Small dishes designed to start a meal: dips, fritters, savoury pastries, the things you set out before sitting down.
Very ripe (almost black-skinned) plantains peel and slice in half lengthways, then in half crossways, four pieces per plantain. Each piece pan-fries briefly in oil to soften, then mashes between two pieces of parchment with a flat saucepan to flatten to a disc. A cube of cheese sits between two flattened discs, sandwiching the cheese. The whole package dips in a sweet batter of flour, egg, sugar and milk, then deep-fries golden.
Dried black-eyed beans soak briefly to loosen the skins; the skins rub off (this is the key step, skin-on akara is bitter and grey). The peeled beans go into a blender with onion, Scotch bonnet and just enough water to make a thick batter (not a paste). The batter is whipped by hand or with a wooden spoon for 5 minutes until light and aerated, this is what makes akara fluffy rather than dense. Spoonfuls drop into 175°C oil and fry for 3-4 minutes per side until golden. Drained on paper. Eaten hot.
Floury potatoes boil in their skins, then mash dry. A spice paste of green chilli, ginger and roasted cumin folds in with chopped coriander, mint and amchur for sourness. Cornflour and gram flour bind without making the tikki gummy. Patties form, chill to firm up, then shallow-fry in shallow oil on a flat pan for 4-5 minutes per side until deep gold and crisp with a soft interior. The chilled rest is what stops them falling apart.
Alur chop (alu meaning potato, chop being a Bengali loan-word for a fried cutlet, inherited from the British "chop") is the workhorse of Bengali street snacks: every tea stall, every train platform, every late-afternoon adda has a stack of these warming under a glass cover. The construction is two layers. The inner mash is heavily seasoned: boiled potato folded through fried onion, ginger, green chilli, roasted cumin and a measured punch of Bengali bhaja moshla (a dry-roasted spice blend of cumin, coriander and dried chilli). Some versions add a few peanuts or roasted chana dal for crunch; in Kolkata the mash often includes a slick of mustard oil for fragrance. The outer shell is a thin chickpea-flour batter, the same family as beguni and piyaju, fried hot so it sets into a thin crisp casing rather than a heavy crust. The trick is contrast: a shell crisp enough to crackle, a centre soft and yielding and a touch wet from the onion. They are sold individually wrapped in newspaper for a few rupees and eaten standing up, often with muri puffed rice and a small dollop of kasundi (Bengali fermented mustard sauce) on the side. A monsoon and winter snack above all, when the cold air makes the hot oil and the inside-warm chop feel particularly right.
A Cajun cookout skewer, the kind of thing that comes off the grill at a Louisiana backyard barbecue while the gumbo is finishing on the back burner. You take andouille (the heavily smoked, garlicky Cajun pork sausage) and cut it into thick coins, then thread them onto pre-soaked wooden skewers (or metal) with chunks of red and green pepper, red onion, and a few halved cherry tomatoes. Brush with a quick Cajun glaze of melted butter, garlic, brown sugar, hot sauce and Cajun seasoning. Onto a hot grill over high heat for just long enough to char the vegetables and bring the sausage shiny and sticky. Eaten straight off the skewer with a beer in the other hand, the smoke still hanging in the air.
Cold risotto (saffron Milanese-style is traditional in arancini "alla Milanese"; plain works too) is mixed with grated parmesan and beaten egg to bind. Filling, a stew of beef-and-pork ragù with peas, OR a cube of mozzarella, sits in the centre of each ball. Hands wet with water shape the rice around the filling into a tight orange-sized ball (or cone, for the Catania style). Each ball is rolled first in flour, then in beaten egg, then in fine breadcrumbs (or in the doubled-up "panata" mix of flour + water for the Sicilian original). Deep-fried at 180°C in 4-5 cm of oil for 4-6 minutes per ball until deep gold. Drained on kitchen paper; eaten warm.
Lamb mince mixes with grated onion, parsley, allspice, baharat, pine nuts (optional) and salt. Pita pockets split open along one side; the filling presses thin (5-6 mm) into both halves. Brushed with olive oil; pan-fried or grilled hot 3-4 minutes per side until the bread is crisp and gold and the meat is just cooked.
Fine bulgur (#1 grade) soaks in hot water until soft and fluffy. Lamb or beef mince mixes with the bulgur, grated onion, lots of chopped parsley and coriander, ground baharat, cumin and a pinch of cinnamon. The mixture should be soft enough to spread, if it's too dry the aroog crumble. Small portions press onto a hot oiled pan and flatten to 1 cm thick discs; cook for 4-5 minutes per side over medium heat until deeply browned and the meat is just cooked through. Lift, drain briefly, eat hot with lemon and yoghurt.
Goat meat (bone-in pieces, ideally) simmers in water with onion, garlic, bay, salt and bouillon till tender (45 min). Lifts out; pats dry; grills over high heat (or under a hot grill / on a griddle pan) till charred (8-10 min). Pepper base: scotch bonnet, red pepper, onion, garlic blitz to paste; sautés in oil with curry powder, thyme, ginger till fragrant. Charred meat tosses in the pepper paste; cooks for 5 minutes more; tops with fresh chopped onion. Eats hot.
Aushak are the Afghan leek-and-mint dumplings that share their plating shape with mantu: a smear of garlic yogurt under, dumplings boiled and fanned over, a thick lamb meat sauce ladled across the top, dried mint and chilli to finish. The filling is just leeks (or scallions), salted briefly to draw the water out, squeezed dry, then mixed with fresh mint, ground coriander and pepper. Wonton wrappers (or homemade dough) seal around a teaspoon of filling pinched into half-moons or triangles. While the dumplings boil, you make the topping: ground beef or lamb fried with onion, garlic, tomato paste and dried mint, simmered into a thick savoury sauce. The yogurt sauce is just chaka with garlic. Plate together while everything is still warm.
Börek are Turkish pastry packages filled with various ingredients: meat, cheese, or vegetables. This vegetarian version uses khandrajo, a concentrated eggplant ragù heavily reduced until jammy and concentrated. Traditional börek-making uses thin, hand-rolled dough (yufka), but modern versions use readily available filo pastry. The key to success is preparing the khandrajo well ahead; it must be completely cool before filling (otherwise it creates soggy börek). The eggplant roasts down to deep mahogany richness through high-heat cooking, creating a sweet-savory filling. Baked börek develop shatteringly crisp exteriors through careful pastry handling and high-temperature baking.
A no-cook three-ingredient sauce. Mayo gives body, sweet chilli sauce brings the sweet-tart-mild-spice base, sriracha tops the heat to whatever level you want. Stirred together, ready immediately. Keeps for weeks in the fridge.
A good bánh mì is mostly assembly. The bread should be light and crackly, the pâté smeared on thickly, the mayo generous, the meat layered cold and the herbs and pickles loaded right to the edges. A short blast in a hot oven is what crisps the loaf; the filling goes in straight after. Eat standing up over the sink.
The Burmese yellow split-pea fritter, sold by street vendors in hot oil-spattered cones of newspaper across Yangon's evening markets. You soak yellow split peas overnight until they're softened but not mushy, then blitz to a coarse sandy paste with shallot, garlic, ginger, turmeric and coriander. No flour, no binder; the natural starch in the peas holds the fritters together as they fry. Tablespoonfuls drop into hot oil and fry until they're deep gold and craggy at the edges. Eaten hot from the cone with a sour-sweet tamarind dipping sauce, a wedge of lime, and whatever you can carry while you walk on through the evening crowds.
Beguni (from begun, the Bengali word for brinjal/eggplant) is the simplest of the great Bengali pakoras: long thin slices of aubergine, dipped in seasoned chickpea-flour batter and deep-fried. Done well, the contrast is everything, a shatteringly crisp shell with the lightly bitter, custard-soft eggplant inside. It is the defining iftar fritter across Bangladesh, where it appears every evening during Ramadan alongside piyaju (onion fritters) and chickpea ghugni; in West Bengal it is the tea-stall companion of muri and a monsoon-day comfort food. The technique is short on ingredients but particular: the eggplant must be salted first to draw out bitter water and prevent the slice from absorbing oil; the batter must be just thick enough to coat the back of a spoon, with the texture of double cream; and the oil must be hot enough (around 180 C) that the batter sets instantly into a crisp shell. The traditional fat is mustard oil heated until just smoking, then cooled briefly to take the raw edge off; this gives beguni its characteristic mustardy back-note. Nigella seeds (kalonji) in the batter are non-negotiable in Bangladesh, they pop slightly in the hot oil and give the fritter its distinctive aroma. Eat immediately, with a few slivers of raw onion, a green chilli and a wedge of lime.
Dried split fava beans (foul mudammas) soak overnight with bicarbonate of soda. Simmer with garlic, bay, coriander seeds and water for 1 hour until completely soft. Blitzed (or mashed) with garlic, ground cumin, ground coriander, salt and lemon juice into a thick spoonable purée, looser than hummus but thicker than soup. Plated in a wide shallow bowl: a swirl in the centre, doused with the green oil (olive oil + paprika + cumin + chopped parsley), maybe a sprinkle of dukkah on top, served warm with hot baladi bread.
Bolani are the stuffed Afghan flatbreads sold at every roadside stall and bus station, fried golden in a thin film of oil and served folded around a coriander chutney for dipping. A plain flour-and-water dough rests for half an hour, then divides into balls and rolls thin. The classic filling is boiled mashed potato with sautéed leek, onion, garlic, fresh coriander and chillies, though pumpkin and spinach versions are common too. Spread the filling over half of each round, fold the other half over and seal the edges (a fork-press works, or pinch by hand). Each bolani fries in a shallow pan in a film of oil until both sides are freckled gold. Cut into wedges, eat warm with a green chutney.
A simple dough of flour, butter, sugar, milk and an egg rests until smooth. The dough rolls out 5-7 mm thick; cut into rectangles or strips, optionally twisted or scored. Deep-fried in vegetable oil at moderate heat 2-3 minutes per side until uniformly golden. Drained briefly; eaten warm with sweetened milk tea, or cooled and stored in a tin for tea-time later.
Whole fresh anchovies butterfly: pinch the head, pull, the spine and head come away with the guts. The two fillets remain attached at the tail. Fillets rinse in icy water 5 minutes; lay flat on a tray; sprinkle with salt; cover with white-wine vinegar; cure 24 hours (the flesh turns from pinkish-grey to opaque white). Drain. Layer the cured fillets in a dish with olive oil, sliced garlic, parsley. Rest at least 4 hours before serving.
Boudin filling combines pork shoulder, pork liver (optional, traditional), cooked rice, onion, celery, garlic, parsley, green onion, cayenne, salt, pepper. Either bought ready-made boudin (casings removed) or made from scratch by simmering then mincing pork shoulder with the aromatics. Filling rolls into walnut-sized balls; chills for 30 min so they hold shape. Dredges in flour, egg, then seasoned breadcrumbs. Deep-fries for 3-4 minutes at 175°C.
