Featured recipe

Pepito

Grilled beef and chicken sub

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

What to eat today?

Around the world

Today's trip: Persian

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

Persian

Chai nabat (saffron rock candy tea)

15 minMore from Persian (131) →

This week's collection

Kid-friendly dinners541 recipes · a new collection every Monday

New this week

See all new →

Latest recipes

JidášeEaster honey buns

Maundy Thursday, "Green Thursday" in Czech, is the day for jidáše, sweet yeasted buns rolled into ropes and coiled into spirals or loose knots to recall the rope of Judas, which gives them their name. Families in Bohemia and Moravia bake them for breakfast that morning and brush them, still hot, with honey; eating one was once said to bring health for the year. They are soft and fluffy, lightly scented with lemon, with a sticky, shiny top. A common mistake is brushing the honey on cold buns, where it just sits; warm the honey and glaze them straight from the oven so it soaks in. Honey is not suitable for babies under one year old. Chef's tip: roll the ropes thinner than you think, about finger thickness; they double as they prove.

145 min

Czech Baking

by KrazyBadal 0 views

Csabai kolbászPaprika pork sausage

Every October the town of Békéscsaba holds a sausage festival where teams grind, season and stuff pork by hand, and the town's name is on Hungary's most famous paprika sausage. The real csabai is smoked over beech and then air-dried for weeks; curing like that needs curing salt, careful temperature and humidity control and a lot of experience, so this recipe makes the same spicy pork mixture as a fresh sausage that is cooked through to 71 °C and never eaten raw. It is fiery, garlicky and deep red from sweet and hot paprika with a warm hint of caraway, and is excellent grilled or pan-fried, with mustard, fresh bread, pickled peppers and raw onion. The usual slip is letting the meat get warm while you work, which smears the fat and gives a dry, crumbly sausage; keep everything ice cold. Chef's tip: fry a small test patty before stuffing to check the salt and heat.

240 min

Hungarian Meat

by KrazyBadal 0 views

DuletChopped tripe, liver and beef fry

Butcher-restaurants in Addis Ababa serve dulet in the morning, and it is one of the dishes families look forward to on Easter morning, when the long fast ends and every part of the animal is used. Tripe, liver and lean beef are chopped almost as fine as mince, then tossed in a hot pan with red onion, green chilli, niter kibbeh and plenty of mitmita, so it is rich, peppery and full of different textures. It is eaten with injera and a spoon of ayib to cool the heat. Many places serve it barely warmed, but liver and tripe must be cooked through, so this version pre-cooks the tripe and fries everything until no pink remains; dulet served raw or rare is not for pregnant women, young children or anyone with a weakened immune system. Chef's tip: buy tripe that is already cleaned and blanched, and simmer it until a knife slides in easily before chopping.

75 min

Ethiopian Meat

by KrazyBadal 0 views

Croûte au fromageWine-soaked bread with Gruyère

Croûte au fromage is the après-ski supper of Valais and Vaud, served in mountain restaurants from Verbier to Zermatt in sizzling dishes: thick slices of stale bread sprinkled with white wine, rubbed with garlic, heaped with grated Gruyère and baked until bubbling, often with a fried egg on top. This recipe uses white wine, as it traditionally does; for an alcohol-free version, use the swap in the ingredient note. Gruyère is made with animal rennet, so choose a vegetarian Swiss-style cheese. A common mistake is soaking the bread with too much wine, which makes it soggy. Chef's tip: toast the bread first, then sprinkle, so it stays crisp underneath and soft on top.

25 min

Swiss Vegetarian

by KrazyBadal 0 views

Gebna bel tamatemWhite cheese with tomato and onion

Breakfast in Cairo flats and Delta villages rarely happens without a plate of gebna bel tamatem beside the ful and falafel. Soft, salty white cheese is broken up with a fork, then tomato, onion and a little green chilli are mashed in with a spoonful of oil until it turns into a rough, juicy, pink-flecked spread. It is scooped up with torn aish baladi, or with gluten-free bread if you need it to stay gluten free. Domiati and feta are often set with animal rennet, so choose a white cheese labelled vegetarian. Avoid soaking-wet tomatoes; seed and drain them, or the cheese turns into a watery mash. Chef's tip: make it no more than an hour before eating; the salt draws water from the tomato and the spread slowly turns watery.

10 min

Egyptian Breakfast & Brunch

by KrazyBadal 0 views

CsalamádéSweet-sour mixed pickle

Late August in the Hungarian countryside means a kitchen full of jars: the last cucumbers, a white cabbage and a basket of pale wax peppers all go into csalamádé, the mixed pickle that sits on the table all winter next to pörkölt, sausages and fried meat. It is shredded, crunchy and bright, sweet-sour with a peppery bite, and it makes a fine side to any rich stew. The brine needs vinegar of at least 5% acidity (check the label) to keep the jars safe; never dilute it more than the recipe says. The usual slip is skipping the salting stage, which leaves the vegetables watery and the brine weak; salting draws out their juice first. Store unopened jars in a cool, dark cupboard for up to 6 months if processed, or in the fridge for a month if not; once a jar is open, keep it in the fridge and eat within 2 weeks. Chef's tip: wait at least 2 days before opening, so the flavours settle.

60 min

Hungarian Chutneys & Dips

by KrazyBadal 0 views

Jāņu siersCaraway curd cheese

Jāņu siers is the round, golden caraway cheese that Latvians make for Jāņi, the midsummer festival on 23–24 June, when it is eaten with rye bread and honey, and songs, around bonfires. Unlike most cheeses it needs no rennet: fresh curd cheese is cooked with hot milk, eggs, butter and caraway into a smooth mass, then pressed in a cloth and left to set. Its round shape and golden colour stand for the sun. A common mistake is cooking it over a high heat, which makes it grainy and rubbery. Chef's tip: stir constantly over a low heat until it pulls away from the pan in one shiny ball, then press it straight away.

90 minBaltic Snacks & Starters

by KrazyBadal 0 views

Jamaican steamed fishSteamed snapper with okra

All along the Kingston waterfront, from Port Royal to the Hellshire fish huts, steam fish is ordered by the pound: a whole red snapper scored and cooked gently in a peppery butter broth with okra, carrot, thyme, pimento and broken water crackers that soak up the juices. The fish stays moist and delicate while the vegetables soften into a light, buttery sauce, and it is eaten with bammy or hard food. The common mistake is boiling it hard, which breaks up the flesh; keep it at a gentle simmer under a lid. Chef's tip: lay the okra and carrot under the fish so it steams above the liquid rather than sitting in it.

40 min

Jamaican Fish

by KrazyBadal 0 views

Jamaican Saturday soupBeef soup with pumpkin and dumplings

Saturday is soup day in Jamaica: the week's cleaning and market shopping get done while a big pot of beef soup bubbles on the stove, and by afternoon the whole yard is called in for a bowl. Beef shin and bones simmer with pumpkin until it melts and thickens the broth, then yam, chocho (christophene), carrot and cornmeal dumplings and thin "spinners" go in, with a whole scotch bonnet for perfume. The usual mistake is adding all the ground provisions at the start, so they collapse into mush; they go in during the last 40 minutes. Chef's tip: leave the scotch bonnet whole and lift it out before serving; you get the fruity aroma without the burn.

150 min

Jamaican Soups

by KrazyBadal 0 views

Jan in de zakFried steamed raisin pudding

Jan in de zak, 'John in the bag', is the old Flemish farmhouse pudding cooked for Shrove Tuesday and winter Sundays in West and East Flanders: a soft yeasted dough with raisins and currants tied up in a floured cloth and boiled for hours, then sliced and fried in butter and eaten with brown sugar or treacle. It is the Flemish cousin of Dutch 'Jan in de zak'. A common mistake is tying the cloth tightly, which leaves no room for the pudding to swell and makes it dense. Chef's tip: tie the cloth loosely, leaving room for the dough to double, and keep the water at a steady simmer.

180 min

Belgian Desserts

by KrazyBadal 0 views

Jamaican roast fishFoil-roasted stuffed fish

On the beach at Treasure Beach in St Elizabeth, fishermen's cookshops wrap whole snapper or parrotfish in foil with okra, callaloo, onion and scotch bonnet and set them straight on the coals, opening the parcel at the table in a cloud of steam. The stuffing cooks down in the fish's own juices with a knob of butter, and it is eaten with roast yam or bammy. The common mistake is wrapping the foil loosely, so the juices leak and the fish dries out; seal it tightly. Chef's tip: lay a few lime slices under the fish to stop it sticking to the foil and lift the flavour.

