What to eat today?

Australian Snacks & Starters

by KrazyBadal 0 views

Pumpkin scones

Pumpkin scones are a Queensland country tradition, made famous by the farm-raised wife of a long-serving state premier and baked for every Country Women's Association morning tea from Toowoomba to Rockhampton. Mashed pumpkin makes them golden, soft and slightly sweet, and they are best warm from the oven with plenty of butter. A common mistake is wet pumpkin; steam or roast it and let it cool so the dough isn't sticky. Chef's tip: cut straight down without twisting the cutter, so the scones rise tall and even.

35 min

Australian Baking

by KrazyBadal 0 views

Pan-fried Arctic char

Arctic char, iqaluk in Inuktitut, is the fish of Nunavut, netted in the rivers around Cambridge Bay and Pangnirtung when it runs to the sea in summer and through the ice in spring. It tastes like a cross between salmon and trout, with rosy, delicate flesh. In Iqaluit homes it is eaten many ways; here it is simply pan-fried until the skin crackles, with lemon and a piece of warm bannock. A common mistake is moving the fillet too early; leave it until the skin releases on its own. Chef's tip: press the fillet flat with a spatula for the first 30 seconds so the skin doesn't curl.

15 min

Canadian Fish

by KrazyBadal 0 views

Sydney rock oysters with mignonette

Sydney rock oysters grow in the estuaries of the New South Wales coast, from the Hawkesbury River to Merimbula, and are the pride of the Sydney fish market, slurped by the dozen with a glass of something cold on summer afternoons. They are smaller and creamier than Pacific oysters, with a rich, mineral taste. A sharp shallot and vinegar mignonette is all they need. These oysters are eaten raw, so they are not for pregnant women, young children or anyone with a weakened immune system; for them, grill the oysters for 3–4 minutes until the edges curl. Buy from a trusted fishmonger and eat them the day you buy them. A common mistake is rinsing opened oysters under the tap, which washes away their flavourful juice. Chef's tip: shuck them just before serving and keep them on crushed ice.

15 min

Australian Fish

by KrazyBadal 0 views

Ginger beef

Ginger beef was created in the 1970s at a Chinese restaurant in Calgary and is now on the menu of nearly every Chinese-Canadian restaurant on the Prairies. Thin strips of beef are coated in a cornflour batter and fried until shatteringly crisp, then tossed in a glossy sweet-sour sauce full of fresh ginger, garlic and chilli with strips of carrot and pepper. Serve at once with steamed rice. A common mistake is saucing the beef too early, which turns the crust soggy. Chef's tip: fry the beef twice; the second fry is what makes it crunchy.

50 min

Canadian Meat

by KrazyBadal 0 views

Ciulama de ciuperciMushrooms in white sauce

Ciulama is a white, velvety sauce stew from Moldova and Muntenia, and the mushroom version is cooked in autumn when wild mushrooms come down from the Carpathians, or any time with cultivated ones. Mushrooms are sautéed with onion, then simmered in a light roux of butter, flour and milk until thick and creamy, and finished with dill and garlic. It is served with a mound of hot mămăligă (cornmeal mash) and sometimes a spoon of sour cream. The usual mistake is adding the milk to a cold, raw roux, which leaves the sauce lumpy and floury. Chef's tip: let the mushrooms brown before the flour goes in; golden mushrooms give a much deeper flavour than pale, steamed ones.

35 min

Romanian Vegetarian

by KrazyBadal 0 views

Caribou stew

Caribou is the everyday red meat of many Dene, Inuit and northern families in the Northwest Territories, Nunavut and Labrador, and a pot of caribou stew is what simmers on the stove in Yellowknife or Inuvik through the long winter. The meat is lean and slightly sweet and gamey, and slow-braising with onion, carrot, potato and turnip makes it meltingly tender. Outside the North, farmed reindeer, venison or beef chuck work in exactly the same way. A common mistake is boiling hard, which toughens lean meat; it should barely bubble. Chef's tip: dust the meat in flour and brown it well in batches for a rich, thick gravy.

175 min

Canadian Meat

by KrazyBadal 0 views

Bò khoLemongrass beef stew

Bò kho is a southern Vietnamese breakfast: in Saigon street stalls ladle this red, gently spiced beef stew over bánh mì torn for dunking, or over rice noodles, from first light. Chunks of beef shin marinate with lemongrass, ginger, garlic, five-spice and fish sauce, are browned in annatto oil, then simmered in coconut water with star anise and cinnamon until tender, with carrots added near the end. The broth should be glossy and aromatic, not thick. The usual mistake is adding the carrots at the start, so they turn to mush; they go in for the last 25 minutes. Slow-cooker option: brown the beef, then cook everything except the carrots on low for 8 hours, adding the carrots for the last hour. Chef's tip: bruise the lemongrass stalks with the back of a knife so they release oil without falling apart.

155 min

Vietnamese Meat

by KrazyBadal 0 views

Pineapple fritters

Every Queensland fish-and-chip shop from the Gold Coast to Cairns has a tray of pineapple fritters by the fryer, rings of local pineapple in light batter, fried and dusted with cinnamon sugar. They are the dessert you order with your fish and chips on a hot evening. Fresh pineapple is best; well-drained tinned rings work too. A common mistake is wet fruit, which makes the batter slide off; pat it really dry. Chef's tip: dust the rings in a little flour before dipping so the batter clings.

25 min

by KrazyBadal 0 views

Wattleseed ice cream

Roasted wattleseed, from a few edible acacias of the Australian inland, has been ground into flour by Aboriginal people for millennia, and today chefs in Sydney and Melbourne use it for its flavour of coffee, chocolate and hazelnut. Steeped in a rich custard and churned, it makes a lovely ice cream to serve with pavlova or a slice of passionfruit sponge. Buy roasted, ground wattleseed from a native food supplier; many acacias are not edible. A common mistake is overheating the custard so it scrambles; take it off at 82 °C. Chef's tip: steep the wattleseed in the hot milk for 20 minutes before making the custard.

45 min

Australian Desserts

by KrazyBadal 0 views

Beef wet fry

Order 'beef wet fry' at any Nairobi hoteli, from a River Road lunch counter to a Westlands nyama joint, and a sizzling dish of browned beef cubes arrives in a thick, tomato-red sauce glossy with fat. It sits halfway between a dry fry and a stew: the meat is chewy-tender and well seared, and the sauce is reduced so far it clings rather than pools. Ugali is the classic partner, with kachumbari and a tangle of sukuma wiki, though chapati or rice are just as common. The mistake most home cooks make is crowding the pan, so the beef steams grey in its own juices instead of browning. Chef's tip: give the beef a short covered simmer in a splash of water before frying; it tenderises the cheaper cuts Kenyan butchers sell and the water cooks off in time for the browning.

50 minEast African Meat

by KrazyBadal 0 views

MalakwangSour greens in peanut paste

Gulu and the villages of Acholiland wait for the rains, when malakwang, the tart young leaves of the roselle hibiscus, come into the markets in big bundles. Simmered down with onion and tomato and finished with roasted peanut or sesame paste, they make a thick, dark green, sharply sour and richly nutty sauce that tastes of lemon and cream at once. It is eaten with boiled sweet potatoes, cassava or millet bread at a family meal. Look for fresh or frozen roselle leaves at African grocers, or the same leaf sold as gongura or sorrel leaves in Indian shops; spinach with lime juice is a fallback. Chef's tip: let the leaves collapse fully before the paste goes in, otherwise their sourness stays raw and harsh.

