Starters, Snacks & Sides from Around the World, Page 7

Not every great dish is the main event. These are the soups, small plates, street snacks and sides that open or round out a meal somewhere on the map: 466 authentic recipes, each with its cultural story, ingredients, and step by step method.
466 recipes · showing 289 to 336
Ugiyot Tahini (Israeli Tahini Cookies)Tel Aviv, Israel · easy · 33 minCrumbly, shortbread-like cookies of butter, sugar, flour and a generous cup of raw tahini, scented with vanilla or cardamom and baked until just golden at the edges.
Wo (Newari Black Lentil Patties)Kathmandu Valley, Nepal · medium · 9 hSoaked and skinned black lentils ground to a thick batter with ginger, garlic and cumin, then pan-fried in a little oil into soft, golden, crisp-edged patties.
Yan Su Ji (Taiwanese Salt and Pepper Popcorn Chicken)Taipei, Taiwan · medium · 1 h 15 minBite-sized chicken thigh marinated with garlic, soy sauce and five-spice, coated in coarse sweet potato starch, double-fried until craggy and crisp, and tossed with fried basil and pepper salt.
Yuca Frita con ChicharrónSan Salvador, El Salvador · medium · 1 h 5 minA Salvadoran street-food plate: boiled-then-fried cassava with crisp pork chicharrón, crowned with tangy curtido and fresh tomato chimol.
Zapiekanka (Polish Open-Faced Mushroom Baguette)Lesser Poland, Poland · easy · 35 minA halved baguette piled with buttery fried mushrooms and onion, blanketed in grated yellow cheese, baked until bubbling and finished with a zigzag of ketchup and chives.
Achards de Légumes (Comorian Pickled Vegetables)Moroni, Comoros · easy · 12 h 45 minCarrot, cabbage, green beans and peppers blanched crisp, then tossed in hot oil with garlic, ginger, turmeric, mustard seed and chili, sharpened with vinegar and left to steep.
Aelan Kabis (Island Cabbage in Coconut Milk)Efate (Port Vila), Vanuatu · easy · 25 minIsland cabbage leaves simmered in coconut milk with onion, the everyday green of the Vanuatu table.
Ajad (Thai Cucumber Relish)Bangkok (Central), Thailand · easy · 30 minThin slices of cucumber, shallot and red chilli in a clear sweet-sour vinegar syrup, the crisp, cooling relish served beside satay, fish cakes and Massaman curry.
Ajvar (Macedonian Roasted Red Pepper Relish)Skopje, North Macedonia · medium · 4 h 30 minSweet red peppers, and a little eggplant, roasted until blistered, peeled and cooked down for hours with sunflower oil until thick, glossy and smoky, the autumn relish for bread, cheese and grilled meat.
Akassa (Beninese Fermented Corn Dough)Cotonou, Benin · medium · 2.5 daysMaize flour soaked and soured for two days, sieved and settled, then stirred over the heat into a smooth, white, gently tangy dough, wrapped in leaves to set and served with fried fish and a peppery tomato sauce.
Aloo Bhorta (Bangladeshi Mashed Potato with Mustard Oil and Chilli)Dhaka, Bangladesh · easy · 40 minBoiled potatoes mashed by hand with pungent raw mustard oil, fried onion, charred dried red chillies, green chilli and coriander, a comforting mash eaten with plain rice and dal.
Amateke (Burundian Taro with Eggplant and Leeks)Bujumbura, Burundi · easy · 1 hTender boiled taro folded through white eggplant, tomato and leeks cooked soft in oil, a mild, gently sweet starchy side for Burundian beans.
Angu de Banana (Santomean Mashed Plantain)São Tomé, São Tomé and Príncipe · easy · 40 minGreen cooking bananas boiled in their skins, peeled and pounded to a smooth, firm mash, shaped into a roll and sliced to serve beside calulu.
Antiguan Chop-UpSt. John's, Antigua and Barbuda · easy · 40 minSpinach, okra, and eggplant boiled and chopped smooth with saltfish, an Antiguan everyday plate often eaten with fungee.
Apfelmus (Liechtenstein Apple Sauce)Vaduz, Liechtenstein · easy · 30 minTart cooking apples simmered soft with a splash of water or sweet cider, lemon, a little sugar and cinnamon, then mashed into a chunky sauce, the essential partner to Käsknöpfle.
