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218 recipes

Pajagua mascadaBeef and cassava patties

Pajagua mascada is a Paraguayan street-food classic that appears on every table for the San Juan festival on 24 June, when bonfires burn and the night is full of games and traditional food. Minced beef is mixed with mashed cassava, onion, garlic and a little egg and flour, shaped into flat patties and fried until crisp. The name comes from Guaraní and refers to the 'chewing' of old Paraguayan cooks, who made it from leftover meat. Chef's tip: dry the boiled cassava well and remove its woody core, which keeps the patties light and crunchy.

60 minParaguayanMeat
by KrazyBadal 0 views

Persian halvaSaffron rose flour halva

Iranian halva is not the sesame sweet of the Levant but a dense paste of flour toasted slowly in butter and cooked with a saffron and rose-water syrup. It is spread on plates and patterned with a spoon for Ramadan iftars, for mourning gatherings and as nazri, food made and shared with neighbours to fulfil a vow in Muharram. It tastes deeply nutty, floral and not too sweet. Chef's tip: patience with the flour is everything; toast it until it is the colour of peanut butter, never rushing on a high heat.

40 minPersianDesserts
by KrazyBadal 0 views

Poolaki (Isfahan saffron sugar discs)Saffron caramel discs

Poolaki are the glassy, coin-thin sugar discs of Isfahan, sold in tins in the bazaar near Naqsh-e Jahan square and served with tea in Iranian homes, especially at Nowruz and when guests drop by. Instead of stirring sugar into the glass, you hold a disc on your tongue and sip strong black tea through it. They snap cleanly, then melt into a light caramel scented with saffron, sometimes with cardamom or a scatter of pistachio. They are naturally egg-free: sugar syrup cooked to the hard-crack stage sets as clear as glass the moment it is spread thin, and a little vinegar stops it from turning grainy. Chef's tip: do not stir once the syrup boils; swirl the pan instead and wash down the sides with a wet pastry brush. The common mistake is stirring, which makes the syrup crystallise and turn cloudy.

25 minPersianDessertsVeganGluten free
by KrazyBadal 0 views

Khailmag (cream and raisin sweet)

Tsagaan Sar, the Mongolian Lunar New Year, means 'White Month', and white dairy foods stand for purity, plenty and a clean start to the year, so homes across the country set out cream, curds and sweets beside the steaming buuz. Khailmag is one of the most luxurious: clotted cream (or Mongolian öröm, the thick skin skimmed from boiled milk) is cooked with butter-toasted flour, sugar and raisins until it turns into a golden, fudgy porridge. It is very rich, so serve small spoonfuls with salty milk tea, or alongside ul boov biscuits and boortsog. There is no alcohol in it. Chef's tip: toast the flour slowly until it smells nutty; that toasting gives khailmag its caramel flavour.

30 minMongolianDesserts
by KrazyBadal 0 views

Ab doogh khiarChilled yogurt and cucumber soup

On the hottest afternoons in Tehran, Shiraz and Isfahan, ab doogh khiar is lunch: thick yoghurt thinned with iced water, packed with crunchy cucumber, walnuts, raisins and dried mint and rose petals, then filled at the table with torn pieces of dried flatbread that soften like croutons in a cold soup. It is cooling, tangy and faintly sweet, and is eaten with a spoon and plenty of fresh herbs alongside. A bowl gives about 12 g of protein from the yoghurt and walnuts, so it is a light meal rather than a high-protein one; strain the yoghurt yourself or use thick Greek-style yoghurt to push it a little higher. The common mistake is adding the bread too early: it turns to mush, so serve it on the side and let everyone add their own. Chef's tip: rub the dried mint between your palms over the bowl; the warmth releases its oils and the flavour is twice as strong.

15 minPersianSoups
by KrazyBadal 0 views

Chilcano de pescadoClear fish broth

In the fishermen's terminals of Chorrillos and Callao, chilcano is what you drink on a Sunday morning after a long night: a clear, gingery broth made from the heads and bones left over from cleaning fish for ceviche, with chunks of fish, red onion, chilli and a squeeze of lime in the bowl. It is light and warming, around 160 kcal a bowl, and still gives about 24 g of protein from the fish fillet and the broth. The common mistake is squeezing the lime into the pot while it boils, which turns it bitter; add it to each bowl at the table. Don't boil the bones for more than 30 minutes either, or the broth turns cloudy and harsh. Chef's tip: ask the fishmonger for heads and frames from mild white fish like sea bass or cod, and leave out oily fish such as mackerel, which makes the broth strong and fishy.