40 minEast African Sides

by KrazyBadal 0 views

Kabocha saladPumpkin salad

Children across Japan know this golden, chunky salad from their bento boxes and school lunches: steamed kabocha squash crushed with mayonnaise, a few plump raisins and a touch of pepper, sweet enough to pass for dessert. It holds its shape cold, so it fills a bento cup neatly. The common mistake is mashing the squash while it is wet, which gives a watery salad; dry it off in the pan first. Leave some skin on for colour. The mayonnaise contains egg. Chef's tip: dress the squash while it is still warm with the salt and pepper, but add the mayonnaise only once it has cooled, so it stays creamy instead of turning oily.

22 min

Japanese Salads

by KrazyBadal 0 views

KabokPuffed rice and sesame balls

Kabok are crunchy balls of puffed rice and sesame bound with hot jaggery syrup, made in Meitei homes for Yaoshang, Cheiraoba and temple offerings. Black puffed rice is used in some villages, giving dark, toasty kabok. The key is the syrup: cook it to the hard-ball stage, when a drop in cold water sets into a firm ball, or the balls will fall apart. The common mistake is shaping with dry hands; wet them so the hot mixture doesn't stick or burn. Chef's tip: warm the puffed rice in the oven for a few minutes first so it stays crisp.

25 min

South African Snacks & Starters

by KrazyBadal 0 views

Fiji goat curry

Goat curry is the dish of Indo-Fijian weddings, Diwali gatherings and Sunday family lunches from Lautoka to Labasa, brought by indentured labourers from India in the 1800s and shaped by Fiji's own curry powder blend. Bone-in goat is browned with onion, garlic, ginger and masala, then braised slowly with potatoes until tender, and eaten with roti or rice and dhal. A common mistake is rushing the onion and masala; they need to fry until the oil separates. Chef's tip: marinate the goat overnight in the fridge with the masala for deeper flavour.

140 minPacific Islander Curries

by KrazyBadal 0 views

BabakauFried dough balls

Babakau are the fluffy fried dough balls sold at Fijian market stalls and village canteens at breakfast time, eaten with a mug of milky tea or hot koko before school or work in Suva and Nadi. The dough is lightly sweet and the balls puff up as they fry, golden outside and soft as a bun inside. A common mistake is oil that's too hot, which leaves raw centres; 170 °C is right. Chef's tip: wet your fingers to drop spoonfuls of dough into the oil so it slips off cleanly.

35 minPacific Islander Breakfast & Brunch

by KrazyBadal 0 views

Fish in coconut milk

Ika vakalolo is the Sunday and everyday fish dish of iTaukei Fijian homes, from the fishing villages of the Coral Coast to the outer islands of Lau. Fresh reef fish is gently simmered in lolo, fresh coconut milk, with onion, tomato, chilli and a squeeze of lemon, then served with boiled cassava, taro or rice. It is mild, creamy and ready in half an hour. A common mistake is stirring once the fish is in, which breaks the fillets; just spoon the sauce over. Chef's tip: lemon goes in at the very end so the coconut milk doesn't split.

30 minPacific Islander Fish

by KrazyBadal 0 views

Mongolian salty milk tea

Süütei tsai is the first thing offered to anyone who steps into a ger on the Mongolian steppe, from Arkhangai to the Gobi, and families drink it all day long from wide bowls. Green brick tea is boiled in water, then milk and a pinch of salt go in, and the tea is ladled high and poured back again and again to aerate it. Some households add a knob of butter or a spoon of toasted millet for a richer, more filling bowl. It is savoury, not sweet, which surprises first-time visitors. A common mistake is using black tea leaves, which go bitter; use green brick tea or a mild green tea. Chef's tip: the ladling is not just ritual, it gives the tea a smooth, rounded taste.

15 min

Mongolian Drinks

by KrazyBadal 0 views

Braaied lamb chops

Ask a Karoo farmer for a braai rub and you will be handed the salt grinder: good lamb chops off the veld need salt, pepper and wood coals, and nothing else. On a Saturday evening in Colesberg or Cradock the chops go on last, after the boerewors, and come off with crisp, smoky fat and juicy, rosy meat. Pile them on a board with pap and tomato smoor, a potato salad and a braaibroodjie or two. Chops cut too thin, under 2 cm, dry out before the fat crisps, so ask the butcher for thick ones. Chef's tip: stand the chops upright on their fat edge for the first few minutes, held together with tongs, so the fat renders and crisps before the meat goes flat on the grid.

25 min

South African Meat

by KrazyBadal 0 views

Biltong

Rugby on the television, a paper bag of biltong passed round the room: few snacks say South Africa so plainly. Thick strips of beef are cured with vinegar, toasted coriander, salt and pepper, then dried until the outside is dark and firm and the inside still a little moist, ready to be sliced thin with a sharp knife. Farmers once hung it in the cold winter wind; this home method first heats the cured strips to 71 °C in a hot oven to make them safe, then dries them low and slow in the oven or a biltong box. Even so, home-dried meat is not for pregnant women, young children or anyone with a weakened immune system. The classic mistake is cutting the strips across the grain, so they crumble when you slice them. Chef's tip: toast the coriander seeds until they smell like orange peel before crushing them; that warm, citrusy note is what makes biltong taste right.

525 min

by KrazyBadal 0 views

Karoo roast leg of lamb

Sheep in the Great Karoo graze on wild bossies and shrubs, and farmers around Prince Albert and Graaff-Reinet swear the meat comes out of the oven tasting faintly of the veld. That is why the seasoning stays plain: garlic slivers pushed deep into the meat, rosemary, salt and pepper, and a long, slow roast over a bed of onions that melt into the pan juices. Sunday lunch on a farm stoep means slices of rosy lamb with roast potatoes, sweet pumpkin with cinnamon, geelrys with raisins and a jug of gravy. Many cooks carve the moment the leg leaves the oven, and the juices end up on the board instead of in the meat. Chef's tip: give the leg a full 20 minutes' rest under foil; the temperature climbs a few degrees and every slice stays moist.

180 min

South African Meat

by KrazyBadal 0 views

Durban prawn curry

Durban's beachfront takeaways and Indian family kitchens along the North Coast make prawn curry fast: the gravy of tomato, red masala, mustard seeds and curry leaves is cooked first, and the prawns go in only for the last few minutes. The result is a tangy, fiery red sauce with sweet, juicy prawns, lighter and sharper than a slow meat curry. Serve it with white rice or soft rotis and a wedge of lemon. Overcooking is the big mistake: prawns turn rubbery within a minute or two of being done, so take the pot off as soon as they are pink and opaque all the way through. Chef's tip: thaw frozen prawns overnight in the fridge and pat them very dry, or their water thins the gravy.

