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WhatToEat.Today

Low-calorie recipes

Lighter recipes that are still filling and full of flavour. (782 recipes)

Garlic steamed eggplant

Fried eggplant soaks up oil like a sponge; Chinese home cooks in Sichuan and across the north get round it by steaming long purple eggplants until creamy, then pouring over a sharp dressing of pounded raw garlic, soy, black vinegar and a little chilli oil. It is served warm or cool as a summer side with rice or noodles, and it takes almost no oil at all. A portion is about 70 kcal. The common mistake is steaming them whole, which leaves the centres hard; cut them into fingers first so they cook evenly. Chef's tip: steam the strips skin side up; the purple colour stays brighter and the flesh doesn't go grey.

22 minChineseVegetarianVegan
by KrazyBadal 0 views

Ten-fold rice porridge (jūbai-gayu)

Across Japan, a baby's first solid food at about five or six months is jūbai-gayu: rice cooked gently in ten times its volume of water until it collapses into a soft, pale porridge, then pressed or blended smooth. It tastes mild and slightly sweet, and parents start with a single spoonful a day before adding mashed vegetables such as pumpkin or carrot. None of the common allergens (milk, egg, gluten, peanut, tree nuts, soya, sesame, fish) are in it, so it is an easy base to build on. Chef's tip: make a full pot and freeze it in ice-cube trays, so one cube can be warmed for each meal.

85 minJapaneseRice & GrainsVeganGluten free
by KrazyBadal 0 views

Moong dal water for babies

In North Indian homes, moong dal ka pani is often the first thing other than milk a baby tastes, spooned from a steel katori at lunchtime while the family eats dal-chawal. Split yellow moong is cooked until it falls apart with a pinch of turmeric, then the thin top liquid is strained off; over the following weeks more of the soft dal is mashed in. It tastes mild and slightly sweet. It is free of the common allergens (milk, egg, gluten, peanut, tree nuts, soya, sesame, fish). Chef's tip: a drop of ghee can be added once your baby is used to dairy, but keep it plain at first.

60 minIndianSoupsVeganGluten free
by KrazyBadal 0 views

Zicai dan hua tangSeaweed egg drop soup

Zicai dan hua tang is the soup that a busy Chinese home cook can make while the rice is cooking: dried laver seaweed, which dissolves into silky dark green ribbons, and egg swirled into simmering water seasoned with a little soy, white pepper and sesame oil. It is on canteen trays in every Chinese university and on family tables across the country. Many cooks add a few dried shrimp; this vegetarian version leaves them out and uses a pinch of mushroom powder or vegetable stock instead. Eggs are an allergen. A bowl is about 50 kcal. The common mistake is stirring as soon as the egg goes in, which makes it cloudy; wait 10 seconds so it sets into flowers. Chef's tip: tear the seaweed into the bowls, not the pot, and pour the hot soup over; it stays tender and doesn't overcook.

10 minChineseSoups
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Ssal mieum (Korean first rice gruel)

In Korean homes the weaning journey, called iyusik, begins with ssal mieum, a gruel so thin it is almost a drink. The rice is soaked, blended raw with water and then stirred over a low flame, which gives a finer, silkier result than boiling whole grains. Families offer it at around six months, a spoonful in the morning, before moving on to thicker juk with vegetables a few weeks later. It contains none of the common allergens: no milk, egg, gluten, peanut, tree nuts, soya, sesame or fish. Chef's tip: grind the soaked rice with only part of the water first; a thick slurry blends smoother than a watery one.

80 minKoreanRice & GrainsVeganGluten free
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Ji dan gengSteamed egg custard

Ji dan geng is the first "real food" many Chinese children remember: a bowl of steamed egg so smooth it shivers, made by grandmothers from Shanghai to Chengdu for a toddler's lunch, a sick day or a quick side at dinner, and eaten with a spoon over rice. Eggs are beaten with warm water, steamed gently, then finished with a few drops of soy and sesame oil and some spring onion. Eggs are an allergen, and for toddlers under one, leave out the soy. A bowl is about 110 kcal. The most common mistake is using cold water and a fierce heat, which gives a pitted, spongy custard; use warm water and a gentle steam. Chef's tip: cover the bowl with a plate or cling film while it steams, so no condensation drips onto the surface and the top stays like glass.

17 minChineseSides
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Garlic bok choy

Order a plate of greens in any home kitchen or small restaurant in Guangzhou or Shanghai and it will most likely be this: baby bok choy or xiao bai cai tossed in a smoking wok with a heap of chopped garlic, a pinch of salt and a splash of water, on the table in four minutes. The stems stay juicy and crisp, the leaves silky, and the garlic sweet. It goes with every meal. A portion is about 50 kcal. The most common mistake is a wet, crowded wok, which stews the greens to khaki; dry them well and cook in batches if your pan is small. Chef's tip: add half the garlic at the start and half at the end; you get both mellow, toasty garlic and a fresh punch.

9 minChineseSidesVeganGluten free
by KrazyBadal 0 views

Liangban haidai siShredded kelp salad

Kelp is farmed in huge quantities along the coast of Shandong and Liaoning, and liangban haidai si is the cheap, crunchy cold dish served in every northern canteen, street stall and home: long, thin strands of kelp blanched and dressed in garlic, vinegar, soy, sugar and chilli oil. It is salty-sour, a little spicy and tastes of the sea, and it goes with dumplings, noodles or a bowl of congee. A portion is about 55 kcal. The common mistake is not rinsing the kelp well; it is coated in a salty, slippery film that must be washed off before blanching. Chef's tip: add a few drops of vinegar to the blanching water; it keeps the kelp bright green and crisp.

20 minChineseSaladsVegan
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Dong gua tangWinter melon soup

In the sticky summers of Guangzhou and Hong Kong, a big pot of winter melon soup is on the stove in many homes: slabs of the pale green gourd simmered until translucent and almost melting, in a clear broth. Cantonese families believe it cools the body and drains the "dampness" of the season. Usually it is made with pork ribs or dried shrimp; this version uses dried shiitake and ginger for a deep, savoury vegetarian broth, seasoned only with salt and white pepper. A bowl is about 40 kcal. The common mistake is cutting the melon too thin, so it disintegrates; cut it into 2 cm slabs and simmer gently. Chef's tip: keep the soaking water from the mushrooms and add it to the pot; it is full of flavour.

35 minChineseSoupsVeganGluten free
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Mooli ki sabziRadish stir-fry

In Punjab and western Uttar Pradesh, radishes are bought with their leafy tops in the winter months, and nothing is wasted: the root is grated and the greens chopped, and both are cooked down with ajwain and green chilli into a soft, slightly sweet sabzi. It is eaten with makki or wheat roti and a spoon of white butter for those who are not counting, and it is very light without it. A portion is about 80 kcal. The usual mistake is skipping the squeeze: grated radish holds a lot of sharp-tasting water, so press it out first, or the sabzi turns soupy and bitter. Chef's tip: ajwain is the classic partner for radish; it softens the pungency and helps digestion, so don't leave it out.

25 minIndianVegetarianVeganGluten free
by KrazyBadal 0 views

Filmjölk with muesliSoured milk with muesli

Swedish breakfast tables, from Stockholm flats to Norrland cabins, almost always have a carton of filmjölk: a mild, pourable cultured milk that is less sour than yogurt and thinner than kefir. It goes into a deep plate, never a glass, with muesli, fresh berries and a dusting of cinnamon. Here you can make your own filmjölk by culturing milk with a few spoons of shop-bought filmjölk or buttermilk. A common mistake is warming the milk too much, which kills the culture. Chef's tip: let it set at warm room temperature, about 20–22 °C, for 24 hours until it wobbles like soft custard.

5 minScandinavianBreakfast & Brunch
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Gajar matarCarrot and pea stir-fry

Come December, the carts in Delhi and Lucknow are full of long red Delhi carrots and pods of fresh peas, and gajar matar becomes the everyday sabzi of the season, packed into tiffins with paratha or eaten with dal and rice. Diced carrot and peas are cooked with cumin, a little ginger and dry spices until just tender and sweet. Children tend to like it for its colour and mild taste. A portion is about 120 kcal. The usual mistake is cutting the carrot too big, so the peas go wrinkly before the carrot is cooked; dice it to the size of a pea. Chef's tip: if you can find the red winter carrots, use them; they are sweeter and juicier than orange ones, so you need no sugar at all.

25 minIndianVegetarianVeganGluten free
by KrazyBadal 0 views

Sigeumchi doenjang gukSpinach soybean paste soup

Spinach doenjang-guk is one of the soups that appears most often on Korean breakfast and dinner tables in winter, when the short, sweet Pohang spinach called pohang-cho arrives from the east coast: a clear, savoury broth of fermented soybean paste with spinach, tofu and spring onion, eaten with rice and kimchi. It is usually made with anchovy stock; this version uses kelp and dried shiitake, so it is vegetarian. A bowl is about 60 kcal. The common mistake is boiling the doenjang hard for a long time, which makes it bitter and dulls its fragrance; dissolve it in, then simmer gently. Chef's tip: push the doenjang through a small sieve into the pot; it dissolves without lumps and leaves the husky bits behind.

20 minKoreanSoupsVegan
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Buchu muchimSeasoned garlic chives

In Korean barbecue restaurants from Mapo in Seoul to Busan's Haeundae, a little bowl of dressed garlic chives comes to the table with the grilled pork, and at home buchu muchim is the five-minute banchan made when there is a bunch of chives in the fridge. The flat chives are cut into lengths and tossed raw with gochugaru, soy, vinegar and sesame; they have a punchy garlic-onion bite that cuts through rich meat or a simple bowl of rice. A portion is about 40 kcal. The usual mistake is mixing it hard, which bruises the chives and makes them bitter and slimy; toss lightly with your fingertips. Chef's tip: dress the chives with the oil first, then the salty and sour parts; the oil coats them and keeps them crisp longer.

8 minKoreanSidesVeganSpicy
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Sake no shioyakiSalt-grilled salmon

A piece of salt-grilled salmon with crisp, blistered skin is the heart of the traditional Japanese breakfast in ryokan from Hokkaido to Kyushu, set beside rice, miso soup and pickles, and in homes it is the plainest weeknight dinner of all. Salting the fish 10–15 minutes ahead in the fridge firms the flesh, draws out moisture and seasons it right through. Serve with grated daikon and a wedge of lemon. A portion is about 260 kcal. The common mistake is grilling straight from wet; pat the fillets very dry after salting, or the skin steams instead of crisping. Chef's tip: grill skin side up first under the grill, or skin side down first in a pan; the skin should get the most heat.