Potato is boiled, peeled and mashed. Mixed with drained tuna, harissa, capers, parsley, salt and pepper. A warka or filo sheet is laid flat; a line of filling is spooned across one edge; a small well is pressed into the filling; a whole raw egg is cracked into the well; the sheet is folded and rolled into a cigar. Fried seam-down immediately in moderately hot oil, the egg cooks inside as the pastry turns crisp. Eaten hot with lemon and harissa.
Ready-rolled all-butter puff pastry cuts into 12 squares (about 12 × 12 cm). Cheese filling: feta + ricotta + egg + parsley + nutmeg + pepper, mashed to a thick paste. Filling spoons onto each square; corners fold across to a triangle; edges crimp with a fork. Brushes with egg wash; sprinkles with sesame and nigella seeds. Bakes for 25 minutes at 200°C till deep gold and puffed.
Filling: fresh cheese (ricotta, paneer, or feta + cream cheese) mashes with a beaten egg, chopped parsley, mint, ground cumin and a pinch of black pepper. Warka pastry (or filo) strips lay flat. A teaspoon of filling sits at one end; the strip folds flag-style up the strip, forming a triangle. Edges seal with egg-wash or water. Deep-fries for 2-3 minutes till deep gold. Drains on a rack. Eats warm.
Onion is softened slowly in olive oil 15 minutes. Lamb mince browns with the onion; ras-el-hanout, cumin, cinnamon, salt and pepper season. Stock or a splash of water; simmered for 8-10 minutes till dry-fragrant. Off heat: parsley, coriander, beaten egg, finely chopped preserved lemon. Left to cool. Warka strips lay flat; a teaspoon of filling at one end; flag-folded up the strip into a triangle. Sealed with egg-wash. Deep-fried for 3 minutes till deep gold.
Cubed ripe tomatoes sit with salt, olive oil, basil and a touch of red wine vinegar for 30 minutes to release juice and meld. Country-style bread is sliced 2 cm thick and toasted hard on a grill, in a pan, or under a high broiler until both sides are deeply golden with charred edges. While still warm, each slice is rubbed with a raw garlic clove (the rough bread surface acts as a grater, embedding garlic essence into every fibre) and drizzled with extra-virgin olive oil. The macerated tomato mixture is spooned onto each slice; eaten within 60 seconds before the bread goes soft.
A fresh and elegant Italian starter featuring toasted bread topped with roasted peppers or fresh tomato and basil. This bruschetta celebrates simplicity and quality ingredients, the charred bread provides a textural contrast to cool, flavourful toppings. Perfect for entertaining as it can be partially prepared ahead. ### Pepper Topping - 1 yellow pepper - 1 red pepper - 1 green pepper - Oil for roasting
Chicken wings separate at the joint into drums and flats. Pat very dry; toss with a little baking powder + salt; rest on a rack 1 hour (the baking powder draws moisture for crispness). Oil heats to 160°C for stage one (cooks through, 10 min); rest for 5 min; oil up to 190°C for stage two (crisps shell, 4 min). Sauce: equal parts melted butter + Frank's RedHot whisked together with a touch of vinegar and a pinch of cayenne. Toss hot wings in warm sauce; serve immediately with celery sticks and blue-cheese dip.
Queso costeño (or feta-style salty cheese) mixes with cornstarch flour (almidón), an egg, a pinch of sugar, and just enough water to form a smooth firm dough. Rolls into walnut-sized balls. Drops into oil at a lower-than-usual temperature (160°C) so the inside cooks through before the outside burns. Fries for 5-6 minutes turning constantly until amber-gold and puffed.
The Burmese take on the South Asian samosa, with a thinner, crisper pastry and a milder filling than its Indian cousin. You make a hot-water dough that rolls out very thin so the fried shell ends up glassy and crisp rather than bready. The filling is mild by Indian standards: turmeric, ginger, fried onion and a whisper of cumin folded into mashed potato and peas, finished with crushed peanuts for the nuttiness that marks the Burmese version. The triangles fry at moderate heat until amber and crackling, the pastry blistering as it goes. Eaten hot dipped in tamarind sauce, or torn into chunks for a samusa-thoke salad later.
The older, more ceremonial form of lahpet, the version that predates the salad. Unlike lahpet thoke (the salad), there's no cabbage, no tomato, no fresh dressing - the fermented tea leaves stay pungent and concentrated, and the fried elements supply texture and salt. You keep all the components separate on a divided plate until they reach the table, so the crispy bits don't soften, and each guest builds their own bite from the spread. Eaten as an afternoon teashop snack with a small cup of green tea, or traditionally at the close of formal meals as a sign of welcome and reconciliation - a Burmese custom that dates back centuries and still turns up at weddings.
A pork and prawn filling is bound with shredded carrot, glass noodles and reconstituted wood-ear mushrooms, then rolled tightly in moistened rice paper and fried twice for maximum crunch. The double-fry technique gives chả giò their characteristic bubbled, blistered crust. Served with cool lettuce leaves, herbs and a punchy nước chấm dipping sauce.
The dough uses a low-protein cake flour (or plain flour with cornflour added) for the snow-white pillowy crumb. Yeast, sugar, baking powder, milk and lard (or vegetable shortening) blend with the flour into a soft sweet dough. Rises for 1 hour. Filling: store-bought or homemade char siu pork is diced fine; shallots fry in oil; the diced pork tosses in with oyster sauce, hoisin, dark soy, sugar, chicken stock and a cornstarch slurry. Thickens to a sticky glaze. Cooled fully. The dough divides into 12 balls, each rolls into a thick disc with a thin edge, filling sits in the centre, pleats wrap up and pinch at the top. Final proof for 25 min. Steamed for 12 min over high heat, the tops should crack open.
Cheese straws are the simplest of cold appetizers: store-bought puff pastry brushed with egg wash, lavished with grated cheese, dusted with paprika, cut into strips, twisted for visual interest, and crisped in a hot oven. The result is a crackle-crispy pastry ribbon with the savory flavor of cheese and the subtle heat of paprika. The key to success is using store-bought puff pastry (which saves enormous time) with proper thickness rolling, ensuring even cheese coverage, and twisting each straw to ensure even baking. These are best served still warm from the oven; cold cheese straws become limp and uninteresting.
Pork belly cuts into thick strips (5 cm wide × 3 cm thick) with skin on. Simmers in water seasoned with cumin, salt, garlic and a bay leaf for 45 minutes, this tenderises the meat and renders some fat. Lifts out; pats dry. The same pan (with rendered fat) heats hot; strips return skin-side-down; fry for 15-20 minutes until the skin blisters and puffs into the crackling crust. Drains briefly. Eats hot.
Pork skin (the back-fat skin sold at butchers, or any thick skin from a fresh pork side) is scraped clean of all subcutaneous fat, this is the critical step; remaining fat prevents puffing. The clean skin then dries: either oven-dry at low heat for several hours, or air-dry in the fridge for 1-2 days, until completely brittle and almost translucent. The dried skin is then plunged into hot oil (200°C) where it puffs dramatically in 5-10 seconds into the characteristic crackling clouds. The pork is drained, seasoned with salt and chilli salt, and eaten warm. Some Mexican versions add a final spritz of lime juice + chilli powder + Tajín after frying.
Chicken livers fry briefly with shallot and garlic, deglaze with brandy, finish with thyme and a splash of cream. The hot mixture blends with cubed cold butter into a silky paste, presses into a terrine, and sets cold under a layer of clarified butter. Eats best after a day in the fridge.
I’m a big fan of Thai chicken satay with peanut sauce. Although it isn’t necessary, it is best to marinate the chicken for at least a day. You could get away with 30 minutes but a longer marinating time will get you much tastier results. As the chicken soaks up that incredible marinade, it not only tenderizes it but makes it much juicier when cooked. This recipe could be used with thinly sliced pork or beef, both are also popular at Thai restaurants and takeaways. Pork is the meat of choice in Thailand but chicken is the most popular in the UK. I also like to serve this dish with cucumber and chilli relish.
Ground beef browns in a wide oven-safe skillet with onion and garlic. Spices (chilli powder, cumin, oregano, smoked paprika) bloom in the fat. Tomato passata, kidney beans, a splash of stock, salt and pepper simmer for 20 minutes to thicken. Surface scatters with a thick layer of grated cheese (cheddar + Monterey Jack). Goes under a hot grill for 4-5 minutes till bubbling and crisped at the edges. Tops with sliced spring onion, jalapeños, soured cream. Eats hot with tortilla chips.
Two-stage flavour build: first a spice infusion (whole spices soaked briefly in water, then simmered slowly in vegetable oil with spring onion and ginger), then a sizzle (the hot strained oil poured over a heat-proof bowl of chilli flakes, smoked paprika, soy and Chinese vinegar). Cooling. Mixing in the textural elements: caster sugar, salt, chicken stock powder, crispy fried shallots and crispy fried garlic. Jarred, rested 24 hours so the flavours marry, stirred vigorously before each use because the oil and solids separate.
Prawn toast is a classic dim sum snack of bread spread with a seasoned prawn paste, coated in sesame seeds, and deep fried until golden and crisp. The ginger, soy sauce, and sesame oil in the paste give the filling a distinctly aromatic, umami-rich flavour that contrasts with the crunchy, seed-studded exterior. Popular in Chinese restaurants worldwide, it makes an excellent finger food or starter.
Chile's street sandwich and the food that fuels any Sunday football game or summer picnic. You take a Chilean longaniza (or any good fresh pork sausage), split it lengthways but leave it attached at one end so it opens like a butterfly, and grill it six minutes per side until the surface is charred and the inside still juicy. Marraqueta rolls split and toast briefly on the grill, the sausage tucks into the roll, and a generous spoonful of pebre goes on top. Some hands add a dab of mayo or mustard. Eaten immediately, standing up, with a beer in the other hand.
This is the sort of thing you'd order in a Portuguese tavern after the third glass of wine, when the host decides you need a bit of theatre. A whole smoky chouriço sits in a small clay dish (a pig-shaped one if you're being properly Portuguese about it, or any heat-safe dish with high sides), gets drenched in brandy, and is lit with a long match at the table. Blue alcohol flames lick at the sausage for eight or ten minutes, the paprika caramelises into the rendered oil, and the kitchen fills with smoke. Then the flames die, the chouriço gets sliced thick, and you mop up the oil with a basket of bread. You can do this at home in an iron skillet. Light it carefully, mind the your eyebrows, let it burn out on its own, and serve hot with bread, olives, and another glass of whatever you're drinking.
Almond paste: ground almonds, icing sugar, melted butter, cinnamon, orange-flower water, pulses or kneads to a soft pliable paste. Divides into walnut-sized portions; each rolls into a thin cylinder 10 cm long. Warka strips wrap around the cylinder; seal with egg-wash. Fries in moderately hot oil till deep gold. Submerges briefly in warm honey with orange-flower water; lifts; drains; cools.