Arroz con Coco Titoté (Colombian Caramelized Coconut Rice)Antioquia, Colombia · easy · 1 h 5 minCoconut milk boiled down until its solids fry and caramelize into brown titoté, then cooked with rice, raisins and a little sugar into a sweet-salty, toffee-coloured rice for fried fish.
Arroz con Guandú y Coco (Panamanian Rice with Pigeon Peas and Coconut)Panama City, Panama · easy · 45 minLong-grain rice cooked in coconut milk with green pigeon peas, onion, garlic and culantro until fluffy, gently sweet and rich, the festive rice of the Panamanian table.
Arroz Rojo (Mexican Red Rice)Puebla, Mexico · easy · 55 minRinsed long-grain rice fried until golden, then simmered in a blended purée of ripe tomato, onion and garlic with chicken broth, carrot and peas until dry, fluffy and brick red.
Atchara (Filipino Pickled Green Papaya)Central Luzon, Philippines · easy · 2 daysShredded unripe papaya salted and squeezed dry, then packed with carrot, red pepper, ginger, garlic, onion and raisins in a sweet, sharp cane vinegar brine, the crunchy relish for grilled and fried meats.
Baechu-Kimchi (Napa Cabbage Kimchi)Seoul (Gyeonggi), South Korea · advanced · 1.5 daysQuartered napa cabbage salted until pliable, then packed leaf by leaf with a red paste of gochugaru, garlic, ginger, fish sauce and salted shrimp with radish and spring onion, and left to ferment.
Bahamian Peas 'n' RiceNassau, Bahamas · easy · 1 hPigeon peas and rice browned in a tomato and thyme base with bacon, the signature side that anchors nearly every Bahamian plate.
Balachaung (Burmese Crispy Dried Shrimp and Shallot Relish)Yangon, Myanmar · medium · 1 hPounded dried shrimp fried with crisp shallots, garlic, turmeric, chilli, shrimp paste and a little tamarind until dry, crunchy and deep amber, spooned over rice at almost every Burmese meal.
Bannock (Indigenous Canadian Pan Bread)British Columbia, Canada · easy · 36 minA quick bread of flour, baking powder, fat, salt and cold water, pressed into a round and cooked slowly in a cast-iron pan until golden, eaten warm with stews, soups, jam or berries.
Batata Harra (Lebanese Spicy Potatoes)Beirut, Lebanon · easy · 50 minCubes of potato fried until crisp and golden, then tossed in hot olive oil with plenty of garlic, chilli and fresh coriander and finished with lemon juice.
Batatas a Murro (Portuguese Punched Potatoes)Lisbon, Portugal · easy · 1 h 5 minSmall potatoes roasted in their skins on coarse salt, given a punch to crack them open, then drenched in hot olive oil with garlic, the partner of roast salt cod.
Bayerischer Kartoffelsalat (Bavarian Potato Salad)Bavaria (Munich), Germany · easy · 1 h 40 minWarm sliced waxy potatoes dressed while hot with mustardy broth, vinegar, oil and onion (no mayonnaise), the light southern German potato salad served all through Oktoberfest.
Belizean Potato SaladBelize City, Belize · easy · 40 minSoft cubes of boiled potato and chopped egg with peas and carrots in a creamy mayonnaise and mustard dressing, the cool scoop beside stew chicken and rice and beans.
Belsiich el Kukau (Pounded Taro)Ngerulmud, Palau · medium · 1 h 30 minFreshly cooked taro pounded with coconut oil into a smooth, fluffy paste and steamed, the Palauan staple served with fish.
Bermuda Peas and RiceHamilton, Bermuda · easy · 1 h 5 minBlack-eyed peas and rice cooked with bacon, onion, tomato, and thyme; the Bermudian side that shows up beside fish, chicken, and at every summer get-together.
Blaukraut (Bavarian Braised Red Cabbage)Bavaria (Munich), Germany · easy · 1 h 15 minRed cabbage slowly braised sweet-and-sour with apple, vinegar, cloves and juniper until glossy and tender, the classic Bavarian side to roast pork knuckle and Oktoberfest roasts.
Blitva (Dalmatian Swiss Chard and Potatoes)Dalmatia, Croatia · easy · 40 minPotatoes and Swiss chard boiled together until soft, then turned in plenty of olive oil warmed with garlic and roughly crushed, the green side dish that goes with grilled fish all along the Dalmatian coast.
