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374 recipes

ChaplasHollow puffed Andean bread

Walk through Ayacucho's central market at seven in the morning and you will see women selling stacks of chaplas from cloth-lined baskets, still warm from the wood-fired ovens of the Andes. These round wheat breads puff up like pita in the fierce heat, leaving a hollow pocket inside a thin, soft, lightly floury crust. In Ayacucho and Huancavelica they are eaten with sweet coffee or hot emoliente for breakfast, or split and filled with queso fresco, avocado or a spoonful of rocoto sauce. Highland bakers traditionally work in a little lard; vegetable shortening gives the same tenderness and keeps the bread vegan. A cool baking tray is the reason chaplas stay flat, so preheat it thoroughly. Chef's tip: let the rolled rounds rest before baking and flip them upside down onto the tray, so the smooth, dry side meets the heat first and the pocket opens evenly.

149 minPeruvianBreads & ParathasVegan
by KrazyBadal 0 views

Túrós lepénySweet curd cheese sheet cake

Hungarians use túró, a dry, crumbly fresh curd cheese, the way other cooks use cream, and túrós lepény is one of its homeliest outings: a thin short pastry base, a deep layer of lemony sweetened curd with raisins, baked in a tray and cut into squares for afternoon coffee, a picnic at Lake Balaton or the school lunch box. The filling is light and tangy rather than dense like a cheesecake, because the egg whites are whipped and folded in. Wet curd is the classic mistake; it weeps and the base goes soggy, so press the cheese through a sieve and use farmer's cheese or well-drained quark if you can't find túró. Chef's tip: take the lepény out while the very centre still has a slight wobble; it sets as it cools and stays creamy instead of cracking.

80 minHungarianBaking
by KrazyBadal 0 views

Pan chutaAniseed round bread

The small town of Oropesa, half an hour from Cusco, calls itself Peru's bread capital, and its wood-fired bakeries are famous for chuta: big, flat, round loaves as wide as a dinner plate, glossy on top, with a faint sweetness and the warmth of aniseed. Travellers on the road to Puno and Bolivia stop to buy them by the bagful, and families bring them home for All Saints' Day and for sharing with hot coca tea or coffee, fresh cheese and butter. The bakeries traditionally use lard; this version uses vegetable shortening and butter, so it is vegetarian. The make-or-break moment is the proof: chuta is large and flat, and if it goes in under-risen it bakes dense and splits at the rim. Chef's tip: toast the aniseed for a minute in a dry pan and crush it lightly before adding, for a rounder, sweeter perfume.

240 minPeruvianBreads & Parathas
by KrazyBadal 0 views

Bundás kenyérEgg-fried bread

Bundás kenyér, 'bread in a fur coat', is the Hungarian answer to yesterday's loaf. On weekday evenings across the country, and at Sunday breakfasts in Budapest flats, slices of white bread are dunked in seasoned egg and milk and fried until puffed and golden. Most families eat it savoury, rubbed with raw garlic and served with pickled cucumbers or tea, though children often want jam or a dusting of icing sugar. Chef's tip: use bread that is a day or two old; fresh bread soaks up too much egg and fries up soggy.

15 minHungarianBreakfast & Brunch
by KrazyBadal 0 views

Kelkáposzta-főzelékSavoy cabbage stew

When the first frosts sweeten the savoy cabbages in the market gardens around Szeged and Makó, kelkáposzta-főzelék appears on lunch tables all over Hungary. Crinkly leaves and potato cubes simmer with caraway, then a garlicky roux and a little milk make a soft, comforting stew that tastes of autumn. Families eat it with fried eggs, breaded mushrooms or, in meat-eating homes, a slice of meatloaf. Chef's tip: slice the cabbage into ribbons rather than chopping it fine, so it keeps some texture and the dish doesn't turn into mush.