27 minJapaneseFishGluten free
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Moong dal chillaMoong dal pancakes

In Jaipur and Lucknow, a stack of chilla is what a careful mother makes on a weekday morning when she wants the family to eat protein before school: soaked yellow moong dal is ground with ginger and chilli into a pale batter and spread thin on a hot tawa. They come off golden at the edges and soft in the middle, and are eaten with green chutney or rolled around a spoon of grated paneer for those who want more. Two chillas make a portion of about 205 kcal. The dal needs 3 hours of soaking first (or overnight), which is not counted in the times. The most common mistake is a batter that is too thick: it should pour like single cream, or the chilla turns stodgy and cracks when you flip it. Chef's tip: wipe the tawa with a halved onion dipped in oil between chillas; it greases the pan lightly and stops sticking without extra oil.

25 minIndianBreakfast & BrunchVeganGluten free
by KrazyBadal 0 views

Gomoku mameSimmered mixed beans

Gomoku mame, "five-ingredient beans", is a pot of soybeans simmered with kombu, carrot, burdock, konnyaku and shiitake that grandmothers across Japan make on a Sunday and keep in the fridge for a week of small side dishes and bento, and it is often part of the New Year spread too. Every piece is cut to the size of a bean, so each spoonful has a little of everything, sweet, savoury and full of protein. This is vegetarian, with no bonito. A portion is about 150 kcal. Using cooked soybeans makes it a 45-minute dish; from dried, soak 150 g overnight and boil for 1 hour first. The usual mistake is cutting the vegetables in large chunks; they should be the size of the beans. Chef's tip: let it cool in its broth; the beans soak up the flavour as the temperature drops.

45 minJapaneseSidesVegan
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Tororo gohanMountain yam over barley rice

Tororo gohan is the speciality of Mariko-juku in Shizuoka, a post town on the old Tokaido road where travellers have stopped for bowls of it for four centuries, and it is now a simple, nourishing lunch all over Japan. Raw nagaimo (Chinese yam) is grated into a frothy, slippery purée, thinned with cool seasoned dashi and poured over hot barley rice, then topped with spring onion and nori. It sounds strange and tastes clean and comforting. This version uses vegetarian kombu dashi. A portion is about 330 kcal. Many people add a raw egg yolk: use a pasteurised egg if you do, especially for anyone pregnant, very young, older or with a weakened immune system. The common mistake is letting the dashi go in hot, which cooks the yam and loses its fluffiness; it must be cool. Chef's tip: grate the yam on the fine side of a grater, or the rough side of a suribachi bowl, and wear gloves; the raw sap can make skin itch.

20 minJapaneseRice & Grains
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Sogogi mugukBeef and radish soup

Sogogi muguk is the soup of ordinary Korean mornings and of the ancestral memorial table in Gyeongsang homes, where a clear version is offered on rites days: thin slices of beef brisket or round sautéed in sesame oil with squares of Korean radish, then simmered in water until the radish turns translucent and the broth sweet and beefy. It is seasoned only with soup soy sauce, garlic and salt and eaten with rice and kimchi. A bowl is about 160 kcal. The common mistake is skipping the sauté: frying the beef and radish together in sesame oil first is what makes the broth rich without hours of simmering. Chef's tip: cut the radish into thin, flat squares, not chunks; they cook quickly and release their sweetness into the soup.

40 minKoreanSoups
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Gondeure bapThistle greens rice

Gondeure, a mountain thistle that grows on the steep slopes of Jeongseon in Gangwon, kept villagers fed through lean springs, and gondeure bap is now what visitors travel to Jeongseon's five-day market to eat: rice cooked with the soft, dried greens and a little perilla oil, served with a soy, spring onion and sesame sauce. It is earthy, mild and fragrant, a little like artichoke. A portion is about 320 kcal. Dried gondeure must be soaked overnight and boiled for 20 minutes beforehand, which is not counted; Korean grocers also sell it ready-boiled and frozen. The common mistake is not squeezing the greens well, which makes the rice wet and soft. Chef's tip: toss the squeezed greens with a spoon of perilla oil and soup soy before they go on the rice; they season the grains as they steam.

45 minKoreanRice & GrainsVegan
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KohlrabisuppeKohlrabi soup

When the first pale-green kohlrabi arrive at market stalls in Hamburg, Bremen and across Lower Saxony in May, many families turn them into this gentle, creamy soup for a light lunch. Kohlrabi is cooked with a little potato for body, blended smooth and finished with cream, nutmeg and the bulb's own chopped young leaves, which taste like mild cabbage. Bread and butter is all it needs. A common mistake is leaving the woody lower part of the skin on: peel thickly, or fibres will spoil the texture. Chef's tip: keep the smallest, most tender leaves, shred them finely and stir them in raw at the end for colour and a fresh bite.

40 minGermanSoupsGluten free
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Chana sundalChickpea coconut stir-fry

On the sand of Chennai's Marina Beach, vendors sell sundal in paper cones at sunset, and during the nine nights of Navaratri every Tamil home makes a different sundal to offer at the golu doll display and hand out to visiting neighbours. This one is chickpeas tossed in a hot tempering of mustard seeds, urad dal, dried chilli and curry leaves, finished with fresh coconut and a squeeze of lime. A portion is about 190 kcal. Using cooked or tinned chickpeas keeps it under 20 minutes; if you start from dried, soak 120 g overnight and pressure-cook them until soft. The common mistake is wet, mushy chickpeas, which make the coconut clump; drain them well and let them steam dry for a few minutes. Chef's tip: add the coconut off the heat; cooked coconut loses its fresh, milky sweetness.

17 minIndianSnacks & StartersVeganGluten free
by KrazyBadal 0 views

Furofuki daikonSimmered daikon with miso

In the cold months, when the daikon in Kyoto and Nerima are fat and juicy, furofuki daikon is the warming dish that steams on the dinner table: thick rounds of radish simmered slowly in kombu broth until they are almost translucent and so tender they break with chopsticks, then topped with a glossy, sweet miso sauce. It is eaten as a light main or a side with rice. A portion is about 120 kcal. The most common mistake is rushing the simmer: the daikon should be cooked through to the centre, with no white, hard core. Chef's tip: bevel the edges of each round with a peeler and score a cross on the base; the rounds keep their shape and the heat reaches the middle.

60 minJapaneseVegetarianVegan
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Patta gobhi matarCabbage and pea stir-fry

This is one of the plainest and most loved dishes of North Indian home cooking, made in Kanpur, Dehradun and Delhi on any weeknight when the fridge holds half a cabbage: finely shredded cabbage and green peas cooked fast with cumin, green chilli and turmeric until just wilted, still with some crunch. It goes into lunch boxes with ajwain parathas or onto the dinner thali with dal. A portion is about 110 kcal. The most common mistake is covering it for too long, which makes the cabbage watery and gives it a sulphur smell; cook it mostly uncovered on a fairly high heat. Chef's tip: shred the cabbage as finely as you can with a sharp knife; thin ribbons cook in five minutes and soak up the spices evenly.

25 minIndianVegetarianVeganGluten free
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Bugeo gukDried pollack soup

In Seoul, little restaurants near Mugyo-dong have served bugeo-guk since dawn for decades to office workers recovering from the night before, and at home it is the light, fortifying soup for any cold morning: shreds of air-dried Alaska pollack fried briefly in sesame oil, then simmered with radish and tofu into a milky, savoury broth, with beaten egg swirled in at the end. It is clean and comforting. Fish and egg are the allergens. A bowl is about 130 kcal. The most common mistake is using the dried shreds straight from the bag; soak and squeeze them first, or they stay tough and the soup is salty. Chef's tip: fry the pollack in sesame oil until it smells toasty before adding water; it is what turns the broth white and rich.

25 minKoreanSoups
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MizutakiChicken hot pot

In Fukuoka's Hakata district, mizutaki restaurants have served this hotpot since the early twentieth century, and families make it at home all winter: bone-in chicken simmered in plain water until the broth turns cloudy and rich, then brought to the table with cabbage, leeks, tofu, mushrooms and spring onion and dipped in tangy ponzu. Diners first sip a cup of broth with salt, and the meal often ends with rice or noodles cooked in what is left. A portion is about 360 kcal. The most common mistake is simmering too gently: unlike a clear Western stock, mizutaki broth should bubble steadily so the collagen turns it milky. Chef's tip: blanch the chicken first and rinse it; it gives a clean, sweet broth with no scum.

90 minJapaneseChicken
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Ragi dosaFinger millet dosa

Around Mysuru and the farming villages of south Karnataka, ragi is the everyday grain, and this no-ferment dosa is how many homes use it at breakfast when there is no idli batter in the fridge. Finger-millet flour is whisked with a little rice flour, onion and green chilli into a thin batter that is poured, not spread, so it sets into a lacy, crisp, dark brown crepe. Serve with coconut chutney or sambar. Two dosas are about 210 kcal. The usual mistake is spreading the batter like a normal dosa; ragi batter is too thin, so pour it from a height in a circle and fill the gaps. Chef's tip: let the batter rest for 10 minutes before cooking; the flour drinks up water and the dosas hold together better.

25 minIndianBreakfast & BrunchVeganGluten free
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Surówka z marchewkiCarrot and apple salad

That little mound of orange on the side of every milk-bar plate in Łódź or Wrocław is surówka z marchewki, raw carrot and apple grated together and sharpened with lemon. Polish families make it beside Sunday chops, Friday fish and plain potatoes all year round, because carrots and apples keep through the winter. It takes ten minutes and is crisp, sweet and tart. A common mistake is grating the apple long before serving, so it browns and the salad turns watery. Chef's tip: grate the carrots on the fine side of the grater and the apple on the coarse side, so the apple stays juicy and the carrot soaks up the dressing.

10 minPolishSaladsVeganGluten free
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Varagu pongalKodo millet pongal

Ven pongal, the peppery rice and dal porridge, is the Sunday breakfast of Tamil Nadu and the prasadam handed out at temples; in Chennai homes that have turned to millets, kodo millet (varagu) now often takes the rice's place. It cooks into the same soft, creamy mass with yellow moong dal, scented with crushed black pepper, cumin, ginger and curry leaves fried in a modest spoon of ghee, and is eaten with coconut chutney and sambar. A portion is about 280 kcal, far less ghee than the temple version. The mistake people make is serving it too thick; pongal firms up fast as it cools, so make it looser than you think. Chef's tip: crush the peppercorns coarsely in a mortar rather than grinding them fine; you want little bursts of heat in each spoonful.

