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WhatToEat.Today

Low-calorie recipes

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

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
by KrazyBadal 0 views

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
by KrazyBadal 0 views

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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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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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
by KrazyBadal 0 views

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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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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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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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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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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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

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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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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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
by KrazyBadal 0 views

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
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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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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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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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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
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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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
by KrazyBadal 0 views

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
by KrazyBadal 0 views

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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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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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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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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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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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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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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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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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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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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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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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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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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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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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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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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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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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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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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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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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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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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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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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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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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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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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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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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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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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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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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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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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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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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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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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 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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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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Yam talay (Thai seafood salad)

Beach shacks on Koh Samet and along the Pattaya coast bring yam talay out in a heap, the seafood still warm, glistening with lime and fish sauce, and scattered with Chinese celery and onion. It is light and very sour, eaten with ice-cold drinks before the grilled fish arrives, or with rice for lunch. Use whatever is freshest; the mix below is easy to find. Chef's tip: poach each type of seafood separately and briefly; tipping everything in together overcooks the squid into rubber bands before the mussels open.

25 minThaiFishGluten freeSpicy
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Pla pao (salt-crusted grilled fish)

Walk through any night market from Chiang Mai to Hat Yai and you will see rows of whole fish, white with crusted salt, grilling slowly over charcoal with lemongrass stalks poking out of their bellies. The salt shell keeps the flesh steaming in its own juice, so it comes out moist, clean-tasting and scented with lemongrass and pandan. People peel back the skin and eat the fish wrapped in lettuce with rice noodles, herbs and a fierce lime and chilli dip. Chef's tip: pat the fish completely dry before salting; a wet fish lets the crust slide off in the first five minutes.

55 minThaiFishGluten free
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Sopa de flor de calabazaSquash blossom soup

From July to September, when the summer rains fill Mexico City's markets with armfuls of orange squash blossoms, home cooks turn them into this light, golden soup. Half the blossoms are blended with onion into the base and the rest go in whole at the end, with diced courgette, sweetcorn and a sprig of epazote. The result is delicate and floral, a good first course before something rich. Serve with crumbled queso fresco; it is usually made with animal rennet, so look for a vegetarian one. Chef's tip: buy blossoms in the morning and use them the same day, as they wilt within hours.

40 minMexicanSoupsGluten 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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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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Caldo de pollo mexicanoChicken vegetable broth

Mexican mothers make caldo de pollo for colds, hangovers and rainy Sundays, and every market has a stall serving it in huge bowls. Chicken is simmered with onion and garlic, then chunks of carrot, potato, chayote, courgette and corn cook in the clear broth. At the table each person adds a spoonful of red rice, chopped onion, coriander, fresh chile and a good squeeze of lime. Chef's tip: add the vegetables in stages, from hardest to softest, so nothing turns to mush.

90 minMexicanChickenGluten free
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Jícama con chile y limónJícama with chile and lime

Few snacks are as simple or as refreshing as this one, sold in bags from street carts and made at home all over Mexico as an after-school or pre-lunch nibble. Jícama tastes like a cross between apple and water chestnut: crisp, juicy and barely sweet. Lime, salt and chile powder are all it needs. Chef's tip: a short soak in iced water makes the sticks extra crisp.

10 minMexicanSnacks & StartersVeganGluten free
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Fruta con chileFruit with chile and lime

Every plaza in Mexico City seems to have a fruit cart with a glass case of jícama, cucumber, mango and pineapple, cut to order into tall sticks and packed into a cup. The vendor squeezes over lime and shakes on chile-lime salt, and you eat it with a toothpick on a hot afternoon. It's juicy, crunchy, sour and only a little hot. Chef's tip: chill the fruit well first; cold fruit and sharp chile make the contrast.

15 minMexicanSnacks & StartersVeganGluten free
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Repolho refogadoSautéed cabbage

Cheap, quick and good with everything, this pan of fine-shredded cabbage is a weekday staple in Brazilian homes and the self-service lunch spots of São Paulo and Rio. It's fried with garlic and onion just long enough to turn sweet and glossy while keeping a little crunch, then brightened with a splash of vinegar. Many families add bacon; this version is vegan. Chef's tip: shred the cabbage as finely as you can; thin ribbons cook evenly in minutes.

20 minBrazilianSidesVeganGluten free
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Agua de sandíaWatermelon drink

When watermelons are piled high in the markets of Jalisco and Sonora in summer, almost every taquería has a jar of bright pink agua de sandía next to the horchata. It needs only ripe watermelon, water, a squeeze of lime and a touch of sugar, and children love it. Chef's tip: a very ripe melon may need no sugar at all, so taste before you sweeten.

10 minMexicanDrinksVeganGluten free
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Canh bí đỏ chay (clear pumpkin soup)

Every Vietnamese family meal has a canh, a light soup to sip between mouthfuls of rice, and in autumn in the north the pot is often full of orange pumpkin. Unlike a blended Western pumpkin soup this one stays clear and brothy, with soft, sweet chunks you break with a spoon. Most kitchens add minced pork or dried prawns; this vegetarian version gets its depth from shiitake and a little soy. It is a good soup for children and for anyone recovering from a cold. Chef's tip: cut the pumpkin into even 3 cm chunks and stop cooking as soon as they are tender; overcooked pumpkin falls apart and turns the broth cloudy and porridge-like.

25 minVietnameseSoupsVeganGluten free
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Yam makheua yao (grilled aubergine salad)

In Bangkok's evening markets, cooks blister long green aubergines straight over charcoal until the skins blacken, then peel them and dress the soft, smoky flesh with lime, chilli, shallot and plenty of herbs. It is a cooling side for grilled meats and sticky rice, or a light lunch on its own. Stalls usually top it with minced pork or dried shrimp and season with fish sauce; here crisp fried tofu and tamari make it vegan. Chef's tip: char the aubergines until they collapse completely and the skin is papery; pulling them off too soon leaves spongy, bitter centres.

30 minThaiSaladsVeganGluten free
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Yam som o (pomelo salad)

Pomelos from Nakhon Chai Si, west of Bangkok, are prized for their dry, juicy segments, and when they come into season in late summer this salad appears on restaurant menus across the central plains. The segments are broken into bursting sacs and tossed with toasted coconut, crisp shallots and peanuts in a dressing of lime, palm sugar and nam prik pao, so it eats sweet, sour, nutty and only mildly hot. Restaurants usually add poached prawns, fish sauce and a chilli jam made with dried shrimp; this version uses tamari and a vegan nam prik pao so it suits everyone. Chef's tip: dress the pomelo just before serving and toss with your fingertips; stirring hard with a spoon bursts the sacs and leaves a watery bowl.

25 minThaiSaladsVeganGluten free
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Canja de galinhaChicken and rice soup

Canja came to Brazil from Portugal and became the soup every Brazilian mother makes when someone is ill, the traditional food for new mothers during the resguardo after childbirth and, oddly, a favourite at the end of long parties. Chicken is simmered with onion and garlic, then shredded back into the broth with rice, carrot and potato, and finished with parsley and spring onion. It's gentle and filling. Chef's tip: cook the rice in the broth only until just tender; it keeps swelling in the bowl.

75 minBrazilianSoupsGluten free
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Sopa de milpaCorn and squash soup

A milpa is the traditional Mexican field where corn, beans and squash grow side by side, and this soup puts the summer harvest from that field into one pot. A light tomato broth carries chunks of corn, courgette, roasted poblano strips, a handful of black beans and squash blossoms, with epazote for its earthy, herbal note. In Central Mexico it's a healthy everyday lunch in the rainy season. Top it with cubes of panela cheese, which is usually made with animal rennet; choose a vegetarian one. Chef's tip: cut the corn into rounds rather than taking off the kernels, so everyone gets a sweet piece to gnaw.

40 minMexicanSoupsGluten free
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Agua de melónCantaloupe drink

Mexican market juice stalls make agua de melón with the ripest, most fragrant cantaloupes, and many cooks blend in the seeds and the soft pulp around them, which adds a creamy body and a nutty flavour. It's served in tall glasses on hot afternoons from Guanajuato to Veracruz and is a favourite with kids. Chef's tip: smell the stalk end of the melon before you buy it; if it smells sweet, the drink will too.

10 minMexicanDrinksVeganGluten free
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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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Gỏi ngó sen chay (lotus stem salad)

Wedding banquets and đám giỗ (death-anniversary) feasts across the south open with a platter of gỏi ngó sen, usually heaped with prawns and boiled pork belly. In vegetarian households and temple kitchens the shellfish and pork give way to strips of fried tofu, and the fish-sauce dressing becomes lime, sugar and soy. The pickled lotus stems are what matter: pale, crisp and juicy, like a mild bamboo shoot. Pile it onto prawn-free rice crackers or eat it beside rice. Chef's tip: rinse and squeeze the jarred lotus stems well; skipping this leaves the salad tasting of brine instead of lime.

30 minVietnameseSaladsVeganGluten 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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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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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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Passato di verdureSmooth vegetable soup

Passato di verdure is the soup Italian children grow up on: a pot of mixed vegetables, simmered in water until soft and blended until velvety, with a thread of olive oil on top. It is the first food many Italian babies are given at around six months, without salt, and it stays the family's light supper for years. For babies from 6 months, the purée here is made with no salt and no stock; older children and adults season their bowls at the table. Chef's tip: take out the baby's portion before you add any salt, and blend it extra smooth.

45 minItalianSoupsVeganGluten free
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PeperonataStewed peppers and onions

Peperonata is the summer side dish of the south, made from Naples to Palermo when red and yellow peppers are at their sweetest: strips of pepper and onion stewed slowly in olive oil with a little tomato until soft, glossy and sweet, sometimes with a splash of vinegar. Families serve it with grilled meat, sausages or a frittata, or pile it on bread, and it tastes even better the next day. Chef's tip: cook it slowly with the lid on for the first 15 minutes; the peppers steam in their own juice and turn silky instead of frying hard.

45 minItalianSidesVeganGluten free
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VignarolaArtichoke, broad bean and pea stew

Vignarola is the dish Romans wait for all year: for a few weeks in April and May, when the first artichokes, broad beans and peas all arrive at once at the markets of Campo de' Fiori and Testaccio, they are stewed together gently with spring onion, lettuce and mint. It is eaten as a side or a light main with bread. Romans usually add a little guanciale (cured pork cheek); this version leaves it out and is fully vegan. Chef's tip: add the peas and broad beans only for the last few minutes; they should stay bright green and sweet.

70 minItalianVegetarianVeganGluten free
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Scarola alla napoletanaSautéed escarole with olives and raisins

Scarola alla napoletana is a Neapolitan Christmas Eve side dish, also cooked all winter: tender escarole sautéed with garlic, black Gaeta olives, capers, pine nuts and raisins, a balance of bitter, salty and sweet that reflects the Arab influence on southern Italian cooking. It is the same filling used in the Christmas pizza di scarola, and families often serve it with fried fish. Contains pine nuts. Chef's tip: dry the washed escarole well before it goes in the pan; wet leaves splash and steam rather than sauté.