An enriched yeast dough made with coconut milk, butter, sugar and a little salt. Risen once, divided, rolled into rounds, brushed with butter and folded in half so the baked roll opens like a clamshell. Baked at moderate heat until lightly golden and soft. The folded shape is purposeful: it tears cleanly into two leaves, ideal for stuffing with a beef patty or jerk pork.
Shortcrust pastry uses a mix of lard and butter for the right sturdy-but-flaky texture; chilled, rested for 30 minutes, rolled to 4 mm thick, and cut into 22 cm discs (a small plate works as a guide). Filling: beef skirt (cut into 5 mm cubes, never minced), potato (5 mm dice), swede (5 mm dice) and onion (5 mm dice), seasoned generously with salt and pepper. The filling is piled on half of each pastry disc, leaving a 1 cm border. The pastry is folded over; edges are crimped firmly with thumb-and-forefinger pressed-and-twisted rope crimps along the curved edge. Egg-washed; baked at 200°C for 15 min, then 180°C for 35-40 min until deep golden.
Sweet shortcrust pastry chills for 30 min. Filling: butter + flour make a blonde roux; trinity (onion + celery + green pepper) softens; crawfish tails + cream + tomato paste + Cajun seasoning + green onion finishes. Cool. Roll pastry; cut 10 cm rounds; spoon 1 tbsp filling on half; fold and crimp; brush with egg wash. Bake for 25 minutes at 200°C till deep gold.
A Louisiana hand pie, the Cajun answer to a Cornish pasty and the snack you'd buy at a Lafayette festival booth alongside a beer. You make a flaky shortcrust enriched with a little butter and lard (or all butter if you'd rather), cold and rested. The filling is a small batch of crawfish étouffée: a blond roux first, then the trinity of onion, celery and bell pepper, garlic, tomato, Cajun spice, stock and crawfish tails, simmered down until thick enough to hold its shape on a spoon. Cool the filling completely so it can be spooned into pastry circles, folded into half-moons, crimped sharp at the edge, brushed with egg wash and either deep-fried or baked. The fried version is the classic, with the pastry blistered amber-gold and the filling steaming inside. Eaten warm from the paper with a dab of remoulade and a cold drink.
A no-cook blender sauce. Pickled jalapeños bring brine and a manageable heat that the sour-cream-and-mayo base absorbs without going incendiary. Fresh coriander gives the green colour and aromatic bite. A small garlic clove, lime juice and salt finish it. Stir in the sour cream at the end (not blended) for a slightly chunky texture that still drizzles. Better the next day, after the flavours have married.
A quick béchamel goes onto two slices of bread, ham fills the middle, more béchamel and grated gruyère pile on top. Bakes in a hot oven until the cheese melts into a deep golden crust.
A thick bechamel cooks with finely diced ham or cooked chicken until it pulls away from the pan in a glossy mass. Chilled overnight (or at minimum 4 hours) until firm enough to shape into small cylinders. Each croqueta is breaded twice for a crisp shell that holds the soft, almost-pourable filling inside. Shallow-fried, not deep-fried, at moderate heat.
Onion is softened in olive oil with chopped anchovies. Trimmed chicken livers join and brown briefly. Vin Santo (sweet Tuscan dessert wine, or dry Marsala / brandy as substitute) deglazes; capers are stirred in; the mixture simmers for 8 minutes covered until the livers are tender. Pulsed (not pureed) in a food processor with a knob of cold butter and fresh sage to a coarse spreadable paste. Warm, the paté is spread onto small toasts; eaten as antipasto with prosecco or a glass of Chianti.
Dried urad dal (white, sometimes labelled "white lentils" or "split urad") soaks overnight, then blends with ginger, green chilli and a small amount of water into a smooth thick batter. Whipped vigorously for 5 minutes to incorporate air (this is what makes the fritters light). Asafoetida and salt season; baking soda activates right before frying. Fritters drop into 175°C oil; fry for 3-4 minutes until amber. Lifted into a wide bowl of lukewarm water; soaked for 10 minutes; squeezed gently between palms to remove most water. Plated in shallow bowls; flooded with sweet salted spiced yogurt; topped with chutneys, chaat masala, pomegranate, fresh coriander, a sprinkle of crushed papri or sev for crunch.
Brined vine leaves are soaked for 20 minutes to leach the brine. Filling: short-grain rice is par-cooked for 10 minutes with onion in olive oil; off heat, dill, mint, parsley, pine nuts, currants and lemon zest are stirred through. Each leaf is given a teaspoon of cool filling and rolled into a tight cigar. The rolls are packed tight in a heavy pot lined with broken / extra leaves. Olive oil, lemon juice and stock are poured in to barely cover. Weighed down with an inverted plate. Slow-simmered for 50-60 minutes. Cooled in the liquid; served at room temperature.
A simple yellow dough (flour, lard or butter, water, salt, annatto or paprika for colour) rests cold while a picadillo-style ground beef filling cooks: sofrito, beef, tomato, olives, raisins, capers, cumin. Filling and dough chill separately. Rounds get filled, sealed with a crimped edge, and deep-fried until golden, blistered and hollow-sounding. Hot is best.
Chile's cheese empanadas, the parties-and-snacks half-moon that's the lighter, quicker cousin of empanadas de pino. You knead a dough of flour, salt, butter, warm milk and an egg to a smooth pliable ball and rest it for thirty minutes. The filling is simplicity itself: cubes of queso fresco or mozzarella about a centimetre across, with a sprinkle of oregano. Divide the dough, roll each ball to a ten-centimetre disc, place a cube of cheese in the centre, fold into a half-moon, crimp the edges with a fork. Deep-fry in moderately hot oil for three minutes per side until deep gold. Drain briefly, eat hot before the cheese sets - the stretchy bite is half the pleasure.
Dried chickpeas soak overnight (never cooked, chickpeas must remain raw). Drained, blitzed with onion, garlic, a heaped pile of fresh parsley and coriander, ground cumin, ground coriander, salt, black pepper and Aleppo pepper into a coarse green paste. Rested for 30 minutes. Baking soda mixed in just before frying. Shaped into small (3 cm) patties or balls, a falafel scoop (zalabia) gives the cleanest shape but two spoons work. Optionally rolled in sesame seeds. Deep-fried in oil at 175°C for 2-3 minutes per side until amber-gold and crisp. Stuffed into pita with tahini, salad and pickles.
Dried chickpeas (or a chickpea-fava blend) soak overnight. Drained, blitzed with onion, leek, a heaped pile of fresh parsley AND coriander (the Palestinian style is herb-heavy and notably green), garlic, ground cumin, ground coriander, salt and Aleppo pepper. Left to rest. Baking soda mixed in right before frying. Shaped into small patties or balls; pressed into sesame seeds; deep-fried until amber. Stuffed into khobz with tahini sauce, salad and pickled vegetables.
A soft yeasted olive-oil dough rises for 45 minutes. Filling: grated akkawi (desalted first if very salty) or a mix of low-moisture mozzarella + halloumi (rinsed to reduce salt), crumbled feta, chopped parsley, mint, dried mint, black pepper and a touch of nigella seed. Dough divides into 16 balls; each rolls into a 10 cm disc. A heaped tablespoon of cheese mix sits in the centre. Folded into a tricorn: three sides of the disc fold up over the filling, pinched at the top in three seams. Brushed with olive oil. Baked at 220°C for 15-18 minutes until deep gold.
A simple dough of cornmeal, plain flour, sugar, baking powder, salt, vanilla and a hint of nutmeg, brought together with milk or water. Kneaded briefly, rested, then rolled into elongated finger shapes and fried in medium-hot oil until deep golden. The cornmeal gives a crunchy crust and an almost cakey interior. Sweet enough to eat as a snack, but the contrast with salty jerk or fried fish is the point.
A soft elastic dough rests; divides into 2 balls. Each ball stretches paper-thin on a heavily-oiled / ghee-buttered surface (similar to msemen or yufka, translucent dough). Layered with melted ghee between folds: stretch → ghee → fold into thirds → quarter-turn → stretch → ghee → fold. Repeated 3 times per ball. The two folded packets place stacked on top of each other in a buttered round dish (about 24 cm). Baked at 220°C 25-30 minutes until amber, golden, and the layers have separated dramatically. Served warm with honey, soft cheese, or molasses-and-tahini (the Egyptian classic dip).
A vibrant Thai curry celebrating fresh vegetables in a spiced coconut broth. Eight chillies may seem intense, but the creamy coconut milk tempers the heat into a balanced, complex warmth. The vegetables remain crisp-tender, and the holy basil adds an authentic finishing touch. Fragrant, colorful, and deeply satisfying.
Prawns (shrimp) curl naturally into half-circles. To get your firecracker prawns looking right you need to do some cosmetic work but it’s an easy job: the underside of the prawns needs to be scored in three places so that you can straighten them up. I have seen this popular starter prepared with many different marinades but as the name implies, it’s the chilli that is important. In this recipe I suggest using both chilli paste and roasted chilli flakes. How much of each you add, however, is completely down to you and how spicy you like your food. I recommend serving these with sweet chilli sauce.
Dough: flour, butter, sugar, salt, baking powder, egg, milk, mixes to a smooth firm dough. Rests for 30 min. Filling: tinned sardines mash with sautéed onion, chilli, curry powder, thyme, salt. Dough divides; each portion rolls to a 12 cm circle; filling pipes or spoons in a line down the centre; dough rolls around the filling into a cigar; ends pinch sealed. Deep-fries for 5 minutes at 170°C till deep gold.
Thai fishcakes (often called ‘tod mun pla’ on menus) are known for their spongy consistency, which I’m not fond of; that sponginess comes from the egg, so I tend to leave it out. Fishcakes are usually deep-fried in street stalls and restaurants, but I find it much easier to shallow-fry them. These are great served with sweet chilli sauce, Thai seafood dipping sauce and/or cucumber and chilli relish.
A Spanish tapas classic featuring tender squid rings and tentacles, quickly fried until golden and served with a vibrant paprika, garlic, and chilli dressing. The high heat creates a crispy exterior while keeping the squid moist inside. Simple yet elegant, a restaurant-quality dish that comes together in minutes.
Fried börek are Turkish-influenced pastries that combine simple pastry (made from water, oil, and flour) with a seasoned ground meat filling. The meat is cooked in aromatics, bound together with egg, and enriched with fresh parsley. The pastry is thin and tender, becoming shatteringly crisp when deep-fried. The key to success is ensuring the filling is completely cold before assembling (otherwise it creates soggy pastry), rolling the pastry thin (for crispness rather than doughiness), and maintaining proper oil temperature during frying. These are best consumed immediately, while still warm and crispy.
Fried wuntun are crispy deep-fried parcels filled with a seasoned pork and Parma ham mixture, flavoured with ginger, soy sauce, and sesame oil. The golden, crunchy wrappers give way to a juicy, aromatic filling that makes them an irresistible party snack or starter. They are best served immediately after frying with a selection of dipping sauces.