45 min

Jamaican Fish

by KrazyBadal 0 views

Jamaican rundownMackerel in coconut milk

Rundown, "run dung" in patois, is an old coastal dish from Portland and the north coast, where coconut palms and fishing boats share the beach: coconut milk is boiled until it "runs down" into thick, oily custard, and fish is gently cooked in it with tomato, onion, thyme and scotch bonnet. Salted mackerel is traditional, though fresh mackerel works beautifully and needs no soaking. People often stir the fish around once it is in, which breaks it to shreds; let it poach undisturbed. Chef's tip: keep boiling the coconut milk until you see clear oil pooling on top; that is when the sauce becomes rich and custardy. Serve with boiled green bananas, dumplings or breadfruit.

55 min

Jamaican Fish

by KrazyBadal 0 views

JareeshCracked wheat with yogurt

Across Najd and Qassim, jareesh is comfort food for cold desert evenings and a fixture of Ramadan tables in Riyadh: coarsely cracked wheat cooked slowly until it collapses into a soft, porridge-like mass, then loosened with laban and crowned with onions fried in ghee and cumin. Many families cook it in chicken stock with pieces of meat; this version uses water or vegetable stock and is fully vegetarian. The texture should be creamy but still a little nubbly, with a gentle tang from the yogurt. The most common mistake is adding the laban over a high heat, which splits it into grainy curds; stir it in off the boil. Serve it with daqqus and a green salad. Chef's tip: soak the wheat first and skim the starchy foam during the first boil for a cleaner, smoother result.

120 minGulf Arabian Rice & Grains

by KrazyBadal 0 views

CramiqueRaisin brioche

Cramique is the Sunday breakfast loaf of Brussels and Wallonia: a soft, golden brioche packed with raisins, bought from the bakery on Sunday morning and sliced thickly with salted butter. Its sister, craquelin, swaps the raisins for pearl sugar. A common mistake is adding the raisins at the start of kneading, which tears the gluten and turns the dough grey. Chef's tip: soak the raisins in warm tea for 20 minutes, then knead them in only at the end, gently.

75 min

Belgian Baking

by KrazyBadal 0 views

Ajiaco cubanoRoot vegetable and meat stew

Ajiaco is often called Cuba's national stew, and in Camagüey it is still cooked in huge pots for festivals and family gatherings: dried or fresh beef, pork and chicken simmered with malanga, yuca, boniato, green and ripe plantain, corn and calabaza until the roots break down and thicken the broth. It is a whole meal in a bowl, finished with lime and a fried sofrito. This version uses beef shin, pork shoulder and chicken thighs. The mistake most people make is adding every vegetable at once; firm roots go in first and soft pumpkin and ripe plantain last. Chef's tip: mash a few chunks of pumpkin and malanga against the side of the pot at the end, which gives the broth its body.

190 min

Cuban Soups

by KrazyBadal 0 views

Jamaican janga soupCrayfish soup

In the river valleys of Portland, around the Rio Grande, children once caught janga (freshwater crayfish) with baskets in the shallows, and the catch went into a deep red, peppery soup said to give strength. Pumpkin, coco (eddoe) and flour dumplings make it hearty, and scotch bonnet and pimento give it heat and warmth. Buy live crayfish from a fishmonger, or use frozen cooked crayfish tails or large prawns. The common mistake is cooking the shellfish from the start; add it at the end so it stays sweet and tender. Before cooking, discard any live crayfish that are dead, limp or smell bad. Chef's tip: simmer the shells in the broth first for a deeper, sweeter flavour.

75 min

Jamaican Soups

by KrazyBadal 0 views

Jamaican Irish moss drinkSea moss drink

Sold chilled in bottles by roadside vendors and in Kingston juice bars, Jamaican Irish moss is a thick, creamy drink made from dried sea moss boiled down until it releases its natural jelly. Blended with milk, nutmeg, cinnamon and vanilla, it tastes like a cool, spiced milkshake and is often drunk as a pick-me-up. The usual mistake is skipping the soak and rinse, which leaves a sandy, fishy taste. Chef's tip: the gel thickens a lot in the fridge, so blend it a little thinner than you want and chill it before judging.

60 min

Jamaican Drinks

by KrazyBadal 0 views

EchpochmakLamb and potato triangle pastries

The name means 'triangle' in Tatar, and these three-cornered pies are sold warm in every bakery and railway buffet in Kazan, always with a small hole at the top. Raw diced lamb (or beef), potato and onion go in together and steam inside the pastry, so the filling comes out tender and juicy; a spoonful of hot broth poured through the hole halfway through baking makes it even more so. They are eaten for lunch with black tea, or as the first dish at a family celebration. A common mistake is cutting the meat and potato too big; they will not cook through in the time the pastry takes. Chef's tip: dice everything to the size of a pea and toss the filling with a little cold butter, it melts into the potatoes and keeps them from drying.

120 min

Russian Snacks & Starters

by KrazyBadal 0 views

Jamaican pan chickenOil-drum jerk chicken

After dark on Red Hills Road in Kingston, smoke rises from rows of oil-drum barbecues where vendors grill pan chicken, a peppery jerk-style chicken served wrapped in foil with a slice of hard dough bread and a squeeze of ketchup-based pepper sauce. It is less smoky and sharper than Portland jerk, with plenty of black pepper, scallion and pimento. The common mistake is cooking over flaming coals, which burns the outside before the inside is safe; grill over steady medium heat with the lid down. The chicken is done when the thickest part reaches 74 °C and the juices run clear. Chef's tip: marinate overnight in the fridge and cook the pieces skin-side up first so the fat bastes the meat.

65 min

Jamaican Chicken

by KrazyBadal 0 views

CovrigiRomanian pretzel rings

Morning commuters in Bucharest buy them hot from a hole-in-the-wall covrigărie, a paper bag of rings still warm enough to fog the glass; in Buzău, the town most proud of them, people swear by the thin twisted kind. Covrigi are a lean yeast dough with no egg or milk, so they are eaten through the fasting seasons too. Each ring is dipped briefly in boiling soda water, scattered with coarse salt and seeds, then baked until shiny and chewy with a crisp crust. A common mistake is leaving them in the water bath too long, which wrinkles the surface; 20–30 seconds is plenty. Serve them on their own, with a glass of ayran-style yogurt drink or with soup. Chef's tip: shape the rings on a dry, unfloured worktop, as a little grip makes the ropes easier to roll thin and even.

90 min

Romanian Breads & Parathas

by KrazyBadal 0 views

Jamaican hard dough breadDense sweet sandwich loaf

Chinese-Jamaican bakers gave the island hard dough bread, and today a sliced "hardo" loaf is in every shop from Montego Bay to Morant Bay, toasted with butter for breakfast, wrapped around fried fish or dipped in soup. The crumb is close, smooth and faintly sweet, firm enough to hold its own against ackee or bun and cheese. The usual mistake is making the dough too soft; it should be stiff and need hard kneading, which is where the name comes from. Allow around 2 hours for rising on top of the working time. Chef's tip: roll the dough into a tight Swiss roll before it goes into the tin, which gives the even, layered crumb that peels off in sheets.

70 min

Jamaican Breads & Parathas

by KrazyBadal 0 views

Jamaican fried dumplingsFried flour dumplings

A Jamaican Sunday breakfast plate nearly always has fried dumplings on it, golden rounds with a crisp shell and a soft, slightly chewy centre, served beside ackee and saltfish, callaloo, or simply split with butter and a cup of cocoa tea. Many families still call them johnny cakes. The dough is just flour, a little baking powder, salt and water, and the mistake people make is overworking it, which gives tough, heavy dumplings; knead only until smooth. Fry them over medium heat, not high, so the middle cooks before the outside browns. Chef's tip: press a thumb into the centre of each ball before frying, which helps it cook evenly and stops it puffing into a hollow ball.