35 minIndianRice & GrainsGluten free
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Horenso no ohitashiSpinach in dashi

Ohitashi, "the soaked dish", is one of the three small sides of the everyday ichiju-sansai meal, and in Tokyo homes a little mound of spinach steeped in cool seasoned broth turns up beside grilled fish and miso soup most weeks of the year. Usually it is topped with bonito flakes; this vegetarian version uses kombu and shiitake dashi and a sprinkle of toasted sesame instead. It is clean, savoury and barely seasoned, so the sweetness of the spinach comes through. A portion is about 35 kcal. The most common mistake is not squeezing the spinach after blanching, which dilutes the broth into a watery puddle. Chef's tip: blanch the stems for 10 seconds before pushing in the leaves; the stems need longer, and this way the whole bunch is tender at once.

15 minJapaneseSidesVegan
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Zupa kalafiorowaCauliflower soup

Late-summer cauliflowers from the market gardens around Kalisz and Poznań end up in zupa kalafiorowa, a chunky, comforting soup that Polish families eat on a September weekday with fresh bread. Small florets, potato and carrot simmer in broth, and soured cream and dill turn it creamy and fresh at the end. It is not blended: the pleasure is in the soft florets. A common mistake is adding the cauliflower with the potatoes, so it falls apart into mush. Chef's tip: simmer the cauliflower stalk with the potatoes for flavour and add the florets for only the last 8–10 minutes.

40 minPolishSoupsGluten free
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SpargelsalatWarm asparagus salad

Asparagus farms along the Baden Spargelstraße and in the Lüneburg Heath sell their spears straight from roadside huts in May, and this lukewarm salad is how many households there eat the first bundle. White and green spears are cooked just tender, cut into lengths and dressed while warm in a sharp vinaigrette of white wine vinegar, mustard, shallot and plenty of chives, so they soak up the flavour. It goes with new potatoes, or as a light lunch with bread. A frequent mistake is overcooking white asparagus until it is limp and stringy. Chef's tip: dress the spears while still warm and leave them for 15 minutes; cold asparagus barely absorbs the dressing.

30 minGermanSaladsVeganGluten free
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Kongnamul bapSoybean sprout rice

In Jeonju and Jeonbuk, the province famous for its soybean sprouts, kongnamul bap is the humble one-pot supper of winter: rice steamed with a thick layer of crunchy sprouts on top, so they wilt into the grains and give them a sweet, nutty flavour. Each person spoons on a sharp yangnyeom-jang, soy sauce with spring onion, garlic, chilli flakes and sesame, and mixes it through. A portion is about 300 kcal. Many homes add a little minced beef; this version keeps it vegetable-only. The common mistake is using the usual amount of water; the sprouts release a lot of liquid, so cut the water by about a fifth, or the rice turns mushy. Chef's tip: don't lift the lid while it cooks; the sprouts give off a raw, beany smell if the steam escapes halfway.

40 minKoreanRice & GrainsVegan
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KräuterquarkHerb quark

On summer evenings across Germany, from Hamburg allotments to Swabian farmhouse kitchens, a bowl of herb quark sits in the middle of the Abendbrot table with rye bread, radishes and boiled new potatoes. Fresh low-fat quark is loosened with a little milk and linseed or sunflower oil, then packed with chopped chives, parsley and dill and a hint of garlic, so it tastes cool, tangy and green. It also goes on jacket potatoes at the fair and next to grilled vegetables at a barbecue. The usual mistake is chopping the herbs ahead and letting them sit, which turns them dark and bruised. Chef's tip: let the finished quark rest in the fridge for 20 minutes so the garlic mellows and the herbs flavour the whole bowl.

10 minGermanChutneys & DipsGluten free
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ChawanmushiSteamed egg custard

Chawanmushi, "steamed in a tea bowl", is served in small lidded cups at the start of a kaiseki dinner in Kyoto, at sushi counters across Japan, and at home on cold evenings: a just-set egg custard made with dashi, so light it trembles, hiding pieces of chicken, prawn, shiitake and a ginkgo nut or two. It is eaten hot with a spoon. Eggs and prawns are allergens. A cup is about 110 kcal. The most common mistake is steaming on a high heat, which makes the custard puff up full of holes; keep the heat low and set the lid slightly open. Chef's tip: strain the egg mixture through a fine sieve before pouring; it removes the stringy whites and bubbles and gives a mirror-smooth top.

35 minJapaneseSnacks & Starters
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Beans foogathGreen beans with coconut

Foogath is the everyday vegetable of Goan Catholic homes in Margao and Panjim, a dry stir-fry of finely chopped beans, cabbage or gourd with onion, green chilli and plenty of freshly scraped coconut, eaten on the side of fish curry rice at Sunday lunch or with plain rice and dal at a weekday supper. It is mild, sweet and fresh-tasting. A portion is about 120 kcal. The common mistake is cooking the beans too long in a covered pan, which turns them khaki; cook them quickly and keep them bright green. Chef's tip: chop the beans very fine, almost into small rounds; that is the Goan way, and it lets them cook in a few minutes.

20 minIndianSidesVeganGluten free
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Milagu rasamPepper rasam

In Tamil homes from Madurai to Chennai, milagu rasam is the medicine of the kitchen, made when someone has a cold, the weather turns wet, or the family just wants a light dinner of rasam and rice. Unlike tomato rasam it needs no dal: tamarind water is simmered with a freshly ground paste of black pepper, cumin and garlic and tempered with ghee or oil, giving a thin, sharp, warming broth that clears the head. It is poured over rice or sipped from a cup. A portion is about 55 kcal. The common mistake is letting it boil hard after the spice paste goes in, which makes it bitter; once it froths up, turn off the heat. Chef's tip: dry-roast the pepper and cumin for a minute before grinding; it turns the heat round and deep instead of harsh.

20 minIndianSoupsVeganGluten free
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Zupa koperkowaDill and potato soup

In early summer, when bunches of dill tied with string pile up at Kraków's Stary Kleparz market, Polish cooks make zupa koperkowa: a light broth of potato, carrot and parsley root that gets almost a whole bunch of chopped dill at the end. It is a weekday lunch soup, often with a hard-boiled egg or a spoon of soured cream, and it tastes clean and green. A common mistake is cooking the dill with the vegetables, which turns it dull and grassy. Chef's tip: stir half the dill stalks in during simmering for depth, then add all the feathery leaves only once the pot is off the heat.

40 minPolishSoupsGluten free
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Moong dal khichdiRice and moong dal porridge

When someone in a Gujarati or Rajasthani home is under the weather, has just come back from a long trip, or simply wants a light supper on a Monday, the pressure cooker comes out for plain moong dal khichdi. Rice and split yellow moong cook together with turmeric until they collapse into a soft, spoonable porridge, and a small tempering of ghee, cumin and asafoetida is poured over at the end. It is eaten with yogurt, papad and a pickle, and it is gentle enough for toddlers over one year. A portion is about 290 kcal. The most common mistake is too little water, which leaves a stiff, dry khichdi; it should be loose enough to settle flat in the bowl. Chef's tip: dry-roast the dal for two minutes before adding water; it gives a nutty smell that plain boiled dal never has.

35 minIndianRice & GrainsGluten free
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Mu namulStir-fried radish strips

Mu namul is the soft, white radish side dish that appears among the banchan of a Korean home table in autumn and winter, when the fat Korean radishes are at their sweetest, and it is always part of the namul set laid out for Chuseok and ancestral rites in Andong and Seoul. Thin matchsticks of radish are stir-fried with garlic and a pinch of salt, then steamed briefly in their own juice until tender and translucent, and finished with sesame. It is mild, sweet and very gentle on the stomach. A portion is about 50 kcal. The most common mistake is cutting the radish against the grain, so it breaks into short bits; cut lengthways, along the grain, so the strands stay long. Chef's tip: salt the radish first and let it sit for a few minutes; it releases water that it then cooks in, so you need almost no oil.

20 minKoreanSidesVeganGluten free
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Minari muchimWater dropwort salad

Minari, Korean water dropwort, grows in the wet fields of Cheongdo and around Daegu, and in early spring Koreans eat it raw and crunchy as a sharp, peppery salad: the stems are tossed in a sweet-sour dressing of gochugaru, vinegar, garlic and a touch of sugar, with thinly sliced onion. It is served alongside grilled pork belly or a fish stew to freshen the palate. A portion is about 50 kcal. If minari is hard to find, use watercress or celery leaves with stems. The common mistake is dressing it too early: the leaves wilt and weep within half an hour, so toss it just before eating. Chef's tip: soak the cut minari in iced water for five minutes first; it turns very crisp.

11 minKoreanSidesVeganSpicy
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ChorchoriMixed vegetable stir-fry

Chorchori is the thrifty everyday dish of Kolkata kitchens, where whatever vegetables are in the basket, pumpkin, potato, aubergine, radish, beans, are cut into sticks and cooked down slowly with panch phoron and mustard oil until the pan is dry and the bottom catches a little. Bengalis love that slightly caramelised scrape at the bottom of the pan. It is eaten with rice and dal at lunch. A portion is about 150 kcal. The usual mistake is stirring too much, which breaks the vegetables into mush; once the lid is on, leave it and just shake the pan. Chef's tip: add a teaspoon of mustard paste or a pinch of sugar at the end, as many Bengali homes do; it rounds out the flavour.

30 minIndianVegetarianVeganGluten free
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Matki usalSprouted moth bean curry

Every Marathi kitchen from Pune to Kolhapur keeps a jar of matki, the small brown moth beans, sprouting on the counter, and a bowl of usal is what turns up with chapati or bhakri at a weekday lunch, or topped with farsan as misal on Sundays. The sprouts stay slightly firm in a thin, spicy gravy flavoured with goda masala, the sweet-smoky spice mix of Maharashtra, and a little fresh coconut. A portion is about 230 kcal. Sprouting takes 2 days (soak overnight, then leave wrapped in a cloth for 24–36 hours), which is not counted in the times. The common mistake is overcooking the sprouts until they split and go mushy; they should hold their shape and still have a slight bite. Chef's tip: add a teaspoon of jaggery and a few kokum petals at the end; the gentle sweet-sour balance is what makes usal taste Maharashtrian.

