Sayur lodeh is everyday cooking in Central Java, made in big pots in Solo and Semarang kitchens and ladled over rice, with lontong rice cakes at Lebaran, or alongside opor and sambal goreng on festive tables. It's soupy rather than thick: a fragrant broth of coconut milk, galangal, lemongrass and lime leaf that carries chunks of aubergine, long beans, chayote and sweetcorn, plus tempeh and tofu to make it a meal. The flavour is mellow and slightly sweet, so the heat comes from sambal on the side. Chef's tip: keep the pot at a gentle simmer once the coconut milk goes in and stir now and then — a rolling boil splits the coconut milk into oily curds.
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A creamy, smoky dip of baked aubergine blended with tahini dip, yogurt, lemon juice, garlic, a touch of chilli and olive oil. Sprinkled with parsley, it is perfect with toasted pitta or a plate of vegetable sticks as a starter or part of a mezze spread.
A Thai-flavoured veggie burger: butter beans are blended with fresh coconut, spring onions, coriander, roasted peanuts and red curry paste into coarse patties, shallow-fried until crisp and stacked in toasted buns with lettuce, onion and a little sweet chilli sauce. Filling, crunchy and full of flavour. Serve with a salad or chips.
A quick vegetarian fried rice: boiled rice tossed in a hot wok with garlic, ginger, red kidney beans, sweetcorn, fresh pineapple, tomato, soy sauce and black pepper. Served hot with chopped spring onions and cucumber. Thai dishes are best cooked close to serving time.
A bowl of colourful fresh fruit (kiwi, strawberries, pineapple, cherries and orange) covered with a smooth coconut cream sauce, lightly thickened with cornflour, enriched with fresh cream and scented with rose. Serve well chilled.
Um Ali is Egypt's much-loved warm bread pudding. Here toasted bread is layered with bananas, pistachios, almonds, walnuts and raisins, then covered with saffron and cardamom milk mixed with sweetened whipped cream and baked until bubbling and golden. Rich, creamy and comforting; serve warm.
Thin, crackly rolls of buttered fillo pastry wrapped around a filling of walnuts, almonds, sugar, cinnamon and clove, baked until light golden and then bathed in a warm syrup scented with lemon rind, cinnamon and cloves. Like little baklava fingers, sweet and nutty. Serve with coffee or mint tea; they keep well for a few days.
A soft, moist baked sweet in the style of basbousa: desiccated coconut, semolina and flour are mixed with melted butter, milk and vanilla, baked until golden, cut into diamonds and soaked in cold lemon syrup. Each piece is topped with an almond. Sweet, buttery and fragrant with coconut; serve at room temperature with tea or coffee.
Cacık is the Turkish version of tzatziki: thick yogurt mixed with cucumber, onion, plenty of parsley, garlic and green chilli, seasoned with salt, white pepper and a pinch of sugar and finished with fresh mint. Cool and refreshing, ready in minutes. Serve with warm pitta bread, curries and rice dishes.
A sweet-and-savoury Thai fruit salad: crisp apple, banana, semi-ripe papaya and mango tossed in a coconut milk dressing sharpened with lime and warmed with fresh red chilli and a little red curry paste. Fresh coriander lifts it, and it is served chilled on lettuce leaves. Good as a starter, with a curry, or on its own on a hot day.
Small, soft pancakes made from plain flour, rice flour and semolina, sweetened with condensed milk and scented with mango, folded around a sticky filling of ripe mango, sugar and coconut. They are served cold with extra mango and a scoop of ice cream or fresh cream: a lovely make-ahead dessert for a party.
A quick Thai red curry with a home-made paste of soaked red chillies, onion, garlic, ginger, lemongrass, coriander, cumin and white pepper. Crunchy baby corn, broccoli, carrot and mushrooms simmer in coconut milk with basil until the sauce is creamy and gently thickened. The paste is also used in several other Thai recipes in this collection. Serve warm with rice.
A dry Thai-style curried rice: cubes of tofu or paneer, carrots and French beans are fried with a home-made massaman paste of red chilli, cinnamon, cardamom, clove, lemongrass and lemon rind, then tossed through cooked rice. It is finished with roasted peanuts, crisp fried onions, spring onions and a squeeze of lime, so every mouthful is warm, aromatic and crunchy. A complete meal on its own.
Soft rice noodles tossed with a colourful stir-fry of bean sprouts, carrot, snow peas, capsicum and celery, seasoned with red curry paste, soy sauce and a dash of vinegar. Crushed roasted peanuts, fresh mint and lemon wedges finish it. A quick, spicy one-wok meal.
Tamia is the Egyptian cousin of falafel: soaked raw chickpeas are ground with dill, coriander, onion, garlic, chilli and cumin, shaped into small patties, coated with sesame seeds and deep-fried until crisp and golden outside and green and fluffy inside. Serve hot with coconut and tamarind chutneys, or tuck them into pitta with salad.
Golden, crackly spring rolls made with the book's home-made samosa pastry and filled with rice vermicelli, capsicum, carrot, celery and spring onion seasoned with chilli sauce and coriander. They are served hot with a sweet, sharp dipping sauce of vinegar syrup, cucumber, red chilli and peanuts. A party favourite: make 15 and watch them go.
Crumbly, buttery biscuit dough is rolled out, spread with a soft date filling flavoured with cinnamon and lemon, rolled into logs, sliced and baked into pretty pinwheels. They make a big batch of 50 and keep well in an airtight tin. Serve with tea, or with ice cream as a dessert.
Aubergine, French beans, cauliflower and carrots are simmered gently in coconut milk until tender, then coated in a thick gravy of coconut cream, a fresh paste of spring onion, coriander root, red chilli, lemongrass, galangal and lime peel, and a finish of roasted peanuts and tamarind. Rich, tangy and fragrant. Serve hot with steamed rice.
A mild, fragrant Thai green curry made with a fresh paste of green chillies, garlic, lemongrass, coriander and lemon, simmered with coconut milk, a big mix of vegetables and soft cubes of paneer. The sauce is creamy and herby rather than fiery, and the vegetables keep a little bite. Serve hot with plain steamed rice or jasmine rice.
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Vegan
Gluten free
Spicy
Thai
