Classic vegetable pasta soup
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.

Boiled coffee with sugar
From the warung kopi of Yogyakarta and Solo to the night-shift stalls of Surabaya, kopi tubruk is the everyday coffee of Java: powder-fine robusta and sugar spooned into a glass, hit with boiling water, stirred once and left alone while the grounds sink. It comes out black, thick and strong, with a toasty, slightly chocolatey bitterness and often plenty of sugar, drunk early with fried snacks and again late at night over long talk. The grounds sit as a muddy layer at the bottom and stay there. The common mistake is drinking or stirring too soon: the cup is gritty and harsh. Wait four or five minutes, until the crust on top sinks and the surface turns clear and dark, then sip gently and stop before the sludge. It is ready when the foam has collapsed and a thin oily sheen shows on top. This is a strong, high-caffeine coffee; one glass is plenty, and it is not for children. Some sellers add a slice of ginger or a pinch of cardamom. Chef's tip: grind the beans as fine as for espresso or finer; coarse grounds float and never settle.
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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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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 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.
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.
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