slightly sweet. The common mistake is a pan that is too hot: the outsides scorch while the centres stay doughy, so cook them slowly over a medium-low heat. Chef's tip: dust them with flour rather than oiling the pan; a dry pan gives the matt, freckled crust they are known for.

100 minSouthern African Breads & Parathas

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DobladitasFolded lard breads

In the south of Chile, from Concepción down through Temuco and Chiloé, dobladitas are baked for breakfast and the evening once: rounds of a lard-enriched dough brushed with more melted pork lard, folded in half and in half again, and baked until the layers puff and flake apart. Eat them warm, pulled into their layers, with tea and butter (or margarine to keep them dairy free), jam or avocado. The lard is pork fat. The common mistake is using cold, hard lard for brushing; it must be melted and warm, so it soaks between the layers and makes them separate. Chef's tip: roll the folded pieces only lightly, just to seal the layers; pressing hard squeezes the lard out and they bake up tough.

45 min

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StigghiolaGrilled lamb intestines

Stigghiola is the smell of Palermo after dark: lamb intestines wound around spring onions or parsley stalks and grilled over smoking braziers in the Ballarò market, in the alleys of the Kalsa and on the seafront at the Foro Italico. Sellers chop the long coils into pieces, salt them and squeeze over lemon, and people eat them standing, from paper, late in the evening. Smoky, crisp at the edges and rich, it is offal at its most direct. At home, buy cleaned lamb intestines from a halal or specialist butcher, wash them again carefully and parboil them before grilling, so they cook right through. Chef's tip: wind the intestine tightly around the onion; loose coils unravel and fall through the grill.

90 min

Italian Meat

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Gajar marcha nu athanuCarrot and chilli pickle

Every Gujarati thali, from Ahmedabad homes to Surat lunch houses, has a little bowl of something fresh and sharp to cut through the dal, kadhi and sweet shaak, and in the cold months it is very often this instant carrot and chilli athanu. Winter brings the sweet, deep red desi carrots and fat, mild bhavnagri chillies, and the pickle is mixed in ten minutes: sticks of both coated in split mustard seed, turmeric, hing, salt and lemon, then dressed with warm oil. It is crunchy, juicy and bright, with the nose-tingling pungency of rai kuria and a clean lemon tang. Eat it with rotli, thepla, khichdi or a full thali. The common mistake is pouring smoking-hot oil straight on, which cooks the mustard and makes it bitter; let the oil cool until just warm. It is ready when the mustard has softened and the carrots look glossy, about an hour after mixing, though it is good straight away. With fresh chilli and no long cure, keep it in the fridge and eat within a week. Chef's tip: if bhavnagri chillies are hard to find, use a mix of mild long green peppers and a couple of hot green chillies.

18 min

Indian Chutneys & Dips

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Gangaur guneFried dough shapes in syrup

Gangaur, Rajasthan's spring festival for Gauri, is when women fast and pray for their husbands and married daughters receive a sindhara of sweets from home, and gune are always in it. A ghee-rich dough is rolled thin, pleated or pressed into ribbed shapes and fried crisp, then dipped in sugar syrup or jaggery. They are crunchy, flaky and lightly sweet. The common mistake is under-rubbing the ghee into the flour, which makes them hard rather than short and flaky. Chef's tip: rub until the flour holds a clear fist mark when squeezed; that is when the gune will shatter, not crack.

75 min

Ukrainian Chutneys & Dips

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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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Domashnia hirchytsiaHomemade mustard

Ask a Ukrainian grandmother from Poltava or Kharkiv what to do with the brine left in the jar once the winter cucumbers are gone, and she will make hirchytsia. Dry mustard powder is mixed with that salty, garlicky, dill-scented brine, a little sugar, oil and vinegar, and after a night's rest it is fierce enough to make your eyes water. It is non-negotiable beside kholodets (meat jelly) at New Year, with salo and rye bread, with boiled sausages and with varenyky, and it is spread thin on bread for a quick snack. The texture is smooth and creamy, the flavour hot, salty and slightly sweet with a whiff of dill and garlic from the brine. Common mistake: using boiling brine; heat kills the enzyme that makes mustard hot, so the brine must be lukewarm or cool. It needs at least 12 hours in the jar for the bitterness to fade. It is ready when the colour has deepened to warm yellow and the first taste makes your nose tingle. Chef's tip: use brine from naturally fermented or vinegar cucumbers; if you have none, mix 150 ml water with 1 tsp salt and 1 tbsp vinegar.