25 minItalianSidesVeganGluten free
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Potage CrécyCarrot soup

Potage Crécy is named after Crécy-la-Chapelle, east of Paris, once famous for its sweet carrots, and any French dish "à la Crécy" contains carrots. It is a gentle family soup served at supper all year round, loved by children for its colour and sweetness. The carrots are sweated in butter, then simmered with a spoonful of rice, which gives the soup a velvety body once blended. The common mistake is browning the carrots, which makes the soup taste bitter rather than sweet. Chef's tip: a pinch of sugar and a few croutons fried in butter turn it into a proper Parisian potage.

45 minFrenchSoupsGluten free
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Carottes râpéesGrated carrot salad

Carottes râpées is the everyday starter of French school canteens, bistro crudité plates and family lunches all over the country, a heap of finely grated carrots in a bright lemon dressing that wakes up any meal. It is sweet, juicy and crunchy, and takes ten minutes. The secret is grating the carrots on the fine side of the grater, so they release some juice into the dressing. The common mistake is using the coarse holes, which gives dry, chewy strands that do not take the dressing. Chef's tip: dress the carrots 20 minutes before serving and toss again just before the table; they soften slightly and taste much sweeter.

10 minFrenchSaladsVeganGluten free
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Velouté de topinamboursJerusalem artichoke soup

Velouté de topinambours is a winter soup French cooks rediscovered in the last twenty years; the knobbly Jerusalem artichoke was wartime food for older generations and is now a favourite at markets and bistros from November to March. Simmered with leek and potato and blended smooth, it has a sweet, nutty flavour close to artichoke and hazelnut. The common mistake is leaving the peeled roots in the air, where they turn grey; drop them straight into lemon water. Chef's tip: finish each bowl with a few drops of hazelnut or walnut oil to bring out the nutty taste.

45 minFrenchSoupsGluten free
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Potage cressonnièreWatercress and potato soup

Potage cressonnière comes from the Île-de-France, where watercress has been grown in the clear spring-fed beds of the Essonne valley for centuries and sold in Paris markets. It is a light, peppery soup of watercress and potato, eaten at supper through autumn and spring, often with a little cream stirred in. The common mistake is boiling the watercress leaves, which drains their colour and bite; add them only at the end. Chef's tip: cook the stalks with the potatoes for flavour and keep the tender leaves for the last 2 minutes.

35 minFrenchSoupsGluten free
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Pesce all'acqua pazzaFish in tomato broth

Acqua pazza, "crazy water", was once the dish fishermen of Naples, Ischia and the Amalfi Coast cooked on their boats with the fish they couldn't sell, in sea water with a few tomatoes and garlic. Today it's a light summer favourite in seaside restaurants: white fish, such as sea bream or sea bass, gently poached in a quick broth of cherry tomatoes, garlic, chilli and parsley, served with bread for the broth. Chef's tip: keep the broth at a gentle simmer, never boiling; the fish should poach softly and stay moist.

30 minItalianFishGluten free
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CiambottaSummer vegetable stew

In August, when the vegetable gardens of Basilicata and the Cilento are overflowing, families make ciambotta: peppers, aubergines, potatoes, courgettes, onion and tomato stewed slowly together in olive oil until soft and sweet. Farmworkers once ate it in the fields with bread; today it's a summer supper, eaten warm or at room temperature, sometimes with an egg cracked on top. Chef's tip: add the vegetables in stages, potatoes first and courgettes last; that way they all finish tender at the same time without any turning to mush.

60 minItalianVegetarianVeganGluten free
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Tomates à la provençaleBaked garlic breadcrumb tomatoes

Tomates à la provençale are the summer side dish of every Provençal kitchen, set out at lunch from June to September beside grilled fish, lamb or an omelette. Ripe tomato halves are baked slowly, cut side up, under a heap of garlic, parsley and olive-oil breadcrumbs until the tomatoes slump and caramelise and the topping crisps. The common mistake is using under-ripe tomatoes, which stay sour and firm. Chef's tip: salt the cut tomatoes and turn them upside down for 15 minutes before topping; they lose excess juice and the crumbs stay crisp.

55 minFrenchSidesVegan
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Poireaux vinaigretteLeeks in vinaigrette

Poireaux vinaigrette is the humble leek starter of Parisian bistros, served lukewarm on long plates from autumn to early spring, when leeks are cheap and sweet. Whole young leeks are poached until silky, drained well and dressed while still warm with a punchy mustard vinaigrette, so they drink it in. Some bistros finish them with chopped egg; this version keeps it vegan with shallots and chives. The common mistake is not washing the leeks well, which leaves grit between the layers. Chef's tip: tie the leeks in a bundle before poaching so they stay whole and easy to lift out.

30 minFrenchSaladsVeganGluten free
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Impepata di cozzePeppered mussels

Impepata, "peppered", is the simplest and most loved mussel dish in Naples, especially on Holy Thursday before Easter, when it is traditional: live mussels steamed open in a hot pan with a little garlic and olive oil and a huge amount of freshly ground black pepper, finished with parsley and lemon and eaten with bread to soak up the juices. Chef's tip: grind the pepper coarsely and fresh, right over the pan; pre-ground pepper tastes dusty and flat.

23 minItalianFishGluten free
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Velouté de potironCreamy pumpkin soup

Velouté de potiron is the soup French families make all autumn, from the October markets piled with orange pumpkins right through to Christmas, often served as a starter for Sunday lunch or a simple supper with bread and cheese. The pumpkin is simmered with onion and potato in vegetable stock, then blended until velvety and finished with a spoonful of crème fraîche. The common mistake is too much stock, which makes it thin and bland; you can always add more after blending. Chef's tip: a small potato gives body without masking the sweet pumpkin flavour.

45 minFrenchSoupsGluten free
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Oi muchimSpicy cucumber salad

When Korean summers turn sticky, from Daegu's heat to Seoul's monsoon, oi muchim is the ten-minute side dish families make to cool down a hot bowl of rice or a plate of grilled meat. Thin cucumber coins are salted briefly, then tossed with chilli flakes, vinegar, a touch of sugar and sesame, so they stay snappy and bright. It is best made just before eating. The common mistake is skipping the quick salting: unsalted cucumber leaks water into the dressing within minutes and the bowl turns soupy. Chef's tip: a few slivers of onion soaked in cold water for five minutes add sweetness and crunch without any harsh bite.

10 minKoreanSaladsVeganSpicy
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Sukju namulSeasoned bean sprouts

Sukju namul is the most delicate of Korea's sprout dishes, set out on every ancestral-rite table at Chuseok and on everyday trays in Seoul homes because it takes five minutes and costs very little. Mung bean sprouts are blanched for barely a minute, then dressed with salt, a little garlic and sesame oil, so they stay juicy and crunchy with a clean, nutty taste. It belongs in bibimbap too. The common mistake is overcooking: mung bean sprouts go limp and stringy within seconds of being done, so pull them while they still squeak. Chef's tip: plunge them straight into iced water after blanching and squeeze gently; they keep their snap for a whole day.

10 minKoreanSidesVeganGluten free
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PinzimonioRaw vegetables with olive oil

In Tuscany pinzimonio comes out in November, when the frantoi (olive mills) press the new oil and families want something that shows off its peppery green bite. A jug of raw, cold vegetables is set in the middle of the table and everyone dips into their own little bowl of oil seasoned with salt and pepper, usually before a plate of pasta or alongside bruschetta at the mill. Crunch matters more than anything: fennel, celery hearts, radishes, carrots, young artichokes and red peppers, all very fresh. Chef's tip: keep the cut vegetables in a bowl of iced water for 15 minutes before serving; they turn crisper and look glossy without any dressing.

15 minItalianSaladsVeganGluten free
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Insalata di farroSpelt salad

Farro has grown in the hills of Garfagnana in Tuscany and around Monteleone di Spoleto in Umbria since Roman times, and in summer it turns into a cold salad that families pack for the beach or a picnic in the hills. The grains stay chewy and nutty, dressed with ripe tomato, cucumber, red onion, olives and plenty of basil. It keeps well for a day, so it is the salad you make the night before a trip. Chef's tip: dress the farro while it is still warm; the grains drink up the oil and vinegar, then you add the fresh vegetables once it has cooled.

45 minItalianSaladsVegan
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Su-renkonPickled lotus root

Lotus root is full of holes you can see straight through, so in Japan it stands for a clear view of the year ahead, and these crunchy, snow-white slices of sweet-vinegared lotus are a fixture of osechi boxes on New Year's Day. Often cut into flower shapes, they taste bright and lightly sweet with a satisfying crispness. The common mistake is boiling the slices for too long: more than 2 minutes and they turn starchy instead of crunchy. Chef's tip: add a splash of vinegar to the boiling water as well as to the pickle, which keeps the lotus root brilliantly white.

20 minJapaneseSidesVeganGluten free
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Insalata di arance e finocchiOrange and fennel salad

In Sicily the orange harvest peaks in January, just as wild fennel and the big fennel bulbs come in, and this bright salad is on the table across the island at Christmas and through the winter, often to clean the palate after a rich main dish. Juicy oranges, ideally blood oranges from the slopes of Etna, are sliced with shaved fennel, red onion, black olives and good olive oil. Chef's tip: cut the peel and all the white pith away with a knife, then slice the oranges into rounds; pith is bitter and makes the salad chewy.

15 minItalianSaladsVeganGluten free
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Dotorimuk muchimAcorn jelly salad

Dotorimuk is a jelly made from acorn starch, gathered in Korea's oak-covered mountains, and dotorimuk muchim is the salad hikers eat at the little restaurants at the foot of Bukhansan and Gwanaksan after a weekend climb. Wobbly, nutty-bitter cubes of jelly are tossed gently with lettuce, cucumber, carrot and a soy, chilli and sesame dressing. Temple cooks make it exactly like this, without garlic or onion. The common mistake is tossing it hard like a green salad: the jelly breaks into crumbs, so fold it with your fingertips. Chef's tip: if the jelly has firmed up in the fridge, blanch the block in boiling water for 30 seconds and cool it; it turns soft and bouncy again.

20 minKoreanSaladsVegan
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Gaji namulSeasoned steamed aubergine

In late summer, when aubergines pile up at Seoul's Gyeongdong market for next to nothing, gaji namul turns up beside the rice at almost every home dinner. Long strips of aubergine are steamed until silky, then torn and dressed with soy, garlic, spring onion and toasted sesame, so they taste mellow, savoury and faintly sweet. It is one of the gentlest banchan, good for anyone who finds kimchi too fierce. The usual mistake is dressing the aubergine while it is still hot and dripping: the seasoning slides off and the dish turns watery, so let it steam dry and cool first. Chef's tip: tear the strips by hand along the grain rather than slicing them; the rough edges hold far more dressing.

20 minKoreanSidesVegan
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Cicoria ripassataSautéed bitter chicory

In Rome and across Puglia, cicoria is the bitter green that arrives at every market from autumn to spring, often gathered wild in the fields. It is boiled first to soften its bitterness, then "ripassata", passed through the pan again with garlic, chilli and olive oil. Roman trattorie serve it next to roast lamb or saltimbocca, and in Puglia it is the classic partner for fava bean purée. Chef's tip: boil the chicory in plenty of well-salted water and then squeeze it hard; most of the harsh bitterness goes down the drain with the water.

