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Salt cod soaks for 24 hours with several water changes to draw out the salt. Once desalted, it's poached, flaked and folded into hot mashed potato with onion, parsley, egg and a pinch of pepper. The mix is shaped between two tablespoons into the classic oval (two-spoon quenelle shape) and deep-fried.
Bombay Potatoes is comfort food at its finest. Small potatoes are partially cooked, then coated in a richly spiced oil infused with seeds and aromatics. Some potatoes are mashed to create a creamy base, while others remain whole for texture. The result is a warm, golden, deeply spiced side dish that's utterly satisfying. This is a vegetarian staple of Indian home cooking.
Cooked chickpeas (tinned for speed, OR overnight-soaked and home-cooked for the best texture) toss with diced red onion, finely chopped tomato, small-diced boiled potato and chopped fresh coriander. The dressing: lemon juice, chaat masala (a salty-sour spice mix sold at Pakistani shops), roasted ground cumin, Kashmiri chilli powder and a pinch of salt. Hot chilli sauce and tamarind chutney drizzle on; the chaat tosses; crushed papri tops; eat immediately.
Chicken thighs cube small; marinate for 1 hour in yogurt, ginger-garlic paste, Kashmiri chilli, garam masala and cornflour. Deep-fried in two stages, first to cook through, second to crisp. While the chicken rests, a hot tempering of curry leaves, garlic, dried chillies, soy and vinegar sputters in a wok. The fried chicken tosses through the tempering for 30 seconds and goes straight to the plate.
Spinach is wilted briefly with salt, drained, squeezed dry. Mixed with onion, sumac, pomegranate molasses, olive oil and lemon juice. A simple yeasted dough is rolled into 11 cm rounds; a heaped tablespoon of filling sits in the centre; the dough is folded into a three-cornered pyramid and pinched tightly closed. Baked at 200°C for 18 minutes until deep gold.
Chicken poaches with onion, cardamom and bay 35 minutes; shredded off the bone. Chickpeas warm in the strained chicken stock. Pita pieces toast crisp under the grill. Yogurt-tahini-garlic sauce whisks together. Plated with pita on the bottom, chickpeas and chicken on top, yogurt sauce poured over, taqliya (butter, cumin and sliced garlic sizzled hot) drizzled on top, and pine nuts scattered.
Pita breads are torn into pieces and toasted (or fried) until crisp and crunchy. Chopped vegetables, mint, parsley and a sumac-lemon-olive-oil dressing are tossed together; the toasted pita goes in last so it stays crunchy. Eaten immediately before the bread goes soft.
A torn pita is brushed with olive oil and grilled or fried until golden and crisp. Cucumber, tomato, radish, romaine, spring onion, parsley and mint are roughly chopped into a wide bowl. A dressing of lemon juice, pomegranate molasses, sumac, garlic, olive oil and salt is whisked. The salad is tossed with the dressing just before serving; the pita is scattered on top so it stays crisp.
The Saudi take on foul medames, somewhere between the Egyptian original and the Yemeni daal-like versions. You soak dried fava beans overnight, then simmer them with a chickpea or two and a garlic clove for six hours low and slow (or pressure-cook for forty-five minutes if you don't have the day) until they're so soft they fall apart at a glance. Once drained, the beans go back into a hot pan with olive oil and garlic, cumin and a hit of chilli; you crush them roughly with a fork (chunky, not smooth) and finish with lemon and a handful of chopped parsley. Eaten warm for breakfast across the Gulf, scooped with flatbread, with a side of pickles or salata hara, and a glass of mint tea.
Firm green tomatoes slice 8 mm thick. Salt 10 minutes to draw water. Dredge: seasoned flour → beaten egg + buttermilk → seasoned cornmeal + breadcrumbs (this triple-dredge gives the crispiest coat). Shallow-fry in oil at 180°C until deep gold. Drain; salt; serve with rémoulade.
Lamb mince fries with onion, garlic, ginger and a spice mix of garam masala, cumin, coriander and chilli. Frozen peas thaw into the dry filling at the end; lemon juice and chopped coriander finish it. Left to cool. Spring-roll pastry strips fold around a generous tablespoon of filling into triangular packets (flag-fold) and seal with flour paste. Deep-fried 175°C until deep gold.
Herbs are chopped finely, really finely, to a green confetti. Eggs are whisked with flour, baking powder, turmeric, salt and pepper. Walnut pieces and barberries are folded through. The mixture is poured into a buttered round baking dish or wide pan; baked at 180°C 35-40 minutes until set and deep green-gold on top. Cut into wedges or squares.
Split yellow moong dal (or chana dal, or a mix) is rinsed and pressure-cooked or simmered with turmeric until completely soft. The dal is mashed lightly to a porridge consistency. A second pan fries ghee with whole cumin, garlic, sliced green chilli, dried red chilli and curry leaves until the garlic just turns golden. The hot tarka is poured over the dal with a dramatic sizzle; coriander and lemon finish.
A large cabbage core-out, blanched briefly, leaves separated. Filling: short-grain rice mixed raw with beef mince, chopped onion, parsley, dill, mint, dried mint, cumin, allspice, tomato puree, salt, pepper, plenty of olive oil. Each leaf rolls around a tablespoon of filling. Packed tight in a wide pot lined with sliced tomato. Garlic-tomato cooking liquid poured to nearly cover. Weighted with a plate. Cooked covered 1 hour on the lowest heat.
A thick batter of gram (chickpea) flour, rice flour, ajwain, turmeric, chilli powder and salt mixes with cold water to a thick coating consistency. Sliced onion, cubed potato, cauliflower florets and chopped spinach toss through the batter until thickly coated. Small ragged clusters drop into hot oil (170°C) and fry for 3-4 minutes per side until deep gold and crisp.
Dried chickpeas soak overnight with a pinch of bicarbonate of soda. The next morning, they simmer in fresh water with garlic, cumin and bay until very soft (about 1 hour, longer if the chickpeas are old). Some chickpeas (about a third) blitz with garlic, lemon juice, tahini and ice water into a smooth purée. The remaining whole chickpeas keep warm in their cooking liquid. To plate: smooth purée on the bottom of the bowl, hot whole chickpeas piled in the centre, more tahini-lemon-garlic sauce poured over, drizzle of olive oil, sprinkle of cumin, scatter of parsley. Eaten with hot bread.