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Kulche birinjiRice flour cardamom cookies

On the morning of Eid, or when Nowruz comes round in March, Afghan households set out a dish of kulche birinji next to the sugared almonds and dried fruit for every visitor. These small, snow-white rounds are made from rice flour, powdered sugar and ghee, scented with cardamom and sometimes rose water, and they dissolve on the tongue almost as soon as you bite. A pinch of ground pistachio pressed into the centre of each gives colour. Serve them with green tea, the way they are offered in Kabul. They are naturally gluten free and eggless. Browning is the common mistake: they should come out as pale as they went in, just firm on the base. Chef's tip: let the dough rest for 20 minutes after mixing so the rice flour drinks up the ghee; it becomes far easier to roll smooth, crack-free balls.

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TopfengolatschenSweet quark puff pastry squares

A Topfengolatsche is what Viennese office workers grab from the bakery on the way in, and what grandparents order with a Melange in a coffee house on a Sunday afternoon. The corners of a puff pastry square are folded over a lemony, vanilla-scented filling of Topfen (Austrian quark) with plump raisins, and the top gets a thin white glaze. It is flaky, light and not too sweet. Raisins are sometimes soaked in rum; warm water or orange juice works just as well, and the recipe below is alcohol-free. Wet quark is the classic problem, because it turns the filling runny and it leaks out in the oven. Chef's tip: hang the quark in a sieve lined with a clean cloth for an hour, or squeeze it, until it is as thick as soft cream cheese.

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Khanom kleeb lamduanFlower shortbread cookies

Named after the lamduan, a fragrant cream-coloured flower with three curled petals, these tiny Thai shortbreads are a classic of the royal-style Thai sweets once made in palace kitchens and now sold in Bangkok's old dessert shops and given at weddings and merit-making. Each flower is three teardrop petals around a ball, pale and fragile, and they melt like sandy fudge. Their perfume comes from tian op, a special scented dessert candle: it is lit, blown out, and left to smoke inside a closed container with the cookies. If you cannot find one, a little jasmine water in the dough gives a different but lovely scent. The mistake is baking them hot or long; they should stay ivory, never golden. Chef's tip: candle smoke is real fire and smoke, so do it in a metal or ceramic pot, well away from curtains and children, with the flame blown out before the lid goes on.

78 minThaiBakingVegan
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Moroccan bachkoutouOrange and sesame dunking biscuits

Moroccan grandmothers bake bachkoutou by the trayful and keep them in big tins for the afternoon glass of sweet mint tea, and neighbourhood ovens in Fes and Casablanca bake them for families who bring their dough. These are dry, crunchy little biscuits, not rich at all, made with eggs, sugar and oil rather than butter, with orange zest and a coating of toasted sesame; they are meant to be dunked until they soften slightly. Shapes vary from town to town: fingers, rings and rope twists are all common, and some cooks add aniseed. Too much flour is the easy mistake: the dough should stay soft and slightly sticky, or the biscuits bake heavy and hard rather than crisp and light. Chef's tip: once they are cold, put them back in a warm, switched-off oven for 20 minutes; that extra drying is what makes them keep their snap for weeks.

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Pad thua ngok tao hoo (Thai bean sprouts and tofu stir-fry)

This plain, fast stir-fry is a fixture of home kitchens and made-to-order rice stalls across central Thailand, where it is eaten as one of two or three dishes shared over jasmine rice at dinner. Firm tofu is browned first, then the sprouts go in for barely a minute so they stay juicy and snap when you bite them. Thai cooks often season it with oyster sauce and fish sauce; this version uses soy and a mushroom-based sauce so it is vegan. The mistake almost everyone makes is cooking the sprouts too long, which turns them limp and watery. Chef's tip: pick off the stringy tails of the sprouts if you have five spare minutes; it makes the dish noticeably crisper.

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Khai luk khoei (son-in-law eggs)

Khai luk khoei, son-in-law eggs, is a central Thai dish made for family meals and temple fairs, and a favourite way to turn a few eggs into dinner: boiled eggs fried until blistered and golden, halved and spooned over with a sticky tamarind, palm sugar and fish sauce sauce, then finished with crisp shallots and chilli. It contains fish sauce, so it is not vegetarian. The mistake is frying wet eggs in oil that isn't hot enough; dry them well and the skin puffs and crisps instead of spitting. Chef's tip: boil the eggs for 7 minutes for a jammy centre; give 10 minutes and fully set yolks for anyone pregnant, very young, older or vulnerable.