30 min

Jamaican Breakfast & Brunch

by KrazyBadal 0 views

Barbadine punchGranadilla milk drink

Barbadine, the giant granadilla, grows on vines over backyard fences across Trinidad and turns up at Sunday lunch blended into a pale, creamy punch. The fruit's soft white flesh and the perfumed seed pulp inside are both used, giving a gentle passion-fruit flavour that milk, nutmeg and a little sugar round out. It is alcohol-free and made for the whole family. A frequent mistake is blending the seeds hard, which cracks them and turns the drink gritty and bitter: pulse the pulp briefly and strain it. Chef's tip: if you can't find barbadine, use the pulp of 6 passion fruit plus 200 g peeled honeydew melon for a similar taste.

15 min

Trinidadian Drinks

by KrazyBadal 0 views

Balah el shamFried choux fingers in syrup

Ramadan in Cairo means trays of balah el sham glistening in sweet-shop windows, and plenty of families fry their own to serve after iftar alongside konafa and qatayef. Choux dough is piped through a star nozzle into finger lengths, fried until crisp and deep gold, then dropped into cool syrup, so the outside crackles and the inside stays hollow and custardy. It contains eggs. The mistake almost everyone makes once is frying in oil that is too hot: the outside browns in seconds while the inside stays raw and the fingers collapse. Start them in moderately hot oil and let them puff slowly. Chef's tip: beat the eggs in one at a time and stop when the dough falls from the spoon in a thick V; too much egg and the fingers flatten.

60 min

Egyptian Desserts

by KrazyBadal 0 views

Arroz con dulceCoconut rice pudding

From the start of December to the Three Kings in January, trays of arroz con dulce cool on Puerto Rican kitchen counters, sliced into squares and handed round at parrandas when carollers arrive at the door late at night. Unlike a milky rice pudding, it is cooked in a water steeped with fresh ginger, cinnamon, cloves and star anise, then finished with coconut milk and raisins, so it is fragrant, firm enough to cut and dairy free. The common mistake is adding the sugar too early, which keeps the rice grains hard; sweeten only once they are soft. Chef's tip: soak the rice for an hour first, and it cooks evenly and absorbs the spiced coconut far better.

120 min

Puerto Rican Desserts

by KrazyBadal 0 views

Aish baladiWholemeal pocket bread

Aish means 'life', and in Egypt this bread really is: neighbourhood bakeries turn out thousands of loaves an hour, cooling on palm-rib trays carried through the streets on cyclists' heads. Made with wholemeal flour and rolled in bran, the rounds puff dramatically in a fierce oven into a soft, slightly chewy pocket with a nutty, wheaty taste. It is the scoop, spoon and wrapper for ful, falafel, salads and stews at every meal. Allow about 1 hour 45 minutes for rising and resting. The most common mistake is a stone or tray that isn't hot enough, so the rounds bake flat with no pocket. Chef's tip: preheat the oven at its highest setting for a full 45 minutes, and bake only two rounds at a time.

55 min

Egyptian Breads & Parathas

by KrazyBadal 0 views

Dambun namaSpiced shredded beef floss

During Ramadan and Eid in Kano, Kaduna and Maiduguri, tins of dambun nama appear on every table: beef boiled tender with onion and ginger, pounded in a mortar until it falls into fine threads, then fried slowly with onion and spices until it is dry, fluffy and golden. It keeps well, which is why it was made before long journeys, and it is eaten as a snack, with rice or tucked into bread. The texture should be like soft wool, not crunchy crumbs. Because the meat is fully cooked before drying, it is safe; store it in the fridge. Chef's tip: let the boiled beef steam dry for ten minutes before pounding, as wet meat clumps in the pan instead of separating into threads, which is the usual mistake.

130 min

Nigerian Meat

by KrazyBadal 0 views

Jamaican grater cakeCoconut sugar squares

Grater cake is the pink-topped coconut sweet sold in glass cases by higglers at Jamaican bus parks and on school gates, named for the hand grater that shreds the coconut. It is chewy and very sweet, with the fresh, milky taste of coconut and a breath of ginger, and the classic look is a white layer under a pink one. The mistake most people make is taking the pan off too soon: undercooked syrup never sets and the squares slump. Chef's tip: test a little on a cold saucer; if it holds a soft ball when pushed together after a minute, it is ready.

40 min

Jamaican Desserts

by KrazyBadal 0 views

Jamaican hard foodBoiled banana, yam and dumplings

From Kingston cookshops to farm kitchens in the hills, "hard food" is the plain boiled base that sits under ackee, callaloo, stew peas or a fried egg: green bananas, a wedge of yellow yam, dasheen and chewy flour dumplings, all from one big pot. Each piece keeps its own character, from the banana's firm, faintly tangy bite to the yam's floury softness, so nothing is mashed. The usual mistake is dropping everything in at once; the roots cook at different speeds, so they go in stages. Peel green bananas with oiled hands or gloves, as the sap stains. Chef's tip: if the bananas fight you, boil them in their scored skins for 2 minutes first and the peel slips straight off.

45 min

Jamaican Sides

by KrazyBadal 0 views

BelilaWheat berries in sweet milk

Cold mornings in Cairo and the Delta are when mothers put a pot of belila on the stove, and street vendors sell it in cups from big steaming pans in winter. Plump whole wheat grains are simmered until they burst, then served in hot, sweet, vanilla-scented milk and showered with nuts, raisins and coconut, so every spoonful is chewy, creamy and crunchy at once. Children love it for breakfast and it is a favourite for sahur before a day of fasting in Ramadan. The wheat needs soaking overnight; with ready-cooked wheat, it is done in 15 minutes. Undercooked wheat stays hard and chalky, so cook it until most grains have split open. Most people go wrong by not cooking the wheat long enough; the berries should burst and be tender, not chewy pellets in the milk. Chef's tip: cook a big batch of wheat and keep it in the fridge for up to 4 days, then warm portions in milk.

85 min

Egyptian Desserts

by KrazyBadal 0 views

Jamaican plantain tartsSpiced plantain turnovers

Bakeries across Jamaica sell plantain tarts in the glass case beside gizzada and bulla, each a half-moon of short pastry with a sticky, spiced ripe plantain filling and a pink-red rim from a dab of food colouring in the crimped edge. They are eaten as an afternoon snack with a cold drink or a cup of cocoa tea. People often use plantains that are only half ripe, and the filling never turns jammy; you want skins that are mostly black. The red edge is traditional but optional. Chef's tip: cook the filling until it is thick enough to hold a trail when you drag a spoon through it, or it will leak in the oven.

70 min

Jamaican Baking

by KrazyBadal 0 views

JasheedFried minced fish with rice

Jasheed comes from the coastal kitchens of the United Arab Emirates and Bahrain, where baby shark caught in the shallows was boiled, shredded and fried with heaps of onion and spice, then piled over white rice for lunch. It is dry, fragrant and savoury, a little like a fish keema, with sweet onion and a warmth of turmeric and bezar. At home any firm white fish such as hamour, cod or haddock works perfectly; use shark only where it is legal and sustainably caught. The mistake people make is skipping the squeeze-dry after poaching, so the mixture stews instead of frying. Chef's tip: take your time over the onions, they should be soft and amber before the fish goes in, because they carry the sweetness of the dish.

50 minGulf Arabian Fish

by KrazyBadal 0 views

BandungRose syrup milk drink

Pink as a sweet in a glass, bandung turns up at almost every Malay drinks stall in Singapore, sipped through a straw at Geylang Serai, at kampung-style weddings and through the evenings of Ramadan when stalls sell it in tied plastic bags at the bazaars. Rose syrup is stirred into water and evaporated milk, then poured over plenty of ice, giving a drink that is floral, sweet and creamy without being heavy. It pairs well with spicy food such as mee rebus, satay or nasi lemak, cooling the chilli. The usual mistake is adding the evaporated milk to hot syrup, which can make it look curdled and dull; let the syrup cool, and mix with cold milk. Chef's tip: make the syrup in advance and keep it in the fridge for up to two weeks, so a glass takes a minute; a few drops of rose water at the end lift the scent if your syrup is mild.

10 min

Singaporean Drinks

by KrazyBadal 0 views

Jamaican coco breadCoconut milk bread rolls

Every patty shop in Kingston keeps a stack of coco bread by the till, because the classic lunch is a hot beef or vegetable patty tucked inside one of these soft, buttery folds. The rolls are rich with coconut milk and brushed with melted butter before folding, so they pull apart into two neat halves after baking. The common mistake is baking them too long; they should be pale golden and pillowy, not crusty. Allow about 1 hour 30 minutes of rising on top of the working time. Chef's tip: brush the tops with more butter the moment they leave the oven and cover them with a cloth, which keeps the crust soft.