30 min

South African Fish

by KrazyBadal 0 views

Aam telMango pickle in mustard oil

In Bengal the summer of kal-baishakhi storms is also the season of aam tel, mango oil. Slices of hard green mango are salted and sun-dried until leathery, then sunk in mustard oil with roasted panch phoron and chilli and left to steep for a couple of weeks. The mango turns chewy, salty and sour; the oil turns golden, sharp and fruity, and that oil is the real treasure. A spoonful goes into jhalmuri (spiced puffed rice) on every Kolkata street corner, over plain rice with a fried egg or mashed potato, or into a bowl of panta bhat in the heat. The common mistake is not drying the mango enough: if it still feels wet when pressed, it will grow mould under the oil. Dry it until the slices are shrunken, leathery and bend without releasing juice. The pickle is ready when the oil has turned golden and smells strongly of mango and spice. Because the mango is salt-cured and acidic and stays fully under the oil in a dry jar, with no garlic, it keeps up to a year in a cool cupboard; in hot, humid weather keep it in the fridge. Chef's tip: no strong sun? Dry the salted slices in the oven at 60–70 °C with the door propped open, for 5–6 hours.

50 min

by KrazyBadal 0 views

Pie floaterMeat pie in pea soup

The pie floater is Adelaide's late-night street food, sold from pie carts outside the railway station and on North Terrace since the 1870s: a beef mince pie turned upside down in a bowl of thick, green split-pea soup and topped with a swirl of tomato sauce. It sounds odd and tastes wonderful on a cold night. This recipe makes both the soup and the pies; you could use good bakery pies to save time. A common mistake is a thin soup; it should be thick enough to hold the pie up. Chef's tip: make the pea soup the day before, it thickens overnight.

160 min

Australian Meat

by KrazyBadal 0 views

MursikSmoky fermented milk

When Kenyan marathon runners land back in Eldoret, relatives greet them with a gourd of mursik, the soured milk of Kalenjin homesteads across the Rift Valley highlands. Traditionally, milk sits for several days in a sotet, a long calabash whose inside has been scraped with a smouldering stick of senetwet (the tree often called the cromwell tree) so a lining of fine charcoal coats it; that charcoal gives mursik its smoky taste, grey flecks and long keeping. At home we skip raw milk and a wild ferment: pasteurised milk is soured with a live cultured buttermilk, and a jar smoked inside with untreated hardwood, or a pinch of food-grade activated charcoal, brings the flavour. Thick, sharp and smoky, it is drunk with ugali, sweet potatoes or after a long run, and the usual mistake is fermenting it somewhere too hot, where it splits into whey and tastes yeasty. Chef's tip: shake the jar hard before pouring, as herders shake the gourd, to make it smooth and drinkable.

35 minEast African Drinks

by KrazyBadal 0 views

SagetSpider plant greens in soured milk

Spider plant, saget to the Kalenjin and sagaa in Swahili, grows in every kitchen garden around Eldoret and Kericho, and its slightly bitter, peppery leaves are boiled and then softened with mursik or cream to go with ugali. The result is tender, dark greens in a tangy, creamy sauce, bitter in a pleasant way like rapini. Look for fresh or frozen spider-plant leaves at African grocers (sometimes sold as African cabbage or cleome); don't pick wild plants, and if you can't find them, use spinach with a handful of kale or mustard greens for the bite. Letting the milk boil hard is where people slip: it curdles into grainy bits, so add it over a low heat. Chef's tip: some homesteads cook saget the day before and leave it overnight in its milk; it mellows and tastes even better reheated gently.

40 minEast African Sides

by KrazyBadal 0 views

LapenaPigeon peas in sesame paste

Lapena comes out for Christmas, weddings and the days when relatives arrive in Gulu from Kampala: dried pigeon peas boiled until soft, then cooked slowly in roasted sesame paste until thick, earthy and nutty, with a faint bitterness from the sesame that balances the sweetness of the peas. Some families mash it smooth, others keep the peas whole; both are eaten with kwon millet bread, rice or boiled cassava. Dried pigeon peas are sold as toor or arhar (whole, not split) in Indian grocers. The common mistake is adding salt before the peas are tender, which keeps the skins tough. Chef's tip: if you can only find light tahini, toast it in a dry pan for a minute or two until it darkens to get closer to Acholi sesame paste.

120 minEast African Curries

by KrazyBadal 0 views

Kangri khattaTangy chickpeas

At a Kangra dham, the leaf-plate feast cooked by botis (Brahmin cooks) for weddings and village festivals, khatta comes towards the end, a dark, sweet-sour dish of chickpeas or pumpkin in a gravy soured with tamarind or dried mango and balanced with jaggery. It is served with rice and has no onion or garlic. The gravy is thin, glossy and almost black from the long-cooked tamarind. The common mistake is adding the tamarind to undercooked chickpeas; the acid stops them softening, so cook them fully first. Chef's tip: a teaspoon of rice flour or gram flour stirred into the gravy gives the dham-style gloss without making it heavy.

50 min

Indian Curries

by KrazyBadal 0 views

Kannimanga acharBaby mango pickle

In central Kerala, around Thrissur and Kottayam, families watch the mango trees in January and February and pick the tiniest fruit, no bigger than a thumb joint, before the stone hardens. These kannimanga are salted whole in a tall ceramic bharani, left until shrivelled in their own brine, then mixed with freshly ground raw mustard, Kashmiri chilli and hing and left to mature for three or four weeks. This older, oil-free style keeps the mangoes crunchy and the brine thick, red and sinus-clearing from the raw mustard. The flavour is salty, sour and fiercely pungent; one mango and a spoon of brine is enough for a whole bowl of kanji (rice gruel) or curd rice. The common mistake is using water that has not been boiled and cooled, which brings in microbes and turns the brine slimy. It is ready when the mangoes are wrinkled but crisp and the brine tastes mellow rather than raw. Salt is high, about 20 g per 100 g of mango, and the fruit is very acidic; kept fully submerged in a dry jar it lasts a year in a cool place. Abroad, any tiny, hard green mango with a soft stone works. Chef's tip: keep a short stalk on each mango; it stops brine seeping in and softening the fruit.

45 min

by KrazyBadal 0 views

Kapeng barakoStrong Liberica coffee

In Lipa and the hill towns of Batangas, mornings start with kapeng barako boiled in a dented aluminium kaldero and poured into enamel mugs, often next to pandesal, a slab of tapang Taal or a plate of suman. Barako is Liberica, a large-beaned coffee that grows on tall trees around Mount Malarayat, and the word itself means a strong, rough-mannered man. The cup is heavy and earthy with notes of jackfruit, dark chocolate and smoke, and it is sweetened with sticky muscovado from Negros or Antique, never with white sugar. It carries plenty of caffeine, so go easy if you are sensitive and keep it away from children. The usual mistake is keeping the pot at a rolling boil once the coffee is in: the grounds stew and the drink turns sour and harsh. Bring the water to the boil, then take it off the heat before adding the coffee. The brew is ready when the crust of grounds sinks after the splash of cold water and the liquid underneath is a clear, deep mahogany. Chef's tip: grind it coarse, like raw sugar, so it settles cleanly in the pot.

11 min

Filipino Drinks

by KrazyBadal 0 views

Aate ka halwaWholewheat flour halwa

Across Marwar, this simple halwa is the one cooked for temple prasad, for Satyanarayan katha and for women in the weeks after giving birth, when ghee and jaggery are thought to build strength. Wholewheat flour is roasted slowly in plenty of ghee until it turns a deep nutty brown, then cooked with hot water and sugar or jaggery until soft and glossy. The whole thing takes 30 minutes. The common mistake is rushing the roast on high heat, which leaves the flour raw-tasting inside and scorched outside. Chef's tip: roast on low heat until the colour is like milky tea and the ghee starts to separate and bubble around the flour.

