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WhatToEat.Today

Low-calorie recipes

Lighter recipes that are still filling and full of flavour. (483 recipes)

Ful nabitSprouted fava bean soup

Sprouted beans are ladled out with their cooking liquor in Cairo homes when the weather turns cold or someone is feeling run down, and Egyptians swear by the broth as a pick-me-up. The beans are soaked and left to sprout for a few days, then simmered with onion, garlic and cumin into a light, earthy soup that is sharpened at the table with plenty of lemon. You can eat the beans with a spoon or pop them from their skins. Allow 3 to 4 days for sprouting, although the hands-on work is only about 20 minutes. People with G6PD deficiency (favism) must not eat fava beans. Chef's tip: stop the sprouting when the shoots are about 1 cm long; longer sprouts taste grassy and bitter.

70 minEgyptianSoupsVeganGluten free
by KrazyBadal 2 views

Dominican berenjena guisadaStewed aubergine

Dominican home cooks make berenjena guisada as a weekday side next to white rice and beans, the aubergine stewed down with tomato, sweet peppers and plenty of dried oregano into a soft, savoury guiso. It is light, quick and good hot or at room temperature. The common mistake is adding all the water at the start, which boils the aubergine grey; let it soak up the oil and sofrito first, then add liquid a little at a time. Chef's tip: rub the dried oregano between your palms as it goes in, to release the oils; Dominican cooks swear by it.

35 minPuerto RicanVegetarianVeganGluten free
by KrazyBadal 1 views

ŞalgamFermented purple carrot drink

Order an Adana kebab in its home city and a tall glass of şalgam arrives with it, deep purple, salty, sour and often fiery. It is made by fermenting black carrots with a little bulgur and salt for a week or more, and the sharpness clears the palate between bites of lamb and grilled onion. Street carts in Adana sell it by the glass in summer. This home version skips the separate bulgur-sour-dough stage the big producers use. Use non-iodised salt: iodised salt can stall the ferment. Chef's tip: taste from day 5; when it is sour enough to make you blink, strain and chill it, because it keeps fermenting at room temperature.

20 minTurkishDrinksVegan
by KrazyBadal 1 views

Methi palak dhokraFenugreek and spinach bean cake

A soft, spongy, low-calorie dhokra made from soaked black-eyed beans blended to a batter with fresh fenugreek, spinach and green chilli-ginger paste, lifted with fruit salt and steamed. Cut into squares and serve with green chutney as a snack or light meal.

40 minIndianSnacks & StartersVeganGluten free
by KrazyBadal 1 views

MorogoGreens with tomato and onion

Out in Limpopo and on the edges of Gauteng, morogo is the word for edible leaves, and a pot of them simmering with onion and tomato is what turns a plate of stiff pap into supper. In villages the leaves come from amaranth, cowpea or pumpkin plants picked in the yard; at home you can use shop-bought amaranth or pumpkin leaves from an African grocer, or plain spinach mixed with a little kale, which gives a very similar soft, earthy, slightly mineral result. The greens cook down until silky and dark, with sweet tomato and a little chilli running through them. Serve with pap, samp and beans or a pile of rice, and eat it with your hands, rolling a ball of pap through the greens. Chef's tip: let the onion and tomato fry down to a thick jam before the leaves go in, otherwise the morogo ends up watery and bland.

25 minSouth AfricanSidesVeganGluten free
by KrazyBadal 0 views

Gremolata

Gremolata is the Milanese finishing touch spooned over ossobuco on Sunday tables across Lombardy, and it brightens any slow-cooked stew, roast vegetables, beans or grilled fish. Flat-leaf parsley, lemon zest and raw garlic are chopped together so finely that they become a fragrant green confetti; the fresh, sharp flavour wakes up a dish so much that you need far less salt. About 0.0 g salt per portion. The usual mistake is grating the white pith with the zest, which makes it bitter; take only the yellow skin. Make it no more than an hour ahead, as the garlic gets harsh and the parsley darkens. Chef's tip: chop the garlic first with a few parsley leaves, so the juice soaks into the herbs instead of sticking to the knife.

5 minItalianChutneys & DipsVeganGluten free
by KrazyBadal 0 views

SalmoriglioLemon, oregano and oil sauce

Salmoriglio is the sauce of Sicily and Calabria's summer grills, brushed over swordfish in Messina and over grilled aubergine and peppers in every courtyard from Palermo to Reggio. Olive oil is whisked with lemon juice, a little warm water, dried oregano and garlic until it turns pale and creamy, and the herbs and citrus do the seasoning that salt usually does. This version uses no salt: about 0.0 g salt per portion. The usual mistake is pouring it over cold food; brush it onto food straight off the grill so the heat releases the oregano's perfume. Use Sicilian oregano on the stem if you can find it. Chef's tip: whisk the oil in slowly over a bowl set on warm water, the old way, and the sauce emulsifies and stays creamy.