48 min

Jamaican Breads & Parathas

by KrazyBadal 0 views

CougnouChristmas brioche

Cougnou, also called cougnolle or bommetje, is the Christmas bread of Wallonia, given to children on Christmas morning: a soft brioche shaped like the infant Jesus in swaddling clothes, with a little clay or sugar medallion pressed into the middle, eaten with hot chocolate. Bakeries in Namur and Charleroi make them from early December. A common mistake is shaping them too small, which dries them in the oven. Chef's tip: make three balls, one large for the body and two small for the head and feet, pressed together tightly so they bake as one.

65 min

Belgian Baking

by KrazyBadal 0 views

LibRoasted pumpkin and watermelon seeds

Paper bags of lib are what Egyptians crack through during football matches, Ramadan nights in front of the television and long evenings on the balcony, bought by weight from the roasters (mahmasa) on almost every Cairo street. White pumpkin seeds (lib abyad) and black watermelon seeds (lib asmar) are soaked in salty water, then roasted until the shells crack between the teeth and the kernel inside is toasty. Shelling them one by one is half the pleasure. The usual mistake is roasting too hot: the shells scorch before the seeds have dried, so keep the oven moderate. Chef's tip: let them cool completely on the tray; they only turn properly crisp as they cool.

25 min

Egyptian Snacks & Starters

by KrazyBadal 0 views

Kosa bel bechamelCourgette bake with béchamel

Cairene home cooks bake kosa bel bechamel in the same deep tray they use for macarona, and it turns up on Friday lunch tables and at family gatherings all year. Plenty of households layer the courgettes with spiced minced beef; this is the meat-free version, where soft, sweet courgette and onion sit under a deep blanket of nutmeg-scented white sauce that browns in patches on top. Spoon it out beside plain vermicelli rice, a baladi salad and a dish of pickles. The usual hard grating cheese, like most aged cheeses, is often made with animal rennet, so pick one labelled vegetarian. Chef's tip: let the bake stand for ten minutes before cutting, or the béchamel runs and the slices fall apart.

75 min

Egyptian Vegetarian

by KrazyBadal 0 views

Jamaican bullaMolasses ginger spice cakes

Wrapped in paper at every Jamaican corner shop and school tuck shop, bulla is the cheap, dense little round cake that children take for lunch and grown-ups eat with a slice of cheese or ripe avocado. It is dark with molasses and brown sugar, warm with ginger and nutmeg, and has a slightly chewy crumb rather than a light sponge. This version uses oil, so it is vegan. The common mistake is overworking the dough, which makes bulla tough; mix only until the flour disappears. Chef's tip: leave the baked bulla in a tin overnight; the crumb softens and the spice deepens by the next day.

40 min

Jamaican Baking

by KrazyBadal 0 views

Jamaican coconut dropsGinger coconut clusters

Coconut drops are the lumpy brown clusters sold beside grater cake at Jamaican roadside stalls and markets from Ocho Rios to Mandeville, made with coconut cut into small dice rather than grated, so every bite is chewy. Brown sugar and fresh ginger boil down around the coconut into a sticky, toffee-like glaze. The most common mistake is stopping before the syrup is thick enough, which leaves the drops wet and runny; it must coat the spoon heavily. Chef's tip: dice the coconut very small and even, about 5 mm, so the drops hold together.

45 min

Jamaican Desserts

by KrazyBadal 0 views

Couque de DinantHard honey biscuit

Couques de Dinant are the famously hard honey biscuits of Dinant on the Meuse, made only of flour and honey, pressed into carved wooden moulds showing castles, animals and the town's skyline, and baked so hot that the honey caramelises into a very hard, glossy biscuit. Dinant bakers say they keep for years; locals let a piece melt slowly in the mouth rather than biting. Honey is traditional; golden syrup makes a vegan version. A common mistake is a soft dough; it must be stiff enough to hold the mould's detail. Chef's tip: dust the mould with flour, press hard and tap the dough out sharply.

60 min

Belgian Baking

by KrazyBadal 0 views

Jaffna curry powderRoasted chilli curry powder

Jaffna families once made their year's supply of curry powder in one go, drying the spices on mats in the hard northern sun before carrying them to the local mill, and many Tamil households abroad still have a jar sent from home. It is far hotter and redder than the dark roasted curry powder of the Sinhala south, built on a big weight of dried red chillies with coriander, cumin, fennel, black pepper and a little fenugreek, plus crisp curry leaves and turmeric. This is what gives Jaffna crab curry, aubergine kulambu and odiyal kool their brick-red colour and their kick. Grinding the spices while they are still warm is the common error; the steam makes the powder clump and spoil quickly, so let everything cool on a plate first. Chef's tip: roast each spice separately, because the chillies and coriander need several minutes but fenugreek burns and goes bitter in under one.

30 min

Sri Lankan Basics

by KrazyBadal 0 views

Jamaican Easter bunSpiced Easter loaf

Every Good Friday, Jamaicans from Kingston to London buy or bake a dark, glossy spiced bun to slice and eat with processed cheese, a tradition that grew out of the British hot cross bun. This quick-bread version is moist and dense with dried fruit, molasses and warm spice; it traditionally uses stout, which contains alcohol, so for an alcohol-free bun use the same amount of malt drink. The commonest mistake is slicing the bun warm, when it is still sticky and crumbles; it needs a day to firm and mellow. Chef's tip: brush the hot loaf with a honey or sugar syrup glaze straight from the oven for the shiny top.

90 min

Jamaican Baking

by KrazyBadal 0 views

ÄggakakaOven egg cake with lingonberries

Äggakaka is the farmhouse egg cake of Skåne, Sweden's southernmost province: a thick, puffy batter of eggs, milk and flour baked in a hot pan until golden on top and custardy inside, cut into squares and eaten with lingonberries. In Skåne it usually comes with crisp fried pork belly; this vegetarian version leaves the pork out and adds a little butter-fried apple on the side. A common mistake is opening the oven early, which makes it sink. Chef's tip: heat the pan with the butter until it sizzles before pouring in the batter, so the base and edges crisp.

45 minScandinavian Breakfast & Brunch

by KrazyBadal 0 views

Agbeli kakloCassava fritters

Roadside fryers in the Volta Region sell agbeli kaklo by the bagful, golden fingers of grated cassava seasoned with onion and chilli and fried until crunchy outside and chewy within. The classic way to eat them is with chunks of fresh coconut, whose cool sweetness balances the salty, peppery fritters, and they are an afternoon snack or a travel snack on the road from Ho to Accra. Cassava must be cooked through, so fry until deep golden. Chef's tip: squeeze the grated cassava very dry and fry at 170 °C; wet dough spits dangerously, and oil that is too cool, the common mistake, gives greasy, soggy fritters.

45 min

Ghanaian Snacks & Starters

by KrazyBadal 0 views

Sauce djoumgbléDried okra sauce with smoked fish

Baoulé cooks in central Côte d'Ivoire dry okra in the sun during the harvest, then grind it into the dark green powder that makes sauce djoumgblé. Stirred into a beef and tomato stew with flaked smoked fish, it thickens the pot into a deep brown, slippery sauce with an earthy, smoky flavour quite different from fresh okra soup. It is the classic partner for foutou banane or placali in Bouaké and in Abidjan's maquis, where each mouthful of starch is pulled through the sauce. Look for the powder as dried or ground okra in African grocers. Chef's tip: whisk the okra powder into cold water before it goes into the pot; scattered straight into hot sauce, it forms lumps that never break down.

95 min

Ivorian Fish

by KrazyBadal 0 views

Egyptian shattaFresh red chilli sauce

Squeeze bottles of shatta stand on the tables of every koshari shop in downtown Cairo, and diners shake in as much as they dare along with the garlic vinegar. The Egyptian version is a fresh, bright, loose sauce of red chillies blended with garlic, vinegar, cumin and a little oil, quite unlike the dried-chilli shata of Sudan. It goes with ful, falafel, lentil soup, roast potatoes and almost any sandwich. Wear gloves when handling the chillies and keep your hands away from your eyes; capsaicin on the fingers is the classic mistake, and it lasts for hours. Chef's tip: a brief simmer after blending takes the raw edge off the garlic and lets the sauce keep for two weeks in the fridge.