10 min

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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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FrittolaFried veal scraps

The frittularu of Palermo carries a wicker basket covered with a cloth, and when you order he reaches in blind and pulls out a handful of frittola: soft, fatty veal trimmings and cartilage that have been boiled, then fried slowly in pork lard with bay leaves and black pepper. You find him at dawn and mid-morning in the Vucciria and Ballarò markets, serving it on paper or in a soft bun with lemon. This home version uses veal brisket and its cartilage, which most butchers will sell. Chef's tip: let the boiled meat dry well before it goes into the lard, so it fries rather than spits and stews.

180 min

Italian Meat

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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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Dombrés aux haricots rougesFlour dumplings in red beans

Dombrés are the small rolled flour dumplings that Guianese Creole cooks in Cayenne and Saint-Laurent-du-Maroni drop into a pot of red kidney beans, so they swell and soak up the herb-scented sauce. In French Guiana and the Antilles the beans are often cooked with salted pork tail or smoked meat; this version leaves out the meat and uses smoked paprika, onion, chives, thyme and cloves for depth, making a hearty vegan dinner with rice. Dried kidney beans must be boiled hard for 10 minutes before simmering to destroy a natural toxin, so don't skip that step or cook them in a slow cooker from raw. Dumplings that fall apart are the usual problem: keep the dough firm and the pot at a gentle simmer once they go in. Chef's tip: roll each dombré between your palms into a small torpedo; that shape cooks evenly and holds together.

120 min

Guyanese Curries

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Arrollado huasoRolled spiced pork belly

Arrollado huaso, the 'countryman's roll', is the pork belly roll of the Central Valley: a flat piece of pork belly spread with ají paste, garlic and cumin, rolled tight, tied and wrapped, then simmered for hours and sliced cold. It is the star of September fondas and Christmas tables, sliced thin with hot bread, pebre and boiled potatoes. The mistake that spoils it is a loose roll, which unwinds and cooks unevenly; tie it every 3 cm. Chef's tip: cool it overnight in its cooking liquid with a weight on top; it sets firm and slices into neat spirals. The pork must reach 71 °C in the centre, as the rolled-in surface is now inside.

190 min

Chilean Meat

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DouchiFermented black beans

Yangjiang in western Guangdong and Liuyang in Hunan are the two great douchi towns, and both traditionally make their fermented black beans in the dry season, when beans can be moulded indoors and dried in the sun without spoiling. Cooked black soybeans are covered until a yellow-green koji mould grows over them, then washed, salted, packed and fermented for weeks before drying. The result is wrinkled, soft-chewy beans with an intense salty, savoury, almost chocolate-dark flavour. A spoonful steamed with spare ribs or a whole fish, stir-fried with bitter melon or pounded into Hunan's chilli dishes seasons the whole plate. At home, buying koji spores (Aspergillus oryzae) is far more reliable than waiting for wild moulds. Common mistake: letting the beans sit wet or warm in a sealed container during the moulding stage; they must breathe at 28–32 °C. Good koji smells sweet and chestnut-like; discard any batch with black, pink or bright coloured mould, slime or a rotten smell. Keep the salt as given. It is ready when the beans are dark, wrinkled and dry outside but supple within. Store dried douchi in the fridge for 1 year. Chef's tip: rinse and lightly crush the beans before cooking.

180 min

Chinese Basics

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DosavakayaCucumber mustard pickle

Dosavakaya is the everyday pickle of Andhra homes: no waiting for mango season, just a round yellow dosakaya cubed with its skin on and tossed with mustard powder, chilli, salt, garlic and raw gingelly oil. It is made in minutes, often for Sunday lunch or to go with a festive meal, and eaten over the next few days with hot rice and ghee, pappu or curd rice. It is crunchy, juicy and mustard-sharp, hot and tangy, and the cubes give off a little juice that loosens the masala into a sauce. Dosakaya is sold in Indian grocers abroad; if you cannot find it, use a firm field cucumber, seeded, and add a little extra lemon juice for the missing tang. Because it contains raw garlic and cucumber, it is a fridge pickle: acidified with lemon and eaten within a week. Common mistake: using a bitter cucumber; taste a sliver from each end before you cut, and discard any that taste bitter. It is ready 2–3 hours after mixing, when the masala has turned glossy and the cubes taste seasoned through. Chef's tip: keep the skin on; it holds the crunch.

