Featured recipe

Şalgam

Fermented purple carrot drink

Order an Adana kebab in its home city and a tall glass of şalgam arrives with it, deep purple, salty, sour and often fiery. It is made by fermenting black carrots with a little bulgur and salt for a week or more, and the sharpness clears the palate between bites of lamb and grilled onion. Street carts in Adana sell it by the glass in summer. This home version skips the separate bulgur-sour-dough stage the big producers use. Use non-iodised salt: iodised salt can stall the ferment. Chef's tip: taste from day 5; when it is sour enough to make you blink, strain and chill it, because it keeps fermenting at room temperature.

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Kahu sekanjabinLettuce with mint vinegar syrup

On Sizdah Bedar, the thirteenth day of the new year, Iranian families leave the city for parks and riverbanks around Tehran and Isfahan, and the picnic cloth almost always holds a jar of sekanjabin and a head of crisp romaine. The syrup is an ancient one: sugar and vinegar simmered together and steeped with fresh mint, sweet-sour and cooling. You tear off a lettuce leaf, dip it and crunch. The usual mistake is boiling the syrup too long, which turns it into hard toffee once cold. Chef's tip: keep the lettuce in iced water until the moment you serve; the colder and crisper the leaf, the better the contrast with the syrup.

40 min

Persian Snacks & Starters

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KakaviaMixed fish and potato soup

Kakavia takes its name from the three-legged pot fishermen in the Cyclades set on the beach, filling it with the small, bony fish they couldn't sell, seawater, onions, potatoes and a generous pour of olive oil. Today island tavernas and families make it with a mix of firm white fish, and serve the broth first with lemon, then the fish and potatoes on a platter. It is clean, golden and comforting, best with crusty bread. Common mistake: stirring once the fish goes in, which breaks it into shreds; shake the pot instead. Chef's tip: simmer the heads and bones first for the broth, then poach the fillets in it briefly so they stay in whole pieces.

80 min

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Kal kababSmoky aubergine with walnuts and pomegranate

Kal kabab comes from the rice-growing plains around Rasht, where late-summer aubergines are charred straight on the embers and mashed with a green, sour mixture of herbs, walnuts, garlic and sour pomegranate paste. Unlike Tehran's creamy kashk-e bademjan it has no dairy and is eaten cool, as a starter or side with kateh and grilled food, scooped up with bread. Golpar, ground Persian hogweed seed, adds a resinous edge. A common mistake is pulling the aubergines off the flame too early: they must collapse completely and the skin must blacken all over, or the flesh is bitter and the dish lacks smoke. Chef's tip: pound the walnuts, garlic and herbs to a paste before adding the aubergine, so the sour green flavour runs through every bite.

45 min

Persian Chutneys & Dips

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Kalam polo ShiraziCabbage and herb rice with meatballs

Kalam polo is the rice that Shirazi families cook from late autumn into spring, when white cabbage is sweet and the herb sellers of the Vakil Bazaar pile up basil, tarragon and dill. Shredded cabbage is fried until caramel-brown, mixed with a big handful of herbs and a touch of cumin, then layered through basmati with tiny meatballs no bigger than a chickpea and steamed into a fragrant, green-flecked pilaf. For a vegetarian pot, leave the meatballs out and add a handful of cooked chickpeas. Serve with Shirazi salad and yogurt. A common mistake is frying the cabbage too briefly; it must turn golden and sweet, or it gives the rice a sulphurous taste. Chef's tip: dry the chopped herbs on a tea towel before frying so they crisp instead of stew.

100 min

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Kalamar tavaFried squid with walnut sauce

On the waterfront in Bodrum and in every Aegean fish meyhane, a plate of kalamar tava arrives hot among the cold meze: tender rings of squid in a light, crisp coat, with a bowl of tarator, a thick sauce of walnuts, bread, garlic and lemon, for dipping. The trick is speed; squid is tender after a minute or two in the oil and rubbery after five. Chef's tip: soak the rings in milk or fizzy mineral water for half an hour in the fridge; it tenderises them and helps the coating cling.

50 min

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Kalamarakia gemistaRice-stuffed squid in tomato

Stuffed squid is Lenten and summer food all over the Cyclades: the bodies are filled with rice, onion, the chopped tentacles, dill, mint and pine nuts, then baked in a light tomato sauce until the squid is tender and the rice has drunk up the juices. Families on Paros and Naxos make a tray for a Friday or a feast day of the Virgin in August, and serve it warm with bread and a salad. Common mistake: packing the squid full; the rice swells and splits them, so fill only two-thirds. Chef's tip: close each squid with a toothpick through the opening, threaded like a stitch.