15 min

Egyptian Chutneys & Dips

by KrazyBadal 0 views

Mahi (Kabul fried fish)Fried battered fish

When the snow comes, Kabul's fish sellers set up their huge woks of oil, and the smell of mahi frying drifts across the city's bridges and bazaars, with stalls next door piling up bright orange jalebi to eat alongside it; mahi wa jalebi, fish and sweets, is a winter outing for the whole family. Chunks of firm fish are coated in a thin, spiced batter of flour, garlic, coriander seed, cumin and chilli and fried until crisp and reddish-gold, then eaten hot with naan, green chutney and a squeeze of lemon. Carp or other river fish is traditional, but any firm white fish works. Crowding the pan drops the oil temperature and gives soggy, greasy pieces, so fry only a few at a time. Chef's tip: salt the fish and leave it for 10 minutes, then pat it completely dry so the batter grips.

40 min

Afghan Fish

by KrazyBadal 0 views

KhajurFried dough cookies

Khajur take their name from dates, which their plump oval shape resembles, but there is no fruit in them: they are little cardamom-scented dough cookies, pressed onto a sieve or the back of a grater for a ridged pattern and fried until deep gold. Afghan families fry great batches before Eid and Nowruz and pack them into tins to offer guests with tea, and Kabul bakeries sell them by the kilo. They are crunchy on the outside with a soft, cakey middle and only gently sweet. Oil that is too hot is the classic error, browning them in a minute while the centres stay raw and doughy; keep it moderate and patient. Chef's tip: fry one test khajur first and break it open, then adjust the heat before frying the rest.

55 min

Afghan Desserts

by KrazyBadal 0 views

Doon chetinWalnut yogurt chutney

Walnut trees shade the villages of Azad Kashmir, and every autumn sacks of the new crop are cracked by hand on doorsteps from Bagh to Rawalakot; doon chetin is what a lot of that harvest becomes. The kernels are pounded coarse with green chilli, mint and salt, then loosened with thick yogurt into a nubbly, creamy chutney that is mildly bitter, hot and fresh all at once. It is spooned beside rice and haak greens at lunch, served with the meat dishes of a wazwan-style feast, or simply scooped onto bread. Grinding the walnuts to a smooth paste is a mistake; the chutney should keep some crunch. Chef's tip: toast the walnuts in a dry pan for two minutes and rub off any loose papery skin, which removes most of the bitterness.

10 min

Pakistani Chutneys & Dips

by KrazyBadal 0 views

Afghan dopiazaLamb with onions and split peas

Afghan dopiaza has little in common with the Indian curry of the same name: in Kabul and Mazar it is a dish of chaikhanas and lunch restaurants, where a slab of naan is laid on the plate, covered with chunks of lamb braised with onion until soft, then topped with boiled yellow split peas and a tangle of red onions that have been sitting in vinegar until they turn pink. The juices soak into the bread, the onions are sharp and crunchy, the split peas earthy, and the whole thing is eaten with the fingers. Split peas cooked to mush ruin the contrast, so boil them only until just tender and drain at once. Chef's tip: soak the sliced onions in vinegar at least 30 minutes ahead; they lose their harshness and turn a beautiful bright pink.

120 min

Afghan Meat

by KrazyBadal 0 views

Sauce gouagouassouAubergine and smoked fish sauce

Bété country around Gagnoa and Daloa in western Côte d'Ivoire is known for sauces with plenty of chilli, and gouagouassou is one of the most loved: tomatoes, garden eggs and hot peppers boiled whole, then crushed by hand in a mortar and simmered with smoked fish. There is little or no oil, so the sauce tastes fresh, smoky and bright, with real heat and a rough, rustic texture. Spoon it over white rice or eat it with foutou at a weekday lunch. Use fewer chillies if you prefer, but keep at least one for the character. Chef's tip: soak the smoked fish in hot water for ten minutes first; it softens, rinses off ash and grit, and gives its flavour to the sauce more quickly.

60 min

Ivorian Fish

by KrazyBadal 0 views

Aruban pan batiSweet cornmeal pancakes

Aruban families put a stack of pan bati on the table with almost every bowl of soup or stew, from sopi di pisca to kabritu stoba: thick, slightly sweet pancakes of cornmeal and flour, cooked on a dry griddle and torn to mop up the broth. They are soft, a little grainy and golden at the edges. The mistake is cooking them too fast, so they burn outside and stay raw in the middle. Chef's tip: let the batter rest for 10 minutes so the cornmeal softens and the pancakes come out tender.

30 minCaribbean Breads & Parathas

by KrazyBadal 0 views

Jamaican fish teaPeppery fish broth

Fish tea is what Jamaicans along the coast from Kingston to Old Harbour sip from a cup when they feel run down, and it is ladled out at beach fish shacks and dances to steady late-night appetites. It is a thin, peppery broth made from fish heads and bones or cheap small fish, with green banana, pumpkin, thyme and a hint of scotch bonnet, light but full of flavour. The mistake to avoid is boiling it hard for a long time, which makes it cloudy and bitter; simmer gently and strain. Chef's tip: mash a few pieces of the soft pumpkin into the broth for body without any flour.

60 min

Jamaican Soups

by KrazyBadal 0 views

Asa watFish in berbere stew

Around Lake Tana in Bahir Dar and on the shores of Lake Hawassa, fresh tilapia, Nile perch and catfish are cheap and plentiful, so fish goes into the same deep red berbere sauce that elsewhere would hold beef or chicken. Asa wat has the familiar long-cooked onion base and warming spice, but it is lighter than a meat wat, with tender, sweet chunks of fish soaking up the sauce. It is eaten with injera, often alongside a lentil or greens dish, and is a popular choice on fasting days for those who eat fish. Stirring once the fish is in is the classic mistake; it breaks into shreds, so shake the pan instead. Chef's tip: add the fish only once the sauce is fully cooked and thick, then give it no more than 10 minutes.

55 min

Ethiopian Fish

by KrazyBadal 0 views

KamaRoasted grain flour with kefir

Kama is a uniquely Estonian food: a fine flour of roasted barley, rye, oats and peas, sold in every Tallinn supermarket, stirred into kefir, buttermilk or yogurt with a little sugar or honey and berries. It was once farmers' food for the fields; today it is a fast, filling breakfast and the flavour of Estonian ice creams and sweets. If you can't find kama, roast equal parts barley, rye and oat flour with a little pea flour in a dry pan until nutty. A common mistake is eating it at once; give it a few minutes to thicken. Chef's tip: stir in the kama, leave for 5 minutes, then add the berries, so it thickens like a mousse.

5 minBaltic Breakfast & Brunch

by KrazyBadal 0 views

Ekpang nkukwoGrated 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.

120 min

Nigerian Fish

by KrazyBadal 0 views

AfararWild herb and cottage cheese pie

In the mountain villages around Quba and Qusar, where many Lezgin families live, spring brings armfuls of nettles, sorrel, wild garlic and orache, and the first thing made with them is afarar: two very thin sheets of dough enclosing a filling of chopped herbs mixed with cottage cheese, cooked on a hot griddle or saj and brushed with butter. A common mistake is using wet herbs, which steam the dough and make it tear. Chef's tip: wilt the herbs in a dry pan for a minute and squeeze them, then mix with the cheese only just before filling. Check that your cottage cheese uses no animal rennet.

65 min

Azerbaijani Breads & Parathas

by KrazyBadal 0 views

EleshChicken and potato pies

At Tatar weddings in the villages east of Kazan, elesh come to the table early, little pleated pies about the size of a fist, each filled with chopped chicken and potato and baked until the tops glow. The meat goes in raw with onion and butter, so it cooks in its own juices inside the sealed pastry and stays moist; a spoon of broth is added through a tiny vent halfway through. The pastry is rich with butter and sour cream and goes soft under a cloth after baking. A common mistake is leaving the chicken in big chunks; cut it small or the potato is done long before the meat. Chef's tip: use thigh rather than breast, it stays juicy through the long bake.