55 minPeruvianSoupsGluten freeSpicy
by KrazyBadal 0 views

Dal adasRed lentil curry with dried lime

Along the Persian Gulf coast in Bushehr, Bandar Abbas and the towns of Hormozgan, centuries of trade with India gave rise to dal adas, a red lentil curry that is now a favourite lunch and a popular vegetarian dish in Muharram nazri cooking. The lentils cook down with onion, garlic, turmeric and warm curry spices into a thick, golden stew, sharpened with tamarind and the musky sourness of dried lime, and are eaten with rice or flatbread. A portion gives about 21 g of protein from the red lentils, with a little more from the potato. The most common mistake is leaving the dried limes in too long or uncracked: they turn the dal bitter, so pierce them and lift them out once the sourness is right. Chef's tip: fry the spices in the oil with the onions for a full minute before the lentils go in; the curry flavour depends on it.

50 minPersianCurriesVeganGluten free
by KrazyBadal 0 views

Nan-e keshmeshiSaffron raisin cookies

Ask an Iranian child which Nowruz sweet they reach for first and many will say nan-e keshmeshi, the little raisin cookies with crisp golden rims and soft, chewy centres. Confectioners in Tehran make them by the thousand in the run-up to the spring new year, and they turn up again whenever there is tea and company. The dough is a simple butter-sugar-egg batter warmed with saffron and vanilla, spooned out in small dabs that spread thin in the oven. Spooning them too big or too close is the common slip: they run into each other and bake into one sheet. Chef's tip: soak the raisins in hot water for 10 minutes and dry them well first; plump raisins stay juicy instead of burning on the surface.

44 minPersianBaking
by KrazyBadal 0 views

Omelet-e gojeh farangiTomato and egg omelette

In Iran the word omelet means something quite different from a folded French one: ripe tomatoes are cooked down in oil with a little onion and turmeric until jammy, then eggs are stirred through so they set in soft streaks of red and gold. It is the classic quick dinner of Tehran apartments and student dorms, eaten from the pan with lavash and a plate of herbs. The mistake that makes it watery is adding the eggs before the tomato juices have cooked away; wait until the sauce is thick and the oil sizzles again. Chef's tip: grate the tomatoes on a box grater and throw away the skins, so the base melts down in minutes.

20 minPersianBreakfast & BrunchGluten free
by KrazyBadal 0 views

Dopiazeh alooPotatoes fried with onion and tomato

Dopiazeh means 'two onions', and in Shiraz this potato dish lives up to the name: cubed potatoes are fried with a generous heap of golden onions, turmeric and tomato paste until the edges catch and the sauce clings to every piece. Shirazi families eat it as a side with rice and kebab or, on busy evenings, as the main dish rolled up in flatbread with yogurt or fresh herbs. The usual mistake is crowding the pan, so the potatoes steam and break up instead of browning; use your widest pan. Chef's tip: fry the tomato paste in the oil for a full minute before adding water, so it turns brick red and loses its raw edge.

30 minPersianSidesVeganGluten free
by KrazyBadal 0 views

Nan-o panir-o sabziBread, white cheese and fresh herbs

Nan-o panir-o sabzi, 'bread, cheese and herbs', is laid out on Iranian tablecloths from Tabriz to Mashhad for breakfast, for a light summer supper and before dawn during Ramadan: warm flatbread, salty white cheese, a big plate of fresh herbs, walnuts and crisp radishes, all wrapped into little bites. There is no cooking beyond warming the bread, so it is ready in ten minutes. The common mistake is serving herbs that are still damp from washing, which wilt and make the bread soggy; wash them earlier and let them dry fully. Iranian white cheese (lighvan) and most feta are made with animal rennet, so choose a vegetarian feta-style cheese if needed. Chef's tip: soak the walnuts in cold water for 10 minutes; it softens their bitterness the way Iranian cooks like.

12 minPersianBreakfast & Brunch
by KrazyBadal 0 views

Nan-e badamiAlmond cardamom cookies

Tabriz and Yazd both claim the best nan-e badami, and in the weeks before Nowruz pastry shops across Iran fill trays with these small almond cookies for the new-year table. Made from ground almonds, sugar and egg white with no flour at all, they have a thin crisp shell and a moist, chewy middle, perfumed with cardamom and rose water and topped with a sliver of pistachio. Offer them with tea when guests make their Nowruz visits; they also keep well enough to make a week ahead. Over-whisking is the easy error: the whites only need to be frothy, not stiff, or the cookies puff and crack like meringues. Chef's tip: let the shaped cookies sit uncovered for 20 minutes before baking so a skin forms; that skin is what gives the neat, crackled top.