5 minItalianChutneys & DipsVeganGluten free
by KrazyBadal 0 views

Kandalee ka saagStinging nettle greens

Every spring in Uttarakhand people pick the soft tips of kandalee (bichhu ghas, stinging nettle) from field edges and cook them into a deep green saag with garlic, chilli and a spoon of rice paste, eaten with mandua roti or rice. Nettles taste like a rich, mineral spinach and the sting disappears completely once they are blanched. Always wear gloves or use tongs when picking and washing them. The common mistake is skipping the blanch and going straight to the pan, which leaves stringy stems and some sting. Chef's tip: squeeze the blanched nettles well and chop fine before cooking; this is what gives the smooth, creamy texture hill cooks are proud of.

35 minIndianVegetarianVeganGluten free
by KrazyBadal 0 views

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
by KrazyBadal 0 views

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
by KrazyBadal 0 views

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
by KrazyBadal 0 views

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
by KrazyBadal 0 views

Nduma na viazi vitamuBoiled arrowroot and sweet potato

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

45 minEast AfricanBreakfast & BrunchVeganGluten free
by KrazyBadal 0 views

Pane toscanoUnsalted Tuscan bread

Pane toscano, called pane sciocco ('foolish' or 'bland' bread) in Florence and Siena, is the saltless loaf that Tuscans have eaten for centuries; legend blames a medieval salt tax. It has a thick, crackly crust and an open, chewy crumb, and it is made to be eaten with salty prosciutto, pecorino and ribollita, or soaked in panzanella and pappa al pomodoro. There is no salt in the dough: about 0.0 g salt per slice. The usual mistake is under-proving: without salt the dough rises fast, and with too little rest it tastes floury; a starter and a slow rise give it flavour. Chef's tip: bake with steam (a tray of boiling water in the oven) for the first 15 minutes, which is what gives the crust its proper Tuscan crunch.

70 minItalianBreads & ParathasVegan
by KrazyBadal 0 views

TangturCurd with greens and chilli

Through the short Ladakhi summer, when the fields around Leh are green, tangtur is on the table at almost every lunch: boiled leafy greens chopped into thick, cool curd or buttermilk with raw onion and green chilli. It is served beside paba, khambir or rice, and cuts through anything rich or spicy. In villages the greens may be wild ones gathered from field edges; spinach, mustard or radish leaves work well at home. The mistake to avoid is adding the greens while still hot, which splits the curd; cool them completely first. Chef's tip: squeeze the boiled greens really hard in your fist so the tangtur stays thick instead of watery.

15 minIndianSaladsGluten free
by KrazyBadal 0 views

Lingdi ki sabziFiddlehead fern curry

When the monsoon arrives in the Kullu and Mandi valleys, coiled fiddlehead ferns (lingdi) appear along streams and in village markets, and families cook them as a quick dry sabzi with onion, garlic and chilli, or pickle them for winter. The young fronds taste a little like asparagus and green beans, with a pleasant snap. Only eat edible fiddlehead species from a trusted seller, and always cook them well: undercooked ferns can upset the stomach. The common mistake is skipping the blanching, which leaves them bitter and unsafe; boil them first, then fry. Chef's tip: rub off the brown papery scales under running water before trimming; they hold grit.

28 minIndianVegetarianVeganGluten free
by KrazyBadal 0 views

Sana hua nimbuLemon and radish with curd

On sunny winter afternoons in Kumaon, families sit on the rooftops and make a big bowl of sana hua nimbu to share: segments of the giant hill lemon (galgal) mashed with radish, curd, jaggery and green salt pounded with hemp or coriander. It is sweet, sour, salty and crunchy all at once, and is eaten with fingers straight from the bowl. Ordinary lemons or a mix of lemon and pomelo work well. The common mistake is leaving in the pith and seeds, which make the whole bowl bitter. Chef's tip: mix just before eating; once it sits longer than 20 minutes the radish weeps and the curd thins.

15 minIndianSaladsGluten free
by KrazyBadal 0 views

Mizo panch phoran tarkariMixed vegetables with five spices

Mizo cooking uses very little oil and few spices, and this Aizawl tarkari of pumpkin, potato, brinjal and beans is a good example: a few seeds of panch phoron bloom in a spoonful of oil, the vegetables steam in their own juices and dinner is ready. It is eaten on weekdays with rice, dal and a sharp chilli relish. The common mistake is stirring too often, which mashes the pumpkin; turn it gently only once or twice. Chef's tip: cut everything about the same size so it cooks evenly.