115 min

Russian Chicken

by KrazyBadal 0 views

Isso curryPrawn coconut curry

Fishing boats come into Mirissa, Weligama and the harbour below Galle Fort every morning, and southern cooks turn their prawns into a curry that is quick, hot and gently sour. Goraka, the dried fruit of a garcinia tree, is soaked and ground into the gravy, and it gives a fruity tang that suits seafood far better than lime. Thin coconut milk carries the spices first, then a splash of thick milk at the end makes the sauce silky and pale orange, and the prawns go in only for the last few minutes. It is served with steamed white rice, a beetroot or snake-gourd curry and a crunchy sambol. Beginners tend to add the prawns too early and let them stew, which leaves them tough and shrunken. Chef's tip: leave the tails on and cook the prawns just until they curl into a loose C; a tight O means overdone.

35 min

Sri Lankan Fish

by KrazyBadal 0 views

ChebabSaffron yeast pancakes

Chebab are the thick, spongy pancakes that Emirati families make for breakfast in Dubai, Ras Al Khaimah and Al Ain, especially on Fridays and through Ramadan for suhoor. The batter is yeasted, so the pancakes rise in the pan and come out holey and soft like a crumpet, tinted yellow with saffron and scented with cardamom. They are served stacked with date syrup poured over and a spoonful of fresh chami or cream cheese on the side. Flipping too early is the classic error: wait until the top is covered in bubbles and looks dry at the edges, or the pancake tears. Chef's tip: leave the batter to rise until it is properly bubbly; a lazy batter gives flat, heavy chebab.

65 minGulf Arabian Breakfast & Brunch

by KrazyBadal 0 views

Aseedat bobarPumpkin pudding with ghee

In Doha and Kuwait City, aseedat bobar arrives on winter evenings and at Ramadan iftar in a shallow dish, smooth and orange, with a little pool of melted ghee in the centre. Bobar is the Gulf word for red pumpkin, cooked down and thickened with toasted flour, sugar and cardamom into a soft, spoonable sweet that tastes a bit like a spiced pumpkin pie filling. Scoop it warm with a spoon or with pieces of bread, alongside Arabic coffee. Stopping the stirring too soon is the usual mistake: the pudding must cook until it pulls away from the sides, or it tastes of raw flour. Chef's tip: toast the flour in a dry pan until it smells like biscuits before it goes in; that nutty note is what makes it.

45 minGulf Arabian Desserts

by KrazyBadal 0 views

KhabeesaSaffron toasted flour sweet

Khabeesa is made in Emirati and Qatari kitchens for Eid mornings, new babies and Ramadan nights: flour toasted until golden, then cooked with saffron syrup and ghee until it turns into fragrant, crumbly clusters, a bit like a soft, buttery halwa that breaks apart. It is served in a small bowl on the coffee tray, eaten with a spoon or the fingers, and its aroma of saffron, cardamom and rosewater fills the house. The mistake to avoid is pouring in the syrup all at once, which makes lumps that never break up. Chef's tip: keep pressing and turning the mixture against the pan once the ghee goes in; that is what forms the little golden crumbs.

30 minGulf Arabian Desserts

by KrazyBadal 0 views

Afang soupWaterleaf and afang leaf soup

Ask anyone from Calabar or Uyo what to serve a guest and afang will come up first. Finely shredded afang leaves, chewy and a little nutty, are cooked down with a mountain of waterleaf, palm oil, beef, cow skin, stockfish and periwinkles, and the waterleaf gives off all the liquid the soup needs. It is thick, dark green and deeply savoury, and it goes with pounded yam, fufu or eba. Outside Nigeria, frozen ground afang (also sold as okazi) and spinach stand in well. Periwinkles must be bought cleaned from a reputable seller; discard any with cracked shells or an off smell. Chef's tip: never add water to afang; if it looks dry, cover the pot for a minute and the waterleaf will release more.

90 min

Nigerian Meat

by KrazyBadal 0 views

ManeštraBean, corn and potato soup

Farm kitchens across Istria, in north-west Croatia, keep a pot of maneštra on the stove through the cold months, a soup so thick a spoon nearly stands in it. Beans, sweetcorn and potatoes are its heart; in the villages it is usually cooked with smoked pork ribs or bacon, but this version is meat-free, with smoked paprika and a garlicky parsley and olive oil paste (an olive oil twist on the traditional pešt) to give it depth. Expect a sweet, earthy, creamy soup with soft corn kernels and herby green flecks; eat it with crusty bread and a drizzle of Istrian olive oil. The beans must soak overnight before you begin. A common mistake is serving it thin and brothy, so mash some of the potato against the side of the pot near the end. Chef's tip: maneštra is better the next day; loosen it with a little hot water when you reheat.

120 minBalkan Soups

by KrazyBadal 0 views

IshlekliMinced meat pie

Ishlekli is the shepherds' pie of the Karakum desert: a large round of dough filled with chopped lamb and onion, sealed, and buried in sand heated by a fire, so it bakes slowly into a thick, golden crust filled with juicy meat. Turkmen families still make it on camping trips and at holidays in the countryside around Ashgabat. This version bakes it in a hot oven on a preheated tray. A common mistake is using lean meat, which makes the filling dry; the lamb fat bastes the inside as it bakes. Chef's tip: chop the lamb by hand rather than mincing it; small chunks stay juicy and give the pie its rustic texture. The filling should reach 71 °C.

100 min

Turkmen Meat

by KrazyBadal 0 views

PinonGari in tomato and onion sauce

On a busy weeknight in Cotonou or Porto-Novo, pinon (also spelled piron) is the answer: gari, the toasted cassava granules every Beninese kitchen keeps on hand, stirred into a hot tomato and onion sauce until it swells into a soft, fluffy, orange mound. Ready in about twenty minutes, it is savoury and tangy from the fermented cassava, with a kick of pepper. People eat it with fried fish or grilled chicken; this meat-free plate pairs it with a pot of beans in red oil or fried plantain. Chef's tip: lower the heat before adding the gari and sprinkle it in gradually, stirring all the time, so every grain absorbs the sauce evenly.

20 minAfrican Vegetarian

by KrazyBadal 0 views

Iskus ko tarkariChayote and potato curry

Every hillside garden in the eastern hills, from Dharan up to Bhojpur, has an iskus vine rambling over the roof or a bamboo frame, and from late summer the pale green chayotes hang down by the dozen, so this simple dry curry appears on the table almost every day. The chayote is peeled, cut into chunks with a little potato and cooked in mustard oil with fenugreek, cumin, garlic, turmeric and green chilli until tender but still holding a crisp edge, with a splash of tomato for colour. It is mild, juicy and slightly sweet, the everyday tarkari beside dal, rice and a sharp achar, and it packs well into a tiffin box. The usual mistake is adding water, which turns the chayote watery and bland, as it releases plenty of its own juice. Chef's tip: oil your hands before peeling, because raw chayote leaves a sticky, tight film on the skin.

30 min

Nepali Vegetarian

by KrazyBadal 0 views

Itek timDuck and salted mustard greens soup

Sour, salty and cleansing, itek tim is the soup a Nyonya kitchen in Katong or Joo Chiat puts on the table to cut through the rich curries and sambals of a Chinese New Year reunion dinner, and it is often made in a big pot that lasts for days. Jointed duck simmers slowly with salted mustard greens, tomatoes, salted sour plums and a little dried tamarind until the meat is tender and the broth turns golden, tangy and deeply savoury. It is served with rice and sambal belacan, and many families say it is even better on day two. Not soaking the salted mustard greens is the classic trap; they can make the soup far too salty, so soak and taste a piece first. Chef's tip: chill the soup overnight and lift off the duck fat in one sheet before reheating, which gives a clear, clean broth.

130 min

Singaporean Soups

by KrazyBadal 0 views

ÎnvârtităRolled sweet cheese pastry

Sunday visits in the villages around Iași and Suceava rarely happen without a tray of învârtită, the coiled pastry whose name simply means 'twisted'. A soft dough is pulled over a floured tablecloth until it is as fine as paper, brushed with butter, covered in sweet cottage cheese with raisins and lemon zest, rolled up and wound into a snail before baking. Fresh from the oven it is crackly at the edges and moist in the middle; it is cut into wedges and eaten with coffee or a glass of milk. Families also fill it with sour cherries in June or grated pumpkin in autumn. Cottage cheese is usually made without animal rennet, but check the label if you keep strictly vegetarian. Lots of bakers stretch the dough too soon after mixing, and it tears into holes; give it the full rest. Chef's tip: drain the cottage cheese in a sieve for 20 minutes first, so the filling stays creamy and does not run out of the seams.

