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Ulli theeyalShallots in roasted coconut gravy

Theeyal comes from the word for burnt, and the colour gives it away: grated coconut and coriander seeds are roasted together in a dry pan until deep brown, then ground into a paste that turns a sour tamarind gravy almost black. Ulli (shallot) theeyal is the version most Malayali grandmothers make for Onam and for ordinary weekday lunches in Palakkad and Thrissur, with dozens of whole small onions softened in coconut oil until sweet. It tastes smoky, sour and slightly sweet all at once, and it is thick enough to cling to rice. Serve with hot matta rice, a thoran and papadam. The mistake everyone makes once is burning the coconut: it must be roasted on a low flame and taken off when it is the colour of strong coffee, never black. Gluten-free with gluten-free asafoetida. Chef's tip: grind the roasted coconut while it is still warm, so the oil releases and the paste turns smooth and glossy.

50 min

Indian Curries

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AmchurDry mango powder

Every Punjabi and UP kitchen keeps a jar of amchur next to the jeera and haldi, and the homemade version smells far fresher and sourer than most shop powder. In villages around Saharanpur and Malihabad, the raw mangoes that fall in early-summer storms are peeled, sliced and spread out to dry, and the brittle slices (amchur khatai) are either stored whole or ground. Amchur gives a fruity, mouth-puckering sourness without any liquid, which is why it goes into dry dishes where tomato or tamarind would make things soggy: bhindi masala, stuffed karela, samosa and kachori fillings, chole, chaat masala and pav bhaji masala. A kilo of mangoes gives roughly 100 g of powder. Common mistake: grinding slices that still bend; even slight moisture makes the powder clump into hard lumps in the jar. Chef's tip: choose small, rock-hard, very sour green mangoes with white flesh, not ones starting to turn yellow; riper fruit dries into a brown, sweetish powder.

40 min

Indian Basics

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Cari ti jacquesYoung jackfruit curry

When the jackfruit trees around Saint-Louis and Saint-Joseph drop their small green fruit, Réunion cooks turn them into cari ti jacques, long-simmered until the flesh shreds into soft, meaty strands soaked in turmeric, tomato, garlic and thyme. The island's classic version is cooked with smoked pork, but this one leaves the meat out entirely and lets the tomato and slow cooking carry it, with a pinch of smoked paprika for the smoky note. Serve it with white rice, beans or lentils and a sharp rougail. The common mistake is stopping too early: jackfruit that is only just tender tastes rubbery, and it needs a full hour for the pieces to fall apart when pressed. Chef's tip: if you use tinned young jackfruit, rinse it well and squeeze it gently, as the brine tastes sour and metallic.

90 min

Mauritian Curries

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Lentilles de CilaosMountain lentils

High in the volcanic cirque of Cilaos, farmers grow tiny brown-green lentils on terraces, and the whole island prizes them: they hold their shape, taste nutty and mineral, and turn up beside every kind of cari, with a mound of white rice and a spoon of rougail. The village holds a lentil festival each autumn, and a pot of lentilles is a fixture of family Sunday lunches across Réunion. Outside the island, use small French green or brown lentils, which behave in the same way. Don't let them boil hard; a fierce boil splits the skins and turns the pot into mush, so keep it at a gentle bubble. Chef's tip: take the time to brown the onions properly before the lentils go in, because that slow, sweet browning is what gives the sauce its depth.

60 min

Mauritian Curries

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Kaju curryCashew curry

Walk along any wedding buffet in Pune, Mumbai or Ahmedabad and there is usually a chafing dish of kaju curry near the paneer, with guests going back for seconds. Whole cashews are fried in ghee until golden, which makes them crunchy outside and buttery inside, then folded into a rich onion and tomato gravy thickened with more cashews, finished with cream and kasuri methi. The gravy is orange, smooth and rounded with a touch of sweetness; it should taste of roasted nuts and gentle spice, not fire. Gujarati restaurants often serve a spicier Kathiyawadi version, but the wedding style here is the mild one. Eat it with butter naan, tandoori roti or jeera rice. Common mistake: adding the fried cashews too early; they soak up the gravy and turn soft, so fold them in just before serving. Chef's tip: keep a few fried cashews back and scatter them on top at the table so every spoonful has some crunch.

40 min

Indian Curries

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Bengali boriSun-dried lentil dumplings

Winter mornings in rural Bengal used to mean bori-making: the household gathered on the roof with a big bowl of freshly ground, hand-whipped urad dal and dropped little peaked dollops onto cloth in neat rows. In Medinipur the women even pipe them into lace-like gohona bori, a folk art of its own. The everyday kind is simpler, a cone the size of a marble, sun-dried until rock hard. Fried in mustard oil, a bori turns crisp and golden outside and slightly spongy inside, and it soaks up gravy beautifully. A handful goes into shukto, into a maacher jhol with potatoes, into lau ghonto (bottle gourd) or into a simple vegetable chorchori. Common mistake: grinding the dal with too much water; the paste then spreads flat on the cloth instead of holding a peak. Chef's tip: check the whipped paste by dropping a little into a bowl of water. If it floats, it has enough air and the bori will be light; if it sinks, keep beating.