30 minItalianSidesVeganGluten free
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Kohaku namasuPickled daikon and carrot salad

Red and white are Japan's colours of celebration, and this crisp, sweet-sour salad of fine daikon and carrot shreds is the cleanser of the New Year osechi box, eaten between richer dishes from 1 to 3 January. Salting the vegetables first softens them into pliable threads that still crunch, before they soak in rice vinegar, sugar and a little yuzu. The common mistake is skipping the squeeze after salting, which leaves the salad watery and bland. Chef's tip: cut the daikon along the length of the root, not across it, so the shreds stay crisp instead of going limp.

20 minJapaneseSaladsVeganGluten free
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Nabak kimchiRadish water kimchi

Nabak kimchi is the gentle water kimchi Koreans serve in spring and at holiday tables, especially with tteokguk at Seollal, when everyone needs something refreshing after rich food. Thin squares of radish and napa cabbage float in a pale pink, lightly fizzy brine coloured by chilli flakes strained through cloth, so there is colour without much heat. You drink the brine with a spoon as well as eating the vegetables. The common mistake is putting the chilli flakes straight in; they cloud the brine and make it spicy, so always strain them. Use a clean glass or ceramic jar or kimchi box scalded with boiling water, and keep the vegetables pressed below the brine; anything sticking out can grow mould. Chef's tip: add a few slices of apple or Asian pear to the brine; it ferments faster and tastes rounder.

30 minKoreanChutneys & DipsVeganGluten free
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DongchimiRadish water kimchi

Dongchimi is the winter water kimchi of Korea's north and Gangwon province, traditionally made just before the first frost in a big onggi crock buried in the yard. Whole radishes sit in a clear, salty brine with pear, garlic, ginger and green chillies, and after a few weeks the brine turns tangy, cold and lightly fizzy. It is served with roasted sweet potatoes, rice-cake soup, and is famous as the broth for cold naengmyeon noodles. The common mistake is eating it too early: the brine needs at least two weeks of slow, cold fermentation to lose its raw saltiness. Use a clean glass or ceramic jar or kimchi box scalded with boiling water, and keep the vegetables pressed below the brine; anything sticking out can grow mould. Chef's tip: roll the radishes in salt and leave them overnight before adding the brine; they stay crunchy all winter.

60 minKoreanChutneys & DipsVeganGluten free
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Asazuke (overnight cucumber and cabbage pickle)Quick cucumber and cabbage pickle

Asazuke means shallow pickle, and it is the quick, fresh pickle that Japanese home cooks make the night before, tucked in a plastic bag in the fridge door and served with breakfast rice and miso soup. Cucumber and cabbage are rubbed with salt and pressed with kombu, a few slivers of chilli and yuzu or lemon peel, so they stay crunchy, juicy and only gently seasoned. It takes 15 minutes to make. The common mistake is not squeezing out the liquid before serving, which leaves the pickle watery and salty. Chef's tip: rub the salt in firmly with your hands for a full minute; bruising the vegetables a little is what lets them season through in a few hours.

15 minJapaneseChutneys & DipsVeganGluten free
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Baek kimchiWhite kimchi

Baek kimchi comes from the Gaeseong and Seoul aristocratic kitchens, where it was served to elders, children and anyone who could not handle chilli. Napa cabbage halves are stuffed with a pale filling of radish, Asian pear, chestnuts, jujubes and pine nuts, then left to ferment in a clear, gently sweet brine. The result is crisp, cool and refreshing, with no heat at all, and it is a good first kimchi for small children. The common mistake is under-salting the cabbage, which leaves it watery and lets it spoil; the thick white stalks must bend without breaking. Contains pine nuts and chestnuts. Use a clean glass or ceramic jar or kimchi box scalded with boiling water, and keep the vegetables pressed below the brine; anything sticking out can grow mould. Chef's tip: wrap each stuffed quarter in its outer leaf; it holds the filling in and keeps the cabbage white.

90 minKoreanChutneys & DipsVeganGluten free
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Choddo shaakFourteen leafy greens stir-fry

On Bhoot Chaturdashi, the night before Kali Puja and Diwali, Bengali homes light fourteen lamps for their ancestors and eat a dish of fourteen greens at lunch to keep illness and restless spirits away. Markets in Kolkata sell bundles already mixed for the day: spinach, red and green amaranth, Malabar spinach, water spinach, fenugreek, mustard and radish greens, bathua, jute leaves, pumpkin leaves, helencha and a few neem leaves for bitterness. Fried briefly in mustard oil with nigella and dried chilli, they cook down to an earthy, slightly bitter, faintly sweet tangle. It is eaten as the first course with hot rice and a drizzle of ghee for those who want it. If you can't find all fourteen, use what your grocer has; the mix matters more than the exact list. Chef's tip: cook it uncovered after the first wilt so the water evaporates; choddo shaak should be dry and glossy, not stewed.

40 minIndianSidesVeganGluten free
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Salade palmisteHeart of palm salad

Hotel menus around Praslin once called it millionaire's salad, because a whole native palm had to be felled for the single pale heart at its crown. That is no longer how it should be made: buy fresh hearts from farmed peach palm, which regrows from the base, or a good jar of hearts of palm, and you get the same cool, crunchy ribbons with a faint sweetness like young coconut and artichoke. Seychellois serve it as a starter at celebrations or beside grilled fish and Creole rice, dressed simply so the palm stays the star. Chef's tip: dress it no more than 15 minutes before eating; left longer, the lime softens the crunch and the salad goes limp.

15 minMauritianSaladsVeganGluten free
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Kulle chaatStuffed cucumber chaat

Kulle chaat comes from the lanes of Chandni Chowk around Chawri Bazar, where a couple of old stalls carve fruit and vegetables into little cups and fill them with chickpeas, pomegranate and lime. It is the cooling chaat of Delhi's scorching summer afternoons: no frying, no yoghurt, just juicy, crunchy cups dusted with chaat masala and black salt. Children love picking them up whole. Chef's tip: season the inside of each empty cup with lime and chaat masala before filling, so every bite is tangy right through.

25 minIndianSnacks & StartersVeganGluten free
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Mursalski chaiIronwort tea

High in the Rhodope mountains, shepherds and villagers start the day with a pot of mursalski chai, brewed from the dried flowering stems of Sideritis scardica, the Balkan ironwort that grows on the limestone slopes around Mursalitsa peak. It tastes gently floral, lemony and a little like chamomile and mint, and is traditionally sweetened with honey or drunk plain. The common mistake is steeping it for just a couple of minutes like black tea; the woody stems need a short simmer to give their full flavour and golden colour. Chef's tip: break the stems into 5 cm pieces so they fit the pot and release more flavour, and use a slice of lemon to brighten the colour. Vegans can sweeten it with sugar instead of honey.

11 minBulgarianDrinksVeganGluten free
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Jicaletas (jícama lollipops with chamoy)

At home time outside primary schools in Mexico City's Coyoacán and Narvarte, carts sell jicaletas, thick rounds of jícama pushed onto a stick like a giant lollipop and painted bright red with sweet-sour chamoy. They are crunchy, juicy and cold, with salty, sour and spicy layers on the outside, and make a light afternoon snack on a hot day. Chef's tip: cut the slices at least 1.5 cm thick, otherwise they snap off the stick at the first bite.

10 minMexicanSnacks & StartersVeganGluten free
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Adrak ka acharGinger pickle

Walk into a Punjabi dhaba in winter and there is often a steel bowl of ginger matchsticks soaking in lemon juice beside the onion rings. Adrak ka achar is the simplest pickle of all: tender ginger, green chilli, salt and lemon, nothing cooked. Young ginger with thin, pinkish skin reacts with the acid and turns a pretty pale pink within a day; older ginger stays yellow but tastes just as good. The flavour is clean, hot and sour, with crunch, and a forkful cuts the richness of sarson ka saag, makki ki roti, chole bhature or a heavy dal makhani. Common mistake: cutting the ginger thick or using fibrous old roots, which stay woody and harsh; slice thin enough to see light through. It is ready when the ginger has softened slightly, the juice tastes less sharp and the slices have taken colour. Fresh ginger in lemon juice keeps in the fridge for up to 2 weeks; discard it if mould appears, the juice turns slimy or the smell turns from fresh-sour to musty. Chef's tip: a pinch of black salt (kala namak) added at the end gives it that dhaba-style sulphurous edge.

15 minIndianChutneys & DipsVeganGluten free
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Warrigal greensGarlic native spinach

Warrigal greens grow wild along the beaches and estuaries of the New South Wales and Queensland coast and were cooked by Aboriginal people long before Captain Cook's crew ate them to fight scurvy. The thick, triangular leaves taste like a salty, more robust spinach. They hold oxalates, so they must be blanched briefly and the water thrown away before cooking. Sautéed with garlic and lemon they make a quick side for grilled fish or barramundi. A common mistake is skipping the blanch; the leaves taste bitter and are not good for you raw. Chef's tip: use tender tips only and discard woody stems.

13 minAustralianSidesVeganGluten free
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Café chorreadoCloth-filtered coffee

Every Costa Rican grandmother has a chorreador: a small wooden stand holding a cloth bag, the bolsita, over a cup or jug. Hot water is poured through the grounds by hand, a little at a time, and the result is the coffee drunk at breakfast with gallo pinto and again at the afternoon cafecito around three, with a tamal, a slice of pan casero or a rosquilla. The cloth catches the oils and fine grounds, so the cup is clean, bright and smooth, with the soft acidity and caramel sweetness of Tarrazú and Central Valley beans. In the countryside the water is sometimes sweetened with tapa de dulce before it goes through. It is strong coffee, so mind the caffeine late in the day. The common mistake is pouring all the water in at once, which floods the bag and leaves weak, uneven coffee; pour in slow circles, in four or five goes. It is ready when the drips slow to a trickle and the coffee is dark reddish-brown and smells of toasted caramel. Never wash the bag with soap; rinse it in hot water and hang it to dry. Chef's tip: boil a new bag once with a spoonful of coffee before using it, to season the cloth.

10 minCentral AmericanDrinksVeganGluten free
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Horchata lojanaHerbal flower infusion

In Loja and the valleys of Vilcabamba and Malacatos, horchata has nothing to do with rice: it is a pink herbal infusion of anything up to twenty garden plants, drunk hot at breakfast and after lunch, or cold from the fridge on warm afternoons. Markets sell the herbs in bundles: cedrón, hierbaluisa, toronjil, mint, chamomile, mallow, and the red-leaved escancel and ataco (red amaranth) that give the colour. It tastes lemony, floral and faintly silky, and turns from ruby to bright pink the moment lemon juice goes in. The common mistake is boiling all the herbs hard, which makes it bitter and grassy; only the tough flaxseed and lemongrass simmer, and the soft leaves steep off the heat. It is ready when the liquid is deep red-pink and smells of lemon and flowers. Abroad, Latin shops sell dried mixes; dried hibiscus gives the colour if you lack amaranth. It is traditionally drunk to settle the stomach; if you are pregnant or on medication, check with a doctor before drinking it daily. Chef's tip: add lemon at the table, glass by glass, to watch the colour change.