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Moo manao (pork in lime and chilli dressing)

Moo manao is a drinking snack and dinner side from central Thailand, served in Bangkok bars and at home with sticky rice: thin slices of pork, blanched until just cooked, laid on ice-cold cabbage or lettuce and drowned in a fierce dressing of lime, raw garlic, bird's eye chilli and fish sauce. This is a pork dish. The mistake is boiling the pork for too long, which makes the thin slices tough and dry; poach them only until they turn white all through. Chef's tip: plunge the cooked slices into iced water for a few seconds, so they stay tender and take the dressing well.

17 minThaiMeatGluten freeSpicy
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Tao hoo tod (Thai fried tofu with sweet chilli peanut dip)

In Bangkok and towns all over Thailand, tao hoo tod is sold from street-side woks in the late afternoon, scooped into paper bags with a little bag of sweet chilli dip and a spoon of crushed peanuts for snacking on the way home. Done properly, each cube has a thin, blistered, crisp skin and a soft, almost creamy centre. The mistake that ruins it is frying wet tofu in oil that isn't hot enough, so it soaks up fat and never crisps. It makes a good starter or a light supper with sticky rice and cucumber. Chef's tip: press the tofu under a heavy pan for 10 minutes while you make the dip; drier tofu crisps faster and spits less.

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Moo tod kratiem (Thai garlic pepper pork)

Moo tod kratiem is a one-plate dinner sold at made-to-order stalls across Bangkok and the rest of Thailand: slices of pork marinated in garlic, white pepper and soy, fried until the edges caramelise, then showered with crisp golden garlic and served over rice with a fried egg and cucumber. This is a pork dish. The mistake is frying the garlic on high heat; it burns in seconds and turns bitter, so fry it gently and take it out when it is pale gold. Chef's tip: pound the garlic, pepper and coriander root together rather than chopping, so the paste clings to the meat.

22 minThaiMeat
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Mashed nam wa banana (kluay nam wa bod)

Ask a Thai grandmother about first foods and she will talk about kluay nam wa, the short, plump banana that grows in nearly every garden in Thailand. Ripe ones are steamed, which softens the slightly astringent edge, then scraped and mashed for a baby's first taste, often in the afternoon. It is sweet, creamy and needs nothing added. There are no common allergens (milk, egg, gluten, peanut, tree nuts, soya, sesame, fish). If you can't find nam wa, use a small, very ripe ordinary banana. Chef's tip: steam the banana in its skin; it keeps the flesh moist and stops it browning.

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Kärntner ReindlingCinnamon raisin yeast cake

Carinthia's Easter loaf takes its name from the Reindl, the round, deep pan it is baked in, and in southern Austria no Easter basket goes to church without one. Inside the golden yeast crust is a spiral of butter, cinnamon sugar and plump raisins, so every slice shows a dark swirl. Locals eat it two ways: sweet with coffee on Easter morning, or alongside the savoury Easter platter with horseradish. Many bakers soak the raisins in rum overnight; warm water or tea works just as well and keeps it alcohol-free. A dry, crumbly Reindling usually means too much flour went in during kneading, so keep the dough soft and only lightly floured. Chef's tip: butter the pan well and dust it with sugar, which caramelises into a thin crunchy shell.

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Khao bod tap gai (mashed rice with chicken liver)

Khao bod, mashed soft rice, is how Thai babies start eating with the family, and steamed chicken liver is a favourite addition because it is so rich in iron. Here it is mashed with sweet pumpkin and a few morning glory or spinach leaves, so the flavour is mellow rather than strong. Liver is very high in vitamin A, so keep it to a small portion about once a week. It contains none of the common allergens (milk, egg, gluten, peanut, tree nuts, soya, sesame, fish). Chef's tip: trim every white sinew from the livers, and the mash will be silky rather than stringy.

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Kuay teow nam sai (clear rice noodle soup for toddlers)

Kuay teow nam sai, clear noodle soup, is ordered for Thai children at noodle shops everywhere because it comes without chilli, sugar or vinegar: thin rice noodles in a light broth with minced pork and blanched greens. At home it is easy to make it even gentler, with no-salt stock fragrant with garlic and coriander root, so that toddlers can have it from a year old and adults season their bowls at the table. It contains none of the common allergens (milk, egg, gluten, peanut, tree nuts, soya, sesame, fish) unless the family adds fish sauce. Chef's tip: soak the noodles in warm water rather than boiling them, then dip in the broth just before serving, so they stay silky.

