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SannasSteamed rice cakes

Sannas are to a Goan Catholic feast what idli is to a Chennai breakfast: soft, pillowy steamed rice cakes, made for Christmas, weddings and village feast days to mop up sorpotel, xacuti or a coconut curry. They are fluffier and slightly sweeter than idli, because ground coconut and a little sugar go into the rice batter, and they are traditionally risen with fresh coconut toddy (sur). This version uses dried yeast in place of toddy, so it contains no alcohol, and the long overnight ferment still gives the faint sour note that makes them taste right. Serve them warm with any Goan curry (vegetable xacuti or chana ross keep it vegetarian) or with jaggery and coconut milk for tea. The common mistake is overfilling the moulds; sannas rise a lot and spill over. Fill each two-thirds full. Chef's tip: grind a handful of cooked rice or soaked poha into the batter; it gives that cotton-soft, spongy texture that plain rice batter lacks.

60 min

Indian Sides

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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 min

Indian Sides

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Langouste à la vanilleLobster in vanilla cream

Anjouan and Grande Comore grow some of the world's most fragrant vanilla, and the islands' grandest dish pairs it with spiny lobster from the surrounding reefs. Served at weddings and in seafront restaurants in Moroni, it brings sweet, firm lobster to the table in a pale cream sauce where the vanilla tastes warm and floral rather than sugary, sharpened with lime and a touch of chilli. Frozen raw spiny lobster tails, thawed overnight in the fridge, work beautifully; a ready-cooked lobster just needs warming through. Serve it with plain white rice or fried green banana. Chef's tip: the classic mistake is overcooking, which turns lobster rubbery, so take it from the pan the moment the flesh turns opaque and let the sauce finish the job.

45 min

Mauritian Fish

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Upvasachi batata bhajiFasting potato stir-fry with peanuts

Ask anyone from Pune or Nashik what they eat on Ekadashi or a Navratri upvas, and this dry potato bhaji will be on the plate, usually next to sabudana khichdi or bhagar and a bowl of danyachi amti. Unlike North Indian vrat ke aloo, there is no tomato and no gravy: cubes of boiled potato are tossed in ghee or oil with cumin and crushed green chilli, then coated in coarsely ground roasted peanuts that cling to every piece. A little sugar and lemon give it the gentle sweet-sour lift that Maharashtrian cooking loves, and coriander and fresh coconut finish it. It is quick, filling and good cold in a tiffin too. Some families add curry leaves; others leave them out on strict fasts. Chef's tip: cool the potatoes completely before cubing; warm potatoes break into mash when you toss them.

25 min

Indian Sides

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Payar mezhukkupurattiStir-fried long beans

The name says it all: mezhukku means oil and puratti means smeared, so this is a dry stir-fry that leaves every bean slick and shiny with coconut oil. Vanpayar, the yard-long beans that climb over every Kerala garden fence, are cut short and cooked with crushed shallots, garlic and dried chilli flakes until tender and blistered in places. It is weekday food in Kottayam and Alappuzha homes, packed into tiffin with rice and moru curry, and it turns up on festive spreads too. The taste is simple, smoky and savoury, with crunch from the shallots. Serve with matta rice and a thin curry. The common mistake is covering the pan for too long, which steams the beans grey and soft; cover briefly, then finish uncovered so they roast. Chef's tip: crush the shallots, garlic and chilli together in a mortar rather than slicing them; the rough paste clings to the beans much better.

25 min

Indian Sides

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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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Pineapple pachadiPineapple in yogurt and coconut

Sadya etiquette puts pachadi next to the kichadi, and pineapple is the festive favourite, especially in central Kerala around Kottayam and Thrissur, where it appears at Onam, weddings and Vishu. Ripe pineapple is simmered briefly with turmeric, chilli and a little sugar, then folded into a paste of coconut, green chilli and raw mustard seed and loosened with whisked curd. The result is sweet, tangy and gently pungent from the ground mustard, with a crackling coconut-oil tadka on top. Serve it cool alongside rice, sambar and thoran, or as a side with appam. The mistake to avoid is adding the yogurt to a hot pan: it splits into grainy curds, so take the pineapple off the heat and let it cool first. Chef's tip: grind the mustard seeds raw with the coconut, but only briefly; over-ground mustard turns bitter.

25 min

Indian Sides

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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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Bourzwa grilléGrilled red snapper

Bourzwa, the red snapper pulled from the reefs off Mahé, is the fish Seychellois choose for a beach barbecue or a Saturday family grill at Anse Royale. It goes on the coals whole, slashed and rubbed with a rough Creole paste of garlic, ginger, chilli, thyme and lime, and comes off with crackling, smoky skin and sweet, moist white flesh. Serve it with Creole rice, lentils, a tomato satini and a dish of breadfruit or green banana, with extra lime and chilli at the table. The usual mistake is moving the fish too soon: if it sticks, wait another minute and it will release once the skin has crisped. Chef's tip: oil the fish, not just the grill, and cook it in a hinged fish basket if you have one, so turning it is easy.