23 min

Indian Chutneys & Dips

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Surinamese heri heriBoiled roots with salt fish

Heri heri is one of the oldest dishes in Suriname, rooted in the plantation era and still cooked by Afro-Surinamese families around Paramaribo, especially on Keti Koti (1 July), the day the end of slavery is remembered. It is plain, filling food: boiled cassava, plantain, sweet potato and tayer, with salted fish fried with onion, tomato and pepper, and a boiled egg on the side. The fish is soaked to remove excess salt, always in the fridge. People often boil all the roots together, so the plantain turns mushy while the cassava is still hard; add them in stages. Chef's tip: keep a little of the onion and tomato oil from the fish pan and spoon it over the roots.

70 min

Guyanese Fish

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Arrope de chañarChañar fruit syrup

In the oases of the Atacama, from San Pedro to Toconao, the small brown fruit of the chañar tree is gathered in late summer, dried in the sun and boiled for hours into arrope, a molasses-like syrup with notes of dates and caramel. Grandmothers keep a bottle for winter coughs, but most of it ends up on toast, stirred into hot water or over mote (cooked wheat) and fresh cheese. Dried chañar is sold in northern markets and online; it needs no sugar at all. The classic mistake is walking away at the end, when the syrup thickens fast and scorches, turning bitter. Chef's tip: stop reducing when the syrup coats a spoon thinly; it sets much thicker as it cools.

240 min

Chilean Basics

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KalopsBeef stew with allspice

Kalops is the Swedish winter stew that fills kitchens from Skåne to Norrland on dark November weekends: chunks of beef chuck simmered slowly with onions, carrots, whole allspice and bay until the sauce turns brown, glossy and lightly peppery. It is always eaten with plain boiled potatoes and a spoonful of sweet pickled beetroot (inlagda rödbetor), whose sharpness cuts the richness. It reheats beautifully, so many families make it a day ahead. The usual mistake is crowding the pan when browning, so the beef steams grey and the sauce never gets its deep colour; brown in batches. Chef's tip: crush half the allspice berries lightly before they go in so the warm clove-like scent reaches the whole pot, but leave the rest whole for a gentler background note.

150 minScandinavian Meat

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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

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DrachenaBaked egg and milk custard

Drachena belongs to the old peasant cooking of northern Russia, from Arkhangelsk to Vologda, where it was baked in the cooling Russian stove on Sunday mornings. Eggs are whisked with milk, a little sour cream and flour, poured into a hot buttered pan and baked until puffed, golden and wobbly, somewhere between an omelette and a soufflé. It is eaten warm, plain or with sour cream. The common mistake is opening the oven early; the drachena collapses if it gets a draught before it is set. Chef's tip: heat the buttered dish in the oven before pouring in the batter, so it starts to set and rise from the bottom at once.

40 min

Russian Breakfast & Brunch

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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

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Dubki kadhiUrad dal dumplings in curd curry

Dubki means a dip, and in this Chhattisgarhi kadhi the spiced urad dal batter is dropped raw straight into the simmering curd so the dumplings cook in the pot rather than in hot oil. It is the lighter, everyday cousin of pakora kadhi, served with rice at lunch across Durg and Raipur and at village feasts. The common mistake is dropping the batter into kadhi that is barely warm; the dumplings fall apart, so the kadhi must be at a lively simmer. Chef's tip: whisk the batter by hand for a full 3 minutes until a spoonful floats in water, and the dumplings will be airy, not dense.

290 min

Vietnamese Chutneys & Dips

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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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Dưa giáPickled bean sprouts

In southern Vietnam, dưa giá appears beside thịt kho trứng, the pork and egg braised in coconut water that every Saigon family cooks for Tết, and beside clay-pot caramel fish the rest of the year. The sprouts and chives sit overnight in a lightly salted, sweetened brine and come out tangy, crisp and squeaky, with a hint of garlic-chive sharpness that cuts straight through the fatty, sweet braises. Some cooks add carrot strips for colour. Raw bean sprouts can carry bacteria, so buy them very fresh and chilled, rinse them well, and pour the brine on hot to scald them lightly; pregnant people, small children, older people and anyone with weak immunity should blanch the sprouts for 30 seconds first. Common mistake: leaving the jar out too long in a warm kitchen, so the sprouts go limp and too sour; once it tastes right, chill it. It is ready when the brine is cloudy and smells pleasantly sour, and the sprouts are translucent but still snap. Chef's tip: pinch the brown root tails off the sprouts; it is fiddly, but they stay crunchier and look neater.

