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.
Spin the randomizer, search with what's already in your fridge, or browse recipes from our chefs.
A hot, garlicky chutney of tomatoes cooked down with garlic paste, red chilli and cumin, then mashed until coarse. It's served alongside pav bhaji for extra heat, and is also good with vada pav, dabeli and toasted sandwiches.
The classic coconut chutney for idli and dhosa: fresh coconut ground with soaked urad and chana dal, yogurt and chilli, then finished with a sizzling tempering of curry leaves and asafoetida. The lentils give it body and a nutty taste. Serve it with idli, dhosa, uttapam and medu vada.
A thick, creamy mint chutney made with hung-yogurt cottage cheese, so it clings to grilled food without running. It's fresh with mint and coriander and gently spicy. Serve it with barbecued paneer and vegetable skewers, tikka, kebabs and corn on the cob.
A thick, fresh chutney of grated coconut and raw mango blended with coconut water, chilli and coriander. With no yogurt it's dairy free and keeps its fresh coconut taste. It's served in East Africa with lentil fritters (bhajia), Zanzibar mix and Mombasa mix.
Onions fried gently until soft and sweet, then blended with fresh mint, green chilli and lemon juice. It's a mellow, fresh-tasting chutney that is great with bhajias, samosas, kebabs and tikka, or spread in sandwiches.
A big, bright salad of red, green and yellow peppers, boiled peanuts, sweet corn, grapes, apple and coconut, tossed in a sweet-sour passion fruit and mint dressing. It is very popular at big parties: it looks festive, keeps its crunch and is easy to double. Serve it on a bed of crisp lettuce.
A crunchy Indian-style salad of finely shredded cabbage, fresh coconut, fried red peanuts and cashews, with plenty of chilli. The lemon dressing is tempered: mustard seeds are popped in hot oil first, which gives it a lovely nutty flavour. Serve it as a side with dal and rice, or with any Gujarati meal.
Crisp-tender snow peas, baby carrots and baby corn are boiled briefly, then mixed with quickly stir-fried courgettes, peppers and spring onions. Everything is tossed in a zingy dressing of chives, parsley, coriander, lemon and plenty of garlic. It is a warm salad that makes a light meal on its own.
A simple, tangy dip made with thick home-made cottage cheese (hung yogurt) or ready-made sour cream, seasoned with garlic, chilli, black pepper and vinegar. Serve it cold with crisps, nachos and jacket potatoes. The book's other dips use this as their 'sour cream'.
Soft bulgar wheat topped with fennel wedges roasted with orange peel and juice until sweet and charred, then tossed with cherry tomatoes, olives, parsley and mint. It is fresh and filling, good as a light main course or alongside grilled vegetables and paneer. Serve it warm or at room temperature.
A fresh, crunchy salad of home-sprouted mung beans with juicy pineapple, coconut, cucumber and cherry tomatoes, dressed with orange juice, balsamic vinegar and olive oil. It is light, sweet and tangy, full of protein, and makes a healthy lunch on its own. Chill everything well, and add the lettuce at the last minute so it stays crisp.
The everyday Gujarati green chutney: fresh coriander, hot green chillies, raw mango and green pepper blended coarsely with fafadia gathia, which thickens it and stops it going watery. It's hot, tangy and a little sweet. Serve it with dhokla, khandvi, sandwiches and all kinds of farsan.
A smooth, tangy tomato salsa of blanched tomatoes, sautéed onion, garlic, chilli and plenty of oregano, with a touch of cumin and coriander seed. Serve it with nacho triangles, tacos, quesadillas or as a dip for any snack.
A smooth, glossy red chilli sauce of salted fresh red chillies blended with tomato sauce, vinegar, garlic and jaggery. Salting the chillies overnight softens them and takes off some of the rawness. It keeps for weeks in a glass jar in the fridge and goes with spring rolls, samosas and noodles.
A very hot, deep-red paste of garlic, red chilli powder and roasted cumin with lemon juice and a little jaggery. Just a little adds a punch to bhel, sev puri, dabeli, vada pav and sandwiches. It keeps for a couple of weeks in a jar in the fridge.
Crisp mixed lettuce with creamy avocado, juicy orange segments, cubes of feta and roasted nuts, dressed with olive oil, lemon and herbs and finished with grated parmesan. It's a quick, elegant salad for a dinner party or a light lunch. Toss the avocado in lemon juice first so it stays green.
The owner's version of hummus: boiled chickpeas blended with roasted sesame seeds and roasted peanuts instead of tahini, plus garlic, chilli, lemon and olive oil, and topped with spring onions. It's smooth, nutty and a little spicy. Serve it chilled with pitta bread or vegetable sticks.
Carrots, turnips, three colours of pepper, cucumber, onion and tomato cut into fine matchsticks and spiced with chilli, lemon and coriander. A sizzling dressing of hot oil with cumin, mustard and sesame seeds is poured over at the table. It is crunchy and bright, and should be eaten as soon as it's dressed.
Sliced tomatoes, creamy avocado and spring onions in a honey, mustard and red wine vinegar dressing, with tortilla chips stirred in at the end for crunch. It is a quick, Mexican-style side for parties and barbecues. Add the chips just before serving and eat it straight away, before they soften.
