Skip to content
Jiz-biz
Featured recipe

Jiz-biz

Fried lamb offal and potatoes

Jiz-biz gets its name from the sound of the pan: lamb heart, liver, kidneys and sweetbreads cut small and fried with potatoes and onions until crisp at the edges. It is a dish of Baku's working cafés and village feast days, made from the parts of the lamb cooked first while the rest is roasting, and finished with sumac and herbs. A common mistake is putting everything in at once; the liver turns grainy before the heart is tender. Chef's tip: fry the potatoes separately until crisp and fold them in at the end, so they keep their crunch. Offal should be cooked until no pink remains, 71 °C.

Read more 0 views

What to eat today?

Around the world

Today's trip: Persian

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

Persian

Dizi

Lamb and chickpea stew 245 minMore from Persian (131) →

This week's collection

Kid-friendly dinners
537 recipes · a new collection every Monday

Latest recipes

AboloSteamed corn and rice bread

Along the lagoon towns of Keta and Anloga, women carry trays of abolo to the lorry parks: pale, spongy little cakes of fermented corn and rice dough, sweetened a little and steamed until springy. They taste gently sour and sweet, a bit like a steamed bun, and are traditionally eaten with fried fish and shito or a raw pepper sauce; with fresh pepper sauce and avocado they make a meat-free meal. The batter needs about an hour to rise, which is counted in the timings below. Chef's tip: cook a small part of the corn dough into a thick porridge first and mix it back in; this is what gives abolo its soft, bouncy crumb, and skipping it, the common mistake, gives dense, heavy cakes.

by KrazyBadal 0 views

AboboiBambara beans in palm oil

Bambara beans, round and speckled, are one of West Africa's oldest crops, and in Accra they become aboboi: simmered for a long time until creamy, then finished in red palm oil fried with onion and pepper. Street sellers dish it out in the evening, often with gari sprinkled on top for crunch and sometimes with fried fish; this version keeps it meat-free and lets the earthy, chestnut-like beans shine. It is filling, protein-rich and costs little. Dried Bambara beans are sold in African and Asian shops; black-eyed beans cook faster if you cannot find them. Don't add salt before the beans are soft, or the skins stay hard however long they cook. Chef's tip: soak the beans overnight and use a pressure cooker if you have one, as unsoaked Bambara beans can take three hours and still stay hard, which is the most common disappointment.

by KrazyBadal 0 views

AasmiFried rice flour nests with syrup

Aasmi is the most delicate sweet on the Sinhala New Year table, a crisp, cream-coloured nest of tangled rice threads drizzled with pink syrup, and making it is a skill that village women in the Kandy and Kurunegala districts are rightly proud of. The batter gets its unique, almost glassy crispness from the slippery sap of davul kurundu leaves, a wild relative of laurel sometimes sold dried or frozen in Sri Lankan shops, which binds the rice flour and coconut milk. It is poured in a fine stream into hot oil to form a lace, folded while still soft and fried until crisp but still pale, then decorated with lines of thick sugar syrup. If you cannot find the leaves, a little tapioca starch helps the batter hold, but the lace will be softer. The usual error is frying until golden: aasmi should stay pale cream, so keep the oil moderate. Chef's tip: test the batter with one thread first; it should fall in a smooth, unbroken stream.

by KrazyBadal 0 views

Aargauer RüeblitorteCarrot and almond cake

Rüeblitorte is the carrot cake of the canton of Aargau, between Zurich and Basel, where carrots grow well in the flat farmland: a moist, flourless cake of grated carrot and ground almonds lifted with whisked egg whites, glazed with a thin lemon or kirsch icing and decorated with little marzipan carrots. It is the traditional Swiss birthday cake for children and appears at Easter. A common mistake is skipping the separate whisking of the whites, which makes it heavy. Chef's tip: grate the carrots finely and squeeze out a little juice, so the cake is moist but not soggy. This version uses lemon icing.