50 min

Indian Basics

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Danyachi amtiPeanut curry

On fast days in Maharashtra, when dal is off the menu, danyachi amti takes its place. Roasted peanuts are ground smooth with green chilli, then simmered with water, a cumin tadka, kokum and a little jaggery into a pale, creamy curry with a sour, slightly sweet and spicy taste. It is ladled over sabudana khichdi or vari tandul (barnyard millet) bhagar, loosening them and adding protein to a fasting meal, and it goes well with upvasachi batata bhaji on the side. Use sendha namak so it suits the fast; ghee is the usual fat in many homes, oil keeps it vegan. It thickens a lot as it stands, so thin it with hot water before serving. Chef's tip: grind the peanut paste really smooth and whisk it into the water before heating; a coarse grind leaves the amti gritty and it splits as it boils.

30 min

Indian Curries

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Navratan kormaNine-jewel vegetable korma

Legend ties the name to the nine gems (navratna) of Akbar's court, and the dish lives up to it: nine kinds of vegetables, paneer, fruit and nuts in an ivory gravy that is mild, rich and a little sweet. It is a fixture of North Indian wedding buffets and restaurant menus, often the one curry children and spice-shy guests head straight for. The gravy is a Mughlai white base, made from onions boiled (not browned) and ground with cashews, cooked gently in ghee with whole spices, yogurt and cream. Each vegetable is cooked separately so it stays bright and holds its shape, and pineapple and raisins go in at the end for little bursts of sweetness. Serve it with jeera rice, naan or laccha paratha and a sharp onion salad on the side. Common mistake: browning the onions; they colour the gravy beige and make it taste like any other curry. Keep the heat gentle once the yogurt is in, so it does not split. Chef's tip: a pinch of white pepper and a drop of kewra water at the end give the restaurant flavour without adding chilli heat.

65 min

Indian Curries

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Katachi amtiSweet-sour chana dal stock curry

When Maharashtrian homes cook chana dal for the puran on Holi, the cooking liquid is drained off before the dal is sweetened, and nothing goes to waste: that starchy, nutty stock, the kat, becomes katachi amti. Tempered with mustard, cumin and curry leaves, then simmered with roasted dry coconut, goda masala, tamarind and jaggery, it turns into a thin, hot, sweet-and-sour dal that is poured over puran poli or drunk from a bowl alongside it. The spice balances the rich sweet bread perfectly, which is why the two always appear together on Holi and Gudi Padwa thalis. If you are not making puran poli, cook 150 g chana dal in 1 litre of water until soft, drain off the liquid for this and use the dal for something else. Use gluten-free asafoetida and a goda masala made without wheat for a gluten-free amti. Chef's tip: keep it thin, like rasam; it is meant to soak into the poli, not sit on it.

45 min

Indian Curries

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Massalé cabriGoat curry

Massalé came to Réunion with Tamil workers in the nineteenth century, and the dark, earthy spice blend still perfumes the island's temple festivals and the big family meals that follow them, where massalé cabri is served from huge pots. Goat on the bone is rubbed with toasted, freshly ground coriander, cumin, fenugreek, pepper and cloves, then simmered with onion, garlic, ginger, tomato and curry leaves until it falls from the bone into a thick brown sauce with a lingering heat. Eat it with white rice, lentils and a rougail. The classic mistake is burning the spices while toasting them, which makes the whole pot bitter; take them off the heat the moment they smell warm and turn a shade darker. Chef's tip: marinate the goat overnight in the fridge if you can, as the massalé gets right into the meat.

120 min

Mauritian Meat

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Kali gajar ki kanjiFermented black carrot drink

When the last black carrots of winter reach Punjabi and UP markets in February and March, kitchens start a jar of kanji. The carrots are cut into fingers, steeped in water with crushed mustard seed, salt and chilli, and left in the sun for a few days until the liquid turns deep purple, sour and sharp enough to tickle your nose. It is drunk by the glass before meals around Holi as a digestive and a spring tonic, and the soft, tangy carrot sticks are eaten too. The flavour is like a lively pickle brine, earthy from the carrots and peppery from mustard. Use a glass or ceramic jar that you have washed and dried completely, keep the vegetables under the water, stir with a clean dry spoon, and discard if mould or an unpleasant smell appears. Chef's tip: a small beetroot deepens the colour if your carrots are more red than black, but don't overdo it or the kanji tastes earthy and sweet.