Crisp samosa-pastry cones stuffed with paneer, spring onion, coconut, aniseed and green chilli, dipped in batter and rolled in sesame breadcrumbs before frying. They look impressive on a party platter. Serve with red, green and tamarind chutneys.
A layered party dip: creamy cream cheese and feta sandwiching a bright green basil, spinach and parmesan pesto and a layer of sundried tomato paste. It's set in a lined bowl, then turned out so the layers show. Serve it with pieces of bread or crackers.
Short pieces of spaghetti in a peppery batter, fried in small balls until golden and crunchy. Kids love them. Serve hot with the quick tomato-chilli sauce.
A silky, deep orange soup of carrots and onion with plenty of fresh ginger, sweetened with a little honey and finished with butter. It's light, warming and good for a cold day. Serve it topped with fine shreds of fresh ginger and some bread sticks.
Bread rounds baked in a muffin tray into crisp little baskets, filled with a gently spiced mixture of corn, potato, carrot and coconut. Topped with crushed crisps and dots of red, green and tamarind chutney, they make a pretty party starter.
A quick chaat of boiled chickpeas, peanuts and potato with onion, chilli, coriander and lemon, tossed with crushed crisps just before serving. Add the crisps at the last moment so they stay crunchy, and serve immediately.
Small samosas with a South Indian twist: the filling is sautéed onion with fresh coconut, coriander and green chilli, tempered with mustard seeds, urad dal and curry leaves. Serve hot with red, green and tamarind chutneys.
Cauliflower, carrots, okra, capsicum and French beans dusted in cornflour and fried crisp, then tossed in a hot masala of onion, spring onion, green and red chilli and garlic. A crunchy, fiery restaurant-style starter. Serve hot with sweet & sour sauce and hot chilli sauce.
Crisp nacho triangles layered with a garlicky sour cream, jalapeño chillies and cheddar, baked for just 5 minutes until the cheese melts. Serve straight away with hot salsa. You can also serve the sour cream and salsa separately as dips.
Peanuts coated in a spiced batter of maize and gram flour, chilli, yogurt and lemon, left overnight to soak up the flavours and then deep fried until crunchy. A classic bitting to keep in a jar for guests.
Thin squares of paneer sandwiched with a fresh coriander, mint and chilli filling, dipped in a spiced gram-flour batter and fried until golden. Soft inside and crisp outside. Serve hot with chilli sauce, ketchup or chutney.
Cashews fried until golden and tossed while hot with black salt, coriander-cumin powder, chilli and turmeric. Black salt gives them a tangy, savoury flavour. Cool them before serving; they keep for 2 weeks in an air-tight jar.
Slices of long bread roll grilled on one side, then spread with a spiced garlic butter flavoured with cumin, black pepper and green and red chilli chutneys, and grilled again until golden. Quick to make and good with drinks.
Chips coated in a thick, tangy masala of browned onions, garlic, ginger, tomato and yogurt, spiced with freshly roasted and ground coriander, cumin, pepper and dried chilli. A street-food favourite in East Africa. Serve hot.
A no-cook party snack of crunchy fried peas, peanuts and crushed crisps, tossed at the last minute with cubes of cheese, onion, green chilli and coriander. Mix the two parts just before serving so everything stays crisp.
A Kenyan coast favourite: freshly fried chips tossed in a hot, tangy 'pussin' sauce of melted margarine, paprika, chilli and lemon juice. Toss them while the chips are still hot so they soak up the sauce, and serve straight away.
Crisp, buttery crackers topped with a chaat-style mixture of crushed roasted peanuts, chilli, garlic, coriander and lemon. There's no cooking: just mix and spoon on. Assemble them just before serving so the crackers stay crisp.
A quick party bread made from ready pizza bases, spread with a garlic, green chilli and herb butter, sprinkled with chilli flakes and baked until crisp. Make the spread ahead and bake the bread just before serving, cut into triangles.
Thinly rolled bread slices wrapped around a spiced filling of mashed potato, cheese and onion, sealed and fried until golden and crunchy. A party favourite that you can roll ahead and fry just before serving. Serve hot with red chutney.
Small cubes of potato tossed in chilli, lemon and salt, dusted with maize, wheat and gram flour and deep fried until crunchy. Fry them in small portions so each bhajiya stays separate. Serve hot with chandu bhajiya chutney.
Crunchy little fritters packed with grated paneer, sweetcorn, cabbage, onion and cashews in a spiced gram-flour and semolina batter. Topped with grated cheese and dots of chilli sauce, they make a filling party starter. Serve hot.
Little cocktail samosas filled with chopped cashews, sautéed onion, coriander, chilli and a touch of lemon. The filling is rich and nutty with a gentle heat. Fry them slowly so the pastry turns golden and crisp all the way through, and serve hot with lemon wedges.
Crisp slices of ciabatta or French bread topped with fresh tomato, spring onion and herbs, then grilled under cheddar until it bubbles. They're quick to make and ideal as a starter or a party snack. Serve hot.