25 min

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Kaffeost (coffee with cheese)

In the far north, across Swedish Norrbotten and Finnish Lapland, coffee comes with cheese in the cup. Leipäjuusto, a mild, squeaky cheese baked or grilled until spotted brown (called kaffeost or 'bread cheese'), is cut into cubes and put in a cup, often a carved wooden kuksa, then hot black coffee is poured over. Sámi reindeer herders and Tornedalen farmers have made it this way for generations; it is a fireside or mid-morning drink on a cold day, and in some families a little sugar or a slice of dried reindeer meat goes in as well. The cheese warms through, softens slightly and soaks up the coffee, so you drink the coffee and then spoon out the warm, chewy, milky cubes. The common mistake is using a soft or melting cheese: it collapses into strings. Use proper leipäjuusto or halloumi, which keep their shape. It is ready when the cubes are hot to the centre, about 2 minutes, and slightly puffed. Strong coffee means real caffeine here, so it is an adult drink. Leipäjuusto is sold in Nordic shops; halloumi is the nearest substitute. Chef's tip: warm the cheese on a dry pan first for extra browned flavour.

6 minScandinavian Drinks

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Agua de tuna (prickly pear drink)

Late summer is tuna season across the central highlands, from Hidalgo and the Estado de México down to Puebla's Teotihuacán valley, and that is when the big vitroleros in markets and taquerías turn shocking pink. Agua de tuna is just the cactus fruit blended with water, lime and a little sugar, strained, and poured over ice with lunch. Red tunas give a vivid colour and a taste between watermelon and pear; green ones make a paler, more herbal drink. It should be light and thirst-quenching, never syrupy. The commonest mistake is blending too long: the hard seeds crack and the agua turns gritty and slightly bitter. Pulse briefly, just enough to free the pulp, then strain well. It is ready when the liquid runs smooth through the sieve and tastes clearly of fruit with only a lift of lime. Handle unpeeled tunas with tongs or gloves: even 'cleaned' ones keep tiny glochids. Chef's tip: chill the peeled fruit before blending; cold pulp keeps its colour bright and needs less ice to dilute it.

15 min

Mexican Drinks

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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

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DubukThick lentil curry

Dubuk is a Kumaoni winter staple from the hill villages around Almora and Pithoragarh, where soaked bhatt (black soybean) or gahat is ground on a stone and simmered slowly in an iron kadhai until it turns thick and dark. It is eaten with plain rice on cold evenings, and the iron pot gives it its slightly earthy colour and taste. Toor dal or a mix of toor and urad works well if you cannot find pahadi lentils. The common mistake is grinding the lentils to a fine paste and boiling hard, which makes dubuk gluey; grind coarse and keep the simmer gentle. Chef's tip: stir in a spoon of the rice paste only at the end, and only if the gravy needs body, because the lentils thicken a lot as they stand.

60 min

Indian Breakfast & Brunch

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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

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Egg kalakkiSpicy soft-set eggs

Kalakki means 'stirred up', and it was born on the parotta stalls of Madurai; in Chennai you find it late at night at the parotta shops of Triplicane and along Arcot Road, where the cook whisks eggs with a ladle of the house chicken salna and swirls them on the tawa for under a minute. The result is a soft, wobbly fold of egg, rich with spiced gravy, eaten with flaky parotta. The salna here is a quick home version made with chicken stock, so the dish is not vegetarian. Contains egg. The centre is meant to be just set; for pregnant women, young children or anyone with a weakened immune system, cook it until fully firm. Chef's tip: take it off the heat while the top still looks slightly glossy; it keeps setting on the plate.

17 min

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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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Dulceață de nuci verziCandied green walnuts

Around Sânziene in late June, families in Moldavia and Transylvania climb the walnut trees to gather nuts that are still green and soft, before the shell has begun to form. A week of patient work follows: peeling, pricking and soaking in water changed morning and evening until the harsh bitterness leaches out, then slow simmering in a syrup scented with cloves and lemon until the nuts turn glossy black. The finished dulceață is offered the old way, one walnut on a small glass saucer with a teaspoon and a glass of cold water for a visitor, or with coffee on a winter afternoon. Each nut is tender all the way through with a faint crunch at the heart, tasting of caramel, cloves and something resinous and bittersweet. The decisive mistake is picking too late: if a darning needle no longer slides easily through the centre, the shell is hardening and the nuts will stay woody whatever you do. The syrup is done when a drop holds its shape on a cold plate. Chef's tip: wear gloves for every stage, as green walnut juice stains skin brown-black for days.