40 minIndianVegetarianVeganGluten free
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Parwal ki sabziPointed gourd and potato curry

Parwal, the small striped pointed gourd, is the summer vegetable of Patna, Varanasi and the Bhojpuri belt, and parwal-aloo is what fills the plate beside dal, rice and roti through the monsoon months. Lightly scraped gourds are halved and cooked with potato, onion, turmeric and a little garam masala until tender and golden in spots. A portion is about 140 kcal. The common mistake is peeling the parwal completely; just scrape off the rough outer skin so the halves keep their green colour and do not fall apart. Chef's tip: choose firm, bright green parwal with soft seeds; if the seeds are hard and red, scoop them out before cooking.

30 minIndianVegetarianVeganGluten free
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Chwinamul muchimSeasoned aster greens

Chwinamul, the wild aster that grows on the mountains of Gangwon and the slopes around Jirisan, is one of the most loved spring greens in Korea, sold by grandmothers at village markets in April and dried for the namul of Daeboreum, the first full moon of the lunar year. Blanched and squeezed, it is seasoned with soup soy sauce, garlic and sesame oil and has a deep, herbal, slightly bitter flavour that wakes up the rice. A portion is about 45 kcal. If you can't find chwinamul, use spinach or watercress, blanched for less time. The common mistake is not squeezing the greens well, so the seasoning slides off; press them firmly in your fist. Chef's tip: season with your fingertips, rubbing the dressing gently into the leaves; Korean cooks call it son-mat, the taste of the hands.

15 minKoreanSidesVegan
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Rei-shabuChilled pork salad

In the heat of a Tokyo August, nobody wants a hot frying pan, and rei-shabu, "cold shabu-shabu", is what appears on dinner tables and in set lunches: paper-thin slices of pork loin or shoulder poached briefly in barely simmering water, cooled, and piled on a crisp salad of lettuce, cucumber and tomato with ponzu or a sesame sauce. It is light and refreshing. This is a pork dish. A portion is about 280 kcal. The most common mistake is plunging the cooked pork into iced water, which makes the fat set hard and the meat tough; let it cool on a sieve instead. Chef's tip: keep the water just below the boil, around 80 °C, with a splash of sake; the pork stays tender instead of going grey and stringy.

25 minJapaneseMeat
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Sangchu geotjeoriFresh lettuce salad

Geotjeori is "fresh kimchi", made to be eaten the same day, and lettuce geotjeori is the summer version Korean families throw together in ten minutes when the leafy red lettuce from the garden or the market in Suwon is piling up: torn leaves and spring onion tossed in a garlicky gochugaru and soy dressing. It goes with grilled meat, bibimbap or just rice. Many homes add fish sauce; this vegan version uses soy and a little more sesame. A portion is about 45 kcal. The most common mistake is dressing it in advance; lettuce goes soggy within minutes, so mix it at the table. Chef's tip: dry the leaves very thoroughly in a salad spinner; any water left on them dilutes the dressing and stops it clinging.

10 minKoreanSaladsVeganSpicy
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KakitamajiruEgg drop soup

When the miso pot is empty, or someone in a Japanese home is feeling poorly, kakitamajiru is the soup that comes out: a clear, gently seasoned dashi thickened very slightly with potato starch so that a stream of beaten egg sets into soft, floating ribbons. It is served in lacquer bowls alongside rice and a main dish at an ordinary dinner anywhere in Japan. This version uses vegetarian kombu-shiitake dashi. Eggs are an allergen. A bowl is about 55 kcal. The most common mistake is pouring the egg into soup that is not quite boiling, which makes it cloudy; the broth must be bubbling when the egg goes in. Chef's tip: pour the egg through the tines of a fork in a thin stream, moving round the pan; it gives the finest, fluffiest strands.

17 minJapaneseSoups
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RuispuuroRye porridge

In Finnish homes and school canteens, ruispuuro is the plain, filling porridge of winter mornings, from Helsinki flats to farmhouses in Ostrobothnia. Rye flakes or coarse rye meal simmer in salted water until thick and slightly tangy, and the classic topping is a pool of melting butter, called a voisilmä or 'butter eye'. This version is vegan: use a plant butter, or tart lingonberries and a little oat milk. A common mistake is serving it too soon, when the flakes are still chewy. Chef's tip: let the porridge rest off the heat with the lid on for 5 minutes — the rye swells and turns creamy.

20 minScandinavianBreakfast & BrunchVegan
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UnohanaSimmered okara with vegetables

Okara, the soft white pulp left after making soy milk and tofu, is sold for pennies in Kyoto tofu shops, and grandmothers turn it into unohana, named after the white deutzia flowers that bloom in early summer: the pulp is simmered with carrot, shiitake, fried tofu, konnyaku and spring onion in sweet soy dashi until moist and fluffy. It is a side dish for rice and a classic of frugal, high-fibre home cooking. Many homes add a little chicken; this version is vegetarian, with kombu-shiitake dashi. A portion is about 140 kcal. The most common mistake is cooking it dry and crumbly; it should be moist enough to hold together when pressed with chopsticks, so don't skimp on the broth. Chef's tip: dry-fry the okara in the pan for a few minutes first; it loses its beany smell and absorbs the seasoning better.

35 minJapaneseSidesVegan
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Yasai itameVegetable stir-fry

Yasai itame is the dish on every teishoku menu in Tokyo's cheap lunch counters and the default weeknight vegetable in Japanese homes: cabbage, bean sprouts, carrot, peppers and onion tossed fast over a high flame with salt, pepper and a splash of soy until glossy and still crunchy. Many homes add a few slices of pork; this is the vegetable-only version, with shiitake for savouriness. Eat it with rice and miso soup. A portion is about 110 kcal. The most common mistake is crowding a cool pan, which stews the vegetables in their own water; get the pan very hot and cook in two batches if your pan is small. Chef's tip: add the bean sprouts last and cook them for only 30 seconds; they should still snap.

16 minJapaneseVegetarianVegan
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Nanakusa-gayuSeven-herb rice porridge

On the morning of 7 January, after days of rich New Year food, families all over Japan eat a bowl of nanakusa-gayu, rice porridge with seven young spring herbs, to rest the stomach and wish for good health in the year ahead. Supermarkets sell little packs of the seven herbs (seri, nazuna, gogyo, hakobera, hotokenoza, suzuna and suzushiro), but turnip, radish and their tops with watercress and spinach make a good stand-in. The porridge is plain, soft and seasoned only with salt. A portion is about 130 kcal. The most common mistake is adding the greens too early, which turns them grey and bitter; add them in the last minute. Chef's tip: don't stir the rice while it simmers; stirring breaks the grains and makes the porridge sticky instead of soft and clean.

50 minJapaneseRice & GrainsVeganGluten free
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HiyajiruChilled miso soup

In Miyazaki, on the hot, humid east coast of Kyushu, farmers have eaten hiyajiru through the summer for centuries: grilled fish and sesame are pounded with barley miso in a mortar, the paste is toasted, then thinned with cold dashi and poured, with ice, over barley rice, with torn tofu, cucumber and shiso. It is cool, savoury and filling, a lunch that revives you in the heat. Eggs are not used; fish and soy are the allergens. A bowl with rice is about 340 kcal. The common mistake is skipping the toasting of the miso paste; it is what gives hiyajiru its deep, roasted flavour. Chef's tip: use day-old cold rice and rinse it briefly; warm, sticky rice turns the cold soup cloudy.

30 minJapaneseSoups
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Nasu no nibitashiAubergine in cold dashi

On a sticky summer evening in Osaka or Tokyo, a chilled dish of nibitashi is one of the nicest things to find in the fridge: Japanese eggplant cut into pieces, cooked in a little oil until silky, then left to soak in cold, lightly sweet soy dashi with grated ginger. It is served cool beside rice and grilled fish or tofu. This version uses vegetarian kombu-shiitake dashi. A portion is about 80 kcal. The most common mistake is frying the eggplant in lots of oil; it drinks it all up and turns heavy. Brush it lightly and cook it covered so it steams soft. Chef's tip: score the skin in fine diagonal lines before cooking; the broth soaks in faster and the purple skin stays bright.

25 minJapaneseSidesVegan
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UlavacharuHorse gram soup

Horse gram (ulavalu) was once the grain fed to horses and the poorest farmers in the dry Rayalaseema and Krishna districts; today ulavacharu is a prized dish in Vijayawada restaurants, served with hot rice, a dot of ghee for those who eat it and fresh cream in the fancier places. The beans are boiled for a long time, and their dark, earthy cooking liquid is simmered down with tamarind, jaggery and spices into a thick, glossy, sweet-sour soup. A portion is about 210 kcal. The beans need soaking overnight first. The most common mistake is throwing away the cooking water: it is the soup. Chef's tip: let ulavacharu reduce slowly until it coats a spoon like thin gravy; that thick, almost syrupy finish is what separates it from rasam.

90 minIndianSoupsVeganGluten free
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KachumberCucumber tomato onion salad

No North Indian or Gujarati thali is complete without a little heap of kachumber, the chopped salad that cuts through rich dal makhani, biryani or chhole in homes and dhabas from Delhi to Ahmedabad. Cucumber, tomato and onion are diced small and dressed only with lemon juice, salt, chilli and roasted cumin, so it stays crisp and sharp. A portion is about 40 kcal. The most common mistake is salting it too early; salt draws the water out of the cucumber and tomato and leaves a soggy puddle, so dress it just before serving. Chef's tip: soak the chopped onion in iced water for 5 minutes and drain; it loses its harsh bite and stays crunchy.

10 minIndianSaladsVeganGluten free
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Kakdi koshimbirCucumber peanut salad

Koshimbir is the cool, crunchy salad that sits on the left side of a Marathi thali in Pune and Nashik, eaten at lunch with varan-bhaat and served at every festival meal. This one is grated or finely chopped cucumber mixed with crushed roasted peanuts, green chilli and a little yogurt, then finished with a fizz of mustard seeds and asafoetida in hot oil. A portion is about 110 kcal. The common mistake is not squeezing the cucumber, which makes the salad watery within minutes; press out the juice (and drink it). Chef's tip: add the crushed peanuts at the last moment so they stay crunchy, and use a pinch of sugar only if your yogurt is very sour.

