👉 Birria is a rich, spicy stew from the Mexican state of Jalisco, traditionally made with goat and now often with beef. The meat is slowly braised in a sauce of dried chiles and spices until it falls apart. For birria tacos (or quesabirria with cheese), tortillas are dipped in…
👉 Chicken tabaka (წიწილა ტაბაკა, tsitsila tabaka) is one of Georgia’s most famous dishes: a young chicken flattened, pressed under a heavy weight and fried in butter until the skin is deep golden and crackling. It is served with a sharp raw garlic sauce and tangy tkemali. The name comes…
👉 Chana masala is one of India’s most popular vegetarian dishes: chickpeas simmered in a thick, tangy onion-tomato gravy with cumin, coriander, garam masala and a touch of sour mango powder. It is sold at street stalls across North India – often with fluffy fried bread as chole bhature –…
👉 Chakhokhbili (ჩახოხბილი) is one of the best-loved home dishes in Georgia: chicken slowly stewed with lots of onions and ripe tomatoes, finished with garlic, Georgian spices and a big handful of fresh herbs. The name comes from khokhobi, the Georgian word for pheasant – the dish was first made…
👉 Thịt kho trứng is one of Vietnam’s best-loved home dishes: cubes of pork belly and hard-boiled eggs slowly braised in coconut water, fish sauce and a dark caramel until the pork is meltingly tender and the eggs turn deep amber. It is the dish many Vietnamese families cook for…
👉 Tolma is the Georgian version of dolma: tender grape leaves wrapped around juicy minced meat, rice and lots of fresh herbs, then simmered slowly and served with a cool garlic-yogurt (matsoni) sauce. It’s a summer favourite in Georgia, but with jarred grape leaves you can make it all year…
👉 Karnıyarık means “split belly”: whole eggplants are fried until soft, slit open and filled with spiced minced meat, tomato and peppers, then baked in a light tomato sauce. A Turkish home-cooking classic, served with rice and yogurt. How to Make Karnıyarık Prepare the eggplants. Peel the eggplants in stripes,…
👉 Varenyky (also spelled vareniki) are the beloved boiled dumplings of Ukraine: soft, thin dough folded into half-moons around a savoury or sweet filling. The classic savoury version is filled with creamy mashed potato and fried onion, often with a little farmer’s cheese, while in summer families make them with…
👉 Bacalhau à Brás is one of Portugal’s favourite home dishes: flaked salt cod, soft onions and thin crispy potatoes, all bound together with creamy, just-set eggs. Comfort food from Lisbon’s Bairro Alto. Take the pan off the heat while the eggs are still a little runny – they keep…
👉 Mujadara is a classic Levantine dish of lentils and rice topped with a mountain of dark, crispy onions. It’s vegan, filling, very cheap – and one of the most satisfying things you can cook in one pot. Don’t rush the onions: their deep caramel colour is where all the…
👉 Khinkali are Georgia’s famous soup dumplings: a thin, pleated dough purse filled with spiced meat and its own hot broth. You hold one by the twisted top, bite a small hole, sip the juice, then eat the rest – the top knot (kudi) traditionally stays on the plate. The…
👉 Shah plov (“the king’s pilaf”) is the festive centrepiece of Azerbaijani cuisine: fragrant saffron rice, tender lamb, dried apricots, raisins and chestnuts, all baked inside a golden crust of buttered lavash. It’s turned out whole and cut open at the table. It takes some time, but every step is…