25 minAndeanDrinksVeganGluten free
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Ivan-chai (fireweed tea)

Long before Chinese tea reached ordinary villages, peasants around Koporye near St Petersburg, and on through Karelia and the Arkhangelsk forests, were rolling and fermenting the leaves of fireweed, the tall pink-flowered plant that floods clearings every July. Ivan-chai is having a revival now, sold in paper bags at markets and drunk at the dacha in the evening from the samovar, because it has no caffeine and will not keep anyone awake. It brews to a clear amber with a soft, slightly fruity, honey-and-dried-apple taste and almost no bitterness. Granular kinds taste deeper, leaf kinds more floral. The common mistake is brewing it for two or three minutes like black tea; it needs a full 10 minutes in a warmed pot to open up, and it never turns bitter if you leave it longer. It is ready when the liquid is a deep golden-amber and smells of honey and dried fruit. It is traditionally drunk as a calming evening tea; if you are pregnant or on regular medication, check with a doctor before drinking it daily. Chef's tip: the same leaves give a second, lighter pot; just top up with fresh hot water and wait another 10 minutes.

13 minRussianDrinksVeganGluten free
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Berezovy sok (birch sap)

For two or three weeks at the end of March and into April, while there is still snow under the trees and before the buds open, the birches around Moscow, Tver, Vologda and across the north start to run. Families tap a few trees at the dacha and drink the sap straight from the jar: clear, cold, very faintly sweet, tasting of rainwater and fresh wood. Because it spoils within two or three days, villagers bottled the rest with sugar, raisins and lemon zest, letting it ferment slightly into a sparkling drink that kept into early summer; like any ferment it makes a trace of alcohol, well under 1% if drunk young. Only tap with the owner's permission, choose trees thicker than 20 cm, drill one small hole and plug it with a wooden peg afterwards so the tree heals. The common mistake is sealing the bottles tight at warm room temperature, which can make them burst; keep them cool and open the caps daily. The bottled sap is ready when the raisins float, a ring of fine bubbles forms on top and it tastes gently sparkling. Chef's tip: drink the first glass straight from the tree; it is never quite as good again.

15 minRussianDrinksVeganGluten free
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Ranawara teaTanner's cassia flower tea

Ranawara, tanner's cassia, is a scrubby shrub with bright golden flowers that grows wild along dry-zone roadsides and in gardens from Kurunegala to Jaffna. The flowers are picked, dried in the shade and sold in packets at every Sri Lankan supermarket and ayurvedic shop, and many households drink a cup each morning instead of plantain tea, traditionally believing it helps balance blood sugar and cool the body during the hot season. It brews into a pale golden-yellow tea with a mild, grassy, slightly beany taste and a gentle bitterness, which is why it is drunk with a piece of jaggery or a spoon of kithul treacle. The common mistake is brewing the flowers with too little water or for too long: the bitterness takes over. A good pinch per cup, a short simmer and a few minutes' steep is enough. It is ready when it is clear and bright yellow and smells like dried hay. Ranawara is a senna-family plant: do not drink it if you are pregnant or breastfeeding, do not give it to young children, and check with a doctor if you take diabetes or other regular medication. Chef's tip: add a few dried flowers to the cup when serving; they float and turn the colour even more golden.

12 minSri LankanDrinksVeganGluten free
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Tisane de tilleul (linden tea)

Carpentras, at the foot of Mont Ventoux, has been France's linden capital for over a century. In late June the flowering lime trees are harvested by hand, the blossoms and their pale papery bracts dried in the shade, and in July the town's linden market sells them by the sack. In French homes a tisane de tilleul is what you drink after dinner, at the end of a long day or before bed, often with a slice of lemon or a little honey; Proust's famous madeleine was dipped in one. It tastes softly floral and sweet, a little like honey and fresh hay, with a smooth, almost silky feel. The common mistake is using fully boiling water and steeping for fifteen minutes: the tea turns dull brown and slightly astringent. Let the kettle settle to about 90 °C and steep for 5–7 minutes, covered. It is ready when the infusion is pale gold and smells of a summer garden. It is traditionally drunk to unwind; if you take regular medication, have a heart condition, or want to give it to young children, check with a doctor first. Chef's tip: keep the pot covered while it steeps so the scented oils stay in the tea instead of the kitchen.

10 minFrenchDrinksVeganGluten free
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Thambili (king coconut water)

All along Sri Lanka's roads, from Galle Road in Colombo to the highways into Kandy and the beaches of the south coast, vendors stack bright orange king coconuts in pyramids under umbrellas. The thambili is a variety grown on the island for drinking: smaller than a green coconut and sweeter, with a faint saltiness that makes it more refreshing than any bottled drink. It is drunk any time of day in the heat, after a long bus ride, after a cricket match, and given to people recovering from a fever because it is gentle on the stomach. The water is clear, lightly sweet and nutty, and the soft jelly inside is eaten with a spoon made from a slice of the husk. The common mistake is hacking at the side of the nut; the blade glances off and the water spills. Trim the pointed top with downward strokes until a pale circle shows, then pierce it. It is ready to drink when a small hole opens straight into the water without husk fibres. Outside Sri Lanka, young green or Thai coconuts are the nearest substitute. Chef's tip: chill the coconuts for a few hours before opening; the water tastes sweeter cold, and use a heavy knife and a towel, keeping fingers well clear.

5 minSri LankanDrinksVeganGluten free
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Citron presséFresh lemon drink

Order a citron pressé on a Paris terrace in July, or at a café in Nice after the beach, and the waiter brings a tall glass with an inch of freshly squeezed lemon juice, a carafe of iced water, a sugar bowl or a little jug of syrup and a long spoon. You build the drink yourself, as sharp or as sweet as you like, which is half the pleasure; French children learn to drink it with plenty of sugar, grown-ups often with almost none. It is bright, sour and cleansing, nothing like bottled lemonade, and best in the late afternoon heat. The common mistake is stirring granulated sugar straight into cold lemon water: it sinks and never dissolves, so the first sips are sour and the last a sludge. Dissolve the sugar in the juice first, or use a quick syrup. It is ready when the sugar has vanished, the drink tastes balanced to you and the glass is beaded with cold. Unwaxed lemons matter if you add a twist of peel. Chef's tip: pour the water over ice slowly and taste after half the carafe; most people find they need less water than they expect.

5 minFrenchDrinksVeganGluten free
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Beli mal (bael flower tea)

Beli mal is the herbal tea almost every Sri Lankan grandmother keeps in a tin. The small white flowers of the bael tree, the sacred tree found around temples and village gardens, are dried in the sun and brewed into a fragrant, amber drink that tastes softly floral, slightly fruity and a little bitter, a bit like a lighter chamomile. It is drunk in the morning or in the evening instead of black tea, offered at almsgivings and alongside kevum and kokis at Avurudu, and is traditionally taken after rich food to help digestion. Coriander seeds and a slice of ginger are a common addition at home. The custom is to sip it hot with a small piece of kithul jaggery held in the mouth, or stirred in. The common mistake is boiling the flowers fast for a long time: the tea turns dark and unpleasantly bitter. Simmer gently for a few minutes and then let it steep off the heat. It is ready when the tea is clear amber and smells sweet and flowery. It is caffeine-free, but bael may lower blood sugar, so check with a doctor if you take diabetes medication or are pregnant. Chef's tip: buy flowers that look pale cream; dark brown, crumbly ones are old.

13 minSri LankanDrinksVeganGluten free
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Spremuta di arance rosseFresh blood orange juice

From December to April the orchards on the plain below Etna, around Catania, Lentini and Paternò, are heavy with Tarocco, Moro and Sanguinello blood oranges. The cold Etna nights turn their flesh red, and in Catania bars the barista squeezes them to order on a lever press, serving the spremuta beside a cornetto or a granita at breakfast. It is sweet, juicy and tart, tasting of orange with hints of raspberry and cherry, and the colour runs from streaky pink to deep garnet depending on the variety. The common mistake is squeezing the oranges hours ahead or pressing the white pith too hard: the juice turns bitter and the colour goes brown. Squeeze just before drinking, press gently and stop before you grind into the skin. It is ready when the juice is bright and frothy on top and tastes balanced, with no bitter aftertaste. Moro oranges give the darkest juice; Tarocco is sweetest. Outside Sicily, any blood orange works, or mix half ordinary oranges with half blood oranges. Chef's tip: roll each orange firmly on the counter before cutting; it softens the segments so you get more juice with less pressing.

5 minItalianDrinksVeganGluten free
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Rau sốngFresh herb and vegetable plate

Rau sống, literally 'raw vegetables', is the heaped plate of lettuce, herbs and cucumber that sits in the middle of the table at almost every Vietnamese meal, from Hanoi bún chả to a Saigon family dinner. Everyone tears leaves to wrap grilled food, drops herbs into soup or eats them alongside rice. Nothing is added: no salt, no dressing. About 0.1 g salt per portion, naturally present in the greens. Seasoning comes from whatever dipping sauce is on the table, so a light hand there keeps the whole meal low in salt. The usual mistake is leaving the herbs wet; water dilutes the flavour and makes them wilt fast. Use whatever mix you can find: Thai basil, perilla (tía tô), Vietnamese balm (kinh giới), mint and coriander are classics. Chef's tip: soak the herbs in very cold water for 10 minutes, then spin dry; they become crisp and glossy and last through the whole meal.

10 minVietnameseSaladsVeganGluten free
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Mate de muñaAndean mint tea

Muña is the minty shrub that grows wild on the slopes around Cusco, Puno and the Sacred Valley, and highland cooks reach for it after a heavy meal of chicharrón or when visitors are struggling with the altitude. Market herb sellers sell it in fresh bunches, and hotels and homes leave it in a flask for anyone coming in from the cold evenings. Steeped simply in hot water, it smells somewhere between spearmint, oregano and pennyroyal, with a cooling, slightly peppery taste and a pale green-gold colour. It is traditionally drunk to settle the stomach. The usual mistake is boiling the leaves hard for a long time, which turns the tea brown and bitter. Pour water just off the boil over the sprigs, cover, and let it steep. It is ready when the cup is pale gold and the aroma rises as soon as you lift the lid. Outside Peru, look for dried muña in Latin shops; failing that, use mostly spearmint with a little fresh oregano. Muña is strong: avoid large amounts in pregnancy, and check with a doctor if you take regular medication. Chef's tip: cover the cup while it steeps so the scented oils stay in the tea.

8 minPeruvianDrinksVeganGluten free
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Oksusu-chaRoasted corn tea

Oksusu-cha is the tea Korean households boil by the kettleful and keep in the fridge in old glass bottles, drunk instead of water with meals from Seoul apartments to Gangwon farmhouses, chilled in summer and hot in winter. Dried corn kernels are roasted until dark golden, then simmered to make a pale amber tea that tastes gently sweet and toasty, though nothing is added at all. About 0.0 g salt per glass. The usual mistake is boiling the kernels too long, which makes the tea cloudy and starchy; 15 minutes is plenty. Ready-roasted corn kernels are sold in Korean shops; if roasting your own, use dried corn, not fresh or tinned. Chef's tip: mix in a spoon of roasted barley for the classic boricha blend, rounder and more nutty, though no longer gluten free.