A bread roll soaks in milk, squeezes out and mixes with minced pork and beef, finely chopped onion sweated soft, an egg, mustard, marjoram and plenty of pepper. Shaped into flat patties (frikadellen are flat, not round like meatballs) and pan-fried in butter. The bread keeps them tender; the flat shape gives more crust.
Sliced garlic (lots, like 8 cloves for a small dish) cooks slowly in olive oil till just turning gold. Dried chilli flakes go in. Heat goes up; peeled raw prawns join. Sizzles 2-3 minutes till the prawns turn pink and curl. A splash of sherry or sherry vinegar at the end. Parsley showers over. Served at the table still bubbling. Bread is essential, half the dish is the garlic oil.
These ribs are comfort food at its best and a moreish way to start a delicious Thai meal. I like to serve them with nam jim jaew or sweet chilli sauce.
A mix of white-fleshed fish (carp, pike, whitefish, or a more modern blend of cod and haddock) is ground with grated onion, eggs, matzo meal and a little sugar, then formed into quenelles. The quenelles poach gently in a broth made from the fish skin, heads and bones with onion and carrot. After an hour they are lifted out and chilled overnight in the strained broth; some of the broth jellies as it cools, which is the point. Served cold, on a leaf of lettuce, with a generous spoon of horseradish.
Rice cooks, dresses with sesame oil and salt while still warm. Fillings prep separately: carrots julienne and stir-fry briefly with salt; spinach blanches, drains, dresses with garlic, salt and sesame oil; egg cooks as a thin omelette, slices into strips; pickled yellow radish (danmuji) cuts into long strips; protein (ham, beef bulgogi, tuna mayo, fishcake) preps to size. Each gim sheet (toasted seaweed) lays on a bamboo mat; rice spreads thin over two-thirds of the sheet; fillings line in the centre; the mat rolls everything tightly. Cut into 12 slices per roll. Brushed with sesame oil; sprinkled with sesame seeds.
A spiced flaky pastry from Azerbaijan's tea table, traditionally baked for Novruz alongside pakhlava and shekerbura, eaten with strong sweet tea any time of year. You make a yeasted milk-and-egg dough and let it rest for an hour, while you build a savoury-sweet spice mix from black pepper, caraway, fennel, saffron and a hard cheese-like crumble (Azerbaijani gurut, or a substitute). The dough rolls thin, brushes with butter, gets a scatter of spice; folds, rolls, sprinkles again, repeated three times in the same lamination motion you'd use for puff pastry. The final dough rolls to a centimetre thick, cuts into rounds with the rim of a glass, takes an egg wash for shine, and bakes at 180°C for twenty-five minutes until deep golden. Eaten with sweet black tea and a small dish of jam on the side.
Pork belly is simmered until tender, prawns are poached briefly, and vermicelli is cooked just al dente. Everything cools to room temperature, then rice paper rounds are dipped briefly in warm water and rolled around lettuce, herbs and the protein with the pink of the prawns showing through the wrapper. The peanut-hoisin sauce is the make-or-break: it should be thick, sweet and lightly garlicky.
Choux dough cooks on the stovetop: milk + water + butter + salt come to a rolling boil; flour is dumped in all at once; cooked for 1-2 minutes until the dough comes together as a ball that pulls away from the pan walls. Cooled slightly. Eggs whisk in one at a time to a smooth thick pipe-able paste. Grated Gruyère, Comté and a touch of Dijon mustard fold through. Piped or spooned into small mounds on a baking tray; brushed with egg wash; sprinkled with more cheese. Baked at 220°C for 10 minutes then 200°C for 15 more, the puffs rise dramatically, crack, and turn deep golden. Served warm.
Avocados halve, scoop out, mash chunky (not smooth, texture matters). Onion finely chops, jalapeño deseeds and chops, coriander chops. Lime juice, salt, mix. Eat immediately or press cling film flat onto the surface to slow oxidation.
A wet yeasted dough, combining plain flour, sweet rice flour, yeast, milk and a little oil, rises for 1 hour. Filling: dark muscovado, cinnamon, chopped peanuts. Dough divides into 8 oily balls; each flattens in the palm, fills with a heaped tablespoon of sugar mix, pinches shut. Pan-fries seam-side-down in oil; presses flat with a heavy spatula; flips; cooks the other side. Eats hot.
The Andean-Chilean answer to the Mexican tamale, but unfilled - just sweet fresh corn intensified by being pulped, wrapped in its own husk, and steamed into tender parcels. You shuck fresh sweetcorn and save the husks in warm water to soften. Strip the kernels: half get pulsed to a coarse paste, half stay whole, and the two textures combine in the bowl. Onion softens in butter with paprika and salt, then folds through the corn. Two tablespoons of mixture spoon onto each softened husk, the sides fold in, the ends fold down, and a thin strip of husk ties the parcel closed. Steam for forty-five minutes until the corn has set. Served hot with a sprinkle of sugar (the savoury-sweet thing happens at the table) or with pebre alongside for a saltier finish.
Dried chickpeas soak in cold water 24 hours, the long soak hydrates them fully without cooking. Once drained, they are ground with onion, garlic, fresh coriander, parsley, dill, green chilli, cumin, coriander seed and ground cardamom to a coarse pale-green crumb. Bicarbonate of soda adds at the last minute for the open, fluffy interior. The mix chills for 30 minutes; small patties form; deep-fry at 175°C for 3 minutes until deep gold outside, fluffy and bright green inside. Eaten in warm samoon with the trimmings.
Jhal muri (literally "spicy puffed rice") is the most democratic snack in Bengal: assembled in seconds from a tin trunk by a muriwala, tipped into a rolled-newspaper cone, and eaten standing on a pavement for the price of a few rupees. The base is muri (puffed rice), and everything else is built around the principle of contrast. Raw mustard oil is the soul of the dish, sharp and nasal and slightly bitter; without it you have a salad, not jhal muri. The vegetables stay raw and crunchy, onion, green chilli, cucumber, tomato, chopped into tiny dice so each spoonful gets one of each. Peanuts and chana chur (or sev) add fat and crunch; black salt and chaat masala add the funky-tangy depth that makes Indian street snacks addictive. The lime goes in last so the puffs don't soften. This is a dish where technique matters less than ingredient quality: muri must be crisp (refresh in a dry pan if it's gone soft), mustard oil must be the proper pungent kind, and the lime must be fresh. It is everywhere in Bengal, tea-time at home, train platforms, the Maidan on a winter afternoon, and there is no recipe in any cookbook that quite captures the feel of it being mixed in front of you in a paper cone.
A thin batter of mung-bean flour, millet flour, plain flour, water, salt and five-spice is whisked to a single-cream consistency; rested for 1 hour. A wide flat griddle or large non-stick pan is heated; a ladle of batter is spread thinly with a wooden disc-rake (jian bing rake, or just rotate the pan to spread). An egg is cracked onto the crepe; smashed and spread with a spatula. The crepe is flipped; the cooked side is painted with sweet bean sauce and chilli paste; scattered with herbs; topped with a crisp wonton sheet; folded into quarters. Eaten warm, by hand.
A hot-water dough - flour mixed with water (just-boiled) - for a tender, slightly stretchy wrapper that doesn't dry out. The filling is the classic family recipe: minced pork and finely chopped Chinese chives bound with soy, sesame oil, ginger and shaoxing wine. Each dumpling rolled thin, filled with a generous teaspoon, pleated along one edge, sealed and shaped. Boiled in batches, with the "three-cup" trick of adding cold water between waves to stop the wrappers blistering. Served with a sharp black vinegar and chilli dipping sauce.
Kachalou pakora are Afghan-style battered potato slices, fried crisp and dusted with chaat masala while they are still hot from the oil. The batter is chickpea flour (besan) with a touch of rice flour for crispness, water, salt, turmeric, ground coriander, chilli powder, ajwain seeds, crushed garlic and a pinch of baking soda. Ten minutes to rest so the chickpea flour hydrates and the batter clings properly. Potatoes slice into 3 mm rounds and salt briefly to draw out a little moisture. Each slice dips in the batter, lifts with chopsticks, drops into oil at 175°C, fries three minutes a side until amber. Drained, dusted with chaat masala, served with a quick mint-and-coriander chutney. Eat hot. Cold pakora are a different food entirely, and not in a good way.
A filling of minced pork and chopped prawn binds with coriander root (pounded with garlic and white pepper into the traditional Thai "rak pak chee" paste), oyster sauce, soy sauce, sugar, sesame oil, and a beaten egg. The mixture chills for 20 minutes to firm. Square wonton wrappers go around the filling cupcake-style: filling in the centre, edges pulled up and pleated open around the meat, top brushed with a tiny smear of beaten egg and topped with a thin slice of carrot. Steamed in a bamboo basket over boiling water for 8 minutes. Dip is black soy sauce with sliced chilli and rice vinegar.
Chicken thighs (boneless, skin-on for the best result) are cut into 4 cm pieces and marinated for 30 minutes in a mixture of soy sauce, sake, grated ginger, garlic, mirin and a touch of sesame oil. The marinated chicken pieces are then thoroughly dredged in potato starch (also called katakuriko in Japanese; cornstarch is a workable substitute but not as good). Oil heats to 160°C for the first fry, chicken pieces fry for 4 minutes until just cooked but not deeply coloured. Removed; rested for 5 minutes. Oil temperature increases to 190°C for the second fry, chicken returns for 60-90 seconds until amber-golden, crisp, and the outside shatters when bitten. Seasoned and served immediately.
The classic German kartoffelpuffer - grated potato fritter - meets the Middle Eastern tahini drawer. Tahini does the work that egg and flour usually do: it binds the grated potato, and brings richness without dairy. The mixture is spiced confidently with cumin, turmeric, garlic, parsley and coriander, formed into patties, and baked on a tray rather than fried in oil. The result is crisp at the edges, tender in the middle, deeply savoury - a halfway dish between latke and falafel, owing both.
Aubergines are roasted whole until completely soft and the skin chars (oven, broiler, or open flame); cooled slightly, peeled, chopped. A wide pan is used to soften diced onion in oil until deep gold; turmeric and a pinch of saffron are stirred in; the chopped aubergine is added with a little water and simmers for 10 minutes to integrate into a thick mash. Garlic-and-dried-mint oil is prepared separately: crushed garlic is gently fried in olive oil with dried mint until fragrant. Most of this mint-oil is folded into the aubergine; the rest is reserved for garnish. Kashk (sold liquid or paste; thinned with water if paste) drizzles in lines across the plated dip; deep-fried onions, the reserved mint-oil, chopped walnuts, and a final scatter of dried mint top it.
A grated onion (juice squeezed out) folds into beef-or-pork-and-beef mince with bread soaked in milk and squeezed dry, an egg, a generous amount of dried mint and oregano, parsley, garlic, salt and pepper. A tablespoon of ouzo or red wine adds depth. Mixture rests for 30 minutes (the flavours mingle, the bread fully absorbs). Rolls into walnut-sized balls, dusts in flour, pan-fries in olive oil 6-8 minutes turning often until deep brown and cooked through. Serves with tzatziki and lemon wedges.