120 min

Romanian Baking

by KrazyBadal 0 views

Inlagd sillPickled herring

No Swedish midsummer, Easter or Christmas table is without inlagd sill: salt herring fillets soaked to remove the salt, then pickled for at least two days in a sweet, clear brine of vinegar, sugar, onion, carrot, allspice and bay. It is eaten with new potatoes, sour cream, chives and crispbread, and a mustard sauce variant (senapssill) sits beside it. Herring that is pickled, not cooked, is not for pregnant women, young children or anyone with a weakened immune system. Use salt herring that has been frozen, as commercial salt herring is. A common mistake is skipping the soak, which makes the herring far too salty. Chef's tip: taste a corner after soaking; it should be pleasantly salty, like an olive.

35 minScandinavian Fish

by KrazyBadal 0 views

IrimshikDried sweet cottage cheese

Irimshik is the sweet, caramel-coloured dried curd that Kazakh herding families make in summer on the jailau pastures: milk is soured with a little starter, heated until it splits, and the curds are cooked slowly in their own whey until they turn golden and fudgy, then dried in the sun. It is nibbled with tea in winter, from Almaty flats to steppe villages. This version needs no rennet, so it is vegetarian. A common mistake is draining the curd too soon; the long cook in the whey is what browns and sweetens it. Chef's tip: stir more often as the whey reduces, because the curd catches easily at the end.

180 min

Kazakh Basics

by KrazyBadal 0 views

Imli aloo bukhara sharbatTamarind and plum cooler

Pakistani grandmothers prescribe this deep brown drink for heatstroke, an upset stomach and the sluggish days of Ramadan fasting in June, and it is sold in tall glasses at sehri and iftar stalls in Karachi, Hyderabad and Lahore. Tamarind and dried aloo bukhara plums are soaked, simmered, mashed and strained into a concentrate, which is then sweetened, seasoned with black salt and roasted cumin and served poured over ice. The flavour is fruity, tart and slightly smoky from the plums, with the savoury lift of the salt. The concentrate keeps for a week in the fridge, so a big batch lasts through a heatwave. The usual problem is skipping the straining step and serving it thick with fibres and seeds, which makes it more like a chutney than a drink. Chef's tip: let the plums soak in the hot liquid for an hour after simmering, so they give up all their sourness and colour before you strain them.

30 min

Pakistani Drinks

by KrazyBadal 0 views

Bajan fish cutterFried flying fish sandwich

Around Barbados a "cutter" is any sandwich in a salt bread roll, and the fish cutter is the lunch people queue for at beach bars from Oistins to Bathsheba: a piece of flying fish (or mahi-mahi, called dolphin locally) seasoned with Bajan seasoning, crumbed, fried crisp and stuffed into a split roll with lettuce, tomato and a dab of fiery yellow pepper sauce. The fish should be juicy and the crust shattering. The usual mistake is frying too cool, which makes the coating greasy; keep the oil hot and fry in small batches. Use flying fish fillets if you can find them frozen, or any thin white fish. Chef's tip: rub a little of the frying oil over the cut sides of the rolls and toast them in a dry pan, so the bread doesn't go soggy under the fish.

25 min

Bajan Fast Food

by KrazyBadal 0 views

IngriyiAubergine meat patty bake

Ingriyi is a Baghdadi-Jewish Shabbat dish that Iraqi families in Ramat Gan and Kiryat Gat make when aubergines are cheap in late summer: slices of fried aubergine and thin spiced beef patties are layered in a dish and baked in a sauce of tomato and tamarind until everything turns soft and glossy. The tamarind gives a dark sweet-sour tang that sets it apart from Levantine aubergine bakes. Serve it with white rice and a sharp salad. A common slip is frying the aubergine in too little oil at too low a heat, so it soaks up grease and stays grey; use hot oil and drain well. Chef's tip: salting the slices for 30 minutes makes them fry faster and drink less oil.

90 min

Israeli Meat

by KrazyBadal 0 views

KhirshaReduced milk fudge

In the dairy belt of Sirajganj and Pabna, where milk is cheap and plentiful, khirsha is made the patient way: milk is boiled in a wide iron karai and stirred for well over an hour until it has reduced to a sixth of its volume and become a thick, pale-caramel paste, then sweetened and cooked a little longer. Sold in clay saucers or pressed into blocks, it tastes of pure cooked milk, sweet and slightly toffee-like, with a fudgy, fine-grained texture. It is eaten on its own, spread on puffed rice, rolled into pithas or packed into the shells of other sweets. Burning the bottom is the classic mishap, which makes the whole batch taste scorched, so stir constantly and scrape the corners once it thickens. Chef's tip: use a wide, heavy pan rather than a deep one; the bigger the surface, the faster the milk reduces.

90 min

Bangladeshi Indian Sweets

by KrazyBadal 0 views

Atama soupPalm nut and atama leaf soup

From Abak and the Ibibio heartland of Akwa Ibom comes this palm-nut soup with a perfume all its own: atama leaves, which smell somewhere between mint, anise and fresh hay. The palm cream is cooked with assorted meat, stockfish, dried fish and periwinkles until the oil glistens on top, then the atama goes in near the end. It is weekend and visitors' food, eaten with pounded yam, fufu or eba. Dried atama is sold in African shops; dried tarragon is the closest substitute. Periwinkles should be bought cleaned, and any with cracked shells thrown away. Avoid adding the atama leaves too early: long boiling dulls their perfume. Chef's tip: go easy on the atama, as too much turns the soup bitter, so start with the amount below and taste before adding more.

90 min

Nigerian Meat

by KrazyBadal 0 views

AkpessiPlantain and yam pottage

Around Bouaké and Yamoussoukro, akpessi is what Baoulé families cook when they want a filling one-pot meal with little fuss: chunks of green plantain and yam simmered right in a red palm oil and tomato sauce until tender. A few pieces are crushed into the liquid at the end, so the sauce turns thick and clings to everything. It is often made with smoked fish; this version keeps it meat-free, with soft garden eggs folded through for body. Expect an earthy, gently starchy dish with heat from the pepper, good with sliced avocado on the side. The usual mistake is stirring too much, which turns the whole pot to mush instead of leaving soft chunks. Chef's tip: oil your hands before peeling green plantains; the sticky sap washes off far more easily.

50 min

Ivorian Vegetarian

by KrazyBadal 0 views

AthirasaFried rice flour jaggery cakes

Athirasa, a dark, flat disc with a shiny, slightly crinkled surface, is one of the keeping sweets of the Avurudu season: families fry stacks of them in early April, store them in tins and offer them to every visitor for weeks. The dough is simply rice flour stirred into jaggery syrup cooked to the soft-ball stage, flavoured with cardamom and left to rest, then patted into rounds and fried until deep brown. The cook presses each one firmly between two flat spoons or saucers to squeeze out excess oil, which gives athirasa its chewy, toffee-like centre and lacy, crisp edges. The typical slip is undercooking the syrup, which makes the dough too soft to shape and causes the rounds to fall apart in the oil. Chef's tip: shape the discs on a piece of oiled banana leaf or baking paper and slide them straight into the oil from it, so they keep a neat round shape.

60 min

Sri Lankan Desserts

by KrazyBadal 0 views

AchmaLayered cheese pie

Ask in Batumi and someone will call achma the Georgian lasagne: thin sheets of egg dough are boiled one by one, layered in a deep tray with salty cheese and a lot of butter, and baked until the top crackles and the inside is soft and molten. It is made for name days and holidays across Adjara, and slices are carried to neighbours on a plate. A common mistake is boiling the sheets too long; they should be barely cooked and still firm, or the layers merge into a heavy paste. Chef's tip: plunge every boiled sheet into iced water and lay it out on a towel, so the layers stay distinct and silky. Most sulguni and imeruli cheeses use animal rennet, so choose vegetarian versions.

105 min

Georgian Baking

by KrazyBadal 0 views

Idrijski žlikrofiPotato and chive dumplings

Mercury miners in Idrija, the hill town in western Slovenia, lived on these: thumbnail-sized pasta parcels pinched into a little hat shape with a dimple in the middle and filled with potato, onion, chives and marjoram. They carry EU protected status, and in Idrija they come either with melted butter and crumbs or with bakalca, a slow-cooked lamb sauce; the traditional filling often has a spoon of pork fat or cracklings too. This vegetarian version uses butter throughout. Shaping 150 or so of them is a job for two people and a good chat. A wet filling is the usual downfall: boil the potatoes in their skins and mash them dry, or the dough tears when you pinch it shut. If you add the optional grated hard cheese, choose a vegetarian one, as parmesan-style cheeses use animal rennet. Chef's tip: dry the shaped žlikrofi on a floured cloth for 20 minutes before cooking so they hold their shape.