30 min

by KrazyBadal 0 views

Kari boulettesSpiced meatballs in coconut curry

Kari boulettes come from Puducherry's Franco-Tamil Creole families, whose Sunday tables mix French names with Tamil spice boxes. Minced mutton or beef is mixed with onion, herbs and a little egg into small balls, then simmered in a curry of tomato, onion, poppy seed and coconut milk, often served with rice or crusty bread on feast days and at Christmas. The common mistake is stirring the balls as soon as they go into the gravy, which breaks them; let them set for five minutes, then only shake the pan. The meatballs are done when they reach 71 °C in the centre. Chef's tip: chill the shaped balls for 20 minutes before cooking so they hold their shape.

75 min

Indian Meat

by KrazyBadal 0 views

Karonde ka acharKaronda berry pickle

When the thorny karonda bushes along Punjab and Rajasthan field edges fruit in July and August, the small green berries with rosy cheeks end up in jars of karonde ka achar. The fruit is very sour and slightly bitter-milky when raw, so it suits a bold mustard-oil pickle: halved berries and slit green chillies are salted, dried for a day, then tossed with crushed fennel, nigella, fenugreek and mustard. After a week the berries turn soft and sour-tangy, the chillies mellow, and the oil smells of saunf. Eat it with paratha, moong dal khichdi or a plain bowl of curd rice. Karonda is hard to find abroad; firm fresh cranberries are the closest substitute in sourness and size. Common mistake: skipping the drying day; wet fruit thins the oil and invites mould. It is ready when the berries yield to the teeth and the spice coat has darkened. Because it holds fresh green chillies under oil, keep this jar in the fridge for up to 2 months, berries always under oil, dry spoon every time; discard if you see mould, fizzing or an off smell. Chef's tip: wear gloves when halving karonda, the white latex is sticky and stains fingers.

40 min

Malaysian Chutneys & Dips

by KrazyBadal 0 views

Sout ribbetjieSalt-cured grilled lamb ribs

Before fridges, Karoo farmers rubbed lamb ribs with coarse salt and coriander and hung them in the cool pantry; today the cure happens in the fridge, but the result is the same deeply savoury, almost bacon-like rib that crackles at the edges. At a farm braai near Beaufort West or Sutherland it goes on first, over low coals, because it needs an hour or more to render its fat and turn tender, and people pick at it with their fingers while everything else cooks. Serve it with stywe pap and tomato smoor, or with roosterkoek and a crisp salad. Rinsing too lightly is the usual mistake: rinse off the surface salt after curing, or the meat will be too salty to eat. Chef's tip: keep the coals low and patient; high heat sets the fat alight and blackens the outside long before the meat is soft.

120 min

South African Meat

by KrazyBadal 0 views

Acar buahFruit pickle

In Penang, Nyonya households start filling big glass jars with acar buah a week before Chinese New Year, so there is always a dish to set out for visitors with tea, and to eat beside nasi lemak or curry through the fifteen days. Penang is nutmeg country, and candied strips of nutmeg fruit (buah pala) from the Balik Pulau orchards go in with green papaya, dried apricots and raisins, all coated in a rempah of chillies, shallots, garlic, galangal and candlenuts fried until the oil splits, then cooked with vinegar and sugar. A shower of toasted sesame and crushed peanuts finishes it. It is sticky, jammy, sweet-hot and tangy, with crunchy papaya against chewy fruit. Many cooks add a little toasted belacan to the rempah; it is left out here to keep it vegan. Common mistake: frying the rempah too briefly, which leaves it harsh and makes the pickle spoil faster; cook it slowly until dark red and the oil separates. It tastes best after two days in the fridge. Chef's tip: squeeze the salted papaya as hard as you can, or the pickle turns watery.

70 min

by KrazyBadal 0 views

BooCowpea leaves in peanut paste

Ask someone from Lira or Kitgum what home tastes like and many will say boo, the leaves of the cowpea plant, picked young from the same fields that give the beans. Slow-cooked until they are dark and silky, then thickened with groundnut paste, they turn into a mellow, slightly bitter, deeply savoury green sauce with none of the tartness of malakwang. It is everyday food, eaten with kalo, posho or sweet potatoes. Fresh, frozen or dried cowpea leaves are sold at African grocers; kale or spring greens stand in well. Chef's tip: a pinch of bicarbonate of soda in the first boil softens tough leaves quickly and keeps their colour; any more than a pinch makes them soapy.

40 minEast African Sides

by KrazyBadal 0 views

Kelli chanaSpiced chickpea snack

On Imphal evenings, kelli chana is sold from steaming pots at street stalls and outside markets: boiled chickpeas tossed while hot with raw onion, chilli, coriander and lemon, sometimes with a spoon of roasted chilli. It is a cheap, filling snack before dinner. The mistake is using under-cooked chickpeas, which stay hard; they should squash easily between finger and thumb. Chef's tip: toss the chickpeas while still hot so they soak up the lemon and salt.

20 min

Indonesian Chutneys & Dips

by KrazyBadal 0 views

KabichiFried cabbage and carrot

Hardly a weekday supper in a Nairobi flat goes by without a pan of kabichi next to the ugali: it costs little, uses one cabbage from the corner duka and is on the table in twenty minutes. Thin ribbons of cabbage meet onion, grated carrot, tomato and green pepper in a hot pan, staying sweet with a little bite and soaking up just enough tomato to turn rosy. Pair it with ugali and ndengu or beans, or roll it into a chapati. Most cooks go wrong by covering the pan and letting the cabbage steam to a grey, sulphurous heap; keep the lid off and the heat up. Chef's tip: salt the cabbage only at the very end, because salt pulls out water and stops it frying.

20 minEast African Sides

by KrazyBadal 0 views

Acar timunPickled cucumber and carrot

Order sate at a Madurese stall in Java, or nasi goreng from a night-time warung tenda, and a little saucer of acar timun comes with it: cubes of cucumber and carrot, whole small shallots and a few green or red bird's eye chillies in a sweet, sharp vinegar dressing. It is also spooned beside martabak telur and served at kenduri feasts and weddings. It is cold, crunchy and refreshing, sweet first, then sour, with a sudden bite when you hit a chilli, and it cuts the richness of peanut sauce and fried rice. Make it fresh: it is at its best the same day. Common mistake: pouring the dressing on warm or cutting the cucumber too thin, which turns everything limp and watery; dissolve the sugar in warm water, then let it cool before mixing. It is ready after 10–15 minutes, when the shallots have lost their raw edge and the cucumber is lightly seasoned but still snaps. Chef's tip: leave the bird's eye chillies whole so guests can choose whether to eat them; slit one or two if you want the dressing itself to carry heat.

17 min

by KrazyBadal 0 views

Nduma na viazi vitamuBoiled arrowroot and sweet potato

A plate of nduma and sweet potatoes with a mug of hot milky chai is the classic weekend breakfast in Kiambu and Murang'a homes, and farmers eat the same before a long day in the shamba. What Kenyans call arrowroot is taro, a starchy corm with a dense, nutty flesh that turns faintly purple and almost creamy when boiled; the sweet potatoes beside it are soft and honeyed, lovely with sliced avocado. Find taro (also called eddoes or dasheen) at African, Caribbean and Asian grocers. Raw taro irritates skin and mouth, so wear gloves to peel it and make sure it is boiled right through: undercooking is the one real mistake here and leaves an itchy, scratchy feeling in the throat. Chef's tip: cut taro and sweet potato into similar-sized pieces but add the sweet potato 10 minutes later, so both are done at once.