by KrazyBadal 0 views

AamshottoSun-dried mango sheets

In June the mango orchards of Rajshahi and Chapai Nawabganj produce more fruit than anyone can eat, and on rooftops across the region the surplus is turned into aamshotto, sheets of sweet mango pulp spread thin on bamboo trays and dried in the sun. A fresh layer is spread over the last one each day, so the finished slab is built up from many thin films, chewy, deep orange and intensely fruity. It is cut into strips and kept for the rainy months, eaten as a snack, packed in children's lunchboxes or chopped into chutney. In a damp climate, sun-drying is slow and risks mould, so this version uses a low oven. Spreading the pulp too thick is the classic misjudgement; the middle never dries and stays sticky. Chef's tip: use fibre-free mangoes such as Himsagar, Langra or Alphonso and push the pulp through a sieve for a smooth sheet.

by KrazyBadal 0 views

Aab goshtMutton in spiced milk

Pale, gentle and fragrant with green cardamom, aab gosht is the Kashmiri kitchen's answer to anyone who thinks the cuisine is all chilli. Mutton on the bone is first boiled with whole spices, then finished in reduced milk with fennel and dry ginger until the sauce turns ivory and thick, almost like a savoury kheer. It is a wazwan dish and a family favourite for Sunday lunch among Kashmiri households in Muzaffarabad and Lahore, eaten over plain rice with a sharp green chutney on the side for contrast. Boiling the milk hard is what ruins it, since it catches on the base and leaves a scorched taste through the whole pot. Chef's tip: reduce the milk in a separate wide pan while the meat cooks, then combine them; it thickens faster and is far less likely to burn.

by KrazyBadal 0 views

AbkhazuraSpiced mince in caul fat

Abkhazura is a feast dish from Samegrelo and the old Abkhazian borderlands, still on the menu of Zugdidi restaurants: finely chopped beef and pork, seasoned with onion, garlic, dried barberries, hot pepper and herbs, wrapped in thin, lacy caul fat and grilled over coals or fried until crisp outside and juicy inside. This contains pork. Served with tkemali and raw onion rings. A common mistake is using lean mince, which makes the patties dry; the fat is what keeps them succulent. Chef's tip: soak caul fat in warm salted water for 10 minutes so it softens and stretches without tearing. Minced meat must reach 71 °C in the middle.

by KrazyBadal 0 views

SalufPuffy flatbread

Saluf is the everyday bread of Yemenite Israelis, slapped onto a hot pan or taboon in Rosh HaAyin and Sha'arayim in Rehovot and eaten with marak temani, hilbe and zhug. It is soft and blistered, thicker than pita and with no pocket, made to tear and dunk. Home cooks often roll it too thin, which gives a cracker; it should be about 1 cm thick so it stays pillowy. Chef's tip: cook it under a lid on a very hot dry pan for the first minute, which traps steam and puffs it the way a taboon does.

by KrazyBadal 1 views

Kyar zan hingaGlass noodle soup with chicken

Lighter than mohinga and a favourite with children, kyar zan hinga turns up at Yangon donation feasts, at evening noodle stalls and on the family table when someone needs something soothing. Slippery glass noodles swim in a clear, peppery chicken broth with shredded chicken, crunchy wood-ear mushroom, chewy knots of dried lily buds, bouncy fish balls and whole quail eggs. Each bowl is finished at the table with lime, chilli flakes, fried garlic and coriander, and crisp split-pea fritters are often torn in on top. Simmering the glass noodles in the pot is the classic error: they swell, go soft and drink up the broth, so add them straight to the bowls instead. Chef's tip: knot each softened lily bud before it goes into the soup; it keeps them from shredding and gives every spoonful a little chewy bite.

by KrazyBadal 1 views

Crema de malangaMalanga root soup

Ask anyone raised in Havana what they were fed when they were ill and the answer is usually crema de malanga: a pale, velvety soup of the starchy root, gently scented with garlic and onion. It is also one of the first foods Cuban babies and grandparents alike are given, because it is soft, mild and filling. The classic mistake is grating raw malanga with bare hands, which can make your skin itch; peel it wearing gloves and rinse it well. Serve it plain or with a few croutons. Chef's tip: blend in the butter at the end rather than frying in it, so the soup tastes clean and creamy rather than heavy.

