Featured recipe

Lumpiang sariwa

Fresh vegetable spring rolls

Lumpiang sariwa ('fresh lumpia') is the unfried cousin of the crisp Filipino spring roll, served at fiestas, family gatherings and as a substantial afternoon merienda around Manila and the Tagalog provinces. A thin, soft egg crepe is wrapped around a lettuce leaf and a warm sauté of sweet potato, jicama, carrot, green beans, cabbage and tofu, then covered in a glossy brown garlic sauce and a shower of crushed peanuts. In Negros the filling is heart of palm (ubod) instead. It is eaten with a knife and fork, or carefully by hand. Chef's tip: make the crepes thin enough that you can almost see light through them; thick ones turn rubbery and hide the filling.

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Takikomi gohanRice cooked with mushrooms and carrot

Takikomi gohan (炊き込みご飯) is mixed rice cooked in one pot with seasonal vegetables and a savoury broth, made in homes across Japan, especially in autumn when mushrooms and chestnuts are in season. Every grain soaks up the soy, mirin and mushroom flavour, and the bottom forms a prized toasty crust (okoge). This vegetarian version uses a kombu and shiitake dashi. Serve it with miso soup and pickles, or pack it into onigiri the next day. Chef's tip: never stir once the vegetables are on top, and don't lift the lid while it cooks. The heavy vegetables would sink and the rice cook unevenly; leaving it alone also gives you the toasty okoge crust at the bottom.

50 min

Japanese Rice & Grains

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BibimbapRice bowl with seasoned vegetables

Bibimbap (비빔밥) means 'mixed rice': a bowl of warm rice topped with small heaps of separately seasoned vegetables, a fried egg and a spoonful of gochujang sauce, all stirred together at the table. The city of Jeonju in North Jeolla province is famous for it and serves it with a dozen or more toppings; this home version keeps five that are easy to find. Each vegetable is cooked on its own so it keeps its colour and texture, and the sauce brings sweetness, heat and a nutty sesame finish. Serve with kimchi and a light soup. Chef's tip: season every vegetable on its own, lightly, and taste each one. If each heap is good alone, the mixed bowl will be balanced; if they are all dressed alike, the bowl tastes flat.

45 min

Korean Rice & Grains

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Sigeumchi namulSeasoned spinach

Sigeumchi namul (시금치나물) is a quick side dish of blanched spinach dressed with garlic, a little soy sauce and plenty of toasted sesame. It is one of the banchan found on tables all over Korea, and it is also one of the toppings in bibimbap. The spinach is blanched for just a few seconds so it stays bright green, then squeezed dry so it takes on the dressing. Serve at room temperature with rice and other banchan. Chef's tip: squeeze the spinach really hard before seasoning. Any water left in it dilutes the sesame dressing and makes the namul taste watery.

10 min

Korean Sides

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Kimchi fried rice

Kimchi fried rice (김치볶음밥, kimchi bokkeumbap) is the dish Korean households all over the country make when the kimchi has turned sour and there is leftover rice in the fridge. The kimchi and its juice are fried first so they caramelise, then the rice is tossed through until every grain is red, tangy and a little smoky. A fried egg with a runny yolk on top makes it a meal. Use well-fermented vegetarian kimchi, such as the baechu kimchi in this collection; many shop-bought kimchis contain fish sauce or shrimp, so check the label. Chef's tip: the kimchi must be properly sour, at least two or three weeks old. Fresh kimchi makes a flat, watery fried rice; fry it until it catches slightly before the rice goes in.

15 min

Korean Rice & Grains

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Gimbap

Gimbap (김밥) are rolls of sesame-seasoned rice and colourful fillings wrapped in roasted seaweed, then sliced into rounds. They are the classic Korean picnic and lunchbox food, sold on almost every street corner nationwide. Unlike sushi rice, gimbap rice is seasoned with salt and sesame oil rather than vinegar, so it tastes nutty and savoury. This vegetarian version is filled with omelette strips, garlicky spinach, carrot, soy-glazed tofu, cucumber and the bright yellow pickled radish called danmuji. They keep well for a few hours, so they are good to make ahead for a trip. Chef's tip: season the rice while it is warm and spread it thin, no more than a few grains deep. Thick rice and wet fillings are the two reasons rolls burst or go soggy.