A bread from the mountain villages of Azerbaijan and the wider Caucasus, the kind of thing a family bakes on a Saturday morning and eats through the week with cheese, with stew, on its own with tea. You make a simple yeasted milk-and-egg dough and let it rise for an hour, while you slowly soften onions in butter until they're pale gold and sweet. The onions cool and mix with chopped fresh coriander, dill, mint, spring onion and a knob more butter for the filling. The dough divides into six balls, each rolls flat, gets a heap of filling, gathers up into a purse, presses flat to a twelve-centimetre disc, then rolls under a pin to a centimetre thick. Pan-fry on a dry hot skillet for four minutes per side, or bake at 200°C for fifteen minutes if you'd rather a more even browning. Eaten hot, torn and shared, with a glass of buttermilk or strong tea.
Two batters. The first (the base) is rice flour, palm sugar, salt, coconut milk and a small amount of mung-bean flour; rests for 2 hours so the rice flour hydrates. The second (the top) is just coconut cream, salt and a pinch of rice flour. A khanom krok pan (or an aebleskiver pan, or a takoyaki pan) is heated; each dimple is brushed with oil; the base batter goes in three-quarters; covered briefly to set; the top coconut-cream batter spoons over to fill; covered again; the half-spheres release when the bottom is golden and the tops are barely jiggling. Two are paired together and served on a small banana-leaf square.
Same technique as Jordan kibbeh-nayyeh-balls (these snacks are siblings across the Levant). Fine bulgur soaks, drains, squeezes dry. Lean lamb (or beef) blitzes with onion, baharat, allspice, salt and ice water to a smooth paste; the bulgur folds in to make a smooth, slightly tacky dough. Filling cooks separately: fattier lamb mince sautées with onion, baharat, cinnamon, allspice and pine nuts; cooled. Dough divides; each piece shapes into a football (thin walls, pointed tips), filled with cool filling, sealed and re-pointed. Deep-fried for 3-4 minutes; served with yogurt-mint sauce.
A fine-bulgur-and-lean-mince dough is blitzed smooth with onion, baharat, salt and a touch of ice water. Cold mince-with-fat (the filling) sautées with onion, baharat, allspice, cinnamon, and toasted pine nuts; cools. The kibbeh dough divides; each piece is wet-handled into a small football shape, hollowed with a finger, filled with the cool spiced mince, sealed and re-shaped into an oval. Deep-fried 175°C for 3-4 minutes until amber. Drained and served warm with lemon and a yogurt-mint sauce. The shape is the test: thin walls, plump bellies, pointed tips.
Well-fermented sour kimchi is chopped fine; the juice is reserved. A batter of plain flour, an egg, water and kimchi juice is mixed thin (consistency of pancake batter). Kimchi and chopped spring onion are stirred in. Half the batter is poured into a hot oiled pan, spread thin, fried for 4 minutes; flipped with a confident wrist or a wide spatula; fried another 3 minutes. Cut into wedges; eaten with soy-vinegar dip.
Green plantains peel, the trick is scoring lengthways down the ridges and then prying the skin off in strips (very different from a banana). The peeled plantain slices on a mandoline or with a sharp knife into 2 mm rounds. Fries in hot oil (180°C) 2-3 minutes till deep gold and crisp. Drains; salts while hot. Optional: tosses with chilli powder.
Make thin crepes from a simple flour-egg-milk batter. Make a filling: traditional Christmas Eve is sauerkraut and dried wild mushroom; the everyday version is seasoned minced meat with onion. Each crepe gets a strip of filling, rolls into a tight log with the ends tucked in, dips in beaten egg and breadcrumbs, and pan-fries in butter or shallow oil until golden and crisp. Cut on the diagonal to show the spiral inside.
Potatoes are boiled in their skins until tender (about 25 minutes); cooled slightly, peeled, grated on the coarse side. Onion is sautéed in oil with a pinch of turmeric until soft. Eggs are beaten with salt, pepper, saffron-water, baking powder and a tablespoon of flour. The grated potato and softened onion are folded through. The mixture is tipped into a buttered 24 cm round or square tin; baked at 180°C for 25-30 minutes until the top is gold and the centre is just set. Cooled slightly; cut into squares. Excellent with Greek yogurt or as part of a sabzi-khordan (Persian herb-and-cheese plate).
A Cornish-inspired pastry parcel filled with seasoned lamb, tender vegetables, and a rich, savory gravy. These hand-held pastries are perfect for portable meals, picnics, or as a sophisticated starter. The flaky shortcrust pastry encloses a deeply flavorful filling, a British classic that's remarkably easy to prepare at home.
A soft potato-enriched yeast dough rises slowly, gets stretched thin (not rolled), and shallow-fries in hot oil for 60-90 seconds a side until puffed, blistered and golden. Out of the pan, it's brushed with a smashed garlic-water and immediately topped with sour cream and grated cheese. The classic combination is unbeatable, but plain salted lángos eaten with the garlic rub alone is also traditional.
Floury potatoes grate fine; onion grates fine; both squeeze in a tea towel to remove water (the water-squeeze is what gives crisp latkes). Mixed with egg, matzo meal (or flour), salt and pepper. Dropped by spoonfuls into hot oil; flattened with a spatula; fried for 3-4 minutes per side till deep gold. Drained on a rack. Served hot with sour cream and applesauce.
Dried shrimp and dried shiitake soak in warm water until plump; the soaking water is reserved. Chinese sausage dices fine; shallots, soaked shrimp and shiitake chop separately. All these flavourings fry together in oil until aromatic. Grated daikon is added with the shiitake-shrimp soaking liquid; cooked for 10 minutes covered until softened. Rice flour whisks with cold water into a smooth slurry; pours into the daikon mixture; cooks for 2 minutes, stirring, until thickened into a batter. Tipped into a greased loaf tin; smoothed; steamed for 60 minutes in a wide pot. Cooled fully, refrigerated, then sliced 1 cm thick and pan-fried in oil until crusted gold on both sides. Served with chilli oil and a dipping sauce of light soy and rice vinegar.
Make a stiff mac-and-cheese, sharp cheddar, parmesan, a touch of mustard, just enough béchamel to bind, no more. Spread in a parchment-lined 20×20 cm tin; level; chill 4+ hours till firm. Lift out; cut into 3 cm cubes. Each cube dips in flour → egg → seasoned panko. Deep-fries for 2-3 minutes at 175°C until amber-gold. Drains briefly. Eats hot with ranch or chipotle mayo.
Tiny aubergines (the small Middle-Eastern variety) blanched in salted water 6 minutes until just tender. Drain. Salt and pressed under weight 4-6 hours to drain bitter water. Each aubergine slits lengthwise (don't cut all the way through). A walnut-garlic-red-pepper-paste mixture stuffs into each slit. The stuffed aubergines pack tightly into a sterilised glass jar; covered in olive oil to fully submerge. Sealed and left at room temperature for 7-21 days. The oil takes on the spice; the aubergines mellow.
A soft yeasted bread dough rises for 1 hour. Three toppings prep simultaneously: (1) za'atar-and-olive-oil paste; (2) grated akkawi-mozzarella-feta blend with nigella seeds; (3) spiced lamb mince with tomato and pomegranate molasses. Dough divides into 18 balls; each rolls into an 8 cm disc with a slight raised rim. Toppings spoon on. Baked at 230°C on a hot stone or upside-down tray for 6-8 minutes until the dough is gold and the toppings are bubbling / set.
This is the small-plate version of mantu, folded into a four-pointed flower with the meat visible at the top, plated for a starter or a shared snack rather than the full main-course platter. The filling is ground lamb with grated onion (squeezed dry first, otherwise the parcel goes soggy), garlic, ground coriander, cumin, cinnamon, salt and pepper. The fold is the interesting bit. Take a wonton wrapper, drop a teaspoon of filling in the centre, pull all four corners up over the centre, and pinch them together in pairs to make an X-shape with four small triangles of meat showing at the top, like an opened flower. Steam in a bamboo basket eighteen to twenty minutes over boiling water. Two sauces alongside: a chana-dal-tomato-and-mint sauce stewed thick, and chaka yogurt with garlic. Plate as you would aushak: yogurt base, dumplings on top, lentil-tomato sauce ladled across, dried mint scattered last.
A simple flour-water-oil dough rests for 1 hour (gluten relaxes; will roll paper-thin). Filling: beef mince cooks with shallot, garlic, ginger, curry-leaf, ground spices till dry and aromatic; cools; mixes with beaten eggs, spring onion and chopped coriander just before frying. Dough divides; each portion stretches paper-thin like a strudel; filling spoons in the centre; the edges fold over to make a flat square parcel; pan-fries for 3 minutes per side. Cuts in quarters; eats with chilli-pickle sauce.
The eight-day Passover diet rests on matzo, and matzo brei is the dish that turns yesterday's plain matzo crackers into a proper hot breakfast. Pieces of matzo go briefly under warm water until they soften (but don't disintegrate), then drain. They get folded into beaten salted eggs, sit a minute so the matzo drinks in the egg, and then go into hot foaming butter. Two finishes: cook flat as a thick pancake and flip, or break up and scramble. Eaten immediately with whichever topping the household votes for.
All-butter puff pastry rolls thin; cuts into 4 long strips. Merguez sausages cut into 6 cm lengths. Each pastry strip wraps once around a merguez piece (overlapping seam underneath). Eggwashes; dusts with sesame and nigella seeds. Bakes for 25 minutes at 200°C till the pastry is deep gold and the sausage cooked through.
The sauce (the technical heart of the dish) reduces palm sugar, fish sauce, tamarind paste, water, ginger and dried shrimp to a thick, glossy, dark amber syrup. The fillings, diced lime (skin and all), diced ginger, sliced shallot, chopped roasted peanuts, dried shrimp, small chilli, and toasted shredded coconut, are arrayed in small mounds on a serving platter. Fresh young betel leaves go alongside. Each diner takes a leaf, layers a tiny pinch of each filling, drops a quarter-teaspoon of the sauce on top, folds and pops the whole thing in one bite.
The musakhan filling: red onions (LOTS, for the dish to work, you need 4-5 large onions) slowly caramelise in olive oil for 25-30 minutes until deep gold and sweet; sumac is stirred in generously (a tablespoon at minimum); shredded cooked chicken is folded through with toasted pine nuts. Markook bread (thin Palestinian flatbread, sold at Middle Eastern shops; substitute thin lavash or large flour tortillas) is cut into rectangles. A spoon of filling is spread on each; rolled tightly; sealed seam-side-down. Brushed with olive oil; either baked at 200°C for 12 minutes OR pan-toasted in a dry hot pan for 2 minutes per side. Served warm with lemon and yogurt.