40 minCubanSoupsGluten free
by KrazyBadal 1 views

Bela biscuitTwice-baked tea biscuit

Old Chittagong bakeries, some of them in the Chandanpura area for well over a century, still fire their wood ovens for bela biscuit, a pale oval rusk so hard it cracks rather than snaps. It starts as a lightly sweet, enriched yeast dough that is baked once like a bun and then dried for a long time in a cooling oven until crisp right through. In Chittagong homes it comes out at teatime and when guests arrive, and the whole point is the dunk: a few seconds in hot milky tea and it softens into something like buttery bread. The classic slip is pulling the biscuits from the second bake too soon; they feel firm while warm but go chewy overnight if the centre is still damp. Chef's tip: break one open after drying; if the middle is pale and soft, give the tray another 20 minutes.

by KrazyBadal 0 views

Maple-glazed ham

At the cabanes à sucre of Quebec in March and April, a smoked pork ham baked in maple syrup is the centrepiece of the long tables, carved alongside pea soup, beans and omelette. At home it is an Easter favourite in the Eastern Townships. The ham is simmered, then glazed and baked, basted again and again until it shines. Check the label: most smoked hams are already cooked and only need heating, while uncooked ones need full cooking. A common mistake is glazing too early, which burns the sugar before the ham is hot. Chef's tip: a splash of cider vinegar in the glaze balances the sweetness.

150 minCanadianMeatGluten free
by KrazyBadal 0 views

Meatball stew

Ragoût de boulettes is a Quebec Christmas Eve and New Year dish, simmered in big pots for the réveillon in the Saguenay and Beauce, often served with pork hocks and boiled potatoes. The meatballs are made from minced pork, gently spiced with cinnamon, clove and nutmeg, and simmered in a gravy thickened with flour toasted dry in a pan until brown. That toasted flour gives the stew its colour and nutty taste. A common mistake is toasting the flour too quickly so it burns; keep the heat moderate and stir constantly. Chef's tip: it tastes even better the next day, so make it ahead and reheat until piping hot.

150 minCanadianMeat
by KrazyBadal 0 views

Queen Elizabeth cake

Queen Elizabeth cake has been a favourite in Canadian homes and Quebec bakeries since the 1950s, especially around coronations and royal visits, and it still turns up at Montreal family birthdays and Sunday teas. A moist, tender date cake is baked, then covered in a bubbling coconut and brown-sugar topping and put under the grill until it caramelises. It is humble, rich and keeps well for days. A common mistake is walking away from the grill; the topping goes from golden to burnt in under a minute. Chef's tip: soak the dates in boiling water with the bicarbonate so they melt into the crumb.

by KrazyBadal 0 views

Puffed wheat squares

Puffed wheat squares are the Prairie kids' party treat, made in Alberta and Saskatchewan kitchens for hockey bake sales and lunchboxes since the 1950s. Puffed wheat is stirred into a quick toffee of butter, brown sugar, golden syrup and cocoa, pressed into a pan and cut once set. They are chewy rather than crunchy and very hard to stop eating. A common mistake is boiling the syrup too long, which sets them rock hard; one minute of boiling is enough. Chef's tip: butter your hands, not just the pan, to press the mix down evenly.

by KrazyBadal 0 views

Labrador tea

Labrador tea grows in the bogs and boreal forests right across northern Canada, and Cree, Dene and Inuit families have long dried its leathery, rust-backed leaves for a hot drink on the land and at home. It tastes resinous and piney, a bit like rosemary and eucalyptus, and is often sweetened with a little sugar. The leaves contain natural compounds that are harmful in large amounts, so brew it weak, drink a cup or two, and don't steep it for hours. It is not for pregnant or breastfeeding women. Only pick it if you know the plant well: the poisonous bog laurel grows alongside it; dried leaves from a trusted seller are safest. A common mistake is using a big handful of leaves; one tablespoon makes two cups. Chef's tip: steep below boiling and briefly; a long boil makes it bitter and stronger than you want.

by KrazyBadal 0 views

Three Sisters soup

The Three Sisters, corn, beans and squash planted together in one mound, are the heart of Haudenosaunee farming in what is now southern Ontario and Quebec, and of many other Eastern Woodlands nations. Simmered together, they make a filling, golden autumn soup served at harvest gatherings and at home through the winter. This version uses dried beans and fresh squash for a thick, naturally sweet pot. A common mistake is adding the corn too early, which makes it tough; it goes in for the last 10 minutes. Chef's tip: roast half the squash first for a deeper, nuttier flavour.