50 min

Korean Snacks & Starters

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Agedashi tofuFried tofu in warm broth

Agedashi tofu (揚げ出し豆腐) is a classic izakaya dish eaten all over Japan: cubes of soft tofu dusted in potato starch, fried until they form a thin, crisp shell, then bathed in a hot, savoury broth. The coating turns silky as it soaks up the sauce while the tofu inside stays creamy. Usually topped with bonito flakes; here it's grated daikon, ginger and spring onion with a kombu-shiitake broth instead. Chef's tip: coat the tofu in starch right before it goes into the oil, not ahead of time; if it sits, the starch turns damp and the coating fries up gummy instead of crisp.

20 min

Japanese Snacks & Starters

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Vegetable gyoza

Gyoza (餃子) came to Japan from China and became a passion in Utsunomiya, a city north of Tokyo that calls itself the gyoza capital, with a gyoza statue outside the station. These vegetarian dumplings are filled with salted cabbage, shiitake, tofu and garlic chives. They're pan-fried and then steamed, so the bottoms turn crisp and golden while the tops stay soft. Shape a big batch and freeze some for later. Chef's tip: squeeze the salted cabbage really hard. Watery filling makes soggy, torn gyoza; a dry filling keeps the wrappers sealed and the bottoms crisp.

60 min

Japanese Snacks & Starters

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Vegetable tempura

Tempura (天ぷら) became a Tokyo street food in the Edo period, when stalls fried it to order by the city's riverbanks. The secret to the thin, lacy coating is an ice-cold, lumpy batter mixed at the last second and vegetables fried in small batches. Sweet potato, aubergine, pepper, shiitake and green beans all work well. Serve straight from the pan with a light dipping sauce and grated daikon. Chef's tip: keep everything cold. Use ice-cold water, mix the batter only seconds before frying, leave it lumpy, and stand the bowl in a larger bowl of ice. Cold batter hitting hot oil is what makes the lacy, crackly shell that Tokyo tempura masters prize.

35 min

Japanese Snacks & Starters

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Bibim guksuCold spicy noodles

Bibim guksu (비빔국수) is a bowl of chilled thin wheat noodles mixed with a sweet, tangy and fiery gochujang dressing and topped with crunchy cucumber, lettuce and kimchi. It is a summer favourite all over Korea, quick enough for lunch and refreshing on a hot day. The noodles are rinsed in cold water until springy, then tossed with the sauce just before eating. Many versions add half a boiled egg; this one is fully vegan. Chef's tip: rinse the noodles hard in cold water, rubbing them like laundry, then drain them really well. Leftover starch or water dulls the dressing and makes the noodles sticky.

20 min

Korean Pasta & Noodles

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DorayakiHoney pancakes with sweet bean filling

Dorayaki (どら焼き) are two small, golden honey pancakes pressed around a thick layer of sweet red bean paste (anko). They were first sold in their modern form by a Tokyo sweet shop in the early 1900s, and are now in every Japanese bakery and convenience store. The pancakes are soft, moist and slightly springy, with a deep brown, even surface. A good afternoon treat with green tea, and children love them. Chef's tip: wipe the pan almost dry of oil and keep the heat low. That's how Japanese sweet shops get the smooth, evenly brown 'gong' surface (dora means gong); too much oil gives a blotchy, spotted pancake.

40 min

Japanese Desserts

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Edamame with sea salt

Edamame (枝豆) are young green soybeans cooked in their pods, the classic snack with a cold drink in izakaya and beer gardens all over Japan, especially in summer. You squeeze the beans straight from the salty pod into your mouth. Rubbing the pods with salt before boiling seasons them through and keeps them bright green. They're a good source of plant protein too. Chef's tip: rub the pods with salt before boiling, as izakaya cooks do. It scrubs off the fuzz, keeps the pods bright green and seasons the beans inside.