100 min

Greek Fish

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Kaleh jooshKashk, walnut and mint soup

Kaleh joosh is the fast, frugal soup of the Azerbaijani villages around Tabriz and of central Iran, cooked when the cupboard holds kashk, walnuts and onions. Kashk, the tangy fermented whey that gives so many Persian dishes their savoury depth, is simmered with deeply fried onions and ground walnuts, then crowned with sizzling dried mint and turmeric oil. It is eaten from a shared bowl, scooped up with torn bread rather than spoons, often on cold evenings. A common mistake is boiling the kashk hard, which can make it split and grainy; keep it at a gentle bubble. Chef's tip: taste your kashk before salting, as brands vary wildly in saltiness.

30 min

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KalimotxoRed wine and cola

Kalimotxo contains alcohol (red wine), so the classic version is for adults only; an alcohol-free version is given below. The story goes that it was mixed in 1972 at a fiesta in Algorta, near Bilbao, when the wine bought for the stall turned out to be poor and cola was added to save it. Today it is the drink of every Basque summer fiesta, from Bilbao's Aste Nagusia to village squares, poured into big plastic cups. A common mistake is mixing warm wine and flat cola, which tastes heavy and sweet: both should be fridge-cold and the cola freshly opened. Chef's tip: pour the cola slowly down the side of the glass so it keeps its fizz.

5 min

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KalitsouniaSweet cheese pastries

Come Holy Week, Cretan kitchens from Chania to Sitia fill trays with kalitsounia, little open pastries whose edges are pinched into stars around a mound of fresh whey cheese. They come out with crisp, slightly sandy pastry and a soft, barely sweet filling that tastes of milk, cinnamon and orange zest, and they are eaten at Easter breakfast, offered to visitors with coffee and packed for the drive back to the village. On the island the filling is fresh mizithra or anthotyro; drained ricotta is the easiest stand-in and is usually made without animal rennet. Common mistake: using wet cheese straight from the tub, which floods the pastry and leaves the bases soggy. Chef's tip: drain the cheese overnight in a sieve lined with kitchen paper so the filling bakes up light and holds its dome.

75 min

Greek Baking

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KallajCream-filled pastry parcels in syrup

Kallaj appears in the sweet shops of Beirut and Tripoli only during Ramadan, when bakers sell paper-thin starch sheets to wrap around cream or cheese and fry for after iftar. Home cooks recreate it with filo: square parcels of thick milk cream, baked until they crackle, then soaked briefly in rose and orange-blossom syrup and finished with pistachios. Serve them warm, a few minutes after the syrup goes on, while the outside is still crisp. Common mistake: drowning them in syrup and leaving them to sit; spoon it over just before serving. Chef's tip: a cheese version — fill with half mozzarella, half unsalted ricotta — is just as traditional; choose a vegetarian-rennet mozzarella if you need it.

60 min

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Kalter HundNo-bake chocolate biscuit loaf

Kalter Hund, the 'cold dog', is the no-bake party cake of West German childhoods, set in a loaf tin in the fridge and sliced into stripes of crisp biscuit and dark chocolate at every 1970s birthday. Recipes from Hamburg to Bavaria differ only in the details; old ones used coconut fat and raw egg, while this version uses dark chocolate, cream and a little coconut oil, so there is nothing raw in it. A common mistake is pouring the chocolate too hot, which softens the biscuits into mush; it should be just warm. Chef's tip: line the tin with cling film overhanging the sides, then you can lift the whole loaf out and slice it with a hot knife.

35 min

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Kam lu wantánFried wontons in sweet-sour sauce

Brought to the table as a sharing platter at big chifa lunches in Lima, kam lu wantán is a gleeful mix of textures: golden fried wontons filled with ginger-spiked pork, smothered in a bright, sweet-and-sour sauce full of sliced chicken, pork, pineapple, peppers, carrot, snow peas and bok choy. The wontons shatter at the edges and soften where the sauce soaks in, so eat it fast. It works as a starter for a crowd or a main with rice. The mistake to avoid is making the sauce too thick and gloopy; it should flow over the wontons, not sit on them like jam. Chef's tip: fry the wontons at the last minute and pour the sauce over at the table so the crunch survives.

55 min

Peruvian Snacks & Starters

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Kerry Dingle piesSmall mutton pies

Dingle pies are small, round mutton pies made in west Kerry for the Puck Fair in Killorglin, for fishermen going to sea, and for farmers at the mart, often reheated in a bowl of the mutton broth. A firm hot-water-crust pastry holds a peppery filling of lamb or mutton, onion and carrot, so they travel well and are eaten by hand or with gravy. Chef's tip: shape the pastry while it is still warm; hot-water crust cracks and won't mould once it cools.