Bogobe jwa Lerotse (Sorghum Porridge with Melon)Gaborone, Botswana · easy · 1 h 10 minChunks of cooking melon boiled soft and whisked to a pulp, then thickened with sorghum meal and finished with sour milk into a smooth, gently tangy porridge.
Brunede Kartofler (Danish Caramelised Potatoes)Zealand (Copenhagen), Denmark · medium · 2 h 50 minSmall boiled potatoes, peeled and chilled, then rolled in a golden caramel of melted sugar and butter until glossy and brown all over, the Christmas Eve side for roast duck and pork.
Budu (Timorese Tomato, Mint and Lime Salsa)Dili, Timor-Leste · easy · 15 minA fresh, sharp relish of chopped tomato, red onion and mint dressed with lime juice and salt, spooned over grilled fish, corn and rice.
Burghul bi Banadoura (Syrian Tomato Bulgur Pilaf)Damascus, Syria · easy · 1 hCoarse bulgur simmered in a quick sauce of fresh tomatoes, onion and green pepper until each grain is tender and stained red, served beside stews, grills and yogurt.
Carciofi alla RomanaVatican City, Vatican City · medium · 1 hWhole Roman artichokes stuffed with garlic and wild mint, then braised upright in olive oil and water until meltingly tender.
Chapati (Kenyan Soft Layered Flatbread)Nairobi, Kenya · medium · 1 h 45 minSoft, flaky wheat flatbreads, oiled, rolled up and coiled before a second rolling so they cook into tender layers on a hot pan, torn to scoop stews and beans.
Chatni Gashneez (Afghan Coriander and Walnut Chutney)Kabul, Afghanistan · easy · 15 minA fresh green chutney of coriander, green chilli, garlic and walnuts, pounded or blended coarse and sharpened with lemon juice or vinegar, spooned beside rice, kebabs and bolani at almost every Afghan meal.
Chenchén (Dominican Savoury Cracked Corn)Cibao, Dominican Republic · easy · 1 hCoarse cracked corn simmered slowly with garlic, butter, evaporated milk, coconut milk and broth until soft, creamy and thick, the south-western side for stewed goat.
Chicons Braisés (Belgian Braised Endives)Flanders, Belgium · easy · 55 minWhole Belgian endives braised slowly in butter with a pinch of sugar, lemon juice and nutmeg until meltingly soft, then browned in the pan to a golden caramel, served alongside roast meat and poultry.
Chikwangue (Kwanga, Congolese Fermented Cassava Loaf)Brazzaville, Republic of the Congo · advanced · 3.5 daysCassava soaked for days until it ferments, pressed, ground and part-cooked, then kneaded, rolled into batons, wrapped in leaves and boiled into firm, springy, tangy loaves.
Chipa GuasúAsunción, Paraguay · easy · 1 h 10 minA soft, savoury Paraguayan casserole of fresh sweet corn, eggs and fresh cheese, baked until golden, the juicier cousin of sopa paraguaya.
Chirmol (Guatemalan Charred Tomato and Mint Salsa)Sacatepéquez (Antigua), Guatemala · easy · 25 minTomatoes charred over a flame until blistered and soft, chopped with their skins and mixed with onion, fresh mint, cilantro, lime and salt, the salsa that goes beside every Guatemalan grill.
Chnöpfli (Swiss Knöpfli Dumplings)Bern, Switzerland · medium · 1 h 5 minA thick egg batter beaten until bubbly, rested, then pushed through a Knöpfli sieve into boiling water to make little soft button dumplings, tossed in butter and served with game or anything in a rich sauce.
ColcannonMunster, Ireland · easy · 45 minButtery mashed potatoes folded with wilted cabbage and scallions, served with a melting well of butter.
Dagga (Gazan Hot Tomato and Dill Salad)West Bank, Palestine · easy · 15 minOnion, hot green chili, dill and ripe tomato pounded together with salt in a clay bowl into a fiery, chunky salsa, sharpened with lemon and drowned in olive oil, served beside fish, rice and stews.
Damper (Australian Bush Bread)Queensland, Australia · easy · 45 minA round of plain soda bread made from self-raising flour, butter and milk, scored with a cross and baked until crusty, torn warm to eat with stew, soup or grilled meat.
Daqqus (Qatari Tomato and Garlic Sauce)Doha, Qatar · easy · 1 hFresh tomatoes blended with garlic, a little green chili and tomato paste, then simmered slowly until thick, deep red and tangy, to spoon over machboos.
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