175 min

Romanian Desserts

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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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Dulces abrillantadosGlazed milk fudge figures

Walk through the old centre of Mérida and you'll pass windows full of tiny shiny sweets shaped like fruit, flowers and animals: dulces abrillantados, made from milk and sugar cooked down to a fudge, hand-moulded and dipped in syrup that dries to a glassy crust. Families buy boxes to take home from the Andes. They need patience: the shaping is fun, but the milk must be cooked until it truly pulls away from the pan. The common mistake is stopping too early, so the figures flatten. Chef's tip: dust your hands with icing sugar while shaping, and dry the figures overnight before glazing.

110 min

Venezuelan Desserts

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Fricasé paceñoSpicy pork stew with chuño

On Sunday mornings in La Paz, after a long night out or simply because it is cold, people head to the comedores for fricasé: a pork stew of ribs and shoulder in a yellow broth of ají amarillo, cumin and black pepper, with chuño (freeze-dried potato) and big white corn kernels in each bowl. This recipe is made with pork. Many cooks thicken it with breadcrumbs; we use ground chuño or cornflour so it stays gluten free. The usual mistake is boiling it hard, which makes the pork stringy; it should barely tremble. Chef's tip: soak the chuño overnight and squeeze it in several changes of water, which removes its earthy bitterness.

180 minAndean Meat

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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

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FritadaGarlic and cumin fried pork

Fritada is weekend food all over the Sierra, from roadside stops in Sangolquí to family lunches in Ibarra: chunks of pork shoulder simmered in water with garlic, cumin and orange juice in a wide pan until the water boils away and the meat fries in its own rendered fat, turning sticky and deep golden. It is served with mote, fried ripe plantain, potato cakes and a sharp onion curtido. The usual mistake is using a lean cut and stirring constantly; shoulder with some fat, and patience while it browns, give crisp edges and juicy centres. The pork is cooked well past 71 °C by the time it browns. Chef's tip: use a wide, heavy pan so the liquid evaporates evenly and every piece touches the bottom.

95 minAndean Meat

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MchichaAmaranth greens with peanut

Bundles of mchicha (amaranth leaves) are stacked high at Kariakoo market in Dar es Salaam, and almost every Tanzanian family cooks them a few times a week, often as the vegetable beside ugali and maharage. The leaves wilt quickly into something silkier and earthier than spinach, and a spoonful of ground peanuts turns the tomato juices into a creamy, nutty sauce. Look for amaranth leaves (also sold as callaloo, chauli or bayam) at African, Caribbean or Asian grocers; baby spinach works if you cannot find them. Overcooking is the main thing to avoid: take them off the heat while still deep green. Chef's tip: toast the peanuts in a dry pan before grinding them; raw peanuts taste beany in the finished dish.

25 minEast African Sides

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VakaloloSteamed cassava coconut pudding

Vakalolo is an iTaukei celebration pudding, made for church feasts, weddings and Christmas in villages across Viti Levu and Vanua Levu. Grated cassava is mixed with coconut cream and sugar, wrapped in banana or vudi leaves and steamed until it turns sticky and translucent, then served with a thick caramel of coconut cream and brown sugar poured over. Frozen grated cassava from Asian or Pacific shops saves a lot of work. Cassava must always be fully cooked, never eaten raw. A common mistake is wrapping the parcels loosely so water gets in; fold them tightly. Chef's tip: cook the caramel slowly until it's the colour of toffee, which is where all the flavour is.

90 minPacific Islander Desserts

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Duruka in coconut milkSugarcane flower in coconut milk

Duruka is the unopened flower of a wild sugarcane that Fijians call Fijian asparagus, in season for a few weeks around April and May when it fills the markets of Suva and Nausori in bundles. Peeled from its husk, it is tender and sweet with a taste between baby corn and asparagus, and the classic iTaukei way is to simmer it in lolo, fresh coconut milk, with onion and chilli. Outside Fiji you'll find it frozen or tinned in Pacific grocery shops; baby corn and asparagus make a fair stand-in. A common mistake is boiling the coconut milk hard, which splits it; keep it at a gentle simmer. Chef's tip: add a squeeze of lemon right at the end to lift the richness.

25 minPacific Islander Vegetarian

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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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Egg banjo (Indore style)Spicy egg pav

Indore eats late, and after the jewellery shops of Sarafa Bazaar shut their shutters at night the lane turns into a food market; egg banjo stalls there and at Chhappan Dukan keep frying until long after midnight. A soft pav is split, toasted in butter and packed with a masala omelette folded to fit, then green chutney, raw onion and a heap of fine sev for crunch. It is soft, buttery and hot all at once. Contains egg, wheat and dairy. Chef's tip: cook the omelette in a shape the size of the bun, so every bite has egg in it.