The Saudi street snack that almost every food court and roadside griddle in the kingdom has running through service. You make a stretchy oil-rich dough and let it rest for a full hour so it develops the pliability that mutabbaq depends on (the trick is that the dough has to stretch translucent without tearing). While it rests you cook a filling of ground beef or lamb with onion, leek, garlic and baharat, cool it, then mix in beaten eggs and chopped parsley just before folding. The eggs go in raw and cook inside the pastry as it griddles. Each dough ball gets oiled heavily and pulled by hand on an oiled surface into a 35 cm square thin enough to see through, with the filling spread in a 15 cm square in the centre. The edges fold in to enclose, and the whole parcel griddles on a hot pan with a glug of oil for two or three minutes per side until it's amber-crisp on the outside and the egg has set inside. Cut into quarters, eaten warm at the counter or carried home wrapped in paper.
Chickpea flour roasts briefly in a dry pan or oven to remove the raw flavour and develop nuttiness; cooled fully. Butter (softened, not melted) creams with icing sugar and ground cardamom until pale and fluffy. Rosewater works in. The cooled chickpea flour folds through (no other flour added; gluten-free). The dough rests for 2 hours at room temperature. Rolled to 1 cm thick on a board dusted with extra chickpea flour. Cut with a small four-leaf-clover stencil OR rolled into walnut-sized balls flattened slightly. Topped with a pinch of crushed pistachio. Baked at 150°C 15-18 minutes, gently, no browning. Cool fully before lifting (very fragile when warm).
A short pastry of plain flour, butter, margarine (the mix gives Nigerian pies their distinctive texture, flakier than all-butter, sturdier than all-margarine), a pinch of baking powder, salt and cold water is made and rested. The filling: minced beef browned with onion, garlic, curry powder, thyme and a stock cube, then a small dice of carrot and potato added and cooked through with a splash of stock and a touch of cornflour to give a thick gravy. Pastry rolls out 4 mm thick, cuts into 15 cm rounds; filling goes on half; egg-wash glues; crimp; egg-wash on top. Bake at 200°C 30-35 minutes until deep gold.
Indonesian-style pork satay featuring tender, spiced meat on bamboo skewers with a creamy, complex peanut sauce enriched with coconut milk. The pork is infused with a paste of lemongrass, ground spices, and aromatics, making each bite deeply flavorful. This dish showcases traditional Southeast Asian techniques and is perfect for entertaining.
Soft ripe Camembert mashes with butter, finely grated onion, sweet paprika, caraway and a splash of beer until coloured rosy-orange and spreadable but textured. Rests in the fridge 30 minutes so the flavours marry. Pile in a bowl, top with raw onion rings and a dusting of paprika, and serve with pretzels and dark bread. Eaten cold.
Short-grain Japanese rice (sushi rice) is rinsed several times until the water runs clear, then cooked with slightly less water than for regular rice (so each grain stays separate-but-sticky). Cooled slightly to warm (not hot, hands burn; not cold, rice doesn't compress). Filling options prepare: umeboshi (sour pickled plum, sold whole or paste); salt-grilled salmon flaked; tinned tuna mixed with mayo and a pinch of soy. Hands wet with water, dust with salt, take a generous handful of rice, press a thumb-dent in the centre, drop a teaspoon of filling, fold the rice over to enclose, press into a triangular shape with the palms. Wrap each ball with a small strip of nori at the base.
Onion bhajis are golden, crispy fritters made from sliced onions bound in a spiced gram flour batter and deep fried until crunchy and cooked through. The combination of chilli, turmeric, coriander, and curry leaves gives them a warmly aromatic flavour that pairs perfectly with cooling yoghurt-based dips. Freshly made, they are a satisfying vegetarian snack or side dish alongside a curry.
Parma ham mikados are the apotheosis of simple elegance: delicate filo pastry wrapped with thin Parma ham, buttered and mustard-enriched, then briefly crisped in a hot oven. The interior ham remains tender while the filo exterior becomes shatteringly crisp. Success depends on handling filo gently (to avoid tearing), using quality Parma ham (thinly sliced), and baking briefly enough to crisp without hardening. These must be eaten immediately; cold or at room temperature, they lose their appeal. The name "mikados" refers to the Japanese term for emperors, these are regal appetizers.
These are the little salt-cod fritters you'd order at a marble counter in Lisbon, sitting with a glass of vinho verde while the bartender slides a plate across with no ceremony. The recipe itself is simple, dry mashed potato through flaked bacalhau with onion, garlic, parsley and egg, then a brief fry, but it does start the day before because the salt cod wants 24 to 36 hours of cold water soaks to draw the salt out. That step is the one thing you cannot shortcut. Once the cod is desalted, everything else is an afternoon's work: simmer the cod, flake it through warm potato, shape into the three-sided football "quenelles" that are the Portuguese signature, and fry until amber. Eat them warm with a wedge of lemon and a dish of piri-piri on the side.
All-butter puff pastry (homemade if you've the patience, shop-bought all-butter if you don't) is rolled out, cut into squares, topped with a slab of guava paste and a chunk of cream cheese, then sealed into a parcel or topped with a second pastry square. Brushed with egg wash, baked at high heat until golden and puffed. While hot, brushed with a simple sugar syrup for the shiny finish.
The most stripped-down Uyghur fried bread: flour, water, yeast, salt absent, sugar absent. The honesty of the ingredient list is the point, what you taste is fermented wheat, fresh oil, and the dusting of icing sugar on top. The hot-oil pass before shaping (the same technique that defines [[twisted-donuts]]) gives the surface a faint crackle and a darker fry colour than a plain yeasted dough would manage; the two short slits down the middle let steam escape and create the puffed shape that gives peushkel its silhouette. Smell is warm bread and frying oil, and very little else. Easy enough that this is the snack Uyghur children learn to make first, no measuring fussy quantities, no decorative shaping. Eaten across Xinjiang for breakfast with milk tea, or as a mid-afternoon pick-me-up, and a household staple in homes where every cookable scrap of flour matters; peushkel exists, in part, because it's what you can make when the cupboard is mostly bare.
Soft butter-yellow biscuits with a layer of crystalline white sugar pressed into the top before baking. The flavour is plain and clean: egg, milk, sunflower oil, baking soda, the kind of childhood cookie that's exactly as sweet as a child's tea wants. The sugar crust on top is the signature; pressing each cookie face-down into a plate of sugar before the tray is what bonds the topping, and it gives the finished biscuit a faint crunch over a soft, cake-like crumb underneath. Smell is buttery-vanilla even though there's no vanilla in the recipe. Genuinely easy to make: no chilling, no rolling-to-millimetres, no nuanced technique. Roll, cut, press into sugar, bake. A staple of Uyghur tea tables, packed into tin boxes for car journeys and bus trips across Xinjiang, and the snack that every Uyghur grandmother makes for visiting children. The shapes, stars, circles, hearts, are improvisational, so home versions look as varied as the cutters in the kitchen drawer.
Sharp cheddar is grated on the LARGE side of a box grater (not the small, texture matters). A small amount of cream cheese is softened to bind. Jarred roasted red peppers (pimentos) are drained and chopped fine. Everything is mixed with mayonnaise, Worcestershire, garlic powder, paprika, lots of black pepper, and a tiny pinch of cayenne. Chilled for 30 min to let the flavours meld. Eaten with crackers or made into a sandwich.
Pineapple salsa bridges sweet tropical fruit with heat and umami. The key technique here is caramelizing the pineapple in its own sugar and brown sugar, which develops deeper flavor and slight bitterness to offset the fruit's natural sweetness. Fresh red chilli provides heat, sambal oelek adds fermented chilli depth and umami, and lime juice brightens the overall composition. Fresh coriander added at the very end preserves its herbaceous aroma, the hallmark of this dish. Crucially, this salsa is served warm; warming brings out pineapple's natural sweetness and spices' aromatic qualities. Chilled pineapple salsa becomes dull and the fruit hard.
Saba bananas (or under-ripe regular bananas) peel and halve lengthways. Batter: rice flour, plain flour, sugar, baking powder, salt mixed with cold water and a touch of vanilla to a thick pancake-batter consistency. Bananas dip into the batter to coat; lower into hot oil (175°C); fry for 4-5 minutes turning, until deep gold and crisp. Drain on a rack. Eats hot, sometimes dusted with icing sugar or drizzled with palm-sugar syrup.
Vegetables, swede, carrot, gherkins, onion, cauliflower, dice into small (4 mm) cubes. Dates chop finely. A pickling base of malt vinegar, dark brown sugar, black treacle, salt, mustard powder, ground cloves and allspice brings to a simmer. The diced vegetables join; everything simmers for 45-60 minutes until the liquid reduces by half and the vegetables are tender but still distinct. Cornflour-and-water slurry thickens the syrup to a glossy chutney consistency. Spooned hot into sterilised jars; sealed; cooled. Matures 2-4 weeks before opening, the flavours develop dramatically with rest.
A yeast-leavened, fat-rich dough rests cold so the fat stays solid in flaky layers. The dough is rolled, folded and rolled again like a rough puff pastry, then cut into rounds, scored, brushed with egg and baked at high heat until golden and crisp on the outside, tender inside. Cheese is added by folding grated cheese into the dough and showering more on top.
Made popular by Chinese restaurants and takeaways, these are another menu item that have been adapted to have a subtle Thai flavour. You need to plan ahead as the filling must be cold (or room temperature) before rolling your spring rolls. To make these vegetarian, simply leave out the meat.
These meatballs are packed with delicious flavours. I like to serve them with a couple of dips like sweet chilli sauce and chilli jam. Before cooking them, I recommend frying up a bit of the prepared meat and adjusting the flavour to taste.
Pork shoulder (uncured, fatty) and a small amount of bacon are chopped into 5 mm dice (not minced, the texture is key). Mixed with white pepper, mace, sage, salt and a touch of anchovy paste for umami. The hot-water-crust pastry: flour is mixed with hot water-and-lard mixture, kneaded warm into a pliable dough. Two-thirds of the dough lines a tall round tin (or is moulded freestanding around a glass jar); the filling is packed in tight; a lid of remaining dough is laid over the top with a 1 cm steam hole punched. Baked at 200°C for 30 min, then 160°C for another 60-75 min. Left to cool. A rich pork stock (made from trotters or with gelatin sheets) is poured through the steam hole while the pie is still warm. Refrigerated overnight to set the jelly. Sliced and eaten cold.
Marie Rose sauce, mayo, ketchup, Worcestershire, a squeeze of lemon, a splash of brandy if you're feeling decadent, coats cooked king prawns. Piled into glasses or plates over shredded iceberg or little gem; paprika dusts the top; lemon wedge alongside.
Pre-cook any "wet" filling (mushrooms, chorizo, peppers) and cool. Cheese is grated. A dry, hot griddle or non-stick pan heats over medium heat. A tortilla goes on; cheese scatters over half; filling (if any) over the cheese; folded in half. Pressed gently with a spatula; cooked for 90 seconds until the underside is gold-spotted; flipped; cooked for 90 seconds more. The cheese should be fully melted and just starting to ooze at the edges. Sliced into 3 wedges; served with salsa, guacamole, sour cream, lime.