by KrazyBadal 0 views

Honey dill sauce

Ask for honey dill anywhere outside Manitoba and you'll get a blank look, but in Winnipeg every pub, burger stand and school canteen serves it with chicken fingers, fries and onion rings. It is simply mayonnaise sweetened with liquid honey and full of fresh dill, and it takes five minutes. It is also good on veggie burgers and baked potatoes. A common mistake is using thick set honey, which won't blend; warm it first. Chef's tip: make it an hour ahead so the dill flavours the whole sauce.

by KrazyBadal 0 views

Sour cream raisin pie

Sour cream raisin pie is a farm-kitchen dessert from the Old Order Mennonite communities of Waterloo County, Ontario, found at the St Jacobs market and at church suppers around Elmira. Plump raisins sit in a tangy sour-cream custard, warm with cinnamon and clove, under a tall cloud of meringue. It is made ahead and served cool, cut in generous wedges. A common mistake is spreading the meringue on a cold filling, which makes it weep; spread it while the filling is hot. Chef's tip: simmer the raisins first so they are soft and juicy instead of chewy in the custard.

by KrazyBadal 0 views

Wild rice salad

Manoomin, true wild rice, is hand-harvested by canoe by Anishinaabe families on the shallow lakes of northern Ontario and Manitoba in late summer, the grains knocked into the boat with cedar sticks. Its nutty, smoky taste is lovely cold in a salad with dried cranberries, toasted sunflower and pumpkin seeds and a light maple vinaigrette, the kind of dish brought to a feast or a summer potluck. Hand-harvested lake rice cooks faster than the black cultivated paddy rice, so check it early. A common mistake is cooking it until it splits wide open and turns mushy. Chef's tip: dress the rice while it is still warm so it drinks in the vinaigrette.

by KrazyBadal 0 views

Chopped liver

Chopped liver is the first course of many Friday-night dinners in Ashkenazi homes from Haifa to Petah Tikva, spread on challah before the soup, and Tel Aviv delis still sell it by weight on Thursdays. Chicken livers are cooked through in schmaltz with a mountain of slowly browned onion, then chopped with hard-boiled egg into a coarse, rich spread that is sweet from the onion and deeply savoury. It is served cool, with challah, crackers or rye bread and a pickled cucumber. People often undercook the livers to keep them soft, but for safety they must have no pink left inside; the onion and schmaltz keep the texture tender anyway. Chef's tip: pulse in short bursts or chop by hand; a smooth purée loses the rustic texture that makes this different from a French pâté.

by KrazyBadal 0 views

Puffed maple omelette

A tall, golden puffed omelette arrives on every table at the cabanes à sucre of the Laurentians and the Eastern Townships, sliced into wedges and drowned in fresh maple syrup alongside beans and ham. The eggs are separated, the whites whipped and folded back in, then the omelette starts on the hob and finishes in the oven so it rises like a soufflé. It must go to the table at once, before it sinks. A common mistake is beating the whites until stiff and dry, which makes the omelette grainy. Chef's tip: fold the whites in with a large metal spoon in three goes, keeping as much air as you can.

by KrazyBadal 0 views

Montreal-style bagels

On Fairmount and St-Viateur streets in Montreal's Mile End the bagel bakeries run all night, rolling dough by hand, boiling it in honey water and baking it on long planks in wood-fired ovens. The result is smaller, sweeter and denser than a New York bagel, with a big hole and a crust thickly coated in sesame. They are eaten warm from the paper bag, plain or with cream cheese. Egg goes into the dough and there is no salt-heavy chew, which is what gives that light sweetness. Chef's tip: bake on the hottest oven setting and on a preheated stone or heavy tray, the closest a home oven gets to the wood fire.

by KrazyBadal 0 views

Braised brisket

A slowly braised brisket is the centrepiece of the Rosh Hashanah and Passover table for many Ashkenazi families in Israel, from Ra'anana to Jerusalem's German Colony, often made two days ahead because it slices better and tastes deeper once it has rested in its gravy. The beef sits on a bed of sliced onions with carrots, garlic, tomato paste and a little sugar and vinegar, covered tightly, and cooks for hours until fork-tender, while the onions melt into a rich brown sauce. Serve with potato kugel, tzimmes or mashed potatoes. Slicing it hot and along the grain is the usual mistake: chill it, then cut across the grain into thin slices. Chef's tip: return the slices to the gravy and reheat gently so every piece soaks up the sauce.