12 minIndianSaladsGluten free
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Karei no nitsukeFlounder in sweet soy

Nitsuke is the quick, glossy way Japanese home cooks simmer white fish, and flounder (karei) is the classic, especially in Hokkaido and along the Sea of Japan coast, where it is bought whole and cut into steaks at the fishmonger's. The fish cooks in only 10 minutes in a small amount of soy, sake, mirin and sugar with ginger, spooned over until it glistens; the flesh stays soft and sweet. Serve with rice and a green vegetable, and the broth to spoon over the rice. A portion is about 210 kcal. Sake and mirin contain alcohol, boiled off before the fish goes in; the notes give swaps. The most common mistake is putting fish into cold liquid; it must go into boiling broth so the surface sets at once and the flesh doesn't go mushy. Chef's tip: use a pan just big enough for the fish in one layer, so the small amount of broth reaches all of it.

25 minJapaneseFish
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Zupa jarzynowaMixed vegetable soup

Zupa jarzynowa is what a Polish kitchen makes when the vegetable drawer needs clearing: carrots, parsley root, celeriac, potatoes, cauliflower, green beans and peas, all diced small and simmered in one pot. From Białystok to Szczecin it is the Monday soup, the canteen soup and the soup for anyone off their food, and it is eaten with bread and a swirl of soured cream. A common mistake is putting everything in at once, so the beans and peas turn khaki and soft. Chef's tip: add the vegetables in stages, roots first, green things last, and every spoonful has a bit of bite.

50 minPolishSoupsGluten free
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Macher jholLight fish curry

Macher jhol is the dish Bengalis miss most when they leave Kolkata: a thin, turmeric-yellow broth with pieces of rohu or catla, a few potato wedges and sometimes cauliflower or aubergine, eaten every day with plain rice at lunch. It is light, gently spicy with ginger and cumin, and finished with green chillies and coriander; it is the dish mothers make for children and anyone recovering from illness. A portion is about 260 kcal. The most common mistake is skipping the light frying of the fish, or frying it too long; a minute or two each side seals it and keeps it from breaking in the broth. Chef's tip: rub the fish with turmeric and salt for 10 minutes before frying; it firms the flesh and takes away any muddy taste of river fish.

40 minIndianFishGluten free
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Patra ni machhiSteamed fish in green chutney

No Parsi wedding feast in Mumbai or Navsari, the lagan nu bhonu, is complete without patra ni machhi: pieces of pomfret smothered in a bright green chutney of coconut, coriander, mint, green chilli and lime, wrapped in banana leaves and steamed. When the parcels are opened at the table the fish is moist and tender and the chutney tangy and fragrant. It is also an easy, light dinner at home. A portion is about 240 kcal. The common mistake is steaming too long: thin fillets need only 12–15 minutes, and overcooked fish turns dry and chalky. Chef's tip: pass the banana leaves briefly over a gas flame or dip them in hot water first; they turn soft and glossy and fold without tearing. Foil works if you can't get leaves.

35 minIndianFishGluten free
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Kiriboshi daikon no nimonoSimmered dried daikon

Kiriboshi daikon, radish cut into thin strips and dried in the winter sun, is a pantry staple in Miyazaki, where most of it is made, and in homes all over Japan; simmered with carrot and thin fried tofu it becomes a brown, sweet-savoury side that fills bento boxes and the small plates of a home dinner. The dried strips have a deeper, sweeter flavour than fresh daikon and a pleasant chew. This vegetarian version uses kombu-shiitake dashi. A portion is about 95 kcal. The common mistake is soaking the dried daikon for too long; 10–15 minutes is enough, or it goes limp and loses its sweetness. Chef's tip: keep the soaking water and use a little of it in the broth; it is full of flavour.

30 minJapaneseSidesVegan
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Aehobak bokkeumStir-fried courgette

Aehobak, the pale green Korean courgette, is in every market from Gwangjang in Seoul to Busan's Jagalchi all summer, and a quick stir-fry of it is one of the banchan most often on the family table and in school lunches. Half-moon slices are lightly salted, then stir-fried with garlic until just tender and glossy, and finished with sesame. Many homes season it with saeujeot, salted shrimp; this version uses salt and a little soy instead, so it is vegan. A portion is about 45 kcal. The common mistake is overcooking, which leaves limp, watery slices; cook it hot and fast and take it off while the slices still have a little bite. Chef's tip: salting the slices for 10 minutes and patting them dry keeps them firm and stops the pan filling with liquid.

16 minKoreanSidesVegan
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ZosuiRice and vegetable soup

In Japan, zosui is what happens to the last of the hotpot broth: when the nabe is nearly finished, leftover rice goes into the pot with beaten egg, and everyone shares the soft, savoury porridge at the end. It is also the light dish made at home for upset stomachs and cold nights, using any rice from the cooker. This version uses kombu-shiitake dashi, mushrooms and greens. Eggs are an allergen. A portion is about 260 kcal. The common mistake is stirring the rice too much, which turns it gluey like okayu; zosui should be loose, with separate grains in clear broth. Chef's tip: rinse the cooked rice briefly in a sieve before adding it; it washes off surface starch and keeps the broth clear.

20 minJapaneseRice & Grains
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Satoimo no nikkorogashiGlazed simmered taro

Satoimo, small hairy taro, are dug in autumn across the farmland of Chiba and Saitama, and nikkorogashi, "simmered and rolled", is the most homely way to eat them: the peeled taro are simmered in a little dashi, sugar and soy, then rolled around the pan as the liquid boils down until each one is coated in a sticky, glossy glaze. The inside stays creamy and slightly slippery. This version uses vegetarian kombu-shiitake dashi. A portion is about 130 kcal. The common mistake is not rinsing off the sliminess after peeling, which makes the sauce gloopy; rub them with salt and rinse well. Chef's tip: peel taro with dry hands, or wear gloves; the raw sap can make skin itch.

40 minJapaneseSidesVegan
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Thinai upmaFoxtail millet upma

Foxtail millet, thinai, was the grain of the Tamil hills long before rice took over, and in Coimbatore and Madurai it has come back into home kitchens as a lighter breakfast for diabetics and anyone watching their rice. Here it is cooked like a vegetable upma: a tempering of mustard seeds, urad and chana dal, then onion, carrot, beans and peas, and the rinsed millet simmered until each grain is fluffy and separate. A portion is about 250 kcal. The common mistake is too much water, which makes it gluey; use two and a half times the millet's volume and leave it covered off the heat to finish. Chef's tip: toast the rinsed millet in the pan for three minutes before the water goes in; it stays separate and tastes nuttier.

28 minIndianBreakfast & BrunchVeganGluten free
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JapgokbapMultigrain rice

In Korean homes today, the bowl of rice beside the stew is more often japgokbap than plain white: short-grain rice cooked with a handful each of barley, brown rice, black rice, millet and beans, which turns it purple-grey, chewy and nutty. Supermarkets in Seoul sell ready-mixed bags of japgok for the rice cooker, and the habit goes back to times when rice was rationed and stretched with other grains. A portion is about 270 kcal, with far more fibre than white rice. The beans and brown grains need soaking: 4 hours or overnight (not counted). The common mistake is cooking it with the water for white rice; whole grains need about a quarter more. Chef's tip: soak the beans and brown grains separately from the white rice, which only needs 20 minutes; that way nothing ends up hard or mushy.

50 minKoreanRice & GrainsVegan
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Kambu koozhPearl millet porridge

In the hot months in rural Tamil Nadu, and at the Aadi festival of the village goddesses, big clay pots of kambu koozh are made the evening before and ladled out cold at midday to farm workers and pilgrims. Pearl-millet flour is cooked into a thick porridge, left overnight to sour lightly, then thinned with buttermilk and salt and eaten with chopped raw shallots, green chilli and a bite of pickle. It is sour, filling and surprisingly refreshing. A glass is about 165 kcal. Allow 8–12 hours of fermenting, not counted in the times. The usual mistake is adding the buttermilk to warm porridge, which makes it grainy; it must be completely cold first. Chef's tip: cook the porridge in a clay or steel pot rather than non-stick; it ferments more evenly and gets that clean, tangy taste.

30 minIndianDrinksGluten free
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Kheera raitaCucumber yogurt dip

From Lucknow dinner tables to the biryani counters of Old Delhi, a bowl of cucumber raita is the cooling answer to anything spicy, and in summer it is eaten on its own with a paratha. Grated cucumber is folded into smooth, whisked yogurt with freshly roasted cumin, mint and a pinch of black salt. A portion is about 70 kcal. The common mistake is using yogurt straight from the pot without whisking, which gives a lumpy raita; whisk it smooth first and thin it with a spoon of cold water if needed. Chef's tip: roast whole cumin seeds in a dry pan and crush them yourself just before serving; the smoky smell is what makes a raita sing.

11 minIndianSidesGluten free
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Gà luộc lá chanhPoached chicken with lime leaves

No northern Vietnamese ancestor altar at Tết or on a death anniversary is complete without a whole golden poached chicken, and once it comes down from the altar it is chopped and eaten with hair-thin shreds of lime leaf and a dip of salt, pepper and lime. The skin is taut and yellow, the meat juicy, and the broth goes on to make miến or cháo. Buy a chicken without its head and feet. Chef's tip: plunge the bird into iced water as soon as it is cooked; skip the ice bath and the skin wrinkles, loosens and loses its shine.

60 minVietnameseChickenGluten free
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Canh cua rau đayCrab and jute leaf soup

Through the sticky Hanoi summer, the cheapest and most loved soup is canh cua: tiny rice-field crabs pounded and strained so the sweet crab 'curds' float to the top of a broth of slippery jute leaves (rau đay) and luffa, eaten with rice and crunchy pickled aubergines. Away from the paddies, fresh crab meat gives the same soft curds; if you buy live crabs, cook only lively ones and discard any that are dead. Chef's tip: stir the broth only until it comes to a simmer, then leave it; keep stirring and the crab curds break into a cloudy mush.

40 minVietnameseSoupsGluten free
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Jamu kunyit asamTurmeric tamarind drink

Jamu gendong women still walk Solo and Yogyakarta lanes in the morning with baskets of bottles on their backs, and kunyit asam is the one most people buy: earthy fresh turmeric and sour tamarind boiled with palm sugar, strained and drunk cool. It tastes bright, tangy and faintly peppery, rather like a spiced lemonade. Families also make big jugs at home for hot afternoons. Chef's tip: wear gloves or scrub the board straight away; fresh turmeric stains hands, wood and plastic bright yellow within minutes.