45 minPersianBakingGluten free
by KrazyBadal 0 views

Pejerrey arrebozadoBattered fish fillets with onion salsa

Pejerrey arrebozado is a Lima classic from the cevicherías and home kitchens of the coast, eaten at lunch on a plate with white rice, a heap of sharp salsa criolla and sometimes boiled potato. The pejerrey, a small silverside, is opened into butterflied fillets, dipped in a light egg-and-flour batter and fried golden. Outside Peru, use small fillets of whiting, sole, haddock or tilapia. The batter here uses sparkling water, not beer, so it is alcohol free. The common mistake is frying in oil that isn't hot enough: the batter drinks the oil and turns greasy, so test with a drop of batter first. Chef's tip: make the salsa criolla first and let the onion sit in lime for ten minutes; it softens its bite and turns a pretty pink.

25 minPeruvianFish
by KrazyBadal 0 views

NimrooHalf-set fried eggs

Nimroo, literally 'half-done', is what Iranian students in Tehran and families in every city cook when there is no time: eggs fried gently in a small pan until the whites set and the yolks stay soft, sprinkled with salt, pepper and sometimes a pinch of turmeric. It is eaten straight from the pan with torn lavash or sangak, fresh herbs and sweet black tea, for breakfast or a late supper. The common mistake is a fierce heat that burns the edges of the white while a raw film stays round the yolk; a lid for the last minute sets the top gently. For anyone pregnant, very young, older or with a weakened immune system, cook the yolks until firm. Chef's tip: serve it in the pan it was cooked in, on a board, so it stays hot.

8 minPersianBreakfast & BrunchGluten free
by KrazyBadal 0 views

Tallarines rojosSpaghetti in red sauce with chicken

Tallarines rojos is the Sunday-lunch and weeknight pasta of homes all over Peru, from Lima to Arequipa: spaghetti in a sweet, deep-red sauce of blended tomato, onion and garlic with a little ají panca and oregano, often with pieces of chicken cooked right in it. Children love it, and it is served with a sprinkle of grated cheese and sometimes a spoon of huancaína on the side. The usual mistake is cooking the sauce too briefly, so it tastes of raw onion; let the blended tomato fry until it darkens and the oil shows at the edges. Chef's tip: a bay leaf and a spoon of ají panca paste give the sauce its Peruvian character; paprika will do if you can't find the paste.

30 minPeruvianPasta & Noodles
by KrazyBadal 0 views

Chicharrón de pescadoCrisp fried fish chunks

Up and down the Peruvian coast, from Chorrillos in Lima to the beaches of Piura, chicharrón de pescado is the crunchy plate ordered alongside ceviche at a long seafood lunch: bite-size chunks of firm white fish marinated briefly in garlic and lime, dusted in flour and fried, then served with fried cassava, salsa criolla and tartar or rocoto sauce. Using frozen peeled cassava keeps it to half an hour. The common mistake is leaving the fish in the lime too long: after about ten minutes the acid starts to 'cook' the outside and the coating slips off. Chef's tip: toss the floured pieces in a sieve to shake off every bit of loose flour; a thin coat fries crisp, a thick one turns pasty.

30 minPeruvianFish
by KrazyBadal 0 views

Fereni for babies (Persian rice-milk porridge)

Fereni is one of the oldest Persian sweets, and in Iranian homes it is also a baby's first spoon food: rice flour cooked slowly in milk until it is soft, pale and silky. Mothers often make it for breakfast or for a winter afternoon. For babies under one it is served plain; older children get the rosewater, a little sugar and a dusting of cinnamon that the family enjoys. It contains milk; there is no egg, gluten, nuts, soya, sesame or fish. Chef's tip: stir with a whisk for the first few minutes, then switch to a spatula so you can scrape the bottom of the pan.

22 minPersianBreakfast & BrunchGluten free
by KrazyBadal 0 views

Persian kotlet (beef and potato patties)

Kotlet is the dish Iranian families make in big batches for school lunches, road trips and Friday picnics in the park: minced beef mixed with grated potato, onion, egg and turmeric, shaped into flat ovals and fried until deep brown and crisp at the edges. They are eaten tucked into lavash or a soft roll with tomato, cucumber pickles and herbs, warm at home and cold the next day. They contain egg and gluten (breadcrumbs). Chef's tip: squeeze the grated onion and potato hard in a cloth; that water is what makes kotlet fall apart in the pan.