260 minIsraeliMeatGluten free
by KrazyBadal 0 views

Tahini cookies

Every Israeli bakery and grandmother's biscuit tin has ugiyot tahini, little domed cookies that crumble and melt on the tongue with a deep, toasty sesame flavour. They are baked for Shabbat coffee, for guests dropping by in Haifa or Jerusalem, and as an easy dairy-free sweet to follow a meat meal. This version uses oil rather than butter, so it is vegan. The mistake is baking until they turn golden all over; they firm up as they cool and should leave the oven pale with just-coloured bases. Chef's tip: stir the tahini jar thoroughly first, since the oil separates and a dry spoonful from the bottom makes sandy, dry cookies.

by KrazyBadal 0 views

Egg salad guédille

A guédille is the snack-bar sandwich of Quebec, sold at the casse-croûte stands along the St Lawrence and in the Lower Saint-Lawrence towns all summer. A top-split hot-dog bun is buttered and toasted on the flat-top, then stuffed high with shredded iceberg and a soft egg salad. By the sea the same bun is filled with lobster, but the egg guédille is the everyday version kids order with fries. It takes 25 minutes and is just as good for a picnic lunch. A common mistake is filling the buns too early, which turns them soggy. Chef's tip: shred the lettuce very finely and put it under the egg so the bun stays crisp.

by KrazyBadal 0 views

Quebec pea soup

In Quebec farmhouses a pot of soupe aux pois went on the back of the wood stove on Saturday and fed the family through the cold weeks; it is still served at sugar shacks and on chilly Sundays from Gaspé to Gatineau. Whole yellow peas break down over three hours into a thick, golden, earthy soup scented with summer savory. The old version is cooked with a slab of salt pork; this pot leaves it out and builds depth with browned onion and a bay leaf instead, so it is vegan. Serve with crusty bread or a ploye. Chef's tip: use whole yellow peas, not split ones; they hold some bite and give the soup its proper rustic body.

by KrazyBadal 0 views

Eggs poached in maple syrup

At Quebec sugar shacks in early spring, the oldest treat of all is an egg cracked straight into a pan of boiling maple syrup, cooked until the white sets into lacy sweet ribbons. Families in the Appalachian regions of Beauce and Chaudière-Appalaches eat it with buttered country bread to mop up the syrup. It is sweet, rich and surprisingly simple. A common mistake is letting the syrup boil hard, which scorches it and turns the eggs rubbery. Chef's tip: use very fresh eggs; their whites hold together and wrap round the yolk instead of spreading.

by KrazyBadal 0 views

Flapper pie

Flapper pie is the "Prairie pie" of Saskatchewan and Manitoba, served in small-town cafés and at fall suppers from Moose Jaw to Brandon since the 1920s, when graham crumbs, milk and eggs were what the farm pantry always had. A crunchy cinnamon graham base holds a soft vanilla custard topped with meringue and more crumbs. It is best eaten the day it is made, slightly chilled. A common mistake is pouring a lumpy custard; whisk without stopping and strain it if needed. Chef's tip: save a few spoonfuls of the crumb mix to scatter on the meringue, which is the pie's signature look.

by KrazyBadal 0 views

Cheese blintzes

Cheese blintzes are the star of Shavuot breakfasts in Ashkenazi homes across Israel, and Jerusalem dairy cafés have served them for generations with soured cream and berry sauce. Thin crêpes, cooked on one side only, are wrapped around sweetened farmer cheese with lemon and vanilla, then fried in butter until crisp and golden outside and creamy within. Serve two per person with soured cream and a spoon of cherry or blueberry compote. Farmer cheese is usually rennet-free, but check the label and choose a vegetarian one. A common mistake is a wet filling: drain the cheese well or it leaks and the blintzes burst in the pan. Chef's tip: fill on the cooked side, so the pale raw side ends up outside and browns properly in the final fry.

by KrazyBadal 0 views

Coconut macaroons

Coconut macaroons are the Passover biscuit in Israel: every supermarket stacks them high before the holiday, but homemade ones from a Haifa or Jerusalem kitchen are far better, crisp and golden on the outside and moist and chewy inside. They need just desiccated coconut, egg whites, sugar and vanilla, with no flour or leavening, so they suit the Passover rules and are naturally gluten free and dairy free. Dip the bases in dark chocolate if you like. The common mistake is baking them on a hot tray straight from a previous batch, which burns the bases before the tops colour. Chef's tip: let the mixture rest for 15 minutes so the coconut soaks up the whites and the mounds hold their shape.

