Starters, Snacks & Sides from Around the World, Page 9

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 385 to 432
Lokše (Slovak Potato Flatbreads)Bratislava, Slovakia · medium · 3 h 20 minThin, soft rounds of mashed potato and flour cooked on a dry, hot pan until freckled, brushed with melted butter or goose fat and folded beside roast goose or duck.
Lyutenitsa (Bulgarian Roasted Pepper and Tomato Relish)Sofia, Bulgaria · medium · 2 h 40 minRoasted red peppers and eggplant cooked down with grated ripe tomatoes, garlic and sunflower oil into a thick, sweet and gently spicy relish, eaten beside meat, cheese and bread at nearly every Bulgarian meal.
Macaroni PieBridgetown, Barbados · easy · 55 minBaked macaroni bound in a sharp, mustardy cheese custard and cut into firm squares, the Bajan Sunday-lunch staple.
Malosolnye Ogurtsy (Russian Lightly Salted Dill Cucumbers)Moscow, Russia · easy · 12 h 20 minSmall, crisp cucumbers packed with dill and garlic and covered with hot salt brine, ready overnight: bright green, crunchy, garlicky and only lightly salted, the summer pickle of the Russian table.
Mangal Salatı (Azerbaijani Grilled Vegetable Salad)Baku, Azerbaijan · easy · 1 h 20 minEggplants, tomatoes and peppers charred over the grill until soft, peeled, chopped small and drained, then tossed with raw onion, garlic, fresh herbs, oil and a splash of vinegar to eat beside kebab.
Marineeritud Kõrvits (Estonian Sweet Pickled Pumpkin)Tartu, Estonia · easy · 40 minCubes of yellow pumpkin simmered in a spiced sweet-sour syrup with cinnamon, cloves, allspice and ginger until glassy but still firm, the sparkling orange side for roast pork and blood sausage on the Estonian Christmas table.
Mashkhool (Kuwaiti White Rice with Onion Crust)Kuwait City, Kuwait · medium · 1 h 45 minFragrant basmati parboiled with cardamom, cinnamon and lemon, then steamed over saffron-tinted onions until a golden crust forms, served with crisp fried onions beside stews and fish.
Matevž (Slovenian Mashed Beans and Potatoes)Ljubljana, Slovenia · easy · 13 h 45 minSoaked beans and potatoes cooked separately, mashed together and topped with onion fried golden in lard and a little crushed garlic, the Slovenian side for sour turnip, sauerkraut and sausages.
Matlouh (Algerian Semolina Pan Bread)Algiers, Algeria · medium · 2 h 56 minA soft, risen semolina bread shaped into thick rounds and cooked on a hot clay tajine or griddle until golden and hollow-sounding, torn and eaten with soups, stews and salads.
Mchadi (Georgian Cornbread)Imereti, Georgia · easy · 34 minThick little oval cakes of stone-ground white cornmeal, salt and water, fried in a covered pan until crisp and golden outside and dense and crumbly within, served warm with lobio and cheese.
Mchicha wa Nazi (Greens in Coconut Milk)Zanzibar, Tanzania · easy · 35 minAmaranth greens slow-wilted with onion, tomato and chili, then made silky with coconut milk in the Zanzibari style.
Mei Chips (Tongan Fried Breadfruit Chips)Tongatapu, Tonga · easy · 45 minWedges of firm, mature breadfruit, briefly boiled then deep-fried until golden and crisp outside and fluffy inside, salted and eaten with ketchup like fries.
Menestra de Lentejas (Ecuadorian Lentil Stew)Pichincha (Andes), Ecuador · easy · 1 hLentils simmered thick in a refrito of onion, pepper, tomato, garlic, cumin and achiote, the menestra that sits beside rice, grilled beef and patacones on Ecuador's everyday lunch plate.
Mizeria (Polish Cucumber Salad with Sour Cream)Lesser Poland, Poland · easy · 30 minPaper-thin cucumber slices, salted and squeezed, then dressed in sour cream with lemon, a pinch of sugar and plenty of dill, the cool side for a pork cutlet and new potatoes.
MorohoMaseru, Lesotho · easy · 30 minLeafy greens cooked down with onion and tomato, the everyday vegetable that Basotho eat with papa at almost every meal.
Mseyer (Libyan Quick Pickled Vegetables)Tripoli, Libya · easy · 6 h 25 minCrunchy carrot, cucumber and whole hot green chilies steeped in a sharp brine of lemon juice, vinegar, garlic, cumin and parsley, the quick pickle Libyans set beside couscous and steamed dishes.
Mucapata (Zambezian Rice with Mung Beans and Coconut)Maputo, Mozambique · easy · 1 h 5 minRice and hulled mung beans cooked together, then simmered in fresh coconut milk until the liquid is absorbed and the pot turns soft, creamy and almost pudding-like.
Muriwo Unedovi (Greens in Peanut Butter)Harare, Zimbabwe · easy · 35 minCollard greens folded into a creamy peanut-butter sauce, Zimbabwe’s everyday pairing for sadza.
Muufo (Somali Corn Flatbread)Mogadishu, Somalia · easy · 1 h 50 minA soft, thick flatbread of white corn flour and wheat flour, briefly risen and cooked in a covered pan until golden underneath, torn to eat with stews.
Nhoam Krauch Thlong (Cambodian Pomelo Salad with Prawns)Phnom Penh, Cambodia · easy · 35 minJuicy pomelo pulled into bite-sized pieces and tossed with poached prawns, pounded dried shrimp, mint and shallots in a sweet, sour, salty and hot lime dressing, topped with toasted coconut and peanuts.
Nokedli (Hungarian Egg Dumplings)Great Hungarian Plain, Hungary · easy · 20 minSoft little dumplings of flour, egg and water dropped through a nokedli grater into boiling salted water, the indispensable side for chicken paprikash and pörkölt.
Obi Non (Uzbek Stamped Bread)Tashkent, Uzbekistan · medium · 2 h 40 minRound yeasted flatbreads with a thick, soft, golden rim and a thin crisp centre stamped with a pattern of holes, glazed with milk and scattered with nigella and sesame seeds.
Ombidi (Namibian Wild Spinach)Windhoek, Namibia · easy · 35 minWild spinach softened with onion, garlic and tomato into a savoury green relish, the everyday partner to oshifima in northern Namibia.
Omek Houria (Tunisian Spicy Carrot Salad)Tunis, Tunisia · easy · 40 minBoiled carrots crushed coarsely with garlic, harissa, caraway and olive oil, topped with tuna, egg and black olives, a fiery orange salad served with bread, fried fish or grilled meat.
Pampushky (Ukrainian Garlic Bread Rolls)Poltava, Ukraine · medium · 2 h 25 minSoft, pillowy yeasted rolls baked close together in one pan, then brushed while hot with raw garlic pounded with salt, sunflower oil and dill, the classic partner to borscht.
Pan de Coco (Honduran Garifuna Coconut Bread)San Pedro Sula, Honduras · medium · 2 h 25 minSoft, dense, barely sweet yeast rolls made with coconut milk and grated coconut instead