45 minEast African Breakfast & Brunch

by KrazyBadal 0 views

UjiFinger millet porridge

Mugs of brown uji are handed out at breakfast in Kenyan homes and schools, sold from steaming flasks at bus stages, and given to children and nursing mothers for strength. Finger millet flour (wimbi) makes a thin, drinkable porridge with a malty, slightly chocolatey taste; it is sweetened with sugar and soured with lemon, or left overnight to ferment for a deeper tang. Look for finger millet flour at African grocers or as ragi flour in Indian shops, and never tip it straight into boiling water, the mistake that gives lumps every time; always make a cold slurry first. Drink it hot in a mug, with mandazi or roasted groundnuts on the side. Chef's tip: for fermented uji, mix the slurry the night before and leave it covered on the counter; by morning it smells gently sour and needs only half the lemon.

20 minEast African Breakfast & Brunch

by KrazyBadal 0 views

KeperíSlow-roast beef flank

Keperí is the cut Santa Cruz families save for Sundays and birthdays: a flat, well-marbled piece of beef from the flank, rubbed with garlic, cumin and salt, slow-cooked under cover until meltingly soft, then browned hard at the end. It comes to the table sliced across the grain with boiled yuca, rice and a fresh tomato salad. Beef flank or skirt in one piece is the closest cut outside Bolivia. The most common mistake is slicing along the grain, which makes even tender meat chewy. Chef's tip: let the marinade work overnight in the fridge, then cook the meat fat side up so it bastes itself.

200 minAndean Meat

by KrazyBadal 0 views

Agra dalmothFried lentil snack mix

Agra is famous for two sweets and one namkeen, and dalmoth is the namkeen: soaked masoor and chana dal fried until crunchy and tossed with chilli, black salt, dry mango and a little sugar, sold in big tins near the Taj and packed for every train journey. It is eaten with tea in the afternoon and handed round to guests at Diwali. The dal is fried dry, without any batter coating. The common mistake is frying the dal straight from soaking water; any moisture makes the oil spit dangerously and the dal chewy, so dry it on a cloth for at least an hour. Chef's tip: fry the masoor and chana separately, as they need different times to turn crisp.

50 min

by KrazyBadal 0 views

Khajur pakDate and nut fudge

Kutch grows some of India's best dates, and in Bhuj and Anjar homes khajur pak is the sweet made for Diwali boxes and for Ekadashi and other fast days, since it needs nothing but dates, ghee, nuts and coconut. The dates melt in warm ghee into a sticky paste, the nuts give crunch, and the log is rolled in poppy seeds and sliced into neat coins. The common mistake is cooking the dates too long, which dries them out so the log cracks when you slice it. Chef's tip: for a harder winter version, swap a third of the soft dates for chopped kharek (dry dates) soaked overnight in a little milk.

30 min

by KrazyBadal 0 views

Khao kha mooBraised pork leg rice

Khao kha moo is Bangkok's great one-plate lunch, and the shophouses along Charoen Krung Road in Bang Rak have been simmering pork leg in the same dark, star-anise-scented pots for decades. Fresh pork hock is braised in soy, palm sugar and five-spice until the skin turns glossy and gelatinous and the meat falls away in tender strands. It is sliced onto jasmine rice with a soy-stained boiled egg, pickled mustard greens, blanched Chinese kale and a fierce green chilli and garlic vinegar to cut the richness. Chef's tip: keep the braise at a lazy simmer; a hard boil tears the skin and turns the meat stringy.

185 min

Thai Meat

by KrazyBadal 0 views

KharoliFermented mustard relish

Kharoli is an old Assamese relish from the villages of upper Assam: ground mustard seed is mixed with khar, the alkaline water filtered from burnt banana peel, packed into a jar and left to ferment until sharp and funky. A small spoon with mustard oil and green chilli is eaten with the first balls of rice, and families make it in the cooler months. The common mistake is using a damp jar or spoon, which lets mould in. Ferment at 20–28 °C for 4–6 days; it is ready when it smells sharply pungent and tangy. Throw it away if you see fuzzy mould, pink or black spots, or it smells rotten or putrid rather than sour. Chef's tip: if you have no banana-ash khar, a quarter teaspoon of bicarbonate of soda in the water gives a similar alkaline bite.

20 min

by KrazyBadal 0 views

KhrenovinaHorseradish tomato relish

Khrenovina, also known as khrenoder or gorlodyor, the 'throat-tearer', is what Siberian families grind at the end of August and in September, when the garden tomatoes ripen faster than anyone can eat them and the horseradish roots are dug up. Raw tomatoes, horseradish and garlic go through the meat grinder with salt and a little sugar, and that is all: no cooking at all. Through the autumn and winter it is spooned onto pelmeni and boiled potatoes, beside kholodets and shashlik, and onto rye bread. It is bright, juicy and sweet-sour from the tomato, then the horseradish rushes up your nose like wasabi and the garlic lingers after; the texture is loose and grainy, like a fresh salsa. The mistake everyone makes once is grinding the horseradish indoors with their face over the grinder; the fumes sting hard, so open a window and tie a plastic bag over the outlet. It is ready after an hour or two in the fridge, when the heat has settled and the colour is an even pinkish red. Chef's tip: grind the horseradish last, straight into the tomatoes, so its heat is trapped in the juice.

20 min

Russian Chutneys & Dips

by KrazyBadal 0 views

KhurchanScraped milk skin sweet

Khurchan means 'scrapings', and in Mathura and the sweet lanes of Old Delhi it is made by simmering milk in a wide iron kadhai and lifting off the skin that forms, layer after layer, then stacking the sheets with a sprinkle of sugar and cardamom. It is a winter sweet, sold in small squares, and offered at Janmashtami in Krishna's town. It takes patience, not skill. The common mistake is letting the milk boil, which breaks the skin; keep it just steaming, never bubbling. Chef's tip: fan the surface of the milk gently with a paper plate between layers; the cooler air makes the skin form faster and thicker.

125 min

Malaysian Pasta & Noodles

by KrazyBadal 0 views

AkabenzCrispy fried pork

Pork is the star on Kigali's evening bar terraces, where friends share a plate of akabenzi; the name jokes that pork was once a luxury fit for a Mercedes-Benz owner. Chunks of pork shoulder or belly ribs are simmered until tender, then fried hard with onion and chilli until the fat crackles and the edges go crisp and caramelised, while the inside stays juicy. It comes with fried plantain or chips and a fiery chilli oil. The mistake is frying raw pork straight away: the outside burns before the middle cooks, so boil it first. The pork is cooked to well beyond 71 °C. Chef's tip: dry the boiled pieces thoroughly before they hit the oil, or they spit and steam instead of crisping.