by KrazyBadal 0 views

Flourless chocolate cake

In Israel this dense chocolate cake is the dessert of the Passover seder in countless homes, from Tel Aviv flats to kibbutz dining halls, because it needs no flour and only rises on whisked eggs. Dark chocolate, eggs, ground almonds and a little butter bake into a cake with a thin, crackled top and a deep, fudgy middle, rich enough to serve in slim slices with berries or whipped cream. Made with oil instead of butter, it can follow a meat meal. The common mistake is overbaking: take it out while the centre still wobbles slightly, as it sets as it cools. Chef's tip: fold the whites into the chocolate in three goes, the first one roughly, to loosen it, then the rest gently to keep the air.

by KrazyBadal 0 views

Frankincense water

Around Salalah in Oman's Dhofar region, where the frankincense trees grow on the dry hills behind the coast, many households drop a few tears of resin into a jug of water at night and sip it the next day, believing it settles the stomach. The water turns faintly milky and tastes cool, piney and slightly bitter. It is drunk at room temperature, in small glasses, often in the morning. Use only food-grade Boswellia sacra resin sold for eating (the pale hojari grade is best), never incense blends, and do not drink it if you are pregnant or breastfeeding, or without asking a doctor if you take regular medication. The mistake is using too much resin, which makes it unpleasantly bitter. Chef's tip: rinse the tears in a sieve first to wash off dust and resin powder, and the water will be clearer and gentler.

by KrazyBadal 0 views

Lao iced coffee

High on the Bolaven Plateau above Pakse, the coffee towns around Paksong grow most of Laos's beans, and roadside stalls there brew them dark and strong through a long cloth sock, all day long. Ordered cold, it arrives as a glass of ice with a thick layer of sweetened condensed milk at the bottom, the black coffee poured over and stirred to a caramel brown, often with a free cup of weak tea to sip afterwards. It is bitter-sweet, chocolatey and much richer than a café latte, made for hot afternoons on the plateau or a morning stop in Pakse. A French press or a fine sieve lined with a paper filter stands in for the cloth sock. Pouring hot coffee straight onto ice before adding the milk is where it goes flat: the condensed milk won't dissolve in cold coffee and sinks in a gluey lump. Chef's tip: stir the condensed milk into the hot coffee first, then pour over the ice.

10 minLaoDrinksGluten free
by KrazyBadal 0 views

Khmer green mango salad with crispy dried fish

Sharp enough to make you wince and then reach for more, nhoam svay is the salad sold from glass-fronted carts around Siem Reap's Old Market and packed for weekend picnics at the West Baray reservoir. Hard green mango is cut into fine strands and tossed with shallots, mint and a dressing of lime, fish sauce and palm sugar, then topped with crunchy roasted peanuts and flakes of salty dried fish fried until crisp. It is eaten as a snack on its own or as a fresh, sour side to grilled meat and rice. Many people dress it too early, which draws water out of the mango and leaves a limp, watery salad. Chef's tip: fry the dried fish slowly until it shatters, then crumble it over at the very last moment; for a vegetarian version, leave it out and use soy sauce in place of the fish sauce.

by KrazyBadal 0 views

Khmer pickled vegetables

Cambodian cooks keep a jar of chrouk in the fridge the way others keep ketchup. These quick pickles of green papaya, carrot, cucumber and a little ginger come on the side of broken-rice breakfasts in Phnom Penh, with grilled food at night markets and tucked into num pang baguettes, adding crunch and a sweet-sour snap to anything rich or smoky. The brine is simply rice vinegar, sugar and salt, which keeps the vegetables pale and crisp. Pouring the brine on boiling hot is the classic slip: it softens the cucumber and dulls the colours. Chef's tip: salt the papaya and carrot for 15 minutes and squeeze them before jarring; they stay crunchy for a week instead of turning floppy by day two.

by KrazyBadal 0 views

Showing 36 of 7,762 recipes

Show more recipes

Page 314 of 863