45 minHungarianVegetarian
by KrazyBadal 0 views

Sárgarépa-főzelékCarrot stew

Hungarian nurseries and primary school canteens serve sárgarépa-főzelék so often that it is practically a rite of passage, and plenty of grown-ups in Budapest still cook it at home when they want something gentle. Carrot coins cook in butter with a pinch of sugar until sweet, then a milky roux and fresh parsley turn them into a soft, golden stew. Children eat it with mashed potato or a fried egg, adults often add a fasírt. Chef's tip: cut the carrots into even 5 mm coins so they finish together; uneven chunks leave some hard and others mushy.

35 minHungarianVegetarian
by KrazyBadal 0 views

PacalpörköltTripe stew

The upstairs food stalls of Budapest's Great Market Hall and the old market halls of Szeged serve pacalpörkölt from late morning, and regulars eat it with boiled potatoes and a pile of pickles. Tripe takes patience: hours of slow simmering in a deep red paprika and onion sauce turn it tender, with a gentle chew and a rich, savoury flavour. Buy beef tripe that is already cleaned and blanched (white or bleached) from a butcher. Chef's tip: boil and rinse the tripe once before you start the stew; skipping this is the mistake that leaves a strong farmyard smell in the sauce.

240 minHungarianMeatGluten free
by KrazyBadal 0 views

Sárgaborsó-főzelékSplit pea purée

In Hungarian homes split yellow peas are winter food, and on New Year's Day many families in Budapest eat this thick purée (or lentils) for luck in the coming year. The peas collapse into a smooth, earthy mash flavoured with bay and garlic, and a crown of onions fried until dark gold gives sweetness and crunch. It is usually served beside sausage, but this version is fully vegan and makes a filling meal with fresh bread and pickled cucumbers. Chef's tip: let the onions go slowly to a deep brown in plenty of oil and pour that oil over the purée too, because it carries most of the flavour. Pale, hurried onions are the usual mistake.

65 minHungarianVegetarianVeganGluten free
by KrazyBadal 0 views

SóskafőzelékSorrel purée

Sorrel is one of the first greens of the Hungarian spring, and in April and May grandmothers around Budapest turn armfuls of it into sóskafőzelék, a sharp, lemony green purée softened with milk. It is famous among children for its khaki colour and loved by adults for its tang. The classic plate has halved hard-boiled eggs on top, sometimes with boiled potatoes on the side. Chef's tip: sorrel turns from emerald to olive the moment it hits heat, which is normal; just don't cook it longer than 2–3 minutes or the flavour goes dull too.

25 minHungarianVegetarian
by KrazyBadal 0 views

Töki pomposFlatbread with sour cream and onion

The village of Tök, west of Budapest in Pest County, holds a pompos festival every summer, and its baker-wives once made this flatbread from a piece of the weekly bread dough, baked at the mouth of the wood oven before the loaves went in. Unlike its cousin lángos it is baked, not fried: a thin yeast base spread with garlicky sour cream, onion and grated cheese, bubbling and browned at the edges. The village version often adds bacon or pork cracklings; this one is vegetarian. Hungarian trappista and many hard cheeses are made with animal rennet, so choose a vegetarian cheese. Chef's tip: roll the dough thin and bake it on a preheated tray in the hottest oven you have; a cold tray gives a pale, bready base.

90 minHungarianBreads & Parathas
by KrazyBadal 0 views

BabfőzelékCreamy white bean stew

Babfőzelék is what cooks in Transdanubian villages and Budapest workers' canteens make on Fridays and in the cold months, when a pot of dried white beans goes a long way. The beans cook until creamy, then a garlicky paprika roux thickens the liquid, a splash of vinegar makes it tangy and sour cream softens it. Served with a slice of rye bread or a fried egg, it is a hearty meat-free lunch. Soak the beans overnight first. Chef's tip: add salt and vinegar only once the beans are completely soft; acid in the pot early keeps the skins tough no matter how long they cook.

90 minHungarianVegetarian
by KrazyBadal 0 views

ZöldbabfőzelékGreen bean stew

Midsummer in Hungary means baskets of yellow wax and green beans at every market, and zöldbabfőzelék is how home cooks from Kecskemét to Lake Balaton use them up. Short lengths of bean simmer until tender, then a pale roux, plenty of fresh dill, a little sugar and a sharp hit of vinegar make a sweet-sour sauce finished with sour cream. Serve it with fried eggs or new potatoes for a light summer lunch. Chef's tip: balance the vinegar and sugar at the end by tasting, adding a drop at a time; the sauce should taste bright, never harsh.