22 minKoreanDrinksVeganGluten free
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Hiyashi tomatoChilled tomato

Hiyashi tomato is the simplest thing on any Japanese izakaya menu in July and August: ripe tomatoes, chilled until icy, cut into wedges and served on a small plate, sometimes on crushed ice, to cool down a hot evening in Tokyo or Osaka. Many bars sprinkle salt; this home version leaves it out and offers a few drops of rice vinegar and toasted sesame oil instead, so the tomato's own sweetness and acidity do the work. About 0.0 g added salt; roughly 0.03 g per portion occurs naturally in the tomato. The usual mistake is using hard, pale supermarket tomatoes: this dish is only as good as the fruit, so buy deep red ones that smell of tomato at the stalk. Chef's tip: chill the plate as well as the tomatoes, so the wedges stay cold to the last bite.

5 minJapaneseSaladsVeganGluten free
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SobachaRoasted buckwheat tea

Sobacha is roasted buckwheat tea, drunk all over Japan and especially in the soba country of Nagano and Hokkaido, where it is poured free in noodle shops and kept in jugs in the fridge through summer. Toasted buckwheat groats are steeped in hot water to make a golden, caffeine-free tea with a nutty, almost popcorn aroma, and the softened groats can be eaten too, stirred into rice or salads. Nothing is added: no salt, no sugar, so about 0.0 g salt per cup. The usual mistake is burning the groats when roasting your own; keep the heat at medium and keep the pan moving. Use Tartary buckwheat (dattan soba) for a deeper yellow tea. Anyone with a buckwheat allergy should avoid it, as reactions can be serious. Chef's tip: steep a second time with slightly hotter water; the second cup is often the sweetest.

10 minJapaneseDrinksVeganGluten free
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Braaied gem squashGem squash with sweetcorn and cheese

Small, round and dark green, gem squash is the vegetable South African children grow up scooping from the shell with a teaspoon, and at a weekend braai it goes into the coals wrapped in foil alongside the potatoes. The halves steam in their own juice until the orange flesh is tender and sweet, with a pool of melted butter, golden corn and cheese in the hollow. Serve them as a side for anything from the grid, or make a plate of them with pap tert and a tomato salad for a meat-free braai. Indoors, an oven gives the same result. Putting them straight onto flaming wood is the mistake: they char outside and stay hard inside, so wait for grey, glowing coals. Choose a vegetarian cheddar, since many are made with animal rennet. Chef's tip: trim a thin slice off the round base of each half so it sits flat and holds its filling.

40 minSouth AfricanSidesGluten free
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Gondhoraj gholLime-scented yogurt drink

In Kolkata the gondhoraj lime arrives with the monsoon heat, a knobbly green fruit whose peel smells of flowers and pine more than of sour citrus. Bengali households use it to lift dal and fish, but in the sticky months from Boishakh into Srabon it goes into ghol: dahi churned with cold water until frothy, sweetened lightly and scented with the zest, a squeeze of juice and a torn leaf. Cafés along Gariahat and old sweet shops serve it in clay bhaar cups after lunch, and it is just as good mid-afternoon with a plate of muri. It drinks thin, cool and silky, with a soft tang and a perfume that hits the nose before the first sip. The usual mistake is grating too deep or leaving the zest to sit for an hour: the white pith and the oils turn bitter. Take only the green outer layer, add it just before serving, and stop when the ghol smells floral rather than sharp. It is ready when the top is covered in fine foam and a spoon comes out lightly coated. Chef's tip: for the salted version, swap the sugar for black salt and a pinch of roasted cumin, as many Kolkata homes do on the hottest days.

10 minIndianDrinksGluten free
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Ugnsbakad laxOven-baked salmon

Ugnsbakad lax is one of Sweden's most common weeknight dinners, made all year round but especially in summer when dill is everywhere, and it is on every school and workplace lunch menu. A thick side of salmon bakes quickly with lemon slices and plenty of dill, staying moist and pink in the centre. Oily fish, high in protein and suitable as part of a balanced diet; serve with a few boiled new potatoes and green beans or a cucumber salad. About 350 kcal and 2 g carbohydrate per portion. The usual mistake is baking it until it is dry and chalky, with white protein seeping out; take it out as soon as it flakes. Chef's tip: salt the salmon 15 minutes before baking so it seasons through and holds its juices.

20 minScandinavianFishGluten free
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ChhwelaGrilled chicken with mustard oil

Chhwela (also called choila) is a Newar dish from the Kathmandu Valley, served at festivals, feasts and family gatherings, and today in every bar and snack house as a spicy side. Meat is grilled until smoky, cut small and tossed with a dressing of spices and fenugreek seeds fried in smoking mustard oil, plus raw garlic, ginger, chilli, timur pepper and lime. Buffalo is traditional; this version uses chicken, and lean beef works too. It is high in protein and suitable as part of a balanced diet; eat it with a salad of cucumber and radish rather than a big pile of beaten rice. About 290 kcal and 5 g carbohydrate per portion. The usual mistake is pouring the mustard oil on before it smokes, which leaves a raw, harsh taste. Chef's tip: grill the meat until well charred at the edges, because the smokiness is the point.

45 minNepaliChickenGluten freeSpicy
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Yaki imoRoasted sweet potato

Yaki imo is the winter street snack of Japan: from November the yaki-imo trucks crawl through Tokyo and Osaka neighbourhoods singing 'ishi-yaki imo' through a loudspeaker, selling Japanese sweet potatoes roasted slowly on hot stones. At home the oven does the job. Long, low heat turns the starch into natural sugars, so the flesh becomes golden, fudgy and almost syrupy, and nothing at all needs adding: no butter, no sugar, no salt. About 0.1 g salt per portion, all of it naturally in the potato. Eat them hot from paper as an afternoon snack or alongside miso soup. The usual mistake is roasting too hot and fast, which cooks the potato but never sweetens it. Chef's tip: the potato is ready when sticky syrup bubbles out of the skin and the whole thing slumps when squeezed with an oven glove.

95 minJapaneseSnacks & StartersVeganGluten free
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Juhua cha (chrysanthemum tea)

The small white hangbaiju flowers grown around Tongxiang, near Hangzhou, are picked in November, steamed and dried, and they end up in teapots all over China. Families brew them after a rich dinner, through the dry autumn, and iced in summer; dim sum houses in the south offer them as a caffeine-free choice, often mixed with pu-erh. The tea is pale gold, lightly floral with a faint bitterness like chamomile, softened by a little rock sugar and a few goji berries that turn plump and red in the pot. The common mistake is pouring boiling water straight onto the flowers and leaving them for twenty minutes; the tea turns brownish and bitter. Water just off the boil, around 90 °C, and a short steep keep it clear and sweet. It is ready when the flowers have opened like little daisies, the colour is light amber and the smell is honey-like. You can top up the pot two or three times. If you are allergic to ragweed, daisies or marigolds, try a small cup first or skip it, as chrysanthemum belongs to the same family. Chef's tip: for iced juhua cha, brew it double strength and pour it straight over a glass full of ice so it does not taste watery.

10 minChineseDrinksVeganGluten free
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Maquereaux au vin blancMackerel in white wine

In Brittany and Normandy, mackerel in white wine is a summer starter and picnic dish, made when the boats come in heavy with silver fish in June and July; cafés serve it cold with bread and butter. Fillets are laid in a dish and a hot marinade of white wine, vinegar, carrot, onion, coriander seed and bay is poured over to cook them gently, then they chill for a day. Oily fish, high in protein and suitable as part of a balanced diet; serve with a green salad or a few boiled new potatoes. About 300 kcal and 4 g carbohydrate per portion. It cooks with wine, which boils for 5 minutes; for an alcohol-free version use vegetable stock and add 2 extra tablespoons of vinegar. The usual mistake is using fish that is not very fresh: the eyes should be bright and the flesh firm. Chef's tip: check the thickest fillet after the hot marinade; if it is not opaque, simmer the dish on the hob for 2 minutes.

30 minFrenchFishGluten free
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Peixe na telhaFish baked on a clay tile

Peixe na telha, 'fish on the tile', is a weekend dish of the river towns of Goiás and Minas Gerais, where restaurants by the Araguaia bring freshwater fish to the table still sizzling on a curved clay roof tile. At home a terracotta or ceramic baking dish does the job: fillets marinated in lime and garlic are layered with tomato, sweet peppers, onion and coriander and baked until the juices bubble. Suitable as part of a balanced diet: high-protein fish with lots of vegetables. About 290 kcal and 9 g carbohydrate per portion; serve with a salad, or a little brown rice instead of the usual white rice and farofa. The usual mistake is overbaking, which dries the fish; take it out the moment it flakes. Chef's tip: warm the clay dish in the oven first so the vegetables start sizzling at once.

65 minBrazilianFishGluten free
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Pescado en hoja santaFish wrapped in hoja santa

Hoja santa is a big, heart-shaped leaf with a sweet aniseed and pepper scent, and in Veracruz and Oaxaca cooks wrap fish in it for a weekday lunch or a Lenten Friday meal. Fillets are seasoned, topped with tomato, onion, jalapeño and garlic, folded into the leaves and baked or steamed so the fish takes on the perfume. Suitable as part of a balanced diet: lean, high-protein fish with vegetables and no flour. About 230 kcal and 7 g carbohydrate per portion; serve with salad or a couple of corn tortillas. The usual mistake is wrapping too loosely, so the juices run out and the fish dries. If you cannot find hoja santa, use banana leaf with a few fennel fronds or tarragon sprigs. Chef's tip: pass each leaf over a gas flame for a second; it softens and folds without tearing.

35 minMexicanFishGluten free
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Aibika in coconut milkGreens in coconut milk

Aibika, a tall leafy hibiscus grown in almost every garden in Papua New Guinea, is the country's most important green vegetable, cooked daily from the Highlands to Port Moresby. The large leaves are slightly slippery like okra and turn silky and rich when simmered in coconut milk with onion. Serve with kaukau, taro or rice. Outside PNG, spinach, Chinese spinach or taro leaves cooked well can stand in. A common mistake is overcooking, which turns the leaves slimy; a few minutes is enough. Chef's tip: shred the leaves into ribbons so they cook evenly.

20 minPacific IslanderVegetarianVeganGluten free
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Pollo arvejadoChicken with peas

Pollo arvejado is a Chilean home-cooking classic, the kind of quick, homely braise that mothers in Santiago make on a weekday and that appears on set lunch (colación) menus all over the country. Chicken pieces simmer with onion, garlic, carrot and plenty of green peas (arvejas) in a light, golden sauce flavoured with cumin, oregano and a little paprika. It is a good balance of protein and vegetables and suitable as part of a balanced diet; serve with salad or a small portion of brown rice instead of the usual white rice or mashed potato. About 400 kcal and 17 g carbohydrate per portion. The usual mistake is adding the peas at the start, which turns them grey; add frozen peas only for the last 8 minutes. Chef's tip: take the skin off the chicken after browning, so you keep the colour but lose most of the fat.