8 min

Japanese Snacks & Starters

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Gamja jorimSoy-braised baby potatoes

Gamja jorim (감자조림) are cubes or small potatoes simmered in soy sauce and sugar until the liquid reduces to a sticky, shiny glaze. They are a lunchbox and home-cooking favourite across Korea, loved by children for their sweet-salty taste. The potatoes turn soft inside but keep their shape, and they taste just as good cold the next day, so they are ideal to make ahead. Rice syrup gives the traditional shine; sugar alone works too. Chef's tip: add the syrup only at the end, when the potatoes are already tender. Added early it scorches and makes the potatoes tough on the outside.

30 min

Korean Sides

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Baechu kimchiNapa cabbage kimchi

Baechu kimchi (배추김치) is the napa cabbage kimchi served at almost every Korean meal, from Seoul to Jeju. Salted cabbage quarters are rubbed leaf by leaf with a red paste of chilli flakes, garlic, ginger, radish and spring onion, then left to ferment until sour, fizzy and deeply savoury. Most recipes use fish sauce and salted shrimp; this one gets its depth from kelp stock and tamari, so it is vegetarian and gluten free. Eat it fresh after a day or two, or let it sour for a few weeks for kimchi fried rice, stews and pancakes. Salting takes about 2 hours, then allow 1–2 days for fermenting. Chef's tip: the salting is everything. Under-salted cabbage goes mushy and spoils; over-salted kimchi is harsh. Test a thick white stem: when it bends without snapping, rinse.

150 min

Korean Basics

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SunomonoCucumber and wakame salad

Sunomono (酢の物, 'vinegared things') are small, refreshing dishes served alongside rice and richer food in homes all over Japan. This one, kyūri to wakame no sunomono, is the most common: paper-thin salted cucumber and wakame seaweed in a sweet, gentle rice-vinegar dressing. It cuts through fried food like tempura or gyoza. Ready in ten minutes, and best eaten chilled. Chef's tip: salt the cucumber and squeeze it hard. It draws out the water so the slices turn pleasantly crunchy and drink up the dressing instead of diluting it.

10 min

Japanese Salads

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Dolsot bibimbapStone pot rice bowl with vegetables

Dolsot bibimbap (돌솥비빔밥) is bibimbap served in a heavy stone pot (dolsot) that is heated on the hob until the rice touching the stone turns into a crackling golden crust, called nurungji. It is eaten all over Korea and is still sizzling when it reaches the table. This vegetarian version tops the rice with seasoned spinach, bean sprouts, carrot, mushrooms and pan-fried tofu, and an egg that cooks gently in the heat of the pot. A small cast-iron pan works if you don't have stone bowls. Chef's tip: listen to the pot. A steady crackle with a toasty, nutty smell means the crust is forming; a sharp burnt smell means the heat is too high.

50 min

Korean Rice & Grains

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Vegetable miso ramen

Miso ramen was born in Sapporo, Hokkaido, and is now eaten all over Japan. This vegetarian version builds a deep broth from kombu and dried shiitake instead of pork bones, then thickens it with miso and toasted sesame paste. A pile of quickly stir-fried cabbage, bean sprouts, carrot and sweetcorn goes on top with a soft-boiled egg. Slurp it while it's piping hot on a cold day. Chef's tip: fry the miso paste for a minute in the hot wok with the garlic and ginger before it meets the broth, as Sapporo shops do; the toasted miso gives the soup its deep, roasted flavour.

35 min

Japanese Pasta & Noodles

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Japanese curry rice

Japanese curry rice (カレーライス) arrived in Japan from Britain via the navy in the late 1800s and is now a national comfort food, cooked in homes from Hokkaido to Okinawa. It is nothing like an Indian curry: the sauce is thick, glossy and mild, made with a roux of butter, flour and curry powder, and sweetened with grated apple. This vegetarian version is packed with potato, carrot, onion and mushrooms. It tastes even better the next day, and children love it. Chef's tip: take the onions all the way to a deep golden brown before anything else goes in. Japanese home cooks swear by this step, as the caramelised onion gives the curry its rounded sweetness.

