All recipes

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BoribapBarley rice with vegetables

Boribap was once the rice of the poor in Jeolla's farming villages; now Seoulites drive out to the hills on summer weekends to eat it in restaurants that set down a big bowl of steamed barley rice and a ring of seasoned vegetables to mix in yourself. This home version is built for protein: soybean sprouts, spinach and radish namul, plus a thick tofu and doenjang sauce (gang-doenjang), give about 23 g of protein a bowl, from tofu, soybean sprouts, doenjang and the barley. The classic mistake with soybean sprouts is lifting the lid while they cook, which leaves a raw, beany smell; keep it shut. Soak the barley for at least 1 hour before cooking. Most gochujang contains wheat, so this is not gluten free. Chef's tip: mix the bowl with a spoon rather than chopsticks, pressing the rice against the side so every grain is coated in sauce and sesame oil.

70 min

Korean Rice & Grains

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Subak hwachae (Korean watermelon punch)

Subak hwachae is the cooling bowl Koreans set out on the hottest days of summer, especially around Boknal, the dog days of July and August, when families gather and eat from a hollowed-out watermelon shell. Balls of watermelon and other fruit float in chilled watermelon juice lightly sweetened and sharpened with lemon, with sparkling water for fizz and plenty of ice. It is refreshing, juicy and only gently sweet. Serve it straight away in small bowls with a spoon, after a barbecue or a spicy meal. This version is egg-free and dairy-free, and nothing needs binding or setting, as it is simply fruit in its own juice. Some modern versions add milk or a fizzy lemon soda; this one keeps it light with sugar syrup and sparkling water. Chef's tip: chill the fruit and juice for at least an hour before adding the fizz; the common mistake is relying on ice alone, which melts and waters the punch down.

15 min

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Miyeok oi naenggukChilled seaweed and cucumber soup

On the hottest days of a Korean summer, from Seoul apartments to farmhouses in Jeolla, this icy cold soup comes to the table with rice and spicy side dishes to cool everyone down. Soft wakame and crunchy cucumber float in a clear, tangy broth of vinegar, a little sugar and soup soy sauce, often with ice cubes bobbing on top. It is very light, with about 2 g of protein per portion, so serve it beside tofu or egg dishes. The common mistake is leaving the dried wakame to soak too long: it swells hugely and turns mushy. Ten minutes is enough. Chef's tip: season the broth slightly stronger than tastes right, because the ice you add at the end will dilute it.

15 min

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Pheni (layered fried vermicelli nests in sweet milk)

In Lahore and Karachi during Ramadan, sweet shops stack golden nests of pheni in towers, and families buy them to eat at sehri, the meal before dawn. The fine, brittle strands are crumbled into a bowl and drenched with hot sweetened milk, which softens them in a minute into something like a silky vermicelli pudding; it keeps you full through the fasting day. Shop pheni is pulled into hair-thin threads by skilled hands, so at home this recipe uses the layered method: thin sheets of dough are brushed with a ghee and rice-flour paste, rolled and sliced, and the paste makes the layers fan out into fine flaky rings when fried. They are crisp, buttery and delicate. It is naturally egg-free: the dough is just flour, ghee and water, and the rice-flour paste keeps the layers separate. Chef's tip: fry the nests in oil that is only moderately hot, about 160°C; oil that is too hot is the common mistake that browns the outside while the inner layers stay soft and doughy.

90 min

Pakistani Indian Sweets

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Miyeok julgi bokkeumStir-fried seaweed stems

Seaweed stems, sold salted in Korean grocers, are the crunchy, green-black banchan you find in school canteens and lunchboxes everywhere in Korea, eaten cold with rice. The stems are soaked to draw out the salt, then stir-fried quickly with garlic, onion and a few drops of soy, and finished with sesame. It is vegan and light, with about 2 g of protein per portion. The common mistake is under-soaking: too little and the dish is painfully salty, so taste a piece before you cook. Chef's tip: blanch the stems for 10 seconds after soaking; it sets their bright green colour and removes any fishy-sea smell.