55 minChileanChickenGluten free
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Vellarikka pachadiCucumber yogurt curry

Vellarikka pachadi is one of the cooling yogurt dishes on the Kerala sadya, the banana-leaf feast served at Onam and weddings, and it turns up at everyday lunches across Thrissur and Kottayam too. Diced cucumber is softened briefly, then folded into thick yogurt with a paste of coconut, green chilli and crushed mustard seed, and finished with mustard seeds and curry leaves crackled in coconut oil. Coconut and curd carry the flavour, so it needs only a pinch of salt: about 0.25 g salt per portion. The usual mistake is adding the yogurt to hot cucumber, which splits it; let the cucumber cool first. Serve with rice and a dry vegetable thoran. Chef's tip: grind the coconut paste with a few raw mustard seeds; their gentle pungency is what makes a pachadi taste of Kerala.

20 minIndianSidesGluten free
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Samaki wa kupakaGrilled fish in coconut tamarind sauce

Samaki wa kupaka is a Swahili coast favourite from Mombasa, Lamu and Zanzibar, grilled over charcoal for family feasts, Eid and evening food markets. Whole fish or thick fillets are marinated with lemon, garlic and turmeric, grilled until charred, then basted again and again with a thick sauce of coconut milk, tamarind, chilli and spices so it forms a sticky, golden coat. This version uses light coconut milk and is suitable as part of a balanced diet; serve with kachumbari and greens, or a small portion of brown rice. About 370 kcal and 8 g carbohydrate per portion. The usual mistake is flipping the fish too soon, before the skin crisps, so it sticks and breaks. Chef's tip: oil the grill rack well and use a fish basket if you have one.

50 minEast AfricanFishGluten free
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Ju hua chaChrysanthemum tea

Ju hua cha is chrysanthemum tea, a summer staple in Hangzhou, where the famous small white Hang bai ju flowers grow, and across Guangdong and Hong Kong, where it is poured at dim sum and sold chilled in street-side stalls. Dried flowers open in hot water into a pale golden, honey-scented infusion with a gentle bitterness. It is drunk plain here: no salt and no sugar, so about 0.0 g salt per cup. The usual mistake is using boiling water, which turns it harsh; let the kettle rest for a minute first. A few goji berries add colour and a little natural sweetness. Chef's tip: rinse the dried flowers quickly in warm water first to wash off dust and wake up their fragrance.

7 minChineseDrinksVeganGluten free
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Ensalada de pulpoOctopus salad

Ensalada de pulpo is a beach-shack favourite of Puerto Rico, sold at the kiosks of Luquillo and Piñones and made at home for summer gatherings and Christmas parties. Tender octopus is cut into bite-sized pieces and dressed with sweet peppers, red onion, olives, cilantro, olive oil and vinegar, then chilled so the flavours soak in. Lean protein with no starch, suitable as part of a balanced diet; eat it with a green salad rather than tostones. About 260 kcal and 8 g carbohydrate per portion. The usual mistake is undercooking the octopus, which leaves it rubbery; it needs a slow simmer until a skewer slides easily into the thickest part of a tentacle. Chef's tip: buy octopus frozen, or freeze fresh octopus for a day, because freezing tenderises it.

90 minPuerto RicanFishGluten free
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Douzhi (fermented mung bean drink)

Douzhi is the breakfast that divides Beijing. It is the sour liquid left over when mung beans are ground and their starch settles out to make noodles and jelly; left to ferment for a day or two, the grey-green whey turns tangy, a little cheesy and sulphurous. Old Beijingers drink it piping hot at dawn in hutong shops around Qianmen and Huguosi, with a dish of finely shredded salty pickle dressed in chilli oil and crisp fried dough rings (jiaoquan) from the bakery. First-timers often say it smells like stale socks; regulars say it tastes like home. The texture is thin and slightly creamy, the flavour sour, a little bitter and savoury. The common mistake is boiling the soured starch hard: it separates into grey water and sludge. Bring it up slowly, stirring, and take it off as soon as it froths. The ferment makes only a trace of alcohol, well under 1%. Ferment at 20–25 °C; normal signs are fine bubbles, a sour, yogurt-like smell and a grey colour. Discard it if you see fuzzy mould, pink or black patches, a slimy texture or a putrid smell. Chef's tip: save 100 ml of a good batch to start the next one, as Beijing workshops do.

50 minChineseDrinksVeganGluten free
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BrudetFisherman's fish stew

Brudet (or brodetto) is the fisherman's stew of the Dalmatian coast and islands, cooked in Split, Hvar and Korčula with whatever the morning's catch brings, and eaten for Friday lunch and summer suppers. Thick fish steaks on the bone stew slowly in olive oil with onion, garlic, tomato and a dash of wine vinegar, and the pot is shaken, never stirred. It is high in protein and suitable as part of a balanced diet; polenta is the classic partner, but grilled courgettes, chard or a small portion of soft polenta keep the carbohydrate down. About 330 kcal and 10 g carbohydrate per portion. The usual mistake is stirring with a spoon, which breaks the fish into shreds. Chef's tip: use at least three kinds of fish, mixing firm and softer ones, for a deeper broth.

60 minBalkanFishGluten free
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Poulet basquaiseBasque chicken with peppers

Poulet basquaise is the everyday family braise of the French Basque Country around Bayonne and Espelette, cooked all summer when peppers are sweet and plentiful. Chicken thighs are browned, then simmered in a piperade of red and green peppers, onion, garlic and tomato, warmed with the region's mild, fruity piment d'Espelette. Rich in vegetables and suitable as part of a balanced diet; serve with green beans or a small portion of brown rice instead of the usual white rice. About 380 kcal and 14 g carbohydrate per portion. The usual mistake is crowding the pan when browning, so the chicken steams and the skin stays pale. Chef's tip: let the peppers cook down slowly until soft and sweet before the chicken goes back in; that is the flavour of the dish.

75 minFrenchChickenGluten free
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Sauce gomboOkra and fish sauce

Sauce gombo is one of the everyday sauces of Côte d'Ivoire, simmered in Abidjan compounds and village kitchens for lunch and eaten with foutou, rice or attiéké. Sliced okra cooks down with tomato, onion, chilli and a little red palm oil until it turns pleasantly silky and draws together, and smoked fish gives it a deep savoury flavour, with fresh fish added at the end. High in fibre and protein and suitable as part of a balanced diet; serve with a modest portion of brown rice or attiéké. About 290 kcal and 12 g carbohydrate per portion. The usual mistake is stirring hard and often, which makes the okra stringy; stir gently. Chef's tip: pick small, bright okra pods that snap cleanly, as large pods are woody.

60 minIvorianCurriesGluten free
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Kori gassiChicken in red chilli coconut gravy

Kori gassi is the Sunday chicken curry of Mangalore's Bunt community on the Karnataka coast, cooked for family lunches and festivals and traditionally eaten with paper-thin neer dosa. Byadgi chillies, coriander, cumin and a little fenugreek are roasted until fragrant, ground with coconut, garlic and tamarind, then simmered with chicken into a brick-red, gently sour gravy. This version uses less coconut than usual and is suitable as part of a balanced diet; serve it with brown rice, millet roti or a salad. About 360 kcal and 9 g carbohydrate per portion. The usual mistake is roasting the spices over a high heat: they scorch and turn the gravy bitter. Chef's tip: byadgi chillies give deep colour with gentle heat, so don't swap them for hot chilli powder.

60 minIndianChickenGluten freeSpicy
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Qingzheng luyuSteamed sea bass

Steamed whole fish is the heart of a Cantonese family dinner in Guangzhou and Hong Kong, and at Lunar New Year it is served whole for abundance. Sea bass steams over ginger until just set, then gets a pour of seasoned soy and a sizzle of hot oil over shredded spring onion that releases a sweet, fragrant aroma. The flesh should be silky and moist. It is low in fat and suitable as part of a balanced diet; serve with greens and a small portion of rice. About 230 kcal and 3 g carbohydrate per portion. The usual mistake is over-steaming: even two minutes too long makes the flesh dry and woolly. Chef's tip: lay the fish on two chopsticks across the plate so steam circulates underneath and it cooks evenly.

25 minChineseFish
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Cheonggukjang jjigaeFermented soybean stew

Cheonggukjang is a sticky, quick-fermented soybean paste made over two or three days in a warm room, and in Korean homes it becomes a bubbling winter stew, cooked in an earthenware pot and set in the middle of the table with rice and banchan. Its smell is famously strong, but the taste is nutty and deeply savoury, with tofu, courgette, onion and greens simmered in an anchovy-kelp stock. Suitable as part of a balanced diet: it is high in plant protein and fibre. About 230 kcal and 14 g carbohydrate per portion; eat it with a small bowl of mixed-grain rice. The usual mistake is boiling the cheonggukjang for a long time, which makes it bitter and dulls its flavour; it goes in for the last few minutes. Chef's tip: mash a spoon of doenjang in with it for a rounder, saltier base.

30 minKoreanSoups
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Tortilla de acelgaSwiss chard omelette

In Montevideo and Buenos Aires, tortilla de acelga is a homely supper or picnic dish, cut into wedges for a weekday dinner or packed for a Sunday at the beach, hot or cold. Plenty of chard is cooked down with onion and garlic, then bound with eggs into a thick, green, juicy omelette that is flipped in the pan like a Spanish tortilla. Serve it with a tomato salad. Suitable as part of a balanced diet. About 190 kcal and 7 g carbohydrate per portion. The usual mistake is leaving the chard wet: squeeze it well, or the tortilla weeps and won't set. If you're cooking for anyone pregnant, a young child or anyone with a weakened immune system, cook it until fully set in the middle. Chef's tip: cook it on a low heat with a lid on for the first side; it sets through without burning the base.

35 minParaguayanBreakfast & BrunchGluten free
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Jogi guiGrilled yellow croaker

Yellow croaker from Yeonggwang on Korea's west coast is so prized that dried gulbi are given as gifts at Chuseok, and a simply grilled or pan-roasted croaker is a classic of the family table and of ancestral memorial meals. The fish is salted, dried briefly and cooked whole until the skin crackles and the flesh comes away in sweet, moist flakes; you eat it with rice, kimchi and a few vegetable banchan. Suitable as part of a balanced diet: high in protein with no batter or flour. About 210 kcal and 1 g carbohydrate per portion. The usual mistake is turning the fish too early, so the skin tears and sticks; wait until it releases on its own. Small sea bream or red mullet work if you cannot find croaker. Chef's tip: pat the fish completely dry and leave it uncovered in the fridge for 30 minutes before cooking for the crispest skin.

25 minKoreanFishGluten free
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Liangban haizheCold jellyfish salad

In Shanghai and along the eastern coast, crunchy cold jellyfish is one of the classic cold starters at banquets and summer dinners, served before the hot dishes. Ready-salted jellyfish is soaked, blanched for seconds so it curls and crisps, then tossed with cucumber, garlic, rice vinegar and sesame oil. It has almost no flavour of its own; the pleasure is its springy crunch and the sharp dressing. Very light and suitable as part of a balanced diet. About 90 kcal and 6 g carbohydrate per portion. The usual mistake is skipping the long soak: the jellyfish is packed in salt and stays far too salty and tough. Another is blanching in boiling water, which shrinks it to rubber. Chef's tip: blanch in water just off the boil, around 80 °C, for 10 seconds, then plunge it into iced water.