90 minBalkan Pasta & Noodles

by KrazyBadal 0 views

Iftari chhola bhunaDry-fried spiced chickpeas

An hour before sunset during Ramadan, the pavement of Chawkbazar disappears under trays of iftar food, and the one thing every family buys or makes is a bowl of chhola bhuna. It is chickpeas fried down with onion, ginger, garlic and cumin until almost dry, so each one is coated in a thick, dark masala rather than swimming in gravy. On the iftar plate it sits beside piyaju, beguni, muri and dates, and many people toss it with puffed rice, chopped onion and mustard oil into a quick muri makha. A frequent error is adding the chickpeas while the onions are still pale, which leaves the dish flat and sweet instead of deep and savoury. Chef's tip: finish with a pinch of bhaja moshla, dry-roasted cumin, coriander and chilli ground together, for the smoky taste of the street version.

65 min

Bangladeshi Curries

by KrazyBadal 0 views

Gola kebabCharcoal-smoked beef mince kebabs

Gola kebabs are so soft that Karachi grill men have to pat the mince onto the skewer with a practised, quick hand, and they still slump as they cook; at Boat Basin and Burns Road at midnight you will see tray after tray of the plump, dark tubes waiting for customers. The softness comes from raw papaya, beef with plenty of fat, roasted gram flour and a very fine grind, and the flavour from browned onion, green chilli and a final smoking with a hot coal. They are eaten with paratha or puri, a pile of raw onion and green chutney. The mix will not stay on skewers if it is too wet, which is the usual frustration; chill it for at least an hour and use wet hands. Chef's tip: at home, shape the kebabs as fat fingers on a lined tray and cook them under a very hot grill; you lose nothing in taste.

40 min

Pakistani Meat

by KrazyBadal 0 views

Achar goshtPickle-spiced mutton curry

Sour, hot and pungent, achar gosht borrows its whole flavour from a jar of pickle: fennel, nigella, fenugreek, mustard seed and cumin fried in mustard oil, with lemon and long green chillies stuffed with the same spices. It belongs to the Urdu-speaking kitchens of Karachi and Hyderabad, where it is made for dinner guests and shared at office lunches, and it is eaten with naan or tandoori roti, never with a delicate pulao. The gravy is thick and clings to the meat, glistening with oil. The step people rush is roasting the pickling spices; they must be toasted and coarsely crushed, not used whole, or the curry tastes raw and seedy. Chef's tip: mustard oil gives the true pickle tang; heat it until it smokes, then let it cool for a minute before adding anything, so it loses its harsh edge.

95 min

Pakistani Meat

by KrazyBadal 0 views

Hutki shiraDried fish and aubergine curry

Hutki is what Sylhetis call shutki, sun-dried fish, and a pot of hutki shira, a thin, soupy curry, is pure home cooking from Sylhet, Sunamganj and the haor villages, where fish dried in the dry season feeds families through the rest of the year. The broth is fiery with fresh and dried chilli and full of garlic, softened with chunks of potato, brinjal and sometimes tomato or shatkora, and it is ladled over plenty of plain rice. The smell of the dried fish is strong as it cooks, but it mellows into a deep savoury taste. Skipping the soak is the error that ruins it: unwashed hutki is gritty and far too salty. Buy dried fish from a busy, reputable Asian grocer, and choose pieces that are dry, firm and free of mould. Chef's tip: keep the broth loose; shira should be soupy enough to drown the rice.

50 min

Bangladeshi Fish

by KrazyBadal 0 views

Fish buglamaSteamed fish with onion and tomato

In Baku and the fishing villages of the Absheron peninsula, buglama is the gentlest way to cook Caspian fish such as sturgeon, kutum or mullet: thick steaks laid on a bed of onions, tomatoes and herbs in a covered pan and left to steam in their own juices, with no water added. The result is soft, moist fish in a light, fragrant broth, served with bread and a spoon of narsharab. Any firm white fish works. A common mistake is lifting the lid too often, which lets the steam out and leaves the fish half-cooked. Chef's tip: lay the onion thickly enough that the fish never touches the pan; it should cook in steam, not fry. It is done when the flesh is opaque and flakes when pressed.

45 min

Azerbaijani Fish

by KrazyBadal 0 views

Čočka na kyseloSour lentils with fried egg

Brown lentils, a good splash of vinegar and a crisp-edged fried egg on top: čočka na kyselo is the Czech school-canteen and workers' lunch that people grow nostalgic about. Bohemian families also eat lentils around New Year, when the small round seeds stand for coins. The lentils are cooked soft, bound in a light roux with fried onion and finished sour and a touch sweet, then served with a sliced pickled gherkin and fresh bread. The texture should be spoonable, not soupy and not stiff. Where most cooks slip up is adding the vinegar too early: acid keeps lentils firm, so they stay hard however long you cook them. Season at the end instead. Chef's tip: a teaspoon of mustard stirred in with the vinegar rounds out the sourness without making it taste of mustard.

50 min

Czech Curries

by KrazyBadal 0 views

Ilish dim bhunaFried hilsa roe

Early in the hilsa season the female fish carry a pair of large, golden roe sacs, and in Barisal kitchens nobody would dream of wasting them. Ilish dim bhuna is the quick and greedy way to cook them: the roe is fried with lots of onion, turmeric and green chilli until it breaks into soft, rich, slightly grainy crumbs, a little like a savoury fish scramble. It is eaten as a side dish with plain rice and dal, often on the same day the fish itself is cooked in mustard. Roe spoils quickly, so buy it bright and fresh-smelling with the fish and cook it the same day. Many cooks stir the roe too early and too hard, turning it into paste; let it set first. Chef's tip: steam the roe sacs for 3 minutes before frying, so they firm up and break into neat crumbs.

25 min

Bangladeshi Fish

by KrazyBadal 0 views

HuzarensaladePotato, pickle and egg salad

Huzarensalade, 'hussars' salad', is the potato salad of Dutch birthdays and New Year's Day: diced potato, pickled gherkins, pickled onions, apple and boiled egg bound in mayonnaise, shaped into a mound and decorated with lettuce, tomato, egg and cucumber. It is normally made with cubes of cooked beef; this vegetarian version adds peas and a little extra egg. A common mistake is mixing warm potatoes with mayonnaise, which turns it greasy and loose. Chef's tip: let the potatoes cool completely and add a splash of pickle vinegar first, so they soak up flavour before the mayonnaise goes in.

50 min

Dutch Salads

by KrazyBadal 0 views

Gola gandaShaved ice with syrups

Nothing says summer evening at Clifton beach or Burns Road quite like the clatter of a gola ganda cart, where a block of ice is shaved on a hand plane, packed round a stick into a fist-sized ball and doused in rose-pink, mango-orange and purple kala khatta syrups. It melts fast in the Karachi heat, so children lick it from the bottom as it drips, and the fancier stalls serve it in a plate with condensed milk, desiccated coconut and a pinch of chaat-style salt on the sour syrup. At home a hand ice shaver or a powerful blender makes snow fine enough to press into balls. The most common disappointment is ice crushed too coarsely, which will not hold together and lets the syrup run straight through. Chef's tip: freeze the ice from boiled and cooled drinking water in a shallow tray, and put the glasses or plates in the freezer too, so the gola keeps its shape for longer.

10 min

Pakistani Desserts

by KrazyBadal 0 views

PloyesBuckwheat griddle cakes

Ployes come from the Acadian villages of the Madawaska in north-west New Brunswick, on the border with Maine, where they are eaten at almost every meal in place of bread. The batter of light buckwheat flour, plain flour and baking powder is poured onto a very hot dry griddle and cooked on one side only, until the top is covered in tiny holes. Roll them with butter and molasses, or use them to mop up a stew. Chef's tip: let the batter rest 5 minutes so the bubbles start; without them you get flat pancakes instead of the lacy holes.

20 min

Canadian Breads & Parathas

by KrazyBadal 0 views

Showing 90 of 7,888 recipes

Page 298 of 877