32 minIndianVegetarianVeganGluten free
by KrazyBadal 0 views

HinkejvuTaro and mustard leaf stew

Hinkejvu is a light Sumi Naga everyday dish from Nagaland's Zunheboto district, where colocasia, cabbage, mustard leaves and beans are simmered together with only ginger, chilli and salt. It is eaten with plain rice and a smoky chutney, often after a heavier meat dish the day before. The common mistake is adding oil or spices, which hides the clean vegetable flavour; Naga home cooking relies on the produce. Chef's tip: cook the colocasia until it starts to break and thicken the broth slightly.

35 minIndianVegetarianVeganGluten free
by KrazyBadal 0 views

Sayur bening bayam for toddlersSpinach and corn soup for toddlers

Sayur bening, 'clear vegetables', is the light soup that turns up at nearly every Javanese family lunch in Yogyakarta and Solo, and it is one of the first family dishes Indonesian children share. Spinach and sweet corn are simmered for just a few minutes in water scented with shallot and temu kunci (fingerroot), giving a sweet, fresh broth to spoon over rice. For toddlers from 12 months it is made with no salt or sugar, and the corn is chopped. It is vegan and free of the major allergens. Chef's tip: add the spinach at the very end; overcooked bayam turns grey and bitter.

20 minIndonesianSoupsVeganGluten free
by KrazyBadal 0 views

Chirimoya alegreCherimoya in orange juice

Chileans call it 'happy cherimoya': ripe custard-apple pulp dropped into fresh orange juice and served ice-cold. It turns up as the summer dessert after a big lunch in the Central Valley and in the Aconcagua valley, where much of Chile's cherimoya grows. The fruit should be soft like a ripe avocado; a hard one tastes starchy. The most common mistake is preparing the fruit ahead without juice, so it turns brown and loses its perfume: drop each piece straight into the orange juice. Remove every black seed, as the seeds must not be eaten or crushed. Chef's tip: squeeze the oranges yourself and taste before you sweeten; good juice often needs no sugar at all.

15 minChileanDessertsVeganGluten free
by KrazyBadal 0 views

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
by KrazyBadal 0 views

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
by KrazyBadal 0 views

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
by KrazyBadal 0 views

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
by KrazyBadal 0 views

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
by KrazyBadal 0 views

Ensaladang talbos ng kamote (sweet potato leaf salad)

In Filipino provinces from Pampanga to Leyte, the tender tips of sweet potato vines grow by every house, and this quick salad of blanched leaves, ripe tomato and red onion in sukang Iloko vinegar sits beside fried fish or rice in baon and family lunches. The leaves turn silky and mild, and the vinegar keeps it fresh in a closed tub. The mistake is boiling the leaves for minutes until they turn dark and slimy; thirty seconds is enough. Chef's tip: plunge the leaves into iced water straight from the pot, so they stay bright green until lunchtime.

13 minFilipinoSaladsVeganGluten free
by KrazyBadal 0 views

Nama saladSea grapes with coconut milk

Nama, the glossy green sea grapes that grow on the reef flats of Fiji's Lau and Kadavu islands, are sold in bundles at the Suva market and eaten as a fresh, salty salad with almost every iTaukei lunch of fish and cassava. The little bubbles pop in the mouth with a taste of the sea. They are dressed in lolo (coconut milk) with lemon, onion, tomato and chilli just before eating. A common mistake is dressing them too early; the salt and acid make the grapes collapse. Chef's tip: soak them in cold water for 5 minutes to plump them and wash away grit.

15 minPacific IslanderSaladsVeganGluten free
by KrazyBadal 0 views

Konnyak jorimBraised konjac

Konjac, the grey, jelly-like block made from a root called devil's tongue, has almost no calories, and in Korea it is braised in sweet soy until glossy and chewy, a popular dosirak banchan that never wilts. Its texture is the point: bouncy, with a savoury glaze clinging to every scored cube. The common mistake is skipping the blanch, which leaves konjac's slight fishy smell from the alkaline water it is set in. Chef's tip: score a shallow criss-cross on the cubes or tear them with a spoon rather than cutting, and the sauce grips the rough surfaces.