The famous East African potato bhajiya: wafer-thin potato slices coated in a garlicky, chilli gram-flour batter and fried until crisp. Make them in small batches so the batter doesn't go watery. Serve hot with maru bhajiya chutney.
Bite-sized samosas filled with a tangy, sweet and spicy mix of crushed sev, fried lentils, nuts, crisps and sweet mango pickle. 'Chatpatta' means tangy and spicy. They keep for up to a month in an air-tight container, so they're perfect for parties and Diwali. Instead of making each savoury, you can use leftover farsan like chevdo, bhusu or gathiya.
A hearty Italian vegetable soup with cannellini beans, cabbage and a little spaghetti, finished with a bright basil and tomato pesto stirred in at the end. Don't let it boil hard once the vegetables are in: over-boiled soups lose their colour and body. Serve hot with crisp garlic toast.
A smooth, everyday soup of carrots and tomatoes, blended with potato for body and finished with a cumin tempering and mixed herbs. For a plain tomato soup, use more tomatoes and fewer carrots; for cream of tomato soup, stir in 4 tbsp fresh cream. Serve hot with garlic bread.
A light, sweet-and-sour soup made from ash gourd (kadu) stock, thickened with cornflour and seasoned with tomato and chilli sauces, vinegar and black pepper. Lightly fried carrot, cauliflower and spring onion go on top for crunch. Serve it with hot buns. Bottle gourd works just as well as ash gourd.
A clear, gingery broth with mushrooms, Chinese cabbage and fine rice noodles, seasoned with soy sauce and a little cider vinegar. It's light and quick, and good when you want something warming but not heavy. Serve it in warmed bowls.
A quick, bright green broccoli soup blended with garlic and basil, with yogurt for a gentle tang. Cook it just until hot: boiling it hard would split the yogurt. Serve hot with toast.
Long strips of mixed vegetables simmered in a cumin, ginger, garlic and chilli broth, with halved cashews for richness and crunch. It's light but warming, and ready in about half an hour. Serve it hot.
A rustic soup made by roasting potato, carrot, onion and celery until caramelised, then blending them smooth. It's topped with crisp roast potatoes and garlic, a swirl of cream and mixed herbs. Serve hot with croutons.
A smooth, pale green soup of ripe avocado, cucumber, lime and coriander, blended and served cold. It's refreshing on a hot day; serve it with lime quarters, coarse salt and nacho triangles. Mexicans also serve it hot: make it with boiling vegetable stock instead of cold water, just before serving, and don't reheat it.
A bright green soup of peas and lentils, thickened with a buttery curry roux and finished with mint and cream. Thin spaghetti makes it filling, and crisp three-cheese toast on the side turns it into a proper meal.
A thick, chunky vegetable soup with beans, herbs and small pasta, simmered slowly so the flavours come together. It's a meal in a bowl: serve it in warmed bowls with grated Parmesan, parsley and some crusty bread.
A smooth, creamy cauliflower soup flavoured with nutmeg and Parmesan, with little bow-tie pasta stirred through. It's served with crisp, curled melba toast sprinkled with Parmesan and paprika, so it makes a light meal on its own.
An Indo-Chinese restaurant favourite: a clear stock thickened with cornflour and packed with finely shredded vegetables and paneer or tofu. It gets its heat from black pepper and chilli and its sourness from vinegar. Serve it sizzling hot with green chillies in vinegar, chilli sauce and soy sauce on the side.
A smooth, velvety carrot soup blended with potato for body and finished with butter-fried coriander and a splash of milk. It's mild and warming, so it suits the whole family. Serve it with crusty bread or croutons.
A guacamole-style dip of ripe avocado mashed with tomato, onion, green chillies, coriander, a little sour cream, Tabasco and lemon. Make it smooth or chunky, as you like. Chill it and serve with nacho triangles.
A thin, tangy dip of soy sauce and white vinegar with vegetable and sesame oils, toasted sesame seeds, chilli and garlic. Serve it with spring rolls, chilled or warmed. It's also a great dressing for coleslaw: toss and chill for up to 3 days, and add shelled sunflower seeds before serving.
A creamy, nutty dip of roasted sesame seeds blended with yogurt, garlic, chilli, lemon and parsley. It's a lighter, home-made take on tahini sauce and is used in the aubergine dip. Serve it with pitta bread, falafel or vegetables.
Flaky puff pastry triangles filled with a crunchy, spiced mixture of fresh coconut, roasted peanuts, sesame and fennel seeds, then baked until golden. Serve hot with chilli sauce and tomato ketchup.
Golden, crunchy cubes of day-old bread, brushed with olive oil and baked with parsley. Scatter them over any soup just before serving, or toss them through a salad. Swap the parsley for garlic powder to make garlic croutons.
Thick rings of white onion in a chilli-spiked batter of gram, rice and self-raising flour with breadcrumbs, fried until crisp and golden. The rice flour keeps them crunchy. Serve with red, green, and date and tamarind chutneys.
Showing 63 of 4,484 recipes
Show more recipesPage 492 of 499
Vegan
Gluten free
Spicy
Indian
Mexican
Italian
Chinese