35 minHungarianVegetarian
by KrazyBadal 0 views

KrumplifőzelékPotato paprika stew

Every Hungarian school canteen and büfé from Debrecen to Győr has a pot of krumplifőzelék on the counter at lunchtime, ladled into deep plates and topped with a fried egg or a few slices of fasírt for those who want meat. Cubes of potato cook soft with bay leaf, then a roux of onion, flour and sweet paprika turns the cooking water into a velvety orange sauce, sharpened with a drop of vinegar and rounded off with sour cream. It sits between a soup and a side dish, which is exactly what főzelék means. Chef's tip: take the pan off the heat before you add the paprika; it scorches in seconds in hot fat and turns bitter.

40 minHungarianVegetarian
by KrazyBadal 0 views

Májas hurkaLiver and rice sausage

In Hungarian villages the winter pig-killing (disznótor) ends with a feast, and hurka is the star: soft sausages of pork, pork liver and rice seasoned with marjoram and black pepper, roasted until the skins crackle. Today you buy them at market stalls in Budapest's Great Market Hall and at country butchers, eaten hot with mustard, bread and pickled cabbage. Blood sausage (véres hurka) is the other version; this is the liver one. Ask your butcher for natural pork casings. Chef's tip: roast the sausages in a little fat with a splash of water and don't prick them, or they burst and dry out.

150 minHungarianMeat
by KrazyBadal 0 views

MelegszendvicsToasted ham and cheese

Melegszendvics is Hungarian student food and the go-to Sunday evening supper in countless Budapest households: slices of bread spread with ketchup or sour cream, topped with ham and grated cheese and baked until the cheese bubbles. Many families own a little sandwich toaster just for it, but a hot oven or grill works just as well. The ham is pork; for a vegetarian version swap it for sliced tomato, peppers and sweetcorn and use a vegetarian cheese. Chef's tip: grate the cheese rather than slicing it, so it melts evenly to the edges and the bread underneath crisps instead of steaming.

15 minHungarianSnacks & Starters
by KrazyBadal 0 views

ZöldborsófőzelékGreen pea stew

Ask Hungarians about their childhood lunches and zöldborsófőzelék comes up fast: a bright green, slightly sweet pea stew that grandmothers in Budapest and the villages of the Great Plain make in late spring with fresh peas and all year with frozen ones. The peas cook briefly in butter with a pinch of sugar, then a light roux and milk turn them creamy, and a fistful of parsley finishes it. It is eaten as a meal with fried eggs, potato croquettes or fasírt. Chef's tip: stop cooking as soon as the peas are tender; long simmering turns them khaki and floury.

23 minHungarianVegetarian
by KrazyBadal 0 views

LacipecsenyeGrilled pork neck

At village fairs (búcsú), wine festivals and the roadside stalls known as lacikonyha, 'Laci's kitchen', the smell of lacipecsenye pulls in the crowds: pork neck steaks rubbed with garlic, grilled on a griddle and heaped with fried onions. It is eaten standing up from a paper plate with a hunk of white bread, mustard and pickled cucumbers, and it is just as good from a home barbecue or a heavy pan. Marinate the pork in the fridge for at least 2 hours, or overnight. Chef's tip: pork neck is marbled, so it stays juicy; the mistake is pressing it with the spatula, which squeezes out the juices.

40 minHungarianMeatGluten free
by KrazyBadal 0 views

Shlada khiar (grated cucumber salad with oregano)

In the heat of a Fes or Marrakech summer, this ice-cold grated cucumber salad is served in bowls with spoons, half salad, half drink, alongside rich tagines or a plate of fried fish. Cucumber is grated and loosened with water, vinegar and a little sugar, then perfumed with crushed dried oregano or zaatar. Grating ahead and leaving it to sit in salt is the usual slip; the cucumber goes limp and bitter. Chef's tip: rub the oregano between your palms over the bowl to wake its oils.