50 minPersianMeat
by KrazyBadal 0 views

Kabab tabeiPan-fried minced meat kebab

Kabab tabei is the kebab Iranian students make in a frying pan when there is no grill, and the quick weeknight dinner in flats all over Tehran: minced meat with grated onion and turmeric pressed flat across the pan, cut into strips and fried in its own juices. It tastes like koobideh without the charcoal and is ready in half an hour. Serve it with chelow or bread, pan-fried tomatoes and raw onion. The mistake is a cold pan, which makes the meat stew; heat it well first and don't move the slab until it has browned. Chef's tip: once the first side is cooked, tip in halved tomatoes around the meat; they soften in the juices and become the sauce.

30 minPersianMeatGluten free
by KrazyBadal 0 views

Kuku gol-kalamCauliflower egg cake

Winter kitchens in Tehran and Isfahan turn cheap cauliflower into kuku gol-kalam, a family supper that is just as good cold the next day, tucked into bread for the office. The cauliflower is boiled soft, crushed with fried onion, turmeric and a little cumin, then bound with eggs into a golden, mild, slightly nutty cake. Serve it with bread, torshi and herbs. Many cooks leave the cauliflower in big chunks, so the kuku crumbles when cut; mash it roughly first. Contains egg. Chef's tip: dry the boiled cauliflower in the hot pan for a minute before mashing, which gets rid of the extra water and keeps the kuku firm.

50 minPersianVegetarianGluten free
by KrazyBadal 0 views

Kuku kadooCourgette herb egg cake

Kuku kadoo is what summer lunch looks like in homes across Iran when the garden produces more courgettes than anyone can eat; Tehran mothers slice it into school sandwiches with tomato and pickles. Grated courgette and onion are squeezed dry, fried briefly, then mixed with eggs, dill and dried mint for a light, green-flecked kuku that is soft and fluffy inside. Eat it hot or cold with bread, yogurt and herbs. The usual mistake is skipping the squeeze; courgette is mostly water and the kuku turns soggy and pale. Contains egg. Chef's tip: a teaspoon of baking powder and a spoon of flour, as many Iranian cooks add, make it rise and hold together better; leave out the flour to keep it gluten free.

45 minPersianVegetarianGluten free
by KrazyBadal 0 views

Khoresh-e gharchMushroom stew

Tehran flats fill with the smell of khoresh-e gharch on busy weeknights, when there is no time for a three-hour gheymeh but rice is already steaming; it became a city favourite in the late twentieth century as button mushrooms grew common in the bazaars. The mushrooms are browned hard, then simmered briefly with golden onion, turmeric and saffron, and the sauce is finished with lemon and a spoon of kashk or cream, so it tastes savoury, a little sour and gently rich. Serve it over chelow with a plate of fresh herbs and torshi. The usual mistake is crowding the pan: piled-up mushrooms stew in their own water and turn grey and slippery instead of meaty. Kashk contains dairy; use soured cream if you can't find it. Chef's tip: tear rather than slice half the mushrooms, because the ragged edges brown better and soak up more sauce.

40 minPersianVegetarianGluten free
by KrazyBadal 0 views

Kuku-ye morghSaffron chicken egg cake

Tehran families take kuku-ye morgh to the mountains of Darband and Tochal on Friday outings, cut into wedges and stuffed into lavash with tomato and pickled cucumber. Poached chicken is shredded, mixed with golden onion, saffron and eggs, and cooked into a thick, moist cake that holds together for sandwiches. Serve it warm or cold with yogurt and herbs. The mistake is overcooking the chicken before it goes in, which leaves the kuku dry and stringy; poach it gently just to temperature. Contains egg. Chef's tip: add 2 tablespoons of the poaching broth to the eggs; it keeps the kuku juicy even the next day.

55 minPersianChickenGluten free
by KrazyBadal 0 views

Kuku bademjanAubergine and walnut egg cake

Kuku bademjan is the picnic kuku of Iran, packed into lavash for Sizdah Bedar, the thirteenth day of Nowruz, when families eat outdoors in parks from Tehran to Shiraz. Charred, smoky aubergine is mashed with garlic, saffron and chopped walnuts, bound with eggs and cooked into a thick, soft-set cake that tastes deep and slightly sweet. Serve it warm or cold with yogurt, bread and herbs. The mistake people make is leaving the aubergine wet; squeeze the cooked flesh in a sieve or the kuku will never set firm. Contains egg and walnuts. Chef's tip: cook the finished mixture in a well-oiled pan with the lid on, then slide it onto a plate and flip it back for the second side, so it browns evenly without drying out.

50 minPersianVegetarianGluten free
by KrazyBadal 0 views

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