Azerbaijan's folded flatbread, the proper name for what the diaspora sometimes labels kutab or gözleme depending on where they learned to make it. You knead a dough from flour, warm water and salt to a smooth firm ball, rest for thirty minutes, then build a filling: half a kilo of mixed greens (chard, spinach, sorrel, whatever is around) wilts briefly with onion in a pan, drains hard, then mixes with pomegranate seeds and fresh herbs for the classic herb-and-pomegranate combination. Each ball of dough rolls into a twenty-five-centimetre circle so thin it's translucent. The filling spreads over one half, the other half folds over, edges press to seal. Onto a dry skillet for ninety seconds per side until the dough is blistered and the filling is steaming. Brush with melted butter while hot, sprinkle with sumac. Eat folded in half, the sumac sharp against the herby green inside.
Pork shoulder (fatty cuts only, lean cuts will be dry) is cut into 3 cm chunks. Pork back fat (or lard) adds extra cooking fat; shallots, garlic, bay leaves, thyme, white wine and a glass of water go in with the pork. Cooked at the lowest oven temperature for 3-4 hours covered until the pork is completely tender and the fat has rendered into a clear pool. Once drained, the fat is reserved separately and the pork is pulled into long strands with two forks. The strands are packed into sterilised jars; salt and pepper season to taste; some of the reserved fat is poured over to seal the surface. Refrigerated for 3-5 days to mature; the flavours develop dramatically. Served with toasted baguette, cornichons and mustard.
Rissois are the half-moon prawn fritters you'd see in the glass cabinet of every Lisbon snack bar, sold a couple at a time with a paper napkin. The dough is unusual, closer to a hot-water pastry than a normal flour-and-fat dough: you bring water, butter, lemon zest and salt to a boil, dump the flour in all at once, and stir hard until it pulls into a smooth elastic ball. Tip it onto a floured bench, roll paper-thin, cut into discs, then fill each with a spoonful of quick prawn-and-béchamel mixture, fold into a half-moon and crimp the edges. The béchamel needs to be properly cold before you fill, otherwise the dough won't hold its shape. Once they're breaded and frying they cook fast: two minutes a side until amber and crisp. Eat them warm, ideally with a chilled vinho verde.
Aubergine slices salt, drain 30 min, pat dry, fry crispy in olive oil. Eggs hard-boil (or for the traditional Iraqi-Jewish version, slow-cook overnight in a hamin pot, the brown eggs become beigene). Israeli salad: cucumber, tomato, red onion, parsley, lemon, olive oil. Tahini whisks with lemon juice and water to a pourable sauce. Pita warms briefly. Build: hummus smears inside; aubergine slices layer; egg quarters; salad; tahini drizzle; amba spoon; parsley.
My first job out of college was working as the manager of a shoe store in Marina, near Monterey, California. I hated every second of that job but loved living in Monterey and all the amazing locally caught seafood. Squid was and still is a speciality there, and it was during my time of selling cheap shoes that I learned this method of frying calamari to perfection. I’ve tried a few other recipes but, in my opinion, this one ticks all the boxes. The crispy fried squid is delicious served with the sweet chilli sauce dip.
Salt cod is soaked overnight (or boiled in two changes of water) to draw out the salt, then flaked and folded into a thick batter of flour, baking powder, water, spring onion, garlic, thyme, scotch bonnet, and a little black pepper. Dropped by the heaped tablespoon into hot oil and fried until deep golden. Served hot with a squeeze of lime or a dollop of pepper sauce.
The Saudi Ramadan staple, the snack that breaks the fast in households across the Gulf when the call to maghrib sounds. You brown minced beef (or chicken) with diced onion and garlic, lifted with a generous spoonful of Saudi spice mix (baharat, black pepper, cumin, coriander, cardamom, cinnamon, allspice), then fold in toasted pine nuts, chopped parsley and a hit of lemon zest, and let the filling cool fully before you assemble. Spring-roll wrappers or samboosa pastry sheets fold into the traditional triangular packets with the long-strip-into-stacked-triangle technique that every Khaleeji household teaches its children, sealed with a flour-and-water paste at the edge. Deep-fried at 180°C in three or four centimetres of oil until they're amber-gold and shattering-crisp. Drained on paper, eaten warm with the first dates of iftar and a glass of laban.
The meat-filled half-moon that sits next to the cheese version on every Levantine-Arabian table. You roll a soft butter-and-yogurt dough thin, stamp it into nine-centimetre rounds, and place a teaspoon of spiced lamb mince in the centre of each. The lamb is fragrant with baharat, onion, toasted pine nuts and a touch of pomegranate molasses that adds a sweet-sharp depth you can't quite place. The rounds fold into half-moons and crimp with a fork. From there they go either route: deep-fried at 170°C for three or four minutes per side, or baked at 200°C for eighteen to twenty minutes with an egg wash for shine. The pastry blisters lightly, the filling stays juicy. Eaten warm with a wedge of lemon, often as part of a meze spread alongside hummus, mutabbal, salata and warm flatbread.
The Levantine-Arabian cheese half-moon, the milder vegetarian cousin to the meat sambousek. You roll a smooth pliable dough from oil, yogurt and flour and let it rest briefly while you build the filling: grated akkawi (desalted by soaking for thirty minutes) or a mix of low-moisture mozzarella and halloumi, crumbled feta, chopped parsley, scallion, mint, an egg yolk to bind and a touch of ground black pepper. The dough rolls to three millimetres, cuts into eight-centimetre rounds, gets a spoon of filling in the centre, folds into a half-moon and is crimped sharp with a fork. From there it's either deep-fried at 175°C for two minutes a side until golden, or brushed with egg wash, scattered with sesame seeds and baked at 200°C for fifteen to eighteen minutes. The cheese melts inside the sealed shell, the pastry browns. Eaten warm with labneh or a chilli-lemon dip on the side.
A simple flour-oil-water dough with a little turmeric for colour rests briefly while the filling cooks down. Cooked chickpeas are pulsed (not pureed) with caramelised onion, cumin, sumac and parsley. Dough rolls to 3 mm; cut in rounds; spoon in filling; fold to half-moon; crimp with a fork or twist a rope edge. Either deep-fried at 175°C until amber-gold, or brushed with egg, sprinkled with sesame and baked at 200°C. The texture is half-pastry, half-cracker, and the filling is dry and warmly spiced.
A stiff oil-rich plain-flour dough (maida) rolls thin and crisps in the fryer with the characteristic blistered surface. The filling is dry: boiled potato, peas, ginger, green chilli, cumin, coriander seed, garam masala and amchur (dried mango powder) for sourness. The pastry is rolled into ovals, halved into semicircles, formed into cones, stuffed, sealed and fried in two stages: low-temperature first to set the pastry without browning, then a hot finish to blister and crisp.
Pastry dough: plain flour, ghee, salt, ajwain seeds, and warm water are kneaded into a stiff oil-rich dough; rests for 30 min. Filling: ground beef (or lamb) sautées with onion, garlic, ginger, green chilli and a Pakistani spice blend (garam masala, cumin, coriander, chilli powder, turmeric). Frozen peas join; the mixture simmers dry; cooled fully. Dough divides into 10 balls; each rolls into a thin oval, cut in half to make 2 half-moons. Each half-moon forms a cone (one flat edge becomes the seam, sealed with flour paste). Cone fills with cooled filling. Top edge of cone seals with flour paste. Deep-fried 175°C 3-4 minutes per side until amber-crisp.
Sausagemeat (or sausage casings squeezed) mixes with herbs, mustard and breadcrumbs for a lighter texture. The mixture pipes onto strips of puff pastry, the pastry rolls over and seals, and the long rolls cut into bite-sized pieces. Egg wash, sesame seeds, bake.
A boiling-water dough rests until pliable. Each piece rolls thin into a long rectangle, gets a brush of sesame oil, salt, and a generous sprinkle of sliced scallions. Rolling the rectangle into a log and coiling it into a spiral creates the laminated layers. The spiral flattens to a disc and pan-fries in a thin slick of oil until each side is deep gold with crispy frilled edges.
Eggs are soft-boiled for 6 minutes (yolk barely set), cooled, peeled. Sausagemeat is mixed with mustard, herbs and chopped onion. The seasoned mixture is wrapped around each peeled egg. Each Scotch egg is dredged through flour, egg wash and panko, then deep-fried to a deep golden brown.
Lamb mince (with enough fat for tenderness; 20%) combines with grated onion (squeezed dry), ginger, garlic, green chilli, fresh coriander, mint, garam masala, ground cumin, ground coriander, salt and a small spoon of besan (chickpea flour, helps the mince cling to the skewer). Mixed vigorously for 3 minutes to develop the proteins. Rested for 1 hour. Shaped into long sausages on metal skewers (or wooden skewers soaked for 30 min). Grilled hard over charcoal (or under a screaming-hot grill) 8-10 minutes turning often, until charred and just-cooked. Pulled off the skewers onto warm parathas; rolled with sliced onion, fresh coriander, mint chutney; eaten by hand.
A rustic yet sophisticated tart featuring slowly roasted cherry tomatoes with fragrant basil and garlic on a crisp pastry base. The semi-confit technique concentrates tomato sweetness while preserving brightness. A summer-perfect vegetarian tart celebrating tomatoes at their peak.
A yeasted bread dough rises for 1 hour. Topping: lamb mince mixed RAW with grated onion (squeezed dry), diced tomato, garlic, baharat, allspice, pomegranate molasses, lemon, parsley and a small spoon of olive oil, no pre-cooking. Toasted pine nuts fold in. Dough divides into 18 balls; each rolls into an 8 cm disc with a slight raised rim. A heaped tablespoon of topping spreads on each; pinched into a slight 4-corner star shape (the Jordanian visual signature, distinguishes from the Lebanese version which is flat-edged). Baked at 220°C 10-12 minutes until the dough is gold and the meat is glossy-set. Garnished with extra parsley and pomegranate seeds.
A sweet steamed dumpling with the surprising savoury-rich note of rendered lamb fat carrying the filling. Walnuts and raisins give crunch and chew respectively; sugar sweetens; and the lamb fat, slowly rendered to clear oil and stirred through warm, coats every piece of fruit and nut so the whole filling holds together as a glossy paste rather than a dry crumble. Vegetable oil is the standard vegetarian swap and works, but tastes lighter and lacks the meaty undertone that defines the original. The dough wrapper is yeasted and pillowy, slightly thicker in the centre than at the edges, and pinches into a clean triangle with a small visible swirl at the centre seam. Smell when the steamer lid lifts is warm wheat, walnut, and the faintest whisper of lamb. Not difficult but not quick, the dough wants 2 hours minimum to rise, and the wrap takes practice. A Uyghur snack with deep roots; the manta family of steamed dumplings runs across Central Asia from Turkey to Mongolia, and the Uyghur sweet variant is one of the few in that family that breaks the savoury convention.