25 minKoreanSidesVeganGluten free
by KrazyBadal 0 views

Lal mathachi bhaji (red amaranth stir-fry)

In Mumbai and the Konkan, bunches of red math (amaranth) with their magenta stems come in during the monsoon, and this quick garlicky bhaji turns the dabba's chapatis pink at the edges. It is cooked fast in a hot pan so the leaves stay bright, then finished with a little fresh coconut, the coastal touch that sets it apart from the Bengali way with the same leaf. The mistake is cooking it covered for a long time, which turns it grey and watery. Chef's tip: chop the tender stems finely and cook them for a minute before the leaves go in, so everything is done at the same moment.

18 minIndianSidesVeganGluten free
by KrazyBadal 0 views

Methi gajarCarrots with fenugreek leaves

When the long red Delhi carrots and bunches of fresh methi fill the winter markets of Haryana and Punjab, this quick dry sabzi turns up beside every plate of rotis and dal. The slight bitterness of the fenugreek leaves and the sweetness of the carrots balance each other, helped along by a pinch of sugar and a squeeze of lemon. It takes about 25 minutes. The common mistake is adding the methi too early, which makes it bitter and dark. Chef's tip: rub the chopped methi with a little salt and squeeze it after 10 minutes; this tames the bitterness without losing the fragrance.

27 minIndianVegetarianVeganGluten free
by KrazyBadal 0 views

Limonata a cosce aperteFizzy lemonade

On hot afternoons along the Lungomare and in Piazza Sannazaro, the old acquafrescai kiosks squeeze half a lemon into a glass of sparkling water, then add a pinch of bicarbonate of soda. The drink foams up and over the rim, so you have to lean forward with your legs apart to drink it without soaking your shoes, which is where the cheeky name comes from. It tastes sharp, salty-fresh and very fizzy, and Neapolitans swear by it after a heavy lunch. Chef's tip: have the glass at your lips before you stir in the bicarbonate; the foam rises in seconds.

5 minItalianDrinksVeganGluten free
by KrazyBadal 0 views

Kumaoni kheere ka raitaCucumber raita

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

15 minIndianSidesGluten free
by KrazyBadal 0 views

Bajre ki raabdiFermented pearl millet buttermilk porridge

In the villages of Haryana and the Rajasthan border, raabdi is drunk at midday in May and June to keep cool in the fields. Pearl-millet flour is stirred into buttermilk and left to ferment for a few hours, then cooked slowly until thick, cooled in a clay pot and thinned with more buttermilk and salt. It tastes tangy and earthy, a little like a savoury porridge you can drink. Ferment at warm room temperature (25–32 °C) for 4–6 hours: it should smell pleasantly sour with a few bubbles. Throw it away if you see pink, black or furry mould or it smells rotten or of nail varnish. The common mistake is cooking on high heat, which scorches the millet and leaves raw lumps. Chef's tip: keep the cooked raabdi in the fridge and drink it within 2 days, thinning each glass to taste.

35 minIndianDrinksGluten free
by KrazyBadal 0 views

Koinar saagKachnar leaf greens

In Jharkhand's spring, as the kachnar (Bauhinia) trees put out pale tender leaves, Santhal, Munda and Oraon families gather them for koinar saag, a slightly tangy, earthy green cooked with lots of garlic in mustard oil and eaten with rice and dal or with madua roti. Some households dry the leaves to use through the summer. The usual mistake is using older, darker leaves, which stay tough and fibrous however long you cook them. Chef's tip: blanch the leaves first and squeeze them hard; it softens the faint astringency and the saag absorbs the garlic oil better.

25 minIndianVegetarianVeganGluten free
by KrazyBadal 0 views

Goan pezRice porridge with pickle and papad

Pez is the plainest food in a Goan kitchen and one of the most loved: red parboiled rice simmered in plenty of water until the grains burst and the liquid turns milky. Fishermen and farmers ate it before a day's work, mothers serve it to anyone who feels unwell, and on heavy monsoon evenings it comes with a spoon of mango or lime pickle, a roasted papad and sometimes a dry fish or vegetable on the side. The mistake is cooking it in too little water so it becomes a sticky porridge; good pez has whole soft grains floating in thin, starchy broth. Chef's tip: stir in a little salt only at the end and let everyone add buttermilk or coconut milk to their own bowl.

45 minIndianRice & GrainsVeganGluten free
by KrazyBadal 0 views

Goan tendli bhajiIvy gourd stir-fry

On an everyday Goan plate of rice, fish curry and a vegetable, the vegetable is very often this quick tendli bhaji. Thin rounds of ivy gourd are softened with onion and green chilli in coconut oil, then tossed with fresh grated coconut just before serving, so they stay crunchy-tender and sweet. Hindu homes make it without onion on fasting or puja days. The mistake to avoid is cutting the tendli thickly and covering the pan for too long, which gives grey, soggy rings; thin slices cooked mostly uncovered keep their green colour. Chef's tip: pick firm, bright green tendli and discard any that are red inside, as they are overripe and slimy.