27 min

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Beoseot deulkkae tangMushroom and perilla seed soup

This creamy, nutty soup is cooked in Korean homes and temple-style restaurants all through autumn and winter, when the first wild mushrooms arrive and people want something warming and gentle. Ground perilla seeds and a spoon of glutinous rice flour turn a plain broth thick and pale, with mixed mushrooms and soft tofu simmered through it. With the perilla and a block of firm tofu, a bowl gives about 24 g of protein, making it a proper main course with rice. The most common mistake is adding the perilla powder too early and boiling it hard, which makes the soup gritty and bitter; stir it in near the end. Chef's tip: buy perilla seed powder that has been skinned (it is paler), for the smoothest, creamiest soup.

30 min

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Yugwa (Korean puffed glutinous-rice crackers)

Yugwa are the light, airy crackers piled on trays at Seollal, the Lunar New Year, and given in gift boxes for Chuseok and weddings across Korea. A dough of glutinous rice is steamed and pounded until stretchy, rolled thin, cut and dried until hard, then fried slowly so each piece swells to several times its size into a crisp, hollow puff. A brush of rice syrup and a coating of puffed rice or sesame finish them. They melt on the tongue, crunchy but almost weightless, gently sweet and toasty. Serve with green tea or barley tea. Yugwa never used egg: the sticky starch of glutinous rice, steamed and pounded, traps air and binds the dough, and the rice syrup glues on the coating. Some cooks add rice wine to the dough; this version uses plain water and needs no alcohol. Chef's tip: dry the cut pieces until they snap like a cracker before frying; the common mistake is frying them half-dried, and then they stay flat and chewy instead of puffing.

720 min

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Gaji naenggukChilled aubergine soup

Gaji naengguk is a midsummer cold soup from Korean home kitchens, made in July and August when aubergines are cheap and nobody wants anything hot. The aubergine is steamed until silky, torn into strips and seasoned with garlic and soy, then dropped into an ice-cold, tangy broth. It tastes clean and refreshing, with a soft, almost slippery texture. Each bowl has only about 2 g of protein, so pair it with tofu or bean dishes. The usual mistake is cutting the aubergine with a knife after steaming: torn strips soak up the seasoning far better. Chef's tip: let the steamed aubergine cool completely before mixing it with the broth, or it warms the soup and loses its bite.

20 min

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Helado de dulce de leche (Buenos Aires dulce de leche ice cream)

Dulce de leche is the flavour Buenos Aires heladerías are judged by, and on a summer night the queues at neighbourhood ice-cream shops stretch out onto the pavement well after dinner. Locals order it plain, with a ripple of extra dulce de leche (dulce de leche granizado adds chocolate flakes), often by the kilo to take home. It is dense, chewy and deeply caramel. This home version is egg-free with no custard: a little cornflour cooked into the milk thickens it the way yolks would, and the dulce de leche itself is milk and sugar cooked down, its sugar and milk solids keeping crystals tiny so it stays smooth and scoopable. Churn it, or still-freeze and stir it every 45 minutes. Chef's tip: chill the extra dulce de leche before rippling it in; the common mistake is folding in a warm one, which melts into the ice cream instead of leaving ribbons.

295 min

Argentinian Desserts

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Kkaennip jjimSteamed seasoned perilla leaves

Kkaennip jjim is a homely banchan made in Korean kitchens through the summer, when perilla grows like a weed in back gardens, and it is eaten by wrapping a single soft leaf around a mouthful of rice. The leaves are stacked in pairs with a spoon of soy, garlic and chilli seasoning between each layer, then steamed until they soften and drink up the sauce. Many versions add anchovy stock; this one uses water, so it is vegan. Each portion has about 2 g of protein. The common mistake is steaming too long: the leaves should be tender but still green, about 5 minutes. Chef's tip: seasoning every second leaf rather than every one keeps the stack from getting soggy and salty.

26 min

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Chamnamul muchimDressed wild parsley

Chamnamul, a mild, celery-scented wild parsley, fills Korean markets in spring, and this simple namul is one of the banchan that turns up on home tables and in bibimbap bowls from March to May. The stems are blanched for seconds, then dressed by hand with garlic, sesame oil and toasted sesame so the herb stays bright and crunchy. It is a light side with about 3 g of protein per portion; pair it with tofu, eggs or a bean stew for a full meal. The common mistake is over-blanching: chamnamul goes limp and grey in under a minute. If you can't find it, use the tender tops of flat-leaf parsley mixed with pea shoots. Chef's tip: season with salt first and the sesame oil last, so the salt reaches the leaves instead of sliding off the oil.