120 min

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KapchiBroad beans in cheese sauce

Kapchi (sometimes spelled capchi) comes from the Quechua for something like 'dressed' or 'creamed', and around Cusco it turns up when the fresh broad beans are in season: green habas, potatoes and soft fresh cheese simmered with milk until the sauce turns thick and pale, with ají and a handful of huacatay. Market stalls in San Pedro sell it with rice, and families make it at Easter as a meatless dish. It is gentle and creamy with a herby, slightly minty finish, and the beans stay sweet and tender. The trap is boiling the sauce once the cheese is in; it splits into curds and goes watery, so keep it at a bare simmer. Serve with white rice or boiled potatoes and a spoon of uchucuta. The same recipe works with sliced mushrooms instead of beans, which Cusco cooks also do. Queso fresco is usually set with animal rennet, so pick a vegetarian fresh cheese if you need to. Chef's tip: peel the beans of their pale inner skins after blanching; it takes ten minutes and makes the dish far silkier.

35 min

Peruvian Vegetarian

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Karadeniz kıymalı pideBeef-filled flatbread boat

Pide salons in Samsun, Trabzon and Rize stretch their dough into long boats, pinch the ends into points and fill them with minced beef, onion, tomato and peppers, then slide them into a wood oven for a few minutes. At home a very hot oven and a heavy tray get you close: a crisp, chewy rim, a juicy filling and a brush of butter as it comes out. Slice across into strips and eat with ayran and a sharp shepherd's salad. Common mistake: a wet filling, which soaks the base; squeeze the chopped tomato and let the mince sit on the dough raw so its juices cook into the bread. The mince must reach 71 °C. Chef's tip: crack an egg into the middle for the last 3 minutes if you like it the Samsun way.

45 min

Turkish Meat

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Karadeniz mısır ekmeğiGolden cornbread

Along the Black Sea coast from Samsun to Artvin, cornbread was the everyday loaf long before wheat bread was common, and it still sits beside bowls of collard soup and plates of fried anchovies. This version is the simple household one: fine cornmeal scalded with hot water and milk, a little wheat flour and egg for lift, baked in a well-oiled pan until the crust cracks and the inside stays moist and slightly sweet. Cut it into wedges and eat it warm with butter, cheese or crumbled into soup. Common mistake: using cold water, which leaves the cornmeal gritty; scalding it first softens the grains. Chef's tip: heat the oiled pan in the oven before the batter goes in, so the base sizzles and forms a crisp, shiny crust.

50 min

Turkish Breads & Parathas

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Karalahana çorbasıCollard greens and bean soup

Dark, ribbed karalahana is the cabbage of the eastern Black Sea, and in Trabzon and Rize winter kitchens it goes into a thick soup that is somewhere between a broth and a stew. Shredded leaves simmer with borlotti beans, onion and a spoon of pepper paste, then a handful of cornmeal is whisked in at the end to give the soup body and a gentle sweetness. It is served with cornbread, a wedge of onion and a few chilli pickles. Common mistake: leaving the tough central ribs in; they never soften and make the soup stringy. Chef's tip: the soup is noticeably better the next day, so make it ahead and loosen it with a little hot water when you reheat.

65 min

Turkish Soups

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Karalahana sarmasıStuffed collard leaf rolls

In Trabzon and Artvin kitchens the big dark leaves of karalahana are blanched and wrapped around a filling of minced beef, rice, onion and plenty of mint and dill, then packed into a pot and simmered with a little tomato and butter. The rolls are thicker and chewier than vine-leaf sarma, with an earthy taste that suits cold weather, and they're served with a bowl of garlicky yoghurt. Common mistake: leaving the thick central vein on the leaf; shave it flat with a knife or the rolls split. Simmer until the filling is cooked through to 71 °C and the rice is soft. Chef's tip: lay any torn leaves in the base of the pot so the rolls never touch the bottom and scorch.

100 min

Turkish Meat

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KardinalschnittenMeringue and sponge coffee slices

Kardinalschnitten, 'cardinal slices', were created in Vienna with the colours of the Church in mind: white meringue and yellow sponge baked side by side in stripes. In Viennese cafés they are a light, summery choice with an afternoon coffee. Two baked sheets of alternating stripes sandwich a soft coffee cream, and the result is crisp, airy and cool at the same time. A common mistake is overfilling with cream that has not been stabilised; it squeezes out when you cut. Here a little mascarpone keeps the cream firm without gelatine. Chef's tip: pipe the meringue stripes first and the sponge in the gaps after, so the sponge does not spread flat.

75 min

Austrian Baking

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Karışık turşuMixed vegetable pickle

Every autumn Turkish kitchens line up jars of karışık turşu, and in Istanbul pickle shops (turşucu) sell it by the glass with its sour juice to drink. Crunchy cabbage, carrots, cucumbers, green peppers and cauliflower are packed with garlic and chickpeas in a salted, vinegar-spiked brine and left to sour for a couple of weeks. It sits beside bean stews, pilaf and kebab at almost every home meal. Common mistake: iodised table salt, which clouds the brine and softens the vegetables; use rock or pickling salt. Chef's tip: a few dried chickpeas in the jar help the fermentation get going, as Turkish grandmothers swear.