20 min

Indian Drinks

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Del curryBreadfruit coconut curry

Breadfruit trees grow in almost every village garden in Sri Lanka, and del curry is the filling weekday and almsgiving dish that makes use of them, especially in the wet south-west. Chunks of breadfruit are simmered in coconut milk with roasted curry powder, a little mustard paste, curry leaves and pandan, until they turn soft, creamy and starchy like a good potato. Eat it with rice, pol sambol and a green mallung. The usual mistake is skipping the pre-boil; breadfruit contains a sticky latex and can stay firm, so boil the pieces first. Chef's tip: stir the mustard paste in only at the end and don't boil it hard afterwards, or it turns bitter.

45 min

Sri Lankan Curries

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Pathola currySnake gourd coconut curry

Pathola curry is a quick, gentle white curry from everyday Sri Lankan rice-and-curry lunches, especially loved in the south where snake gourd grows on trellises behind most houses. Thin half-moons of gourd simmer for a few minutes in coconut milk with turmeric, green chilli, curry leaves and a pinch of fenugreek, so they stay pale green, soft and juicy. Serve it with rice, dal and a fiery sambol. The usual mistake is overcooking, which turns the gourd watery and grey; pull it off as soon as it is translucent. Chef's tip: scrape the soft white pith and seeds out with a spoon; they water the curry down.

25 min

Sri Lankan Curries

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Beijing douzhiFermented mung bean drink

Douzhi is the most famous acquired taste in Beijing: a hot, grey-green, sour drink made from the liquid left when mung beans are ground for starch, then fermented. Old Beijingers sip it at breakfast with crisp jiaoquan rings and shredded salted mustard pickles, and visitors either love it or never try it twice. At home you make a small batch by blending mung beans, settling out the starch and fermenting the cloudy water for a day. The mistake is letting it boil hard: it separates into watery and thick layers, so keep it at a gentle bubble. It must smell cleanly sour like yogurt; throw it away if it smells rotten, has mould, or turns pink or slimy. Chef's tip: stir it continuously as it heats and add a splash of the thinner liquid at the end, which keeps the classic smooth, slightly thick texture.

1440 min

Chinese Drinks

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HacheeBeef and onion stew

Hachee is the Dutch stoofpotje that grandmothers in Friesland, Groningen and Brabant leave murmuring on the back of the stove on cold Sundays: beef braised with almost as much onion as meat, plus bay leaves, cloves and a splash of vinegar, until it falls apart into a dark, sweet-sour gravy. It goes on boiled potatoes with red cabbage, or with stamppot, and leftovers are eaten on toast. The usual mistake is rushing the onions: they need a good 15 minutes to turn deep golden, or the gravy stays pale and sharp. Slow-cooker option: after browning, cook on low for 8 hours. Chef's tip: stir in a spoon of dark syrup or apple butter at the end only if the vinegar tastes too sharp; taste first, as good onions often make it unnecessary.

190 min

Dutch Meat

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Karawila curryBitter gourd coconut curry

Bitter gourd is a favourite of older Sri Lankan cooks, and karawila curry appears on weekday tables across the island alongside rice, dal and a mild white curry to balance its bite. The gourd is salted, squeezed and lightly fried, then stewed in coconut milk with roasted curry powder, tamarind and a touch of sugar, so it becomes dark, glossy and pleasantly bitter rather than harsh. The usual mistake is skipping the salting and squeezing, which leaves the curry fiercely bitter. Chef's tip: fry the gourd until the edges are brown before it meets the coconut milk; the browning softens the bitterness more than sugar does.

35 min

Sri Lankan Curries

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MoshOat and milk drink

In Guatemalan homes, mosh is what a mother hands a child on a chilly highland morning in Quetzaltenango or Huehuetenango: rolled oats cooked long and thin with water, milk, cinnamon and sugar, so it's drunk from a mug rather than eaten with a spoon. The common mistake is making it too thick like porridge; it should pour easily, so keep adding hot milk or water as the oats swell. Chef's tip: whisk it hard for a minute at the end; it breaks up the oats and makes the drink smooth and frothy.

15 minCentral American Drinks

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Kohila curryLasia root curry

Kohila (lasia root) grows in the marshy paddy edges of Sri Lanka's south and west, and kohila curry is a traditional village dish, eaten at home and served at New Year and almsgiving lunches. The thorny stems and roots are peeled, sliced into crunchy rounds and boiled in tamarind water to take away their itchy bite, then simmered with roasted curry powder, mustard and coconut milk until tender but still slightly crisp. Serve with red rice and a green mallung. The usual mistake is skipping the boil, which leaves an itch in the throat. If you can't find fresh kohila, use frozen sliced kohila from Sri Lankan grocers. Chef's tip: wear gloves to peel kohila and drop the slices straight into water so they don't darken.