40 min

Mauritian Fish

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MtsololaFish with green banana and cassava

Mtsolola is the dish Comorians on Grande Comore and Anjouan miss most when they live abroad: chunks of green banana and cassava simmered in coconut milk with steaks of firm fish laid on top, cooked in one big pot for family meals and big gatherings. The vegetables turn soft and creamy at the edges and soak up the coconut, while the fish stays in moist pieces seasoned with garlic, lime and a little chilli. Eat it on its own from deep plates, with a fresh chilli and lime relish on the side, and mkatra foutra to mop up the sauce. Cassava must always be peeled and boiled thoroughly before eating; buy sweet cassava, fresh or frozen, and discard its first cooking water. Chef's tip: add the fish only once the banana is nearly tender, because fish put in at the start breaks into shreds.

75 min

Mauritian Fish

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Shepu bhaji (dill and moong dal)

In Pune and the villages of western Maharashtra, bunches of shepu (dill) come to market in winter, and this dry bhaji of dill and soaked yellow moong dal is packed with bhakri or chapati in the lunch dabba. The dill wilts down to a soft, aromatic tangle, and the moong dal gives it body and a little protein. The mistake is adding water: the leaves release plenty of their own, and extra liquid makes the bhaji stew and lose its fresh, sharp smell. Chef's tip: soak the moong dal for at least 30 minutes beforehand, so it cooks through in the dill's own steam without turning mushy.

25 min

Indian Sides

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Vazhakkai podimas (raw banana podimas)

Podimas comes from Tamil Brahmin kitchens in Thanjavur and Chennai, where green plantain is boiled whole, grated into soft crumbs and tossed with a tempering of mustard, dal, ginger, green chilli and coconut, then sharpened with lemon. It is light and fluffy, and it sits happily next to sambar rice or rasam rice in a tiffin. The mistake is overboiling the plantain: it turns sticky and will not grate into crumbs. Pull it out as soon as a knife slides in with a little resistance. Chef's tip: grate it on the large holes of a box grater while still warm, then let it cool before tossing, so the shreds stay separate.

28 min

Indian Sides

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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 min

Indian Sides

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Gobi matar (cauliflower and peas)

In Punjab and Uttar Pradesh, winter means cauliflower and fresh peas, and gobi matar is what fills countless school and office dabbas between November and February. It is cooked dry, so the florets brown a little at the edges, sweetened by the peas and sharpened by plenty of ginger. The mistake is cooking the cauliflower covered with water until it is soft and smells of cabbage; steam it briefly in its own moisture, then fry it uncovered. Chef's tip: cut the florets so they have one flat side; that face sits on the pan and browns while the rest steams tender.

30 min

Indian Sides

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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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BozaFermented millet drink

In Bulgaria boza is a breakfast habit: a plastic bottle of it from the corner pastry shop and a slice of hot, flaky banitsa, bought on the way to work or school, especially from autumn through to spring. Towns such as Radomir, Plovdiv and Sofia argue over whose is best. It is the colour of milky coffee, thick enough to coat the glass, sweet up front with a sour, bready finish and a faint prickle. Like every fermented grain drink it makes a trace of alcohol, well under 1% when drunk young. The base is millet flour, toasted for flavour, cooked into a thin porridge, then fermented for about a day before being strained and sweetened. The common mistake is adding the yeast while the porridge is still hot, which kills it and leaves you with sweet gruel; wait until it feels only just warm on your wrist. It is ready when the surface is covered in small bubbles, it smells like fresh bread with a sour edge and tastes pleasantly tangy. Chef's tip: keep back a glass of each batch in the fridge and use it instead of yeast next time; boza made from an old starter is rounder and more sour.

70 min

Bulgarian Drinks

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Carottes VichyGlazed carrots

Carottes Vichy come from the spa town of Vichy in the Auvergne, where they were cooked in the local mineral water; today they are the classic French bistro and Sunday-lunch side, loved by children. Thin rounds of carrot simmer with butter, a little sugar and salt in just enough water, so that when the carrots are tender the water has boiled down to a shiny glaze. Serve with roast chicken, an omelette or lentils. The usual mistake is using too much water, so you must drain away the flavour; it should just cover the carrots. Chef's tip: a pinch of bicarbonate of soda in the water copies Vichy's alkaline water and helps the carrots turn sweet and bright.

30 min

French Sides

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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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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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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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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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BulanglangMixed vegetable stew

Bulanglang is the plain, light vegetable soup of Batangas and the Tagalog provinces, made in farmhouses at lunchtime from whatever is in the garden: squash, okra, string beans, eggplant and a handful of malunggay or sweet potato leaves. Instead of stock it uses hugas bigas, the cloudy water from washing rice, which gives the broth a soft, milky body. It is often eaten with grilled fish and a dip of bagoong; this version stays vegan and is served with a soy-and-calamansi dip. The usual mistake is boiling everything together from the start, which leaves mushy squash and raw-tasting okra; add the vegetables in order of firmness. Chef's tip: save the second rice wash, not the first, for the cleanest, creamiest broth.

30 min

Filipino Soups

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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

by KrazyBadal 1 views

Moreton Bay bugsSlipper lobster with garlic butter

Moreton Bay bugs are the flat, shovel-nosed slipper lobsters caught off the Queensland coast around Brisbane and the Sunshine Coast, and for Queenslanders they are a summer treat, split and grilled at the beach house. The tail meat is sweet and rich, somewhere between lobster and prawn. Buy them raw, frozen or fresh, from a fishmonger and ask them to halve them if you like. A common mistake is overcooking, which makes the meat rubbery; it is ready the moment it turns white. Chef's tip: grill flesh side down first to mark it, then turn and baste in the shell.

18 min

Australian Fish

by KrazyBadal 2 views

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