20 min

Indian Fast Food

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Eenthapazham acharDate pickle

Date pickle came to Kerala with the Gulf, and in Malabar and central Travancore it has become a fixture at weddings, where it sits on the leaf beside the biriyani or the sadya rice. Pitted dates are simmered briefly in a gingelly-oil masala of garlic, ginger, green chilli and Kashmiri chilli, then loosened with vinegar and a little sugar. The dates stay plump and sticky, and the sauce is sweet, sour and gently hot all at once, like a spiced chutney with more punch. Serve it with ghee rice or biriyani, with chapati and a mild kurma, or tucked into a sandwich with cucumber. The common mistake is cooking the dates for too long so they dissolve into paste; add them at the end and warm them through for only a few minutes. It is ready when the masala is glossy and thick enough to cling to each date and the oil shines at the edges. With garlic and ginger in it, the vinegar (at least 5% acidity, undiluted) keeps it sharp, but it still belongs in the fridge: it keeps up to a month. Chef's tip: use soft, semi-dry dates rather than very sticky ones; they hold their shape and soak up the vinegar better.

40 min

Indian Chutneys & Dips

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Tara chiriCod and tofu hot pot

Tara chiri is a winter hot pot from all over Japan, cooked at the table on cold nights in December and January when Pacific cod is at its fattest and cheapest. The broth is only kombu and water, so the clean taste of the fish comes through; cod, tofu, napa cabbage, leek and mushrooms poach gently, and each mouthful is dipped into citrusy ponzu with grated daikon and chilli. Suitable as part of a balanced diet: lean protein and plenty of vegetables, with no rice needed. About 260 kcal and 12 g carbohydrate per portion. The usual mistake is boiling the fish hard, which breaks it into flakes in the pot; it should poach just below a simmer. Chef's tip: pour boiling water over the cod pieces and rinse them in cold water first (shimofuri); it removes any fishy smell and keeps the broth clear.

35 min

Japanese Fish

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Fish and brewisSalt cod with hard tack

Fish and brewis (say "brews") is a Newfoundland breakfast and Sunday supper from the fishing outports of the Avalon and Bonavista, made from the two things every boat carried: salt cod and hard bread. Both are soaked overnight, then boiled and served together topped with scrunchions, crisp little cubes of fried salt pork and their fat. It is hearty, salty and very simple. A common mistake is not soaking the fish long enough; change the water several times. Chef's tip: break the softened hard tack by hand so it keeps some texture rather than turning to paste.

50 min

Canadian Fish

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Tawa tawaFried dough diamonds with syrup

Around All Saints and Carnival, tawa tawa piles up on stalls across La Paz and El Alto: little diamonds of enriched dough that puff into hollow pillows in hot oil and are drowned in dark cane syrup or honey. They are eaten warm with a cup of api or cinnamon tea in the cold highland air. The commonest error is rolling the dough too thick, which gives chewy, doughy middles instead of airy pockets. Chef's tip: keep the oil steady at 175 °C and spoon hot oil over the top of each piece as it fries; that is what makes them balloon.

40 minAndean Desserts

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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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Egg kejriwalChilli cheese toast with egg

Egg kejriwal was born at the Willingdon Club in Mumbai, where a member from a vegetarian family ordered his eggs on cheese toast away from home, and the name stuck to the dish. Today it is a weekend breakfast in Mumbai cafés: toast spread with green chilli and mustard, smothered in melted cheese and crowned with a fried egg. The mistake is laying the egg on cheese that has not melted; grill the cheese first until bubbling. Cheddar is often made with animal rennet, so choose a vegetarian cheddar if needed. The yolk is traditionally runny; cook it until set for anyone pregnant, young children, older people or anyone with a weakened immune system. Chef's tip: mix the chopped chilli into the softened butter rather than scattering it, so the heat spreads evenly.

15 min

Indian Breakfast & Brunch

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CaluluDried and fresh fish stew

Calulu is what Luanda families cook when the whole family comes for Sunday lunch, and the Ilha's fish sellers know the order by heart: a piece of dried fish for depth, a firm fresh fish for sweetness. The two are layered in a pot with onion, tomato, okra, aubergine and sweet potato leaves, then simmered in red palm oil until the sauce turns silky from the okra and tastes of the sea, smoke and greens all at once. It is served with funge, feijão de óleo de palma and a little hot sauce. Salted dried fish needs a long soak to draw out the salt, so start it the day before; skipping that step is the classic way to ruin the pot. Chef's tip: lay the fresh fish on top and leave it alone, shaking the pot rather than stirring, so the pieces stay whole.