50 min

Sri Lankan Curries

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AmasiFermented milk with crumbly pap

Thick, tangy amasi was once soured in calabashes in Zulu and Xhosa homesteads, and it is still the drink-cum-meal that many South Africans crave on a hot afternoon, poured over crumbly pap as umvubo. At home it is easy and safe with pasteurised full-fat milk and a spoon of live cultured buttermilk as the starter; never use raw milk. Expect something like a pourable, sharper yoghurt with soft curds, cooling against the dry, crumbly maize. The common mistake is fermenting somewhere too warm, which makes the milk separate into watery whey and rubbery lumps. Chef's tip: once it has set, chill it for a few hours before eating; the cold firms the curd and rounds out the sourness.

40 min

South African Drinks

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Chipotles en adoboSmoked jalapenos in adobo sauce

Chipotles are ripe jalapeños smoked slowly over wood until leathery; in Puebla and Veracruz the reddish, plump mora type is the everyday one, and the tan, leathery meco is prized for its deeper smoke. Simmered in a sweet-sour adobo of tomato, onion, garlic, vinegar and piloncillo, they become the soft, glossy chillies that go into tinga poblana, albóndigas en chipotle, bean soups and a quick chipotle mayonnaise. Homemade, they are smokier and less sugary than the tinned kind, with sauce that is brick red, tangy and thick enough to coat a spoon. Common mistake: toasting the dried chillies too long; a few seconds a side is enough, because scorched chillies make the whole jar bitter. This is a low-acid chilli preserve, so it is kept in the fridge or freezer, never canned in a water bath. It is ready when the chipotles are plump and soft enough to crush with a spoon and the adobo has reduced to a glossy sauce. Chef's tip: blend one or two chillies with their sauce and freeze it in an ice-cube tray, so you can add a single cube to a pot.

70 min

Mexican Basics

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Arvi ka salanColocasia in tangy gravy

Arvi ka salan is a Lahore and Karachi home curry, cooked on weekday evenings when the vegetable seller has a basket of small, hairy colocasia roots. The roots are boiled, peeled and simmered in a loose, sour gravy of onion, tomato, ajwain and a squeeze of lemon, so the slightly slippery arvi soaks up the spice and turns creamy at the centre. Eat it with hot roti or plain rice and a little raw onion. The usual mistake is undercooking the arvi: half-cooked colocasia leaves an itchy, scratchy feeling in the throat, so it must be soft all the way through. Chef's tip: once the boiled arvi is peeled, press each piece flat with your palm before it goes into the gravy, so the rough edges thicken the sauce.

50 min

Pakistani Curries

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Leche con plátanoBanana milk

Ask anyone who grew up in Chile, from Arica to Punta Arenas, what they drank after school and many will say leche con plátano. It is made in a blender in two minutes, usually at onces, the late-afternoon tea, alongside marraqueta rolls with butter or avocado, and it is the first thing many children learn to make by themselves. It is pale, foamy and thick enough to leave a moustache, tasting simply of sweet ripe banana and cold milk, sometimes with a pinch of cinnamon. The common mistake is making it ahead: within half an hour the banana turns the milk greyish-beige and the foam collapses, so blend it just before drinking. It is ready when it is completely smooth, light and frothy, with no banana lumps at the bottom of the jug. Use bananas with a few brown freckles: they are sweet enough that you may need little or no sugar. Chef's tip: slice and freeze overripe bananas, then blend them straight from the freezer; the drink comes out icy and extra thick without any ice.

5 min

Chilean Drinks

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Kathirikai gothsuSmoky aubergine tamarind gravy

At the Nataraja temple in Chidambaram, ven pongal, the peppery rice and moong porridge, is always served with gothsu, and the pairing has spread to breakfast tables and wedding feasts all over Tamil Nadu. Brinjal is charred over the flame, mashed and simmered with a little moong dal, shallots and tamarind, then seasoned with a freshly roasted powder of coriander, chana dal and chilli. The result is smoky, tangy and spoonable, also good with idli or dosa. The usual mistake is using big, seedy aubergines: choose small, firm, glossy ones, which are sweeter. Chef's tip: char at least one brinjal right over the gas flame until the skin is black all over; that smoky note is what makes Chidambaram gothsu.

50 min

Indian Curries

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Carato de maízChilled corn drink

Out on the hot plains of the Llanos, a jug of carato is kept cold for the afternoon: white corn cooked until soft, blended with its water, strained and sweetened with panela, cinnamon and clove. It is thick, creamy and filling enough to be a snack in a glass. Keep it in the fridge, because left out it starts to ferment. The common mistake is skipping the straining, which leaves it gritty. Chef's tip: strain through a fine sieve and then once more through a clean cloth for the silkiest drink.

70 min

Venezuelan Drinks

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