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Khanom khai (Thai egg cakes)

Khanom khai are the tiny golden sponge cakes that Thai market vendors bake in heavy brass moulds, filling the air with a sweet, eggy smell, and Bangkok children buy a paper bag of them after school. They are light and spongy inside with crisp, caramelised edges, and taste of egg and vanilla. They're made with oil rather than butter. They contain egg and gluten. Without a traditional mould, a mini-muffin or madeleine tin works well. Chef's tip: beat the eggs and sugar until really thick and pale; all the lift comes from that air.

30 minThaiBaking
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ErdäpfelstrudelSavoury potato strudel

Austrians, especially in the Mühlviertel of Upper Austria and the Waldviertel, make savoury strudels as often as sweet ones, and Erdäpfelstrudel is a farmhouse favourite for a meatless Friday or a cold evening. Thin pastry wraps a filling of potatoes, fried onion, sour cream, marjoram and parsley, baked until crisp and golden and sliced with a green salad or a dill and sour-cream dip. Bought filo makes it easy at home. The mistake to avoid is a wet filling, which turns the pastry soggy underneath. Chef's tip: cool the filling completely before rolling; warm filling makes the layers stick and tear.

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Moroccan sweet pumpkin salad

In Fes and Meknes no Friday couscous lunch starts without a ring of little cooked salads, and the sweet red pumpkin one is the children's favourite. Chunks of pumpkin are softened with a little oil, then cooked down with honey, cinnamon and a pinch of ginger until they collapse into a glossy, jammy mash with a few chunks left. Serve it at room temperature with bread, alongside sharper salads like zaalouk or carrots with cumin. Cooks often add too much water and end up with soup; the pumpkin gives off its own juice, so start almost dry. Chef's tip: scatter toasted sesame seeds over just before serving for crunch against the sweetness.

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Moroccan fish couscous (seksu bel hout)

Along the Atlantic coast in Safi and Essaouira, the Friday couscous is often made with the morning's catch rather than lamb. Firm white fish steaks are marinated in chermoula, then gently poached on top of a tomato and vegetable broth while the couscous steams above it, so everything takes on the scent of cumin, paprika and coriander. Serve the fish and vegetables over the grain with plenty of broth. The usual mistake is adding the fish at the start; it falls apart and goes dry. It needs only the last 10–12 minutes. Chef's tip: lay a few lemon slices under the fish in the pot; they keep it from sticking and lift the broth.

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Kefta briouats (spiced beef triangles)

Kefta briouats are the savoury star of Moroccan party trays, from Tetouan weddings to Ramadan iftars in Casablanca: minced beef cooked with onion, cumin, paprika and cinnamon, bound with a little egg and folded into crisp warqa triangles. Serve them hot with a wedge of lemon and mint tea. People often fill the pastry with raw kefta and rely on frying to cook it; the meat won't get hot enough in a minute in the oil, so cook the filling fully first. Chef's tip: a beaten egg stirred into the hot meat right at the end sets into a binder and stops the filling crumbling. Contains wheat and egg.

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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.

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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.

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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.

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Moroccan quince preserve (mrabba sfarjal)

When quinces fill the market stalls of Fes and Meknes in October, households cook them down into this deep red preserve for winter breakfasts with msemen, baghrir and fresh cheese. The pale fruit turns ruby only with long, gentle cooking, the slices staying whole in a thick, cinnamon-scented syrup. Spread it on bread or serve a spoon next to soft cheese. Impatient cooks boil it hard and get a pale, sticky jam; the colour needs slow simmering. Chef's tip: tie the quince cores and peel in muslin and cook them with the fruit — they hold the pectin that sets the syrup. Store in sterilised jars.

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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.

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Potato briouats (briwat batata)

During Ramadan, the iftar tables of Casablanca and Marrakech are crowded with little fried pastries, and potato briouats are the budget-friendly favourite. A mash of potato, parsley, coriander, cumin and a little grated cheese is folded into warqa or filo triangles and fried until crackling. Serve them hot with harira or mint tea. The common mistake is a wet, warm filling, which makes the pastry soggy and tear; let the mash cool completely. Chef's tip: seal each triangle with a dab of egg yolk or flour paste; they won't open in the oil. Check cheese labels: some is made with animal rennet. Contains wheat, egg and milk.

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