22 minChineseSalads
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MchichaAmaranth greens with peanut

Bundles of mchicha (amaranth leaves) are stacked high at Kariakoo market in Dar es Salaam, and almost every Tanzanian family cooks them a few times a week, often as the vegetable beside ugali and maharage. The leaves wilt quickly into something silkier and earthier than spinach, and a spoonful of ground peanuts turns the tomato juices into a creamy, nutty sauce. Look for amaranth leaves (also sold as callaloo, chauli or bayam) at African, Caribbean or Asian grocers; baby spinach works if you cannot find them. Overcooking is the main thing to avoid: take them off the heat while still deep green. Chef's tip: toast the peanuts in a dry pan before grinding them; raw peanuts taste beany in the finished dish.

25 minEast AfricanSidesVeganGluten free
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MaślankaChilled buttermilk

Maślanka, the tangy liquid left after churning butter, is sold in cartons all over Poland and drunk ice-cold with breakfast, with boiled new potatoes in summer, or blended with fruit for children. On its own it is thin, sour and refreshing; with strawberries and a spoon of sugar it becomes a light pink breakfast smoothie. The mistake is buying "buttermilk" that is really thickened yoghurt drink with added flavourings; look for plain cultured buttermilk with nothing else on the label. Chef's tip: chill the glasses as well as the buttermilk, and blend for no more than 20 seconds so it stays light and doesn't separate.

5 minPolishDrinksGluten free
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Loroco con huevoScrambled eggs with loroco

Loroco is a climbing vine whose fragrant flower buds Salvadorans love, best known inside pupusas, and in San Salvador and the countryside it is also scrambled with eggs for breakfast during the rainy season, from June to October, when the buds are in season. The buds taste green, floral and a little like asparagus and artichoke, softened with onion and tomato and set into soft eggs. Serve with corn tortillas and a spoon of refried beans or avocado. Suitable as part of a balanced diet. About 210 kcal and 6 g carbohydrate per portion without tortillas. The usual mistake is cooking the eggs on high heat, which makes them dry and rubbery. Frozen or jarred loroco works well; rinse jarred loroco first. If you're cooking for anyone pregnant, a young child or anyone with a weakened immune system, cook the eggs until fully set. Chef's tip: soften the loroco with the onion first so its flavour spreads through the eggs.

15 minCentral AmericanBreakfast & BrunchGluten free
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Zupa szczawiowaSorrel soup

Zupa szczawiowa is a spring and early summer soup all over Poland, made when sorrel grows thickly in gardens and meadows from May onwards, and it is a favourite Sunday-lunch starter. Fresh sorrel melts into a vegetable broth with carrot and celeriac, giving a bright, lemony sourness, and a spoon of sour cream softens it before halved hard-boiled eggs go into each bowl. Many cooks add potatoes; this version uses just a small one to keep the starch low. Suitable as part of a balanced diet. About 190 kcal and 11 g carbohydrate per portion. The usual mistake is stirring sour cream straight into the boiling soup, where it curdles. Chef's tip: wilt the sorrel in a little butter first; it turns khaki in seconds, which is normal, and the flavour stays bright.

35 minPolishSoupsGluten free
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Chłodnik litewskiChilled beet leaf soup

In Podlasie and the lake country of north-east Poland, chłodnik is the soup of hot June and July days, when young beets are pulled with their leaves still tender. The beet greens and baby beets are cooked briefly, chilled, then stirred into kefir with cucumber, radish, spring onion and lots of dill, so the soup turns shocking pink, tangy and cold. It is served as a starter or a light lunch with half a hard-boiled egg in each bowl. Suitable as part of a balanced diet. About 170 kcal and 13 g carbohydrate per portion. The usual mistake is mixing the kefir into warm beets, which makes it split and dulls the colour, so chill them completely first. Chef's tip: add a squeeze of lemon to the cooking beets; the acid keeps the colour a vivid pink instead of brownish.

30 minPolishSoupsGluten free
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Ispanakhi matsvnitSpinach with yogurt

In Georgian homes from Tbilisi to Kakheti, ispanakhi matsvnit is one of the quick dishes on a supra table and a weekday side all spring, when spinach is young and sweet. The spinach is wilted, squeezed and chopped, then folded into thick matsoni (Georgian set yoghurt) with crushed garlic, coriander and a little blue fenugreek, and served cool with bread, beans or grilled vegetables. Suitable as part of a balanced diet. About 110 kcal and 8 g carbohydrate per portion. The usual mistake is not squeezing the spinach hard enough, so water seeps into the yoghurt and makes it thin. Chef's tip: crush the garlic with a pinch of salt to a smooth paste so it spreads evenly through the yoghurt rather than hitting you in raw lumps.

15 minGeorgianSidesGluten free
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SchmorgurkenBraised cucumbers

Schmorgurken are a late-summer dish of Berlin and the Spreewald, the market-garden country south-east of the city, where big, thick braising cucumbers are piled up in August. Peeled and seeded, they are braised with onion and a little stock until tender and juicy, then finished with dill, mustard and a spoon of sour cream. Many families add minced meat or bacon; this is the vegetarian version, good with boiled new potatoes or a fried egg. Suitable as part of a balanced diet, it is a low-starch vegetable dish: about 110 kcal and 9 g carbohydrate per portion. The usual mistake is braising them for too long until they collapse into mush; they are ready when just translucent. Chef's tip: scrape out the seeds thoroughly, or the dish turns watery.

30 minGermanVegetarianGluten free
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Nurungji porridgeScorched rice porridge

Every Korean home knows the golden crust that sticks to the bottom of the rice pot, and on cold mornings it is simmered in water into nurungji, a nutty, soothing porridge that tastes faintly of toast. Grandmothers serve it with kimchi and a few banchan for breakfast, or as a gentle meal after a heavy night. You can buy dried nurungji sheets in Korean shops, but it is easy to make your own from leftover rice. The common mistake is pulling the crust too soon: pale rice gives a flat, starchy porridge, so wait until it is deep gold. Chef's tip: break the crust into pieces before simmering but keep a few larger shards back and add them in the last minute, so the bowl has soft and slightly crunchy bits.

25 minKoreanRice & GrainsVeganGluten free
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MatbuchaCooked tomato and pepper relish

Matbucha came to Israel with Moroccan Jewish families, and it is on almost every Friday-night and Shabbat table among the salads served with challah, as well as in Jerusalem breakfast spreads. Ripe tomatoes and roasted peppers cook down slowly with garlic, chilli and olive oil for over an hour, until thick, sweet, jammy and spicy. Eat it as a dip, beside eggs or grilled fish, or spooned over beans. Suitable as part of a balanced diet. About 90 kcal and 8 g carbohydrate per portion. The pinch of sugar is optional, and a sweetener works too. The usual mistake is rushing it on high heat: it catches and tastes scorched instead of sweet. Chef's tip: stir more often in the last 20 minutes, when the sauce turns glossy and starts to spit; that's when it's nearly done.

110 minIsraeliChutneys & DipsVeganGluten free
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GrønkålssalatRaw kale salad

Kale (grønkål) is a winter classic in Denmark, traditionally stewed with cream at Christmas, but in Copenhagen homes and cafés it is now just as often eaten raw in this bright salad through the cold months, from November to March. Shredded kale is massaged with lemon juice and oil until it turns silky and dark green, then tossed with crisp apple, red onion and toasted sunflower and pumpkin seeds. Serve it beside rye bread with eggs, or with baked salmon or potatoes. Suitable as part of a balanced diet. About 160 kcal and 9 g carbohydrate per portion. The usual mistake is skipping the massage, which leaves the leaves tough and squeaky. Chef's tip: strip out every bit of stalk; even thin stems stay woody in a raw salad.

18 minScandinavianSaladsVeganGluten free
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Salatat zabadiYogurt and cucumber salad

In Khartoum and Omdurman, salatat zabadi is the cooling dish set on the shared tray at lunch and during Ramadan iftar, eaten beside spicy stews, beans, grilled meat and kisra bread. Thick yoghurt is whisked with grated cucumber, garlic, a little green chilli and dried mint, so it is creamy, fresh and gently hot. Suitable as part of a balanced diet. About 90 kcal and 7 g carbohydrate per portion. The usual mistake is adding the cucumber without squeezing it, which floods the yoghurt and makes it watery within minutes. Chef's tip: chill the bowl for half an hour before serving, as the garlic mellows and the flavours come together.

10 minSudaneseSaladsGluten free
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Kefir

Kefir is the sour, lightly fizzy fermented milk that families across Russia, Georgia and the North Caucasus drink plain from a glass at breakfast, as an evening snack or alongside a meal, and also use in pancakes and cold soups. It is made by leaving milk with kefir grains, a living culture of yeasts and bacteria, at room temperature for a day until it thickens. Nothing is added: no salt and no sugar. About 0.25 g salt per 250 ml glass, all from the milk itself. Always use pasteurised milk. The usual mistake is leaving it too long, until it separates into curds and whey; check after 18 hours and stop when it is just thick and pourable. Chef's tip: a second ferment of 6 hours in the fridge in a closed bottle makes it smoother and a little fizzier.

1445 minRussianDrinksGluten free
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KitchaUnleavened flatbread

Kitcha (qita) is the everyday quick bread of the Ethiopian and Eritrean highlands, baked when there is no time to ferment injera, and eaten for breakfast with tea or coffee, or torn up as kitcha fitfit with spiced butter and berbere. The dough is just flour and water, spread thick on a hot mitad griddle and cooked on both sides until speckled and firm. Traditionally there is no salt in it at all: about 0.0 g salt per portion, so it sits well beside salty stews. The usual mistake is spreading it too thin, which gives a cracker; aim for 1 cm so the middle stays soft. Barley or teff flour can replace some of the wheat for a nuttier bread. Chef's tip: press a little hollow in the middle with your fingers before turning, and the bread cooks evenly without a raw centre.

25 minEthiopianBreads & ParathasVegan
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Lüdou zhouRice and mung bean congee

In Beijing and across the north, a pot of lüdou zhou is what families cook on hot summer mornings: plain rice and mung beans simmered until the beans split and the rice turns creamy, believed to cool the body. It is eaten with salty pickled vegetables, a fried dough stick or a spoon of sugar for children. The mistake is putting the rice and beans in together; mung beans need a head start or you get mushy rice with hard beans. Chef's tip: once it is cooked, leave it to stand off the heat with the lid on for 10 minutes; it thickens into a silky congee without extra stirring.

60 minChineseRice & GrainsVeganGluten free
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Salatet tahinaTahini sauce

No Egyptian table is complete without salatet tahina: in Cairo and Alexandria it is served with fried fish, grilled kofta, ful and falafel, and it is on every mezze plate at Friday lunch. Sesame paste is whipped with lemon juice, garlic, cumin and cold water until it turns pale, fluffy and creamy, with no sugar at all. Suitable as part of a balanced diet, it brings sesame protein and healthy fats with very little carbohydrate: about 150 kcal and 5 g carbohydrate per portion of 3 tablespoons. The usual mistake is panicking when the tahini seizes and goes thick after the lemon goes in; keep adding cold water a spoon at a time and it loosens into a smooth sauce. Chef's tip: use ice-cold water, which makes the tahina whiter and fluffier.