25 minIndianSidesVeganGluten free
by KrazyBadal 0 views

Hmarcha rawtRoasted green chilli relish

No Mizo table in Aizawl is complete without a small bowl of hmarcha rawt, the sharp relish that goes with plain rice, boiled vegetables and bai at almost every meal. Green chillies are charred over a flame or on a dry pan, then pounded with raw onion, ginger and salt. The mistake is to blend it smooth; it should be coarse and juicy, with bits of charred skin. Chef's tip: roast the chillies until blistered all over, not black, or the relish turns bitter.

13 minIndianChutneys & DipsVeganGluten freeSpicy
by KrazyBadal 0 views

ChirmolCharred tomato and mint salsa

Wherever Guatemalans light a grill for Sunday carne asada, a bowl of chirmol sits beside it. The tomatoes are blackened on a comal until their skins split, then crushed with raw onion, lime and fresh mint, which is the herb that sets it apart from Mexican salsas. It is smoky, sharp and loose, meant to be spooned over grilled meat, black beans, eggs or plain rice. A common mistake is blending it smooth; chirmol should be chunky and juicy, crushed by hand or with a fork. Chef's tip: leave some of the charred skin in; those black flecks carry most of the smoky flavour.

20 minCentral AmericanChutneys & DipsVeganGluten free
by KrazyBadal 0 views

Chancho en piedraCrushed tomato, garlic and chilli salsa

Despite the name, 'pig in stone' has no pork in it. It is a rough salsa of ripe tomato, garlic and chilli crushed in a stone mortar (piedra), and it is on the table at every September fonda during the Fiestas Patrias, with hot sopaipillas, bread straight from the oven or choripán. Blending it smooth in a machine is the classic mistake: it should be rustic and juicy, with small pieces. Chef's tip: pound the garlic, chilli and salt to a paste first, then add the tomatoes; the salt acts as grit and the flavour gets into every bit.

15 minChileanChutneys & DipsVeganGluten free
by KrazyBadal 0 views

Chech bhajiJute leaf curry

Chech bhaji is a monsoon green in Chhattisgarh, picked from the jute plants that come up in field edges and village gardens, and cooked almost every week during Sawan. The leaves turn slippery as they soften, a bit like okra, and the cook reins that in with tomato and a little rice water left from washing the rice. It is eaten with plain rice and dal or bore baasi. The mistake to avoid is stirring it endlessly; the leaves go stringy and gluey, so stir only now and then. Chef's tip: frozen or dried molokhia leaves from an Arab grocery are the same plant and work well outside India.

25 minIndianVegetarianVeganGluten free
by KrazyBadal 0 views

Xaak bhajiStir-fried greens

Xaak bhaji is the simplest dish on an Assamese table and one of the most loved: whatever greens are in season, mustard leaves in winter, red or green amaranth and dhekia fern in the monsoon, wilted in mustard oil with garlic and a dried chilli. It is eaten at the start of the meal with rice in homes from Sivasagar to Guwahati. People often add water and stew the greens; they should cook in their own moisture over brisk heat so they stay bright. Chef's tip: mix two or three greens together, as Assamese cooks do, for a fuller flavour.

20 minIndianSidesVeganGluten free
by KrazyBadal 0 views

Consomé de chipichipiTiny clam broth

On the beaches of Margarita and the Sucre coast, vendors ladle steaming cups of consomé de chipichipi, a clear, salty broth of tiny clams with garlic, ají dulce and coriander, famous as a cure after a long night. Chipichipi are hard to find outside Venezuela; small clams such as palourdes or Manila clams are a good stand-in. The common mistake is boiling the clams too long, which makes them rubbery. Chef's tip: let the clams soak in salted water first so they spit out their sand.

55 minVenezuelanSoupsGluten free
by KrazyBadal 0 views

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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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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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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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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Crudités

Crudités are how a French family lunch, a Paris bistro menu or a school canteen meal often begins: a plate of raw vegetables, each prepared on its own: grated carrot with lemon, crunchy radishes, cucumber slices and celery, dressed with a sharp mustardy vinaigrette. Crisp, cold vegetables taste so lively that very little salt is needed; with the small amount of mustard in the dressing this plate has about 0.3 g salt per portion. The usual mistake is dressing everything together in advance, which turns it watery and limp; dress each vegetable just before serving. Chef's tip: grate the carrots on the fine side of the grater and toss them with lemon first; they soften slightly and taste sweeter, the way French grandmothers make carottes râpées.

20 minFrenchSaladsVeganGluten free
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