30 minIndonesianDrinksVeganGluten free
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Gỏi gà bắp cảiChicken cabbage salad

Gỏi gà turns up wherever Vietnamese families gather around a pot of chicken: alongside cháo gà at a weekend lunch, at death anniversaries and at roadside chicken restaurants on the way out of Saigon. Shredded poached chicken is tossed with fine cabbage, onion pickled briefly in vinegar and a fistful of peppery rau răm, then dressed with lime, fish sauce and sugar, so it is lean, crunchy and full of herbs. Chef's tip: soak the sliced onion in vinegar water for 10 minutes; raw onion left as it is overwhelms the delicate chicken.

40 minVietnameseChickenGluten free
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Miến gàChicken glass noodle soup

Hanoi eats miến gà on chilly winter mornings and the day after Tết, when every kitchen has chicken broth left from the altar bird. The chewy, translucent mung bean noodles soak up a clean, gingery broth, topped with shredded chicken, spring onion, rau răm and fried shallots; a squeeze of lime and a few slices of chilli finish it at the table. It is light enough for breakfast and gluten free. Chef's tip: soak the noodles and blanch them separately just before serving; cooked in the broth, they drink it all and swell into a soggy tangle.

60 minVietnamesePasta & NoodlesGluten free
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Fish tikka

On winter nights along Karachi's seafront and in the Do Darya restaurants, skewers of fish tikka go round the table straight from the grill, the chunks blushing red from chilli and yogurt with blackened corners. Firm white fish such as surmai (kingfish) or monkfish holds its shape while the marinade sets into a light, tangy crust, and it needs only lemon, sliced onion and a bowl of raita. The mistake most people make is marinating fish as long as chicken: more than 40 minutes and the lemon and salt start to 'cook' it, so it flakes apart on the skewer. Contains fish and milk. Chef's tip: rub the fish with lemon and salt first, rest it 10 minutes and pat dry before the yogurt goes on, so the marinade sticks and doesn't slide off.

50 minPakistaniFishGluten freeSpicy
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Nộm hoa chuốiBanana blossom salad

Hanoi cooks make nộm hoa chuối on hot summer days and as a sharp, crunchy partner to boiled meats at family gatherings, when a banana blossom from the market is sliced paper-thin into acidulated water. The pale purple-white shreds taste faintly nutty and astringent, softened by a sweet-sour fish-sauce dressing, carrot, rau răm and plenty of toasted peanuts and sesame; many households add poached chicken or pig's ear. Chef's tip: slice the blossom straight into lime water and keep it submerged; sliced banana blossom left in the air blackens within minutes.

30 minVietnameseSaladsGluten free
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Canh mướp tômLuffa and prawn soup

In summer the trellises of Vietnamese gardens hang heavy with luffa, and canh mướp is what goes on the table most evenings from Hanoi to Huế: a clear, barely salted broth with soft, sweet gourd and a little chopped prawn, ladled over rice through the meal. It takes 20 minutes and very little oil, which is why mothers make it for anyone feeling the heat. Chef's tip: add the luffa last and pull the pot off as soon as it turns translucent; overcooked luffa goes slimy and the soup turns grey.

20 minVietnameseSoupsGluten free
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Shlada batata (Moroccan cumin potato salad)

Shlada batata is one of the cooked salads that line up on a Moroccan table before Friday couscous, in Rabat as much as in the Rif: boiled potato chunks dressed while warm with olive oil, lemon, cumin, paprika, garlic and plenty of parsley, with no mayonnaise at all. It's eaten at room temperature with bread, or with grilled sardines. Dressing cold potatoes is the common mistake; they don't absorb the flavours, so toss them while they're still steaming. Chef's tip: a few slivers of preserved lemon peel make it unmistakably Moroccan.

30 minMoroccanSaladsVeganGluten free
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Ye-qey sir selataBeetroot and potato salad

Fasting-day platters at Addis Ababa restaurants and church feasts often carry a bright magenta heap of this cold salad beside the hot wats: boiled beetroot, potato and carrot tossed with lemon juice, thin red onion, green chilli and a little oil. It is sharp, sweet and cooling, a palate-cleanser between spoonfuls of berbere-red lentils. It differs from key sir alicha, the warm beetroot stew, in that everything is boiled whole, cooled and dressed raw. The usual slip is dressing the vegetables while hot, which turns the potatoes pink and mushy; let them cool first. Chef's tip: dress the onion and chilli in the lemon juice and salt ten minutes ahead so they soften and lose their sharp bite.

50 minEthiopianSaladsVeganGluten free
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Gỏi đu đủ khô bòGreen papaya salad with beef jerky

Outside Saigon's schools and in the alleys off Hồ Con Rùa, carts piled with shredded green papaya sell gỏi đu đủ khô bò by the plate as an after-school or after-work snack. The papaya is crisp and cool, tossed with strips of sweet-spicy beef jerky, Thai basil and rau răm, then drowned in a thin, sweet fish-sauce dressing and finished with peanuts and a squirt of chilli sauce. It is lighter and sweeter than Thai som tam and never pounded. Chef's tip: soak the shredded papaya in iced salted water and dry it well; skip this and the salad is limp and the dressing tastes watery.

20 minVietnameseSaladsGluten free
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Sabanekh (Egyptian spinach stew)

When the winter spinach comes in, Egyptian cooks from Giza to the Delta stew it down with onion and finish it with ta'leya, the sizzling fry of garlic and ground coriander that defines so much home cooking. The result is soft, dark green and savoury, a little like a looser saag, and it's eaten with vermicelli rice and a squeeze of lemon. This vegan version adds a handful of chickpeas for body. The mistake to avoid is skipping the squeeze-out: wet spinach makes a watery stew. Chef's tip: the ta'leya should sizzle loudly as it hits the pot — Egyptian cooks call it the "shahka", the gasp, and it carries the aroma through the dish.

40 minEgyptianCurriesVeganGluten free
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Shlada beldia (Moroccan tomato and cucumber salad)

Shlada beldia, "country salad", sits next to the bread on almost every Moroccan table, from Marrakech grill stalls to a Tuesday family lunch in Oujda. Tomato, cucumber, onion and green pepper are diced as small as lentils, then dressed with lemon, olive oil, parsley and a pinch of cumin, so it eats like a fresh relish with grilled meat, tagines or eggs. The common mistake is dressing it too early: the tomatoes weep and it turns to soup, so salt it just before serving. Chef's tip: dice everything to the same tiny size; that's what makes it taste Moroccan rather than like a chopped salad.

15 minMoroccanSaladsVeganGluten free
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Rau luộc chấm kho quẹtBoiled vegetables with dipping sauce

Farm families in the Mekong Delta, in Đồng Tháp and Cần Thơ, used to stretch a few spoonfuls of salty kho quẹt across a whole basket of boiled garden vegetables, and it is now a nostalgic favourite in Saigon restaurants. The dip is pork fat rendered into crisp cracklings, then fish sauce, sugar, shallot, dried shrimp and black pepper bubbled down until thick and sticky enough to 'scrape' (quẹt) with a vegetable. The vegetables do most of the work, so the plate stays light. Chef's tip: take the dip off the heat while it still looks a little loose; it sets as it cools and, cooked too far, it burns bitter and turns rock-hard.

30 minVietnameseSidesGluten free
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Shlada khiar (grated cucumber salad with oregano)

In the heat of a Fes or Marrakech summer, this ice-cold grated cucumber salad is served in bowls with spoons, half salad, half drink, alongside rich tagines or a plate of fried fish. Cucumber is grated and loosened with water, vinegar and a little sugar, then perfumed with crushed dried oregano or zaatar. Grating ahead and leaving it to sit in salt is the usual slip; the cucumber goes limp and bitter. Chef's tip: rub the oregano between your palms over the bowl to wake its oils.

10 minMoroccanSaladsVeganGluten free
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Trà atisôArtichoke tea

Artichokes arrived in the cool Đà Lạt highlands with French planters, and today the town's markets sell dried artichoke leaves, stems and flower buds for tea along with fresh heads for soup. Local cafés serve it hot on misty mornings and iced in the afternoon, slightly sweet, earthy and pleasantly bitter, and many Vietnamese drink it as a gentle tonic after rich meals. This version brews fresh globe artichokes with their stems; a 30 g bag of dried trà atisô works the same way. Chef's tip: skip the aluminium pan; artichokes react with it and the tea turns grey and metallic.

30 minVietnameseDrinksVeganGluten free
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Nước rau máPennywort juice

Saigon street carts blend nước rau má to order through the hottest part of the afternoon, pouring the bright green juice into plastic cups over crushed ice for office workers and students. Pennywort (rau má) tastes fresh, grassy and very slightly bitter, and southerners drink it to 'cool the body' in the dry season; some stalls blend in cooked mung beans or a splash of coconut milk to make it richer. Look for bunches of rau má in Vietnamese and South Asian grocers, where it is also sold as gotu kola. Chef's tip: strain twice through a fine cloth and drink it within the hour; left standing, it separates and darkens to a dull khaki.

15 minVietnameseDrinksVeganGluten free
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Cháo gàChicken rice porridge

Cháo gà is what Vietnamese mothers cook for anyone with a cold, and what late-night stalls in Hanoi and Saigon ladle out after midnight to people heading home. Toasted rice is simmered in chicken broth until it breaks into a loose, silky porridge, then topped with shredded chicken, lots of ginger and black pepper, spring onion and rau răm, with a side of gỏi gà if you are feeding a crowd. Chef's tip: toast the raw rice in a dry pan before simmering; untoasted rice gives a gluey, bland porridge instead of a nutty, loose one.

60 minVietnameseRice & GrainsGluten free
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Bò tái chanhLime-cured beef salad

In Saigon's beer gardens bò tái chanh arrives as the first plate of the evening, a sharp, herb-heavy pile of thin beef slices dressed in lime juice and fish sauce with onion, rau răm and peanuts, scooped up with sesame rice crackers. Street cooks often leave the beef almost raw and let the lime 'cook' it; lime does not make beef safe, so this home version blanches the slices for a few seconds until they are cooked at least to medium, still tender and rosy at the centre. Chef's tip: squeeze out the lime juice before dressing; beef left sitting in a pool of lime turns grey and chewy.

20 minVietnameseMeatGluten free
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Kosa bel salsa (courgettes in tomato sauce)

The pale green Egyptian kosa is shorter and sweeter than a supermarket courgette, and in summer Delta towns like Tanta cook it in tomato sauce several times a week. This vegan version keeps the rounds just soft enough to hold together, in a light sauce with garlic and a handful of dill. It is light enough for a hot evening, eaten with rice or torn baladi bread. The classic mistake is stirring too hard so the courgettes collapse into mush; shake the pan instead. Chef's tip: if you can find pale Middle Eastern courgettes, use them; they hold their shape better and taste nuttier.