15 min

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Daegu jiriClear cod soup

In Busan and the fishing towns along Korea's south coast, daegu jiri is the clear, unspicy cod soup that people order in winter, and famously the morning after a long night out. Chunks of cod simmer in an anchovy and kelp broth with soft radish, tofu and garlic, then a big handful of minari (water dropwort) goes in at the end for a fresh, peppery lift. It tastes clean and gently savoury, with about 32 g of protein a bowl from the cod and tofu. The common mistake is stirring after the fish goes in, which breaks it into shreds; just shake the pot. Chef's tip: let the radish simmer in the broth first until it turns translucent, because it gives the soup its sweetness.

45 min

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پشاوری آئس کریم (Peshawari ice cream)Cardamom pistachio ice cream

In the Qissa Khwani bazaar of Peshawar, ice-cream sellers spin a tall metal drum inside a tub of crushed ice and salt, scraping the freezing milk off the walls with a long paddle until it turns thick, stretchy and pale. It is a summer evening treat, eaten from small bowls after dinner or late at night when the streets cool down, and often topped with a spoonful of falooda vermicelli or more chopped pistachio. The flavour is simple: slowly reduced milk, green cardamom and a little rose. This version has no eggs and no custard: a cornflour slurry cooked into the milk thickens it the way yolks would, and the starch holds on to water so ice crystals stay small and the texture stays smooth, while milk powder adds body without extra fat. You can churn it in a machine or still-freeze it in a tray and stir it every 45 minutes. Chef's tip: the common mistake is churning a warm base; chill it until it is fridge-cold right through, or it will turn icy instead of silky.

300 min

Pakistani Desserts

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팥빙수 (Patbingsu, Korean red bean shaved ice)

Patbingsu is the great Korean summer dessert, eaten nationwide from the start of the rainy season until autumn, usually shared from one big bowl in a café after lunch or on a hot evening. Under the mound of milk ice sits the heart of it: sweet, soft red beans cooked until they almost melt, with chewy little rice cakes dusted in roasted soybean powder and a thread of condensed milk. Fluffy, creamy and earthy-sweet. There are no eggs anywhere: the ice is milk and condensed milk frozen in a thin layer, and the condensed milk's sugar keeps the crystals fine so the shavings are soft and snowy rather than crunchy, while the beans thicken with their own starch. Make the beans and the ice a day ahead. Chef's tip: freeze the milk thin in a flat tray and scrape it with a fork; the common mistake is freezing it in a deep tub, which sets too hard to shave.

400 min

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SsambapRice wrapped in leaves

Ssambap means wrapped rice, and in Korean homes it is the lazy, happy dinner of high summer, when the garden is full of lettuce and perilla: a basket of leaves, a bowl of rice and a pot of thick ssamjang go on the table and everyone builds little parcels. Steamed cabbage leaves are added in winter. It is a light meal of about 360 kcal, with roughly 10 g of protein a portion from the rice, doenjang and walnuts, so it is not a high-protein dish. The usual mistake is overfilling the leaf; a parcel should be one bite, so use a small spoon of rice. Most gochujang contains wheat, so it isn't gluten free. Chef's tip: lay a perilla leaf on top of the lettuce before adding rice; its minty, anise flavour lifts every mouthful.

40 min

Korean Rice & Grains

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Maejakgwa (Korean ginger ribbon twists in honey syrup)

Maejakgwa is one of Korea's oldest hangwa, the traditional confections served on holiday tables at Seollal and Chuseok, at weddings and ancestral rites, and with tea when guests visit. Thin rectangles of ginger-scented wheat dough are slit and twisted into little ribbons, fried until crisp and pale gold, then dipped in honey and cinnamon syrup and finished with ground pine nuts. The name is often said to come from their resemblance to a sparrow perched on a plum branch. They shatter lightly when bitten, then turn sweet and warm with ginger. Serve a small plate with green tea or a cup of sweet rice punch. They are naturally egg-free: the dough is just flour, ginger juice and water held together by its own gluten, and the honey syrup that coats them is the only glaze. Because of the honey they are vegetarian but not vegan. Chef's tip: keep the frying oil at about 160°C; the common mistake is oil that is too hot, which browns the ribbons before they crisp through and leaves them chewy inside.