35 min

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Kars kazıRoast goose with bulgur pilaf

In Kars, geese are raised all summer, slaughtered in the first frosts, salted and hung in the cold air, then roasted through the winter for weddings and long family dinners. The crisp-skinned meat is served on a bed of bulgur pilaf cooked in the goose's rich fat and broth, and nothing else is needed but pickles and ayran. This home version uses a fresh goose, salted for a day in the fridge. Common mistake: not pricking the skin, which traps the fat and leaves the skin flabby. Roast until the thickest part of the thigh reaches 74 °C and the juices run clear. Chef's tip: pour off the fat during roasting and keep it; a spoonful in the pilaf and the rest for roast potatoes.

240 min

Turkish Meat

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KartoffelbrotPotato bread

Kartoffelbrot was born of thrift in the potato regions of the Palatinate, Thuringia and Brandenburg, when bakers stretched scarce flour with boiled potatoes. The happy result is a loaf with a thin, crackly crust and a soft, moist, slightly sweet crumb that stays fresh for four or five days. It is a favourite for Sunday breakfast, for toast, and for sandwiches with butter and chives. A common mistake is using warm, wet mash, which makes the dough sloppy; the potatoes should be floury, mashed dry and completely cool. Chef's tip: save 100 ml of the potato cooking water and use it in the dough instead of plain water, for an even softer crumb.

185 min

German Breads & Parathas

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KarydopitaSpiced walnut syrup cake

Karydopita is the cake Greek households bake for name days and Sunday visitors, cut into diamonds and set out with coffee or a scoop of vanilla ice cream. Ground walnuts and dried breadcrumbs replace much of the flour, giving a moist, dense crumb fragrant with cinnamon and clove, then the hot cake drinks up a cool syrup. Common mistake: pouring hot syrup over a hot cake, which leaves it soggy at the bottom and dry on top. Chef's tip: let it sit for at least 3 hours after syruping; it slices more cleanly and tastes even better the next day.

65 min

Greek Baking

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KataifiShredded pastry rolls with walnuts

Ioannina's old pastry shops, by the lake and under the castle walls, are known for their syrup sweets, and kataifi rolls are the ones locals buy for Christmas and Easter visits. Fine threads of kataifi pastry are wrapped around a cinnamon-walnut filling, drenched in butter and baked crisp, then soaked in cool syrup so they stay crunchy on top and sticky beneath. Serve at room temperature with Greek coffee. Common mistake: pouring hot syrup on hot pastry, which turns it soggy — one of the two must be cool. Chef's tip: tease the pastry threads apart with your fingers before rolling; matted clumps bake hard.

90 min

Greek Desserts

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KatehSoft buttery rice

Along the Caspian coast in Gilan and Mazandaran, kateh is the daily rice: no par-boiling and draining as in Tehran's chelow, just rice, water, salt and butter cooked together until the water vanishes and the grains settle into a soft, slightly sticky cake with a golden crust underneath. Northern families eat it at almost every meal with fish, mirza ghasemi or baghala ghatogh, and children love the buttery bottom. The common mistake is lifting the lid and stirring once the water has been absorbed, which breaks the grains and stops the crust forming. Chef's tip: use a heavy non-stick pot and add the butter only after the water has boiled down; it seeps through and fries the base.

45 min

Persian Rice & Grains

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KatmerClotted cream and pistachio pastry

In Gaziantep the morning starts at a katmer counter: a baker slaps a ball of dough into a sheet so thin you can read through it, scatters it with pistachios, sugar and kaymak, folds it into a parcel and bakes it on a hot iron plate. Eaten straight away, it shatters at the edges and stays creamy in the middle, and locals drink strong tea with it. At home a heavy frying pan stands in for the iron plate. The usual mistake is stretching the dough before it has rested; it tears instead of going translucent, so give it the full hour under oiled cling film. Chef's tip: grind the pistachios only to coarse sand, not powder, so they stay bright green and give each bite some crunch.

45 min

Turkish Desserts

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KayganaHerb egg pancake

In Trabzon and Rize homes, kaygana is what appears when breakfast needs stretching: eggs beaten with a little flour and milk and a big handful of spring onion, dill and parsley, then poured thin into a buttered pan. It sits halfway between an omelette and a crêpe, soft in the middle with lacy, browned edges. Fold it onto a plate with cheese, olives, tomatoes and tea, or roll it up for a packed lunch. Common mistake: a pan that isn't hot enough, so the batter soaks up butter and turns leathery instead of puffing. Chef's tip: let the batter rest for 10 minutes; the flour hydrates and the kaygana flips without tearing.

27 min

Turkish Breakfast & Brunch

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