70 minEast African Meat

by KrazyBadal 0 views

BusheraSoured sorghum drink

In the hills of Kigezi around Kabale, a calabash of obushera is offered to visitors and carried to the fields in the afternoon; the same drink, left for days, becomes beer, but the everyday family version is drunk young and contains no meaningful alcohol. Sorghum flour is cooked into a thin porridge, cooled, then left overnight with a spoonful of sprouted sorghum flour to sour gently, so it tastes tangy, malty and refreshing, a little like a drinking yoghurt made from grain. Drink it chilled on its own or with roasted groundnuts. The mistake people make is leaving it out too long: after a day it starts to fizz and turn alcoholic, so taste it, then chill it. Chef's tip: sweeten only just before serving, as sugar added early speeds up the ferment.

30 minEast African Drinks

by KrazyBadal 0 views

ÄggostEgg cheese

Äggost, egg cheese, belongs to the farm kitchens of Västergötland and Halland in west Sweden, where it is made for Christmas, Easter and midsummer tables and the leftovers become breakfast with cloudberry or lingonberry jam. Eggs and milk are heated until soft, sweet curds form, which are drained in a holed mould so they keep its pattern. It is creamy, mild and slightly sweet. The common mistake is rushing the heat: boiling the milk too hard makes rubbery curds, so keep it at a gentle simmer. Chef's tip: this version sets the curds with buttermilk, not rennet, so it is suitable for vegetarians; drain it overnight in the fridge for the firmest slice.

45 minScandinavian Breakfast & Brunch

by KrazyBadal 0 views

King George whitingFried whiting fillets

King George whiting is South Australia's most prized fish, caught in the shallow sea-grass bays of Spencer Gulf and Gulf St Vincent and served in Adelaide pubs and on the Glenelg foreshore with chips and lemon. The fillets are small, sweet and delicate, so they need only a light coating and a quick fry. A common mistake is a heavy batter that hides the fish; a thin crumb or flour dusting is the local way. Chef's tip: cook skin side first and flip only once, so the fragile fillets stay whole.

20 min

Australian Fish

by KrazyBadal 0 views

Kiri kosJackfruit in coconut milk

Kiri kos, 'milk jackfruit', is a mild white curry from the villages of Sri Lanka's wet zone, cooked when the jackfruit is mature but not yet sweet, and often served at lunch or at almsgivings beside red rice and a spicy sambol. The yellow bulbs are simmered with turmeric, pandan, cinnamon and green chilli in thin coconut milk until tender, then finished with thick milk so the curry is creamy and soothing. The usual mistake is using ripe, sweet jackfruit, which turns to jam; ask for mature 'kos' with firm, pale bulbs, or use tinned young jackfruit in brine. Chef's tip: oil your knife and hands before cutting fresh jackfruit so the sticky latex wipes off easily.

45 min

Sri Lankan Curries

by KrazyBadal 0 views

ManaguNightshade greens

Market women in Kisii and Kakamega sell managu in thick bunches, and in the hills it is the green that goes with ugali at almost every family dinner. The leaves of cultivated African nightshade are soft and pleasantly bitter, a bit like a stronger spinach, and here they are blanched, then cooked down with onion and tomato into a soft, savoury heap. At home many families stir in a spoon of cream at the end; to keep it vegan, use coconut milk as below; buy managu fresh or frozen from African grocers and never gather wild nightshade, as some kinds are poisonous. Using the boiling water as a sauce is a common error: always drain the first boil, or the dish stays harsh. Chef's tip: squeeze the drained leaves firmly in your fist before frying so the tomato flavour soaks in instead of being watered down.

30 minEast African Sides

by KrazyBadal 0 views

Kitchener bunsJam and cream doughnut buns

Kitchener buns are a South Australian bakery icon, found in every Adelaide suburb and country town bakery from the Barossa to the Fleurieu. The soft yeast buns are fried or baked, rolled in sugar, split open and filled with a stripe of raspberry jam and a generous swirl of cream; they were named after a British field marshal during the First World War. Messy and delicious with a cup of tea. A common mistake is filling them warm, which melts the cream. Chef's tip: roll them in sugar while still warm so it sticks, then fill when cold.

45 min

Australian Baking

by KrazyBadal 0 views

KitozaSmoked dried beef strips

Butchers in the Highland markets of Antananarivo and Ambositra hang long, dark strips of kitoza above smoky fires, and households grill a few pieces each morning to eat with a bowl of soft rice. The meat is lean, cut with the grain, seasoned with salt, garlic, ginger and pepper, then dried until it is chewy and concentrated; a quick grill before serving gives it a smoky, salty crust. This home version uses beef in place of zebu and, for safety, cooks the strips to 71 °C in the oven before drying them slowly at a low heat. It is not for pregnant women, young children or anyone with a weakened immune system. The common mistake is cutting the strips too thick, which leaves them leathery outside and damp inside. Chef's tip: half-freeze the beef for an hour so you can slice it in even 5 mm strips.

175 min

Malagasy Meat

by KrazyBadal 0 views

Ägg och kaviarBoiled eggs with fish roe spread

Open any fridge in Stockholm or Gothenburg and you'll find a blue tube of kaviar, a salty, smoky, slightly sweet spread of smoked cod roe, and at breakfast it goes on halved boiled eggs on crispbread or buttered bread. It's a combination Swedes love from childhood, eaten every day and at Easter. The kaviar is smoked and pasteurised, so it is safe for most people; boil the eggs fully for pregnant people and young children. The common mistake is over-boiling the eggs to a grey, chalky yolk; 8 minutes gives a set yolk that's still bright and slightly fudgy. Chef's tip: plunge the eggs into iced water straight away; they peel cleanly and the yolks stay sunny yellow.

15 minScandinavian Breakfast & Brunch

by KrazyBadal 0 views

Koay teow th'ngFlat noodle soup

Koay teow th'ng is the gentle, clear noodle soup that Penang's Hokkien families eat for breakfast at the coffee shops of Kimberley Street and around the old George Town markets. The broth is simmered from pork and chicken bones, and the bowl holds silky flat rice noodles, bouncy fish balls, slices of fish cake, little nuggets of minced pork and lean pork slices, finished with fragrant garlic oil, a pinch of preserved cabbage and plenty of white pepper. Chef's tip: just warm the fresh noodles through; boiled, they break into short pieces.

65 min

by KrazyBadal 0 views

Aloo kabliPotato and chickpea chaat

Aloo kabli is the after-school snack of Kolkata: vendors with a big aluminium bowl stand outside the school gates of north Kolkata and around Vivekananda Park from about four o'clock, mixing it to order and spooning it into sal-leaf bowls. Cubes of boiled potato and soft white chickpeas are drenched in sour tamarind water, then seasoned with fresh green chilli, raw onion, roasted cumin and pungent black salt, and finished with a squeeze of lime. It is tangy, smoky and sharp rather than sweet. Chef's tip: dress the potatoes while they are still slightly warm so they drink up the tamarind.

30 min

by KrazyBadal 0 views

ChurmurCrushed puchka chaat

When you have eaten your fill of puchka at the stalls in Vivekananda Park or outside Gariahat market in the evening, the puchkawala will make you a churmur: the same crisp shells crushed into the same spicy potato filling with tamarind water, onion and coriander, served in a leaf bowl. It is part chaat, part crunchy salad, and puckeringly sour. Chef's tip: crush the shells into big shards, not crumbs, and fold them in last so some stay crisp.