10 minEgyptianChutneys & DipsVeganGluten free
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Bhapa ilishSteamed hilsa in mustard

When the monsoon brings hilsa up the Padma and Hooghly rivers, Kolkata households cook bhapa ilish, the fish steamed in a pungent paste of mustard seeds, green chilli and mustard oil in a closed tiffin box. It is the star of Jamai Sasthi and of any rainy-season Sunday, served with plain rice. The fish is rich and tender, with a nose-tingling mustard heat. Suitable as part of a balanced diet: high in protein and omega-3 fats, with no starch in the dish itself. About 340 kcal and 4 g carbohydrate per portion; keep the rice portion modest. The usual mistake is grinding the mustard seeds too long or with warm water, which turns the paste bitter; grind briefly with cold water, a pinch of salt and a green chilli. Hilsa is bony, so eat slowly and warn guests. Chef's tip: drizzle raw mustard oil over the top just before closing the box; it gives the true Bengali aroma.

40 minIndianFishGluten free
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Tandoori pomfret

Tandoori pomfret is a fixture of Mumbai's coastal restaurants and Koli fishing families' feasts, especially in the cooler months when silver pomfret is at its best. Whole fish are slashed, given a lemon-and-salt first marinade, then coated in thick yogurt with ginger-garlic, Kashmiri chilli, ajwain and garam masala and roasted until charred at the edges and juicy inside. Suitable as part of a balanced diet: high-protein fish with no batter. About 280 kcal and 6 g carbohydrate per portion; serve with onion-cucumber salad and mint chutney. The usual mistake is using runny yogurt, which slides off and steams the fish; strain it first. Chef's tip: a spoon of roasted gram flour (besan) in the marinade helps it cling and char.

55 minIndianFishGluten free
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Meen pollichathuFish wrapped in banana leaf

Meen pollichathu belongs to the backwaters of Alappuzha and Kumarakom, where karimeen (pearl spot) is caught in the lagoons and served wrapped in banana leaf at toddy shops, houseboats and Syrian Christian Sunday lunches. The fish is rubbed with chilli and turmeric, briefly pan-fried, then wrapped with a thick masala of shallots, ginger, garlic, tomato, curry leaves and a little coconut milk and cooked on a pan until the leaf chars. Suitable as part of a balanced diet: high-protein fish with no flour. About 320 kcal and 9 g carbohydrate per portion; serve with a small portion of red matta rice or vegetables. The usual mistake is skipping the first light fry, which leaves the skin soft and lets the fish fall apart in the parcel. Sea bream or pomfret work well. Chef's tip: cook the masala until it is almost dry, or the parcel steams instead of roasting.

55 minIndianFishGluten free
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Salată de ardei copțiRoasted pepper salad

Every Romanian family makes salată de ardei copți in late summer, when the long, sweet bell peppers are piled high at the markets of Bucharest and Cluj and the smell of peppers roasting on the hob fills apartment blocks. The peppers are charred whole, peeled and dressed with garlic, vinegar, oil and parsley, then left to soak up the dressing. It is served cold as a side with grilled meat or fish, or with mămăligă, cheese and eggs. Suitable as part of a balanced diet. About 100 kcal and 9 g carbohydrate per portion. The usual mistake is rinsing the peeled peppers under the tap, which washes away the smoky juices. Chef's tip: steam them in a covered bowl for 10 minutes after charring, and the skins slip off easily.

35 minRomanianSaladsVeganGluten free
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Takenoko no tosaniSimmered bamboo shoots

In Kyoto and the hills around Nagaoka, April means fresh bamboo shoots, and almost every home cooks a pot of tosani: shoots simmered in dashi and soy, then tossed in crumbled bonito flakes (the 'Tosa' style, after the bonito-fishing province on Shikoku). It is served as a small side with rice and grilled fish, or packed into bento boxes. Suitable as part of a balanced diet: it is high in fibre and uses only a teaspoon of sugar, which you can leave out or swap for a sweetener. About 45 kcal and 5 g carbohydrate per portion. The usual mistake is using fresh, unboiled bamboo shoots straight away; raw shoots must be pre-boiled for an hour (traditionally with rice bran) to remove bitterness and natural toxins, so use ready-boiled vacuum-packed shoots unless you do that step. Chef's tip: let the shoots cool in the broth so they drink it up before you add the bonito.

35 minJapaneseSides
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Ensaladang pakoFiddlehead fern salad

Pako, the young curled fronds of the vegetable fern, grow along streams in the Cordillera, Laguna and Mindanao, and in the rainy season they are sold in bundles at roadside stands. Blanched for a moment and tossed with tomato, onion, a calamansi and vinegar dressing and wedges of salted duck egg, they make a crunchy, refreshing side for grilled dishes at lunch. Suitable as part of a balanced diet, it adds greens with some protein: about 120 kcal and 8 g carbohydrate per portion. The usual mistake is eating the fern raw or barely warmed; always blanch it until tender. Chef's tip: plunge the fern straight into iced water after blanching so it stays bright green and crisp.

20 minFilipinoSaladsGluten free
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Maito de tilapiaLeaf-grilled tilapia with cassava

Maito is how Kichwa and Shuar cooks along the rivers around Puyo and Tena prepare fish: seasoned simply with salt, garlic and palm heart, wrapped in big bijao leaves and laid over glowing coals until the parcel blackens and the fish steams in its own juices. Banana leaves, sold frozen in Asian and Latin shops, work just as well at home. It comes to the table in its leaves with boiled sweet cassava, a fiery ají and a cup of guayusa. The common mistake is wrapping the fish in stiff leaves, which split and let the juices escape; soften them over a flame first. Chef's tip: open one parcel to check: the fish is ready when the flesh is opaque and lifts cleanly off the bone.

45 minAndeanFishGluten free
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Ensalada chilenaTomato and onion salad

Every Chilean barbecue, every plate of empanadas on 18 September and most weekday lunches come with this salad: ripe peeled tomatoes and white onion cut into fine 'feathers' (corte pluma), dressed with oil, salt and coriander, sometimes with a little green chilli. It is cool, juicy and sharp, the perfect counterweight to grilled meat or a bean stew. The mistake that ruins it is using raw onion straight from the board: it overpowers everything. Soak the slices in cold salted water first and they turn sweet and crunchy. Chef's tip: peel the tomatoes, as Chileans do, so they drink up the dressing.

20 minChileanSaladsVeganGluten free
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Ensaladang talongGrilled aubergine salad

Ensaladang talong is the smoky side salad that sits beside grilled fish or pork at Filipino family lunches, from Pampanga to Davao, and on the table at weekend beach outings. Long Asian eggplants are charred whole until the flesh collapses, then peeled and topped with diced tomato, red onion and a sharp vinegar dressing. This version leaves out the usual fermented shrimp paste so it is vegan. Suitable as part of a balanced diet, it is low in starch: about 70 kcal and 10 g carbohydrate per portion. The usual mistake is pulling the eggplants off the heat too soon; they must be soft right through, or the flesh is spongy and raw. Chef's tip: peel the hot eggplants under a trickle of water with your fingertips to keep the smoky flesh whole.

25 minFilipinoSaladsVeganGluten free
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NazkhatoonSmoky aubergine with pomegranate

Nazkhatoon comes from Gilan, the green, rainy province on Iran's Caspian coast, where it is eaten in summer as a starter or side with grilled fish, rice and fresh herbs. Charred eggplant is chopped with tomato, garlic and mint, then sharpened with sour pomegranate molasses and verjuice, so it tastes smoky, tart and fresh at once. Suitable as part of a balanced diet, it is a vegetable salad with no grain: about 110 kcal and 14 g carbohydrate per portion. The usual mistake is using sweet pomegranate syrup; it must be the sour Gilani style, and a little goes a long way. Chef's tip: chop everything by hand rather than in a blender, so the salad keeps some texture.

40 minPersianSaladsVeganGluten free
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Surinamese peprewatraHot pepper fish broth

Peprewatra means 'pepper water' in Sranan Tongo, and in Paramaribo it is the broth people reach for after a long night, on a rainy day or when they feel a cold coming: a clear, very spicy fish soup with Madame Jeanette peppers, onion, tomato and lots of herbs, often with a few pieces of cassava or plantain to make it a meal. Use firm white fish steaks with the bone in for flavour. The usual mistake is boiling the fish hard, so it breaks into shreds; add it to the hot broth and keep it just simmering. Chef's tip: drop the whole pepper in first and pierce it once; take it out when the broth is as hot as you like it.

50 minGuyaneseSoupsGluten freeSpicy
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Oi bokkeumStir-fried cucumber

Cooked cucumber sounds odd until you try oi bokkeum, a Korean banchan in which salted, squeezed slices are flashed in a hot pan with garlic and sesame. They come out bright green and squeaky-crunchy, like a warm pickle, and they hold up beautifully in a dosirak because the salting has already drawn out the water that would make other cucumber sides soggy. The common mistake is frying too long; past a minute or two the slices go soft. Chef's tip: spread the cooked cucumber on a plate to cool at once rather than leaving it in the hot pan, so it keeps its colour.

25 minKoreanSidesVegan
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GhiveciBaked mixed vegetable stew

Ghiveci is the Romanian answer to a late-summer glut, made in August and September and often bottled for winter, and it is a mainstay on Orthodox fasting days because it contains no animal products. Aubergine, peppers, courgette, green beans, carrots and onion are layered with tomato and herbs and baked slowly until soft and sweet, with a little browned crust on top. Serve warm or cold with bread, or beside beans. Suitable as part of a balanced diet. About 190 kcal and 20 g carbohydrate per portion. The usual mistake is cutting the vegetables all the same size: harder carrots and beans need smaller pieces than courgette and aubergine so everything is tender at once. Chef's tip: bake uncovered for the last 20 minutes so the juices reduce and the top caramelises.

95 minRomanianVegetarianVeganGluten free
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SalabatHot ginger tea

Salabat is the Filipino early-morning cup, simmered in homes from Luzon to Mindanao when the weather turns cool or a sore throat threatens, and drunk with bibingka and puto bumbong outside churches during the Christmas dawn masses. It is just ginger, water and dark sugar, but the ginger has to be bashed to release its heat. The mistake is slicing the ginger thinly and boiling briefly; you get a pale, weak tea. Crush it and simmer it properly. Chef's tip: leave the skin on young ginger, scrub it well and smash it with the flat of a cleaver, which gives a stronger, rounder heat.

20 minFilipinoDrinksVeganGluten free
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Simi ko tarkariGreen bean stir-fry

Simi ko tarkari is cooked all summer in Nepal, when runner and French beans climb the bamboo poles of every hill farm, and it is one of the dry sides on the plate with dal, rice and achar. The beans are stir-fried in mustard oil with cumin, garlic and tomato, and finished with crushed timur, Nepal's citrusy, tingling pepper. Suitable as part of a balanced diet, it is a high-fibre vegetable side: about 110 kcal and 10 g carbohydrate per portion. The usual mistake is covering the pan for too long, which steams the beans grey; keep the heat high and the lid off for most of the cooking. Chef's tip: toast the timur briefly in a dry pan before crushing; its lemony scent doubles.

25 minNepaliSidesVeganGluten free
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