75 minSouthern African Fish

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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

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Frittatina di pastaFried pasta rounds

The frittatina is Naples' way of turning a pot of pasta into street food: bucatini bound with thick béchamel, cooked ham (pork), peas and grated cheese, set in rounds, dipped in a flour batter and deep-fried. Pizzerias from Via dei Tribunali to Fuorigrotta fry them as a starter while your pizza bakes, and friggitorie sell them in a napkin to eat on the go, often in the late afternoon. The crust is crisp, the inside creamy with a little chew from the pasta. Chef's tip: chill the shaped rounds overnight; cold, firm frittatine hold their shape in the batter and the oil.

120 min

Italian Snacks & Starters

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Batates sandwichFrench fries sandwich

Every foul and ta'meya shop in Cairo also sells sandwich batates, a pocket of baladi bread stuffed with hot, salty fries, and it is one of the cheapest and best late-night bites in the city. In Downtown, around Talaat Harb Square and along Champollion Street, the counters stay busy after midnight as cinema crowds and students order them by the handful, with garlicky tahini, crunchy pickled turnip and cucumber and a hit of chilli. Egyptian baladi bread is a wholemeal flatbread; wholemeal pitta is a good stand-in. It contains sesame and wheat. Chef's tip: salt the fries the moment they leave the oil, while they are still glistening, so it sticks.

30 min

Egyptian Fast Food

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LesuWheat and finger millet roti

Lesu is a clever Garhwali farmhouse roti in which a small ball of mandua (finger-millet) dough is wrapped inside wheat dough and rolled out, so each bite has a soft wheat outside and a dark, earthy layer within. Families eat it for breakfast or dinner in winter with a big dollop of ghee, jaggery or a green saag. The millet adds minerals and a pleasant nutty taste. The common mistake is making the millet dough too dry, which cracks and pokes through the wheat when you roll. Chef's tip: knead the mandua dough with hot water and keep it as soft as the wheat dough, so the two roll out together.

40 min

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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

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Gol dhanaJaggery and coriander seed sweet

In Gujarat, when two families agree on a match, a plate of gol dhana is passed around before anything else, and the engagement itself is often simply called 'gol dhana'. The same mix appears on auspicious days, at a griha pravesh and at the start of a new venture: soft jaggery rubbed together with dhana dal, the split, lightly roasted coriander seeds sold in every Gujarati grocery. It takes five minutes and needs no cooking. The common mistake is using whole coriander seeds, which are hard and bitter; buy dhana dal, or split and toast the seeds yourself. Chef's tip: choose a soft, golden Kolhapuri-style jaggery that crumbles between your fingers, so it coats the seeds instead of staying in lumps.

5 min

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Terik tahu tempeTofu and tempeh in coconut milk

Terik is a Central Javanese way of cooking in coconut milk until almost all of it has gone, and around Solo and Yogyakarta terik tahu tempe is a staple of home lunches, Lebaran spreads and the warung nasi where you point at dishes to go on your rice. Tofu and tempeh soak up a sauce of shallots, candlenuts, coriander seed, galangal and palm sugar that reduces to a thick, oily, sweet-savoury coating. Serve with rice, sambal and something green. The usual mistake is stirring too vigorously as it reduces, which breaks the tofu into crumbs, so shake the pan or turn the pieces with a spatula. Chef's tip: steam the tempeh for 10 minutes before cutting it, which removes any bitterness and helps it absorb the sauce.

50 min

Indonesian Vegetarian

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Harusame saladGlass noodle salad

Harusame, "spring rain" noodles, are fine glass noodles made from mung bean or potato starch, and this tangy salad of them with cucumber, carrot and ribbons of thin omelette is a supermarket deli favourite and a regular bento side across Japan. Ham is usually added; this version keeps it vegetarian. The common mistake is leaving the noodles long, which makes the salad impossible to eat from a bento with chopsticks; cut them with scissors after cooking. Chef's tip: dress the noodles while they are still slightly warm, because they drink up the dressing then and stay flavourful cold.