25 min

by KrazyBadal 0 views

Agua de chilacayoteFig-leaf squash drink

When the big, mottled chilacayote squashes ripen at the end of the rains, cooks in Oaxaca's valleys and the Mixteca of Puebla turn them into a drink you eat with a spoon. The flesh is cooked with dark piloncillo and cinnamon until it falls into translucent threads, then cooled and loosened with water; in Oaxaca it is ladled out of clay jars at fairs, weddings and the Day of the Dead, often with a little pineapple. It tastes like cinnamon-scented panela, with soft, slightly crunchy strands that slide up the straw. The usual mistake is boiling it to mush; overcooked flesh goes cloudy and the strands disappear. Simmer gently and stop when the threads separate easily with a fork but still have a little bite. It is ready when the syrup is amber and the strands look glassy. Chilacayote is hard to find outside Mexico; spaghetti squash is the best substitute and gives the same threads. Keeps 3 days in the fridge. Chef's tip: grate a little orange zest into the pot in the last minute to brighten the piloncillo.

60 min

Mexican Drinks

by KrazyBadal 0 views

Kabiraji cutletEgg-coated chicken cutlet

The kabiraji cutlet is a speciality of Kolkata's old cabin restaurants, places like Mitra Café in Shobhabazar and the cabins around Esplanade, where people stop for one on the way home in the early evening. A flattened, spiced chicken cutlet is crumbed and fried, then cloaked in a frizzled web of egg that is splashed into the hot oil, giving a crackly, golden coat with the look of a bird's nest. It is eaten with sharp Bengali mustard kasundi and a raw onion and cucumber salad. A fish version uses bhetki fillet. Chef's tip: whisk the egg for the lace with a little cornflour until completely smooth; any lumps fry as blobs rather than threads.

60 min

Indian Chicken

by KrazyBadal 0 views

Ají amarillo pasteYellow chilli paste

In Lima's markets ají amarillo is sold fresh all year, and most Peruvian cooks keep a tub of this paste in the fridge the way others keep tomato purée: it is the golden base of causa limeña, ají de gallina, papa a la huancaína, chupe and the sauce for tiraditos. The chillies are seeded, de-veined and blanched in three changes of water, which tames the heat and the raw grassiness, then peeled and blended with oil into a thick, silky, saffron-orange paste. It tastes fruity and sunny, almost like apricot and passion fruit, with a rounded, medium heat. Abroad, buy whole frozen ají amarillo from Latin grocers; dried ají mirasol, soaked, gives a darker, earthier paste. Common mistake: skipping the peeling; the thin skins leave papery flecks and a bitter edge. It is ready when it is completely smooth and holds a soft peak like thick hummus. This is a low-acid paste: keep it in the fridge for a week or freeze it, never on the shelf. Chef's tip: freeze it in an ice-cube tray; one cube is about a tablespoon, just right for a pot of ají de gallina.

40 min

Peruvian Basics

by KrazyBadal 0 views

Ají de tomate de árbolTamarillo chilli sauce

No Ecuadorian table in the Sierra, from Quito to Cuenca, is complete without a small bowl of ají, and the tamarillo version is the household favourite. Tomate de árbol, the egg-shaped, wine-red tree tomato, is blanched and peeled, blended with fresh hot chilli, salt and a little water, then finished with finely chopped onion and fresh coriander. It is spooned over locro de papa, llapingachos, empanadas de viento, hornado and fritada at the long Sunday family lunch, and onto everything at the street stalls of the Saturday markets. The flavour is tangy, fruity and slightly bitter-sweet, more sour than a tomato salsa, with a fresh bite of onion and a clean chilli heat. The common mistake is blending the tamarillos with their skins on, which makes the sauce bitter; blanch them until the skins split and slip off. It is ready when it is bright orange-red, loose and juicy, and the onion is still crisp. Abroad, tamarillos turn up in larger supermarkets; ripe plum tomatoes with the pulp of a passion fruit are the best stand-in. Chef's tip: rinse the chopped onion in salted water first, which tames its sharpness, as Ecuadorians do.

20 minAndean Chutneys & Dips

by KrazyBadal 0 views

Ají de papalisaUlluco in yellow chilli

Papalisa, the glossy pink-and-yellow tuber called ulluco in Peru, has a crisp, slightly slippery bite that holds up beautifully in this ají from the La Paz highlands. The tubers are cut into fine sticks and stewed with onion, tomato and yellow chilli until tender, then served with white rice and a boiled potato. Highland cooks often add shredded dried beef; this vegan version keeps all the flavour with extra onion and cumin. Look for papalisa fresh or in jars in Latin American shops; waxy new potatoes cut the same way are a fair stand-in. The mistake most people make is skipping the soaking and rinsing, which leaves the sauce gummy. Chef's tip: cut the papalisa into matchsticks as thin as you can, so they soak up the chilli sauce like noodles.

55 minAndean Curries

by KrazyBadal 0 views

Köménymagos levesCaraway soup with bread cubes

Köménymagos leves was the breakfast of Hungarian peasants and soldiers long before coffee arrived, and it is still made in villages on cold mornings and as a soothing soup after a big night. A dark roux of flour and fat is cooked with plenty of caraway and a touch of paprika, thinned with water and finished with beaten egg and crisp bread cubes. The common mistake is not browning the roux enough: pale roux gives a floury, grey soup, so keep stirring until it is the colour of hazelnuts. Chef's tip: add the paprika off the heat, just before the water, because paprika burns in seconds in hot fat and turns bitter.

25 min

Hungarian Soups

by KrazyBadal 0 views

Ajmeri kadhi kachoriDal kachori in spiced kadhi

In Ajmer, near the dargah and in the lanes around Naya Bazaar, the breakfast crowd orders kadhi kachori: a crisp moong dal kachori broken open on a leaf plate and drowned in hot, thin, spicy kadhi, then topped with green chutney, sweet tamarind chutney and raw onion. The kachori soaks up the kadhi but keeps some crunch at the edges. The kadhi here is thinner and hotter than Gujarati kadhi, without sweetness. The common mistake is letting the kadhi boil hard before the gram flour cooks, which splits it; stir until it comes to the boil. Chef's tip: make the kachoris a day ahead and re-crisp them in a low oven, so only the kadhi is cooked fresh.

90 min

by KrazyBadal 0 views

Akoho sy sakamalaoGinger and garlic chicken

Sakamalao means ginger, and Malagasy cooks are generous with it: this everyday braise from family kitchens across the island uses a whole fist of the root, along with a full head of garlic and soft onions. Bone-in chicken is browned, then simmered gently in its own juices until the meat slides off the bone and the sauce turns golden, sticky and warming, with ginger heat that lingers rather than burns. Serve it with a big plate of rice, a dish of romazava greens or lasary, and sakay for anyone who wants more fire. Many people rush the onions; give them time to turn soft and golden, because they become the body of the sauce. Chef's tip: pound the ginger and garlic together into a coarse paste rather than slicing them, so they melt into the sauce and coat every piece of chicken.

60 min

Malagasy Chicken

by KrazyBadal 0 views

AkibiyeCreamy taro with fermented soybean

Akibiye is Sumi Naga comfort food from Nagaland: colocasia boiled until it melts into a thick, creamy stew, flavoured with chilli and axone, the fermented soybean that gives Naga cooking its deep savour. It is eaten with rice, especially in winter. For homemade axone, keep boiled soybeans wrapped in leaves at 30–40 °C for 3–5 days until sticky and pungent, then dry or use fresh; discard if black, green or pink mould appears or it smells rotten. The mistake is handling raw taro with bare hands, which itches; wear gloves or oil your hands. Chef's tip: bought axone, kinema or natto work well.