A yeasted dough enriched with milk, sugar and butter rises for 1 hour. Filling: pork mince browns with garlic, soy sauce, oyster sauce, brown sugar and Chinese five-spice, simmered for 10 minutes till thick. Eggs hard-boil, quarter. Dough divides into 12 portions, each rolls into a 12 cm disc thicker in the middle than the edges. Filling spoons in with a quarter of egg. Edges pleat up over the filling like a money purse, twisted closed. Buns rest for 20 minutes on parchment squares; steam for 15 minutes in batches.
Diced pork back-fat (or fatty belly) renders slowly with smoked streaky bacon, finely chopped onion, garlic, a tart apple and marjoram. The fat melts to liquid, the solids brown to crackling. Off heat, the mix scrapes into ramekins where it sets to a soft, golden, flecked spread. Slow rendering on low heat is critical: a fast cook scorches the solids and ruins the flavour. Served on rye with sea salt and a pickled cucumber.
Yeasted buckwheat batter rises briefly, then dollops of it cook into small fluffy pancakes on a flat pan. Topped with a small spoon of crème fraîche, a curl of smoked salmon, dill, lemon zest, and a tiny grind of pepper. Perfect with cold champagne.
A simple batter of chickpea flour (also called gram flour or besan), water, olive oil and salt is whisked to a smooth thin consistency; rested at least 1 hour (overnight is even better; lets the chickpea flour fully hydrate and removes the raw bitterness). A heavy ovenproof frying pan (cast iron is ideal) is heated to smoking-hot under a high broiler / grill. A generous slick of olive oil goes in. The batter is poured in to a 5-mm depth. Under the broiler 8-12 minutes until the surface is golden, the edges are crisp-charred, and the centre is just set with some bubbling. Slid out, sliced rough, scattered with pepper and salt, eaten hot with the fingers.
Nuts roast briefly in a hot oven to bring out their oils. Melted butter mixes with rosemary, smoked paprika, cayenne, brown sugar and salt. The hot nuts toss in this glaze; back to the oven for a few more minutes to set; cool on a tray.
Spicy peanut balls are deep-fried rice balls seasoned with garlic, ginger, chilli, soy sauce, and lime, then coated in chopped peanuts for a satisfying crunch. They make an excellent snack or starter, and pair naturally with a chilli dipping sauce.
These spring rolls are filled with a stir-fried mixture of Parma ham, mange tout, red pepper, waterchestnuts, and bean sprouts, wrapped in crisp deep-fried skins. The filling is seasoned with two soy sauces, sesame oil, and sherry, giving a well-rounded savoury flavour with excellent texture.
Delicate spring rolls filled with silky cellophane noodles, tender wood ears, savory pork, and sweet crab, then deep-fried until golden and crispy. Served with a vibrant, fiery chilli sauce, these Southeast Asian gems are perfect as an appetizer or main snack. The contrast between crispy exterior and tender filling is irresistible.
These sweet and savoury chicken wings are a Thai restaurant and takeaway favourite. I use palm sugar when I make this recipe, but you could just use equal amounts of white granulated sugar or honey if you like. The palm sugar is more authentic and also gives a deeper colour to the dish. Although the crispy fried garlic garnish is optional, I would encourage you to take some time to make it for this recipe. I love fried garlic and it really takes this recipe up a notch or two in my opinion.
Falafel represents the apotheosis of vegetarian fried food: beans ground to a light, slightly grainy purée, bound minimally with herbs and spices, then deep-fried until the exterior shatters with crispness while the interior remains creamy and pale green. The key to success is never cooking the dried beans, using only dried, soaked varieties (never canned), which allows the texture to remain light and fluffy rather than becoming dense. The extended resting period before frying allows the mixture to firm up, holding its shape during cooking. These are best eaten absolutely fresh, while the interior is still steaming and the exterior crackles.
Firm tofu blocks halve crossways into triangles. A small slit cuts into each triangle to make a pocket. Vegetable filling stir-fries quickly with shallot, garlic, soy sauce and a pinch of sugar; cools. Pockets stuff with filling. Stuffed tofu dips into a thin rice-flour batter; fries in moderately hot oil 3-4 minutes till crisp gold all over. Eats hot with whole fresh chillies on the side and a saucer of sweet-soy dip.
A thin batter is whisked from plain flour, dashi (Japanese stock), eggs, a touch of soy and mirin, salt, like a thin pancake batter. The takoyaki pan (cast-iron or non-stick with half-spherical dimples) heats; each dimple oils with vegetable oil. Batter fills each dimple plus the connecting flat surface (overflow is intentional). A small piece of pre-cooked octopus, a pinch of pickled red ginger, a few cubes of tempura crumbs (tenkasu) and a sprinkle of spring onion drop into each dimple. As the bottom sets, a sharp wooden skewer rotates each ball: scrape the overflow from around each, fold it into the bottom, twist 90° to expose the wet top, allow it to set, twist another 90°, eventually achieving a complete sphere. Cooked until golden all around. The balls are plated and drizzled with takoyaki sauce and mayo, then scattered with bonito flakes and aonori.
Dried split fava beans (sold as "split foul" or "ful asfar" at Egyptian or Middle Eastern shops) soak overnight (never cooked, that's the key). Once drained, the favas are blitzed with onion, garlic, parsley, coriander, dill, leek and a generous dose of cumin, coriander and chilli into a coarse green paste. Rested for 30 minutes; baking soda mixed in for fluffiness. Patties shape between palms; pressed into sesame seeds + crushed coriander seeds; deep-fried 175°C for 2-3 minutes per side until amber-crisp. Drained and stuffed into pita with tahini, salad and pickles.
Here is another Thai starter you might think belongs in a Japanese cookbook. However, once you try these crisp prawns (shrimp) dipped into Thai seafood dipping sauce or sweet chilli sauce, you’ll find them to be 100% Thai. As in the photograph, you can fry veggies in the same way to make a tempura feast!
These aren’t like those you find at most takeaways: thinly layered with a bit of prawn (shrimp). No way! These are slightly larger than bite-size prawn mountains. They are amazing served with the sweet chilli sauce.
I’m always happy when I go out for a Thai meal and I see edamame on the menu as a starter. It might be a very simple dish to make but it’s so addictive. I just can’t get enough and the great thing is you can make it at home with equally delicious results. You will find bags of frozen edamame in pods at most Asian grocers and they are also found in the freezer section of many supermarkets. The pods aren’t eaten but it is important to buy the edamame in the pod so you can pick them up and scrape the beans and all that amazing flavour stuck to the pod straight into your mouth.
Eggs hard-boil for 9 minutes, cool fast in iced water, peel cleanly. The yolks get mashed with soft butter, sour cream, Dijon-style mustard and Hungarian sweet paprika to a smooth, glossy paste, seasoned with salt, pepper and a little lemon. Piped or spooned back into the whites; dusted with paprika and finished with chives or parsley.
Chickpea flour and plain flour whisk with cold water and a pinch of salt and paprika to a thin batter, like single cream. Rests for 30 minutes (the flour fully hydrates). Tiny whole brown shrimp (camarones or krill, head and shell on, eaten whole) stir in with finely chopped spring onion and parsley. Olive oil heats hot in a wide pan. A small ladle of batter drops in; spreads naturally to a thin lacy disc 10 cm across. Fries for 2 minutes, flips, fries 1 more minute. Drains briefly on a rack. Eats hot.
Corn tortillas are crisped: either deep-fried in 1 cm of oil at 180°C for 60 seconds per side, OR brushed with oil and baked at 200°C for 8-10 minutes (lower-fat option). Either way, the result is a flat crisp shell. Toppings build in layers: a base smear of refried beans, then a generous spoon of warm chicken tinga (or any seasoned protein), then cold fresh toppings, shredded lettuce, diced tomato, sliced red onion, sliced avocado, crumbled cotija. Crema drizzles over. Pickled jalapeño tops. Eat by hand (two-hand grip required).*
A simple yeasted dough rises for 1 hour. Divides into 8 oval-shaped pieces about 10 cm long. Deep-fries for 2-3 minutes per side till golden and puffed (the fried buns triple in size and develop a hollow interior). Splits each bun horizontally with a small knife; stuffs with: a generous spoonful of tuna mashed with harissa; a few thin slices of hard-boiled egg; a few capers; a few olives; thin slices of preserved lemon; a sprinkle of parsley. Eats hot.
Saba (cooking) bananas halve lengthways; if using regular bananas, choose under-ripe ones. Jackfruit (ripe, fresh or canned) cuts into matchstick strips. A spring-roll wrapper lays flat; banana half plus 2-3 jackfruit strips go in the centre; dusts with brown sugar. Wrapper rolls up, edges sealed with water. The whole rolled turon dredges through more brown sugar. Fries in moderately hot oil 3-4 minutes till the sugar caramelises gold-amber on the surface. Eats hot.
Feta crumbles into a bowl with ricotta, egg, dill, mint, nutmeg and black pepper. Filo sheets keep covered with a damp tea towel (they dry instantly). Each sheet halves lengthways. A spoon of filling sits at one end of each strip; the strip folds flag-style up and across to form a triangle, layer by layer. Triangles brush with melted butter; bake for 25 minutes at 180°C till deep gold and puffed.
Small whole head-on shrimp rinse but stay shell-on (shells provide crunch and flavour). A batter of rice flour, plain flour, water and egg goes loose. Grated squash, mung-bean sprouts and spring onion mix in. A ladleful drops into hot oil, with 3-4 shrimp pressed on top, fries for 4 minutes till crisp gold, flips, another 2 minutes. Drains on rack. Eats with garlic-vinegar dip.
A fried dough with a glassy, slightly biscuit-crisp shell and a soft, chewy, slightly elastic interior, the texture you only get from a yeasted dough that's had a "hot-oil pass" before frying. Pouring smoking oil onto risen dough with a sprinkle of baking soda is the trick: the heat partially cooks the surface gluten, the baking soda neutralises some acidity, and the result fries up with a deeper colour and a crackle that plain donut dough can't manage. The flavour is simple and yeasty, sweetened only by the icing-sugar dusting at the end. Smell is warm wheat and fresh oil. The signature is the shape, a hand-twisted rope that doubles back on itself and counter-twists into a tight spiral, genuinely satisfying to make once you've got the rhythm. A bazaar street snack across Xinjiang, sold from glass-fronted carts next to milk-tea stalls; you eat one warm in the morning with milk tea and it's enough until lunch.
Gram (chickpea) flour combines with rice flour for extra crispness, with ajwain, chilli, turmeric and a pinch of baking soda for the airy texture. Cold water makes a thick coating batter (not pancake-thin). Mixed vegetables are tossed in the batter and dropped into hot oil in clusters; each one stays loose, with crisp tendrils of onion and the soft give of potato inside. Two batches: the second fry gives the deep-fried lacquered crunch.*
A classic British cheese sauce, creamy, tangy, and rich with mature Cheddar, that's baked until bubbling. While traditionally spooned over toast, this versatile preparation also works beautifully over smoked haddock or vegetables. The silky sauce coating crispy bread is pure comfort food elevated to bistro standards.