50 min

Japanese Curries

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Tofu katsu curry

Katsu curry (カツカレー) is a favourite in canteens and curry houses across Japan, first served in Tokyo's Ginza in the 1940s. A crunchy breaded cutlet is sliced and laid over rice, then half of it is smothered in thick, mild curry sauce, so you get crisp and saucy bites. Here firm tofu replaces the pork. It is a little more work than plain curry rice, but children love it. Chef's tip: fry the katsu at the last minute and pour the curry over only half of it, so you always keep some crunch; Japanese curry houses serve it exactly this way.

45 min

Japanese Curries

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Miso soup

Miso soup (味噌汁) is drunk every day in homes all over Japan, at breakfast as well as dinner, beside a bowl of rice. The base is dashi; this vegan version uses kombu and dried shiitake instead of bonito, which gives it a deep, rounded flavour. Silken tofu and wakame seaweed are the classic fillings. It takes ten minutes; just remember not to boil the miso. Chef's tip: add the miso at the very end and never let it boil. Boiling kills the miso's fresh, fermented aroma; Japanese cooks say the soup should only 'smile', with the surface barely trembling.

10 min

Japanese Soups

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TamagoyakiRolled omelette

Tamagoyaki (卵焼き) is a rolled omelette made in layers, found in breakfast trays and bento boxes all over Japan. Thin sheets of seasoned egg are cooked one at a time and rolled up around each other, giving soft, springy slices with pretty spiral lines. This is the gently sweet home style; a little soy keeps it savoury. A square tamagoyaki pan helps, but a small round frying pan works too. Chef's tip: keep the heat moderate and the pan well oiled between layers. If the egg browns, the heat is too high; a good tamagoyaki is evenly yellow with just a few golden patches.

15 min

Japanese Breakfast & Brunch

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Matcha latte

Matcha (抹茶) is finely ground green tea from Uji, near Kyoto, the heart of Japanese tea-growing for centuries. A matcha latte (抹茶ラテ) is the café version: the powder is whisked to a smooth, frothy shot, then topped up with steamed milk and lightly sweetened. It tastes grassy, creamy and gently bitter. Use any milk you like; oat milk froths especially well. Chef's tip: keep the water at about 80°C. Boiling water scorches matcha and makes it bitter; let the kettle stand for 2–3 minutes after boiling before you pour.

7 min

Japanese Drinks

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BindaetteokMung bean pancakes

Bindaetteok (빈대떡) are thick, crunchy pancakes made from soaked and ground mung beans mixed with kimchi, bean sprouts and spring onions, then fried in plenty of oil. They are the signature dish of Gwangjang market in Seoul, where stalls grind the beans in stone mills and fry the pancakes in front of you. Market versions often include pork; this one keeps the classic vegetables and is naturally gluten free and rich in protein. The outside turns deep golden and crisp while the inside stays soft. Serve hot with a soy and onion dip. Chef's tip: grind the beans coarse, not silky, and fry in more oil than feels right. The slight grit is what makes Gwangjang-style bindaetteok so crunchy outside and fluffy inside.

45 min

Korean Snacks & Starters

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Yaki onigiriGrilled rice balls

Yaki onigiri (焼きおにぎり) are rice balls grilled until they form a crisp, toasty crust, then brushed with soy sauce glaze. They are eaten all over Japan, at izakaya, at barbecues and from the freezer section, as a snack or with miso soup. The inside stays soft and steamy while the outside crackles. Best eaten hot, straight from the pan. Chef's tip: let the shaped rice balls dry for 10 minutes before they go in the pan. A drier surface forms a better crust and won't stick, and the glaze goes on only at the end so it doesn't burn.

30 min

Japanese Snacks & Starters

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Thai vegetables in peanut coconut sauce

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.

45 min

Thai Curries

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Thai fresh fruit dessert

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.

30 min

Thai Desserts

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Thai-style beans fried rice

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.

20 min

Thai Rice & Grains

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Arabian coconut halwaCoconut semolina cake in lemon syrup

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.

70 minMiddle Eastern Desserts

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