40 minEgyptianCurriesVeganGluten free
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Podina raitaMint yogurt dip

Order a platter of tikka at a Burns Road or Gawalmandi grill and a steel bowl of pale green podina raita lands beside it without asking; it is the cooling counterweight to smoke and chilli, and at home it goes with biryani, pulao and kebab rolls too. Mint, a handful of coriander, one green chilli and freshly toasted cumin are whisked into thick yogurt until it is pourable but still clings to a piece of naan. The usual slip is blitzing the herbs in a blender with the yogurt, which thins it to a watery green drink; pound or chop the herbs separately and fold them in. Contains milk. Chef's tip: dry-roast the cumin seeds yourself and crush them at the last minute: the smoky, toasty smell is what makes a grill-house raita taste like one.

12 minPakistaniChutneys & DipsGluten free
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Chorba khodra (light Moroccan vegetable soup)

Chorba khodra is the everyday soup of Moroccan homes from Tangier to Agadir, served for supper on cold evenings and to anyone feeling unwell. Carrots, courgettes, potato, turnip and celery simmer with onion, tomato, coriander, parsley, ginger and a little turmeric, then get blended into a smooth, light orange soup thickened with a spoon of fine vermicelli or semolina. Serve with bread and a lemon wedge. Most people boil it too long so the herbs turn dull; add the fresh herbs in the last 10 minutes. Chef's tip: a teaspoon of smen or olive oil stirred in right before serving gives it the roundness of the restaurant version. Contains wheat (vermicelli).

45 minMoroccanSoupsVegan
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Shlada gar'a (cooked courgette salad with cumin)

In Meknes and Casablanca the pale courgettes of early summer are cooked down into this soft, spiced salad, one of several little dishes set out with bread before the main course. The courgettes are steamed with garlic, then crushed lightly with olive oil, cumin, paprika and lemon until spoonable but still chunky. Serve it cool with bread or alongside grilled fish. Watery courgettes are the usual problem; cook off all the liquid before seasoning. Chef's tip: add a handful of chopped coriander only at the end so it stays bright.

30 minMoroccanSaladsVeganGluten free
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ShiraaeVegetables in tofu dressing

Shiraae, 'white dressing', is one of the oldest dishes of Japanese temple cooking and still a gentle home side today, especially in the Kyoto area: blanched spinach, carrot and konnyaku folded into a creamy paste of tofu, ground sesame and a touch of white miso. It tastes mild, nutty and lightly sweet, rather like a Japanese answer to a dip-dressed salad. The common mistake is leaving the vegetables wet, which turns the dressing grey and runny; squeeze them well and dress just before serving. Chef's tip: for the silkiest dressing, grind the toasted sesame in a suribachi (or mortar) until it starts to turn oily, then mash the tofu straight into it.

28 minJapaneseSaladsVegan
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Yaki nasuGrilled aubergine

Summer evenings in Japanese homes and izakaya often bring a plate of yaki nasu: whole aubergines blackened over a flame until the skin is burnt and the inside collapses into smoky, silky strands. Peeled while hot, they are served chilled or warm with grated ginger, soy and spring onion. The classic topping is bonito flakes; this vegetarian version uses toasted sesame and a kombu–shiitake dashi in the dressing instead. The common mistake is pulling the aubergine off the flame too early, leaving a firm, bitter centre; it should feel completely floppy. Chef's tip: plunge the charred aubergines into iced water for a few seconds only, which makes them easy to peel without washing away the smoky flavour.

25 minJapaneseSidesVegan
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Luo han guo teaMonk fruit tea

The hills around Guilin in Guangxi grow luo han guo, a small round gourd that is dried until its shell turns brown and brittle. Cantonese and Guangxi households simmer one in water when someone has a scratchy throat or a dry cough, or simply in the heat of summer, and the result is a dark amber tea that tastes of caramel and dried fig with no sugar added at all. Drink it hot in winter or chilled in summer. The mistake most people make is using a whole fruit for a single cup, which is cloyingly sweet; one fruit is enough for a large pot. Chef's tip: crack the shell and tear the pulp into pieces, so the flavour comes out in 15 minutes instead of an hour.

20 minChineseDrinksVeganGluten free
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Kenchin jiruRoot vegetable and tofu soup

This hearty, clear soup is said to have been created at Kenchō-ji, the great Zen temple in Kamakura, where monks fried scraps of root vegetables and crumbled tofu in sesame oil before simmering them, so nothing was wasted. Today it is a winter staple in Kanto homes, especially in Ibaraki and Kanagawa: soft daikon, carrot, burdock, taro and konnyaku in a soy-seasoned kombu broth, nutty with sesame. A spoon of sake goes in at the end and simmers off; the note gives an alcohol-free swap. The common mistake is skipping the frying stage; it is the sesame oil that gives kenchin its richness. Chef's tip: tear the konnyaku and tofu with your hands instead of cutting, so the rough surfaces catch more broth.

40 minJapaneseSoupsVegan
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Cu liu baicai (vinegar cabbage)Vinegar-fried cabbage

Through the long winters of Shandong, Hebei and Beijing, napa cabbage was the vegetable stored in every courtyard, and cu liu baicai is how northern homes turn it into a bright, quick dish in ten minutes. The thick white stalks are sliced thin and seared hard in a smoking wok, then splashed with black vinegar so they stay crunchy, juicy and sharp, with a little sweetness and the warmth of dried chilli. It goes with rice, steamed buns or dumplings. The classic mistake is crowding a cool wok, which stews the cabbage in its own water; cook in two batches if your pan is small. Chef's tip: add half the vinegar around the hot edge of the wok so it sizzles and turns fragrant, and the rest at the end for fresh tang.

15 minChineseVegetarianVegan
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Yin er tang (snow fungus sweet soup)

Gutian county in Fujian grows most of the world's snow fungus, a frilly white dried fungus that softens into a soft, jelly-like tangle when simmered. Mothers across southern China cook it into a lightly sweet soup with red dates, lotus seeds and goji, served warm in winter and chilled in summer, and it is thought good for the skin and for dry autumn coughs. Done well, the liquid turns thick and glossy on its own. The common mistake is not simmering long enough: under an hour the fungus stays crunchy and the soup thin. Chef's tip: tear the soaked fungus into small pieces and cut away the hard yellow base; the smaller the pieces, the more body the soup gets.

120 minChineseDessertsVeganGluten free
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Dudhi nu shaakBottle gourd curry

When someone in a Gujarati house is unwell, or it's simply too hot to eat anything heavy, this is the shaak that appears with khichdi or thin rotli. Pale green bottle gourd cubes are cooked in a vaghar of cumin, mustard seed and hing with green chilli, a little tomato and a pinch of jaggery, and they release so much juice that almost no water is needed. With no onion, garlic or fresh ginger, it's everyday Jain food too. It ends up soft, light and gently sweet-sour, with a little thin gravy to soak into rice. The common mistake is adding water; dudhi is mostly water itself, and the shaak goes soupy and bland. Cover and let it stew in its own juice. Chef's tip: always taste a tiny raw piece first; a bottle gourd that tastes bitter can make you ill and must be thrown away.

30 minIndianSidesVeganGluten free
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Xiaomi zhou (golden millet porridge)

In Shanxi, Hebei and the rest of the north, where rice was once a luxury, a pot of golden foxtail millet porridge is breakfast with steamed buns and pickles, a light supper, and the first food given to new mothers and anyone who is unwell. It needs just millet and water, cooked until a thin, silky layer called mi you, 'rice oil', forms on top. The common mistake is to stir it constantly or add the millet to cold water; start with boiling water and let it simmer gently and it turns creamy without catching. Serve it plain, or with a few red dates or cubes of pumpkin simmered in. Chef's tip: toast the rinsed millet in a dry pan for a minute before boiling for a deeper, nutty flavour.

40 minChineseBreakfast & BrunchVeganGluten free
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Shojin dashiKombu and shiitake stock

Zen temples in Kyoto and Kamakura build their whole cuisine on this stock: kombu kelp and dried shiitake soaked in cold water until the liquid turns golden and deeply savoury, with no bonito at all. It is the vegan dashi for miso soup, simmered vegetables, noodle broths and dipping sauces, and every vegetarian Japanese recipe on this site can use it. The common mistake is boiling the kombu, which releases slime and bitterness; it should never go beyond a gentle simmer, and taking it out just before boiling gives the cleanest flavour. Chef's tip: soak overnight in the fridge (mizudashi) for the best, roundest flavour with no effort, then keep the softened shiitake for a simmered dish.

20 minJapaneseBasicsVeganGluten free
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Masala chaasSpiced buttermilk

No Gujarati lunch is finished until the steel glass of chaas comes round. From Ahmedabad pols to Kathiyawadi farmhouses, homemade dahi is thinned right down, churned with a wooden ravai or a blender, and seasoned with roasted cumin, black salt, a little ginger and green chilli, then poured ice-cold after dal-bhaat-shaak-rotli. It should be thin enough to drink in one go, salty, gently hot and full of coriander; that is what settles a heavy meal in May. Kerala's sambaram, with shallot and curry leaf, is a close cousin. A common mistake is churning thick, very cold full-fat dahi for too long: the fat clumps into flecks of butter and the chaas turns thin and greasy. Blend the dahi with only part of the water for a few seconds, then stir in the rest. Chef's tip: dahi that is a day old and slightly sour makes the best chaas; very fresh, sweet dahi tastes flat however much masala you add.

10 minIndianDrinksGluten free
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Lü dou tang (chilled mung bean soup)

When the heat settles on Guangzhou, Wuhan or Shanghai in July, families keep a jug of mung bean soup in the fridge, and school canteens and workplaces hand it out by the bowl; traditional medicine calls mung beans 'cooling', a reason to drink it on the hottest days. It is just mung beans simmered with rock sugar until some burst and the liquid turns pale green or soft red, eaten chilled. The common mistake is cooking it in an iron or aluminium pan or leaving it uncovered too long, which turns the soup dark brown-red; a stainless steel pot with the lid on keeps it greener. Chef's tip: for a clear green soup, take a few ladles of the liquid after 10 minutes of boiling, before the beans split, and drink that as a lighter tea.