55 min

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Pa muchimSpring onion salad

Pa muchim is the tangle of sharp, spicy spring onion that arrives with barbecue in restaurants all over Korea, from Seoul to Busan, and it is just as good at home beside grilled tofu, mushrooms or a rice bowl. Spring onion is shredded into long, thin threads, rinsed in cold water to tame its bite, then dressed at the last moment with chilli flakes, vinegar, soy, sugar and sesame. It is a light, vegan side with about 2 g of protein per portion. The common mistake is dressing it too early: after 10 minutes the onion wilts and weeps. Chef's tip: soak the shredded onion in iced water for 10 minutes before dressing; it curls, crisps and loses its harsh raw heat.

10 min

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Gamja gukPotato and onion soup

Gamja guk is the plain, comforting potato soup that Korean mothers make on busy mornings and quiet evenings all year round, served with rice and kimchi. Thin slices of potato and onion simmer in a clear broth until soft, finished with spring onion and a little garlic. Most homes use an anchovy and kelp stock; this is the vegetarian version, with kelp and dried shiitake. It is mild and soothing, with about 4 g of protein per bowl; crack an egg into the pot at the end, or serve tofu alongside, for more. The common mistake is cutting the potatoes too thick, so the outside crumbles before the middle is cooked; slice them evenly, about 5 mm. Chef's tip: soak the sliced potato in cold water for 5 minutes to rinse away surface starch and keep the broth clear.

30 min

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Aloo bainganPotato and aubergine

From Multan to Hyderabad in Sindh, aloo baingan is the humble pairing that makes a summer glut of aubergines go a long way: potatoes give body, aubergine melts into a jammy, smoky-sweet tomato masala. It is eaten with chapati at dinner, often next to a bowl of daal and some sliced onion. The most common mistake is stirring hard once the aubergine softens, which mashes everything into a grey purée; fold it gently and let the pan do the work. Chef's tip: give the aubergine a few minutes on its own in the hot oil before the masala goes in, so its edges catch and brown.

30 min

Pakistani Vegetarian

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Shimla mirch alooPepper and potato stir-fry

Shimla mirch aloo is everyday Punjabi home cooking from both sides of the border, the sabzi that fills a lunchbox paratha or sits next to dal on a weeknight in Rawalpindi. Potato cubes go soft and golden first, then strips of green pepper are tossed in just long enough to soften while keeping a little bite, all held together by a dry tomato-chilli masala. The classic mistake is adding the peppers with the potatoes: they collapse, turn khaki and lose their fresh, slightly bitter flavour. Chef's tip: a pinch of amchur at the end lifts the whole pan without adding any extra liquid.

25 min

Pakistani Vegetarian

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Janchi guksu (Korean banquet noodles)

Janchi guksu means banquet noodles, the bowl once served at Korean weddings and birthdays for long life, and now a quick lunch at markets from Seoul to Busan: thin somyeon in a clear, gently fishy broth of dried anchovy and kelp, topped with egg ribbons, courgette and a spoon of seasoned soy. The mistake is boiling the anchovies hard or too long, which makes the broth bitter and cloudy. Chef's tip: remove the anchovy heads and the dark gut before simmering for a cleaner, sweeter stock.

30 min

Korean Pasta & Noodles

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Gaji bokkeumStir-fried aubergine

Gaji bokkeum is a summer banchan in Korean homes, cooked in the weeks when long, thin Korean aubergines fill the markets. Strips of aubergine are seared until soft and caramelised, then tossed in garlic, spring onion, soy sauce and sesame so they turn glossy and savoury-sweet. It sits beside rice and soup at dinner and keeps well in the lunchbox. The mistake is pouring in lots of oil at the start: aubergine soaks it all up and turns greasy. Chef's tip: sear the strips in a moderate amount of oil and add a splash of water if the pan dries; the steam softens them without more oil.

15 min

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Gamja bokkeumStir-fried potato strips

Gamja bokkeum is one of the banchan Korean mothers pack into lunchboxes and set out at dinner in Seoul and Busan: thin potato strips stir-fried with onion and carrot, seasoned only with salt, a little sesame oil and toasted sesame seeds. The strips should be tender and separate, with a slight bite, not crisp like chips and not mushy. The mistake is skipping the soak, so the surface starch makes the strips stick to each other and the pan and break up. Chef's tip: a quick soak in salted water also seasons the potato through.

20 min