10 minMoroccanSaladsVeganGluten free
by KrazyBadal 0 views

Shlada batata (Moroccan cumin potato salad)

Shlada batata is one of the cooked salads that line up on a Moroccan table before Friday couscous, in Rabat as much as in the Rif: boiled potato chunks dressed while warm with olive oil, lemon, cumin, paprika, garlic and plenty of parsley, with no mayonnaise at all. It's eaten at room temperature with bread, or with grilled sardines. Dressing cold potatoes is the common mistake; they don't absorb the flavours, so toss them while they're still steaming. Chef's tip: a few slivers of preserved lemon peel make it unmistakably Moroccan.

30 minMoroccanSaladsVeganGluten free
by KrazyBadal 0 views

Moroccan fried cauliflower in cumin batter

Casablanca home cooks fry cauliflower this way for Ramadan tables and family lunches alike: parboiled florets dipped in an egg batter heavy with cumin, paprika and parsley, then fried until puffed and golden. They're eaten hot with a squeeze of lemon or a spoon of chermoula, as a side to a tagine or on their own with bread. The common mistake is frying wet cauliflower; the batter slides off and spits, so dry the florets well after boiling. Chef's tip: keep the florets bite-sized and with a bit of stalk, so you can dip them by hand. Contains egg and wheat.

40 minMoroccanSides
by KrazyBadal 0 views

Shrimp and vermicelli briouats

In coastal cities like Agadir and El Jadida, the festive version of briouats is filled with prawns and rice vermicelli tossed in chermoula — a filling borrowed from seafood pastilla, but in a size you can eat in two bites. They come out at weddings, Eid lunches and Ramadan iftars, hot and crackling, with lemon. The usual mistake is a wet filling: cooked prawns and soaked noodles release water, so drain everything well and dry-fry the mix for a minute. Chef's tip: snip the soaked vermicelli into short lengths with scissors so the rolls fill evenly. Contains shellfish, wheat and egg.

60 minMoroccanSnacks & Starters
by KrazyBadal 0 views

Sweet rice briouats with honey

The old Fassi households and pastry shops of Fes and Rabat make rice briouats for Ramadan and weddings: short-grain rice cooked thick in milk with orange-blossom water, wrapped in warqa, fried and plunged into warm honey. They're crisp outside, creamy within, and served with mint tea. Runny rice pudding makes the pastry burst in the oil, so cook it until a spoon can stand in it, then chill it firm. Chef's tip: warm the honey with a splash of orange-blossom water, and dip the briouats while both are hot so the honey soaks in rather than sitting on top. Contains milk, wheat and almonds.

75 minMoroccanDesserts
by KrazyBadal 0 views

Berber corn couscous with vegetables

In the Souss valley and the villages of the Middle Atlas, couscous is often made not from wheat but from cracked dried maize, which gives a sunny yellow, slightly nutty grain. It's steamed three times over a pot of turnips, carrots, courgettes and pumpkin, buttered with smen or plain butter, and eaten on Fridays with a glass of cold lben (buttermilk). Corn grits absorb more water than wheat and won't swell in one go, so the usual mistake is skipping the third steaming and serving it gritty. Chef's tip: oil your palms before rubbing the grains between steamings; the maize stays separate and never clumps. Naturally gluten free if you check your maize grits are made in a gluten-free mill.

80 minMoroccanRice & GrainsGluten free
by KrazyBadal 0 views

Cheese briouats (briwat bel fromage)

Cheese briouats are the cigars that disappear first from Ramadan tables in Rabat and Tangier: fresh, salty cheese mixed with egg, parsley and a pinch of chilli, rolled tight in warqa and fried until the pastry shatters. They're served hot, at iftar or with mint tea for afternoon guests. Overfilled cigars burst and leak cheese into the oil; a level tablespoon each is enough. Chef's tip: a little grated hard cheese in the mix stops the fresh cheese from going watery. Traditional fresh cheese like jben is made with animal rennet; choose a vegetarian one if needed. Contains milk, egg and wheat.

40 minMoroccanSnacks & Starters
by KrazyBadal 0 views

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