60 minChineseDessertsVeganGluten free
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Yamitsuki cabbageSesame cabbage salad

Yamitsuki means 'addictive', and this bowl of raw cabbage is what many Tokyo yakitori bars put down free the moment you sit, to nibble while the grill heats up. The leaves are torn rather than cut, tossed with sesame oil, garlic, salt and a little stock powder or soy, and finished with crumbled nori and sesame: crunchy, salty and hard to stop eating. The common mistake is dressing it too early; after ten minutes the salt draws out water and it goes limp. Chef's tip: tear the cabbage with your hands into bite-size pieces, because the ragged edges hold far more dressing than a knife-cut slice.

5 minJapaneseSaladsVegan
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Bingtang xueli (rock sugar stewed pears)

When the dry winds of a northern winter bring on sore throats, grandmothers in Beijing and Shandong set a bowl of pear and rock sugar in the steamer, and it is now served as a soothing dessert all over China. Whole Asian pears, hollowed and filled with rock sugar, are slowly stewed until translucent and swimming in their own light syrup. The common mistake is choosing a Western pear that collapses; crisp Asian (nashi or Ya) pears hold their shape and give plenty of juice. Chef's tip: slice off the top as a lid and stew it with the pear; serving the pear with its lid back on is how it is presented at the table.

65 minChineseDessertsVeganGluten free
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Hijiki no nimonoSimmered hijiki seaweed

This is the quiet, dark heap of seaweed that turns up next to rice in set lunches all over Japan, and it is a staple of home bento boxes because it tastes just as good cold. Tiny black hijiki strands are simmered with carrot, thin fried tofu (aburaage) and soybeans in a sweet soy broth until the liquid is nearly gone. It is savoury, faintly of the sea and rich in fibre. Mirin contains alcohol; the note gives an alcohol-free swap, and this version uses fish-free kombu–shiitake dashi. A common mistake is skipping the rinse after soaking: dried hijiki carries sand, so swish it in fresh water twice. Because hijiki can hold inorganic arsenic, soak it well, discard the soaking water and eat it as a small side rather than daily in large amounts. Chef's tip: pour boiling water over the aburaage first to remove excess frying oil, so it soaks up the broth.

45 minJapaneseSidesVegan
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Osmanthus jelly (gui hua gao)

In Hangzhou and Guilin the sweet osmanthus trees flower around Mid-Autumn, and their tiny golden blossoms are dried to scent teas, wine and this crystal-clear jelly, a light dessert after a mooncake-heavy festival meal. Set with agar instead of gelatine, it is vegan, firm enough to cut into neat squares, and studded with flowers and red goji berries. The mistake is adding all the flowers to hot liquid at once: they float to the top in a crowd, so stir them in once the mix starts to thicken. Chef's tip: a mould with layers of flowers suspended all through looks far prettier than one with all the petals at the top.

25 minChineseDessertsVeganGluten free
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Turiya nu shaakRidge gourd curry

Turiya arrives in Gujarat's markets with the monsoon, and this quick, juicy shaak is a weekday staple from Rajkot to Navsari, eaten with rotli and a dollop of ghee, or with khichdi and kadhi. It is cooked the Jain way, in a vaghar of mustard seed, ajwain and hing with green chilli and dry ginger powder instead of fresh ginger, plus tomato and a pinch of sugar. The gourd turns silky and almost melts, leaving a light, sweetish gravy. A common mistake is overcooking: ridge gourd softens in about eight minutes and turns to mush soon after. Take it off the heat as soon as the pieces are translucent but still hold their shape. Chef's tip: scrape off only the hard ridges and leave the green skin between them; it keeps the pieces together and adds flavour.

25 minIndianSidesVeganGluten free
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Lẩu nấm chay (vegetarian mushroom hotpot)Mushroom hot pot

Đà Lạt, cool and misty, made the mushroom hotpot famous, and vegetarian lẩu restaurants in Hanoi and Saigon now fill up with groups on cold or rainy evenings. A clear broth sweetened with daikon, corn cobs, carrot and apple sits on a burner in the middle of the table; everyone drops in mushrooms, tofu and greens, fishes them out a minute later and spoons them over rice noodles. Expect to top up the pot and keep eating for an hour. Chef's tip: simmer the broth vegetables gently and never boil hard; a rolling boil clouds the broth and dulls its natural sweetness.

60 minVietnameseSoupsVegan
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Nopales navegantesCactus in chilli broth with eggs

The name means 'sailing cactus', for the strips of nopal floating in a light red broth, and the dish is a standby of Lent in Hidalgo and the State of Mexico, when cooks want something warming and meatless. Eggs are cracked straight into the simmering caldo to poach, and the bowl is finished with fresh cheese, coriander and lime. It is light, cheap and ready in about forty minutes. Use a vegetarian cheese if you avoid animal rennet. Chef's tip: boil the nopales separately first and rinse well, so their slippery juice doesn't thicken the broth.

40 minMexicanSoupsGluten free
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Pla neung manao (steamed fish in lime and chilli)Steamed fish with lime and chilli

Restaurants all over Bangkok bring this dish to the table in a fish-shaped steamer with a flame underneath, the fish swimming in a broth of garlic, chilli, lime and fish sauce that keeps bubbling as you eat. Sea bass (pla kapong) is the usual choice. It is clean, sour and very garlicky, ideal for a light dinner with rice and a plate of greens. A whole fish is traditional; two thick fillets work just as well and steam faster. Chef's tip: pour the sauce over at the end, not before steaming; lime cooked for 15 minutes loses its freshness and turns bitter.

35 minThaiFishGluten freeSpicy
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Gaeng jued tao hoo (clear tofu soup, jay style)

During the nine days of the Vegetarian Festival in Phuket Town and Bangkok's Chinatown, yellow flags mark the stalls selling food that is jay: no meat, no dairy and none of the pungent alliums. This gentle soup is what people drink alongside their stir-fries, a clear broth of daikon and dried shiitake sharpened with crushed white pepper and coriander root, holding soft silken tofu and slippery mung bean vermicelli. Out of festival season, cooks add garlic oil and minced pork. Chef's tip: don't boil after the tofu goes in; silken tofu breaks into crumbs, so let it warm through at a bare simmer.

30 minThaiSoupsVeganGluten free
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Khai toon (Thai steamed egg with pork)

Thai parents across the country make khai toon when a child is off their food or someone is unwell: eggs beaten with stock, a little minced pork and spring onion, steamed in a bowl until just set and wobbling. It goes on the table with rice and a stir-fry for supper and costs almost nothing. This version uses pork mince; for a vegetarian bowl, use chopped shiitake instead and season with salt or light soy sauce. It contains egg and fish sauce. Chef's tip: steam over a gentle simmer, not a rolling boil; high heat pocks the custard with holes and turns it spongy.

20 minThaiSidesGluten free
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Nopales con huevoCactus and scrambled eggs

Tender cactus paddles are sold cleaned and diced in bags at every market in Mexico City and Michoacán, and the quickest breakfast they make is this: nopales fried with onion, tomato and green chile until their sticky juice cooks off, then folded through softly scrambled eggs. It is light, green and tangy, and wrapped in a warm tortilla it becomes a taco to eat on the way out. Chef's tip: cook the nopales uncovered until the slime has gone completely before the eggs go in.

20 minMexicanBreakfast & BrunchGluten free
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Gaeng liang (peppery pumpkin and lemon basil soup)

Older cooks in Ayutthaya and the central plains make this soup for new mothers and anyone feeling run down: a cloudy broth of pounded shallot, white pepper and krachai (fingerroot), packed with pumpkin, baby corn, sponge gourd and handfuls of lemon basil. It is eaten as one of several dishes with rice at a home meal, never as a creamy starter. The everyday version pounds dried shrimp and shrimp paste into the base and seasons with fish sauce; here dried shiitake and tamari give the savouriness, so it is vegan. Chef's tip: add the lemon basil off the heat at the very end; boiled basil turns black and loses the peppery perfume the soup is named for.

30 minThaiSoupsVeganGluten free
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Nieve de garrafa de limónLime water ice

In town plazas from Oaxaca to Guadalajara, neveros still churn nieve de garrafa by spinning a tall metal can in a wooden barrel of ice and rock salt, scraping the frozen walls with a long paddle. Lime nieve is the sharpest and most refreshing, pale green from the zest, and it is eaten in small cups after a hot walk through the market. At home a metal bowl set in ice and salt works the same way. Chef's tip: add the zest at the start but strain it out; that way you get its oils without the bitterness.

60 minMexicanDessertsVeganGluten free
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Agua de pepino con limónCucumber lime drink

Pale green and very refreshing, agua de pepino is the cooler sold from market juice stands in Mexico City and Oaxaca when the afternoon heat builds, and families blend a jug for comida on hot days. Cucumber, lime and a few mint leaves give a clean, light taste with very little sugar. Chef's tip: leave some of the peel on the cucumber for colour, but strain the drink so it stays silky.

10 minMexicanDrinksVeganGluten free
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Abobrinha refogadaSautéed courgette

Refogado, the base of onion and garlic softened in oil, is how Brazilian home cooks start almost every dish. Courgette cooked this way is a staple vegetable on the prato feito, the everyday lunch plate of rice, beans, a meat and a salad, all over the country. The courgette should be tender but still hold its shape, glossy with tomato and full of herbs. Chef's tip: use small, firm courgettes; big ones are watery and full of seeds.

22 minBrazilianSidesVeganGluten free
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Nam takrai (lemongrass drink)

Thai spa receptions and roadside rice shops both pour this from big glass jars, and in Chiang Mai and Bangkok homes a pot is often simmering on hot afternoons. Bruised lemongrass gives a clean, lemony, slightly grassy taste and pandan a soft vanilla note; lightly sweetened, it is refreshing over ice and soothing warm on a rainy-season evening. Chef's tip: the usual mistake is chopping the lemongrass fine and boiling it hard, which makes it bitter; bash the stalks and simmer gently.

20 minThaiDrinksVeganGluten free
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Tacos de nopales asadosGrilled cactus tacos

At weekend markets in Milpa Alta, the cactus-growing district on Mexico City's southern edge, whole nopal paddles are grilled until tender and folded into tortillas with charred spring onions and salsa verde. Grilling dries the natural slime the cactus is known for and leaves a lemony, green-bean flavour. It is a light, naturally vegan taco. Buy paddles with the spines already removed, or scrape them carefully with a knife. Chef's tip: score the paddles in a criss-cross before grilling so they cook evenly and stay flat.

25 minMexicanSnacks & StartersVeganGluten free
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