45 min

Indian Vegetarian

by KrazyBadal 0 views

KoserevaCandied bitter orange peel

Kosereva is a Paraguayan home preserve from the days when nothing was wasted: thick strips of bitter-orange peel soaked and boiled to soften their bite, then cooked slowly in dark cane molasses until glossy and nearly black. In the countryside it is eaten after lunch with a slice of fresh cheese or simply on its own. Bitter oranges (Seville oranges) are in season in winter. The most common mistake is not changing the boiling water enough, which leaves the peel unpleasantly bitter. Chef's tip: taste a sliver of peel after the third boil; it should be gently bitter like marmalade, not harsh.

180 min

Paraguayan Desserts

by KrazyBadal 0 views

Kudrum chutneyRoselle chutney

Kudrum is roselle, the red-calyxed hibiscus that tribal households in Jharkhand grow round their homes, and in the post-monsoon months its sour fleshy calyces and leaves are cooked into this bright red chutney. It is eaten with plain rice, dhuska or pitha, and a spoonful wakes up a simple meal of dal and saag. A frequent mistake is leaving the hard green seed pod inside each calyx, which makes the chutney woody; split each one and pop the pod out. Chef's tip: dried hibiscus flowers sold for tea make a good stand-in; soak them 20 minutes in hot water first.

25 min

Indonesian Snacks & Starters

by KrazyBadal 0 views

Kue pancongCoconut rice flour cakes

Kue pancong is a Betawi breakfast cake you smell before you see: vendors on Jalan Sabang and around Pasar Senen pour a coconut and rice-flour batter into blackened half-moon moulds over charcoal from first light, and office workers buy them by the paper bag with their morning coffee. The edges turn crisp and toasty, the middle stays almost molten and tastes of fresh coconut, and a scatter of sugar goes on just before they are handed over. At home, a takoyaki pan, an aebleskiver pan or a cast-iron kue cubit mould does the job. Chef's tip: grated fresh or frozen coconut gives the chewy, fibrous bite that defines pancong; desiccated coconut alone makes them dry.

35 min

by KrazyBadal 0 views

JholiYogurt and gram flour kadhi

Jholi is the thin, everyday kadhi of Kumaon, cooked when there is curd in the house and no time for pakoras, and spooned over rice for a quick lunch. It is tempered with jakhya, a tiny crunchy hill seed with a mustardy bite, and coloured gold with turmeric. Because there are no fritters, it is lighter and tangier than a Punjabi kadhi. The common mistake is letting it boil before the gram flour has cooked in, which splits the curd into grains. Chef's tip: keep stirring in one direction until the first bubble; after that the jholi is stable and can simmer on its own.

30 min

Indian Curries

by KrazyBadal 0 views

Kumaoni kheere ka raitaCucumber raita

This yellow raita is the famous one of Kumaon, made from the fat, pale hill cucumbers of late summer and served at every wedding and Holi gathering. It gets its nose-tingling kick from freshly ground raw mustard seed, which is left to mellow in the curd for an hour, and its sunny colour from turmeric. It is eaten with rice, puris and pakodas. The common mistake is not squeezing the grated cucumber, which floods the raita and dulls the mustard. Chef's tip: make it at least an hour ahead and chill it; the mustard grows sharper and rounder as it rests.

15 min

Indian Sides

by KrazyBadal 0 views

Aloo seddho bhaat for toddlersRice and potato mash for toddlers

In Kolkata homes, from north Kolkata's old paras to the flats of Salt Lake, aloo seddho bhaat is what you cook when someone is tired, ill or very small: a potato boiled right in the rice pot, mashed with hot rice. Grown-ups add raw mustard oil, green chilli and onion; for toddlers from 12 months it is mashed instead with a spoon of ghee, so it's soft, buttery and mild. Gobindobhog rice gives it a lovely fragrance. It contains milk (ghee); there is no gluten, egg, nuts or soya. Chef's tip: mash the potato and rice with a fork or your fingers, never a blender, or it turns gluey.

25 min

Indian Rice & Grains

by KrazyBadal 0 views

Atol de plátanoWarm plantain and milk drink

In Guatemalan markets, steaming pots of atol are sold from early morning: thick, sweet, drinkable porridges made from corn, rice, oats or, in this case, very ripe plantain blended with milk and cinnamon. Atol de plátano is creamy and fruity, a filling breakfast in a mug. The common mistake is boiling it hard after the milk goes in, which catches and burns on the bottom; keep it at a gentle bubble and stir. Chef's tip: simmer the plantain with the cinnamon in water first, then blend; this cooks the starch fully and gives a silky drink without any raw-banana taste.

30 minCentral American Drinks

by KrazyBadal 0 views

Labouyi farinSpiced wheat flour porridge

In Port-au-Prince and in towns across Haiti, a pot of labouyi farin is a cheap, filling breakfast that children grow up on: wheat flour simmered smooth with evaporated milk, cinnamon, nutmeg, star anise and a little lime zest, then sweetened and finished with vanilla. It should be pourable and silky, somewhere between custard and porridge. The common mistake is adding the flour straight to hot liquid, which makes lumps that never cook out; mix it into cold water first. Chef's tip: let it bubble gently for a full 10 minutes after it thickens, stirring, or it keeps a raw floury taste.

25 min

Haitian Breakfast & Brunch

by KrazyBadal 0 views

Chikar cholayThick chickpea curry

'Chikar' is Punjabi for mud, a fond joke about how thick these chickpeas are. In the old walled city of Lahore, around Lohari Gate and Gawalmandi, breakfast shops simmer huge pots from before dawn, mashing part of the chickpeas into the ghee and tomato until the whole lot clings like a paste; on Sunday mornings families eat them with fresh kulcha or puri, raw onion and lemon. Contains dairy (ghee). Chef's tip: boil the chickpeas until they squash with no resistance at all; firm ones never thicken into proper chikar.

60 min

Pakistani Curries

by KrazyBadal 0 views

Maangai thokkuGrated raw mango pickle

Thokku is the Tamil word for a pickle cooked down to a thick, spoonable mass, and maangai thokku is the one every Tamil Nadu home makes in April and May when the hard, sour Kili mooku (parrot-beak) mangoes are cheap. Grated mango is simmered in nallennai (gingelly oil) with chilli powder, salt and hing until it turns dark, glossy and jam-like, then finished with roasted fenugreek powder. It is sour first, then hot, with a nutty sesame taste and a little bitterness at the end. It is a classic partner for curd rice, a spoonful inside a dosa, or a travel companion with idli and lemon rice for train journeys. The usual mistake is grating the mango too fine or stirring it too little: a fine pulp sticks and burns. Use the large holes of the grater and keep stirring once it thickens. It is done when the mango has darkened, comes away from the pan in one mass and the oil oozes out around the edge. Kept in a dry jar under a film of oil it lasts about 2 weeks in a cool cupboard and 2 months in the fridge. Chef's tip: a teaspoon of jaggery at the end rounds off very sour mangoes without making the thokku sweet.

50 min