23 min

Japanese Salads

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ThareedLamb and vegetable stew over bread

Thareed is the Ramadan iftar dish of the Emirates and Saudi Arabia, a meal of the Prophet's time that families still serve after sunset prayers. Lamb on the bone is stewed with tomato, baharat, turmeric and dried lime (loomi), then potatoes, courgettes and carrots soften in the broth. To serve, thin regag bread is torn and layered in a deep dish and the stew is ladled over so the bread soaks up the broth. For a vegetable version, leave out the lamb, use vegetable stock and add a tin of chickpeas with the vegetables. The usual mistake is pouring the stew over the bread too early: it turns to paste, so assemble just before eating. Chef's tip: pierce the dried limes before adding so they flavour the broth evenly.

125 minGulf Arabian Meat

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Kala vatana amtiBlack pea curry

On the Konkan coast around Malvan and Sindhudurg, kala vatana amti is cooked for Sunday lunch and festive meals, and it is the vegetarian partner to fluffy fried vade made from rice and pulse flour. Small dried black peas simmer until creamy in a dark, aromatic gravy of onion and dried coconut roasted until brown, ground with Malvani masala, then soured with kokum. Serve with vade, rice or jowar bhakri. The usual mistake is not soaking the peas long enough, so they stay hard however long they cook; soak them for at least 8 hours. Slow-cooker option: cook the soaked peas with the water on low for 7 hours, then stir in the masala and simmer 15 minutes. Chef's tip: roast the coconut and onion slowly on a medium heat until deep brown but never black, as that colour gives the gravy its depth.

65 min

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Tianjin dongcaiPreserved napa cabbage

Tianjin's 'winter vegetable' is made exactly when the name says: in November and December, when napa cabbage is cheap and the northern air is dry and near freezing. The cabbage is diced, salted, dried until it shrinks to a fraction of its weight, then pounded with garlic and salt and packed into earthenware jars to cure through the cold months. It turns golden-brown, chewy and intensely savoury, with a mellow garlic sweetness rather than raw bite. Southern Chinese and Teochew cooks prize it as much as northerners: a teaspoon goes into wonton broth, beef ball soup, steamed pork patties and fish porridge. Common mistake: not drying the cabbage enough; it should lose about 80% of its weight and feel like soft leather, or the cure stays wet and spoils. Since this mix holds fresh garlic and is not acidic, cure it in the fridge, which mimics Tianjin's frozen balconies. It is ready after 3–4 weeks, when the colour has turned amber and the garlic smells sweet and toasty. Keep in the fridge up to 6 months with a dry spoon; discard if mould, slime or a rotten smell appears. Chef's tip: rinse briefly before using; it is very salty and a little goes a long way.

45 min

Chinese Chutneys & Dips

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Roti sardinSardine-filled bread rolls

Roti sardin is a Malaysian school-bag and teatime favourite: tinned sardines in tomato sauce mashed with onion, chilli and lime, rolled inside flattened white bread and pan-fried until golden. Mothers across Malaysia make them for bekal and they are sold at Ramadan bazaars. The common mistake is leaving the sardine filling wet, which soaks through the bread; cook it down until it is thick. Chef's tip: seal the rolls with a little beaten egg, then fry seam side down first so they hold together.

20 min

Malaysian Fish

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Boil-upPork bones with greens and kumara

Boil-up is the great Māori one-pot of Aotearoa New Zealand, cooked on marae for hui, at whānau gatherings and on cold weeknights everywhere from Northland to the King Country. Pork bones and brisket are boiled for hours until the meat falls away, then potatoes, kūmara and handfuls of watercress or wild pūhā go in, and fluffy flour doughboys steam on top. The broth is drunk alongside, with buttered bread. The usual mistake is letting the doughboys sit in boiling liquid uncovered, which makes them heavy; once in, clamp the lid on and don't peek for 15 minutes. Chef's tip: skim the pot well during the first half hour and the broth stays clear and sweet rather than greasy.

170 min

New Zealand Meat

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LyangchaFried milk sweets in syrup

Travellers on the road from Kolkata to Bardhaman stop at Shaktigarh for one reason: lyangcha, cylindrical sweets of chhena and khoya fried almost black and soaked in light syrup, sold hot from roadside shops and carried home in clay pots. The outside is caramelised and slightly chewy, the inside soft, juicy and milky. They are a winter and wedding favourite across Bengal. The common mistake is frying on high heat to get the dark colour quickly; the outside burns while the centre stays raw and the sweet splits in the syrup. Low, patient heat gives an even mahogany shell. Chef's tip: a teaspoon of sugar kneaded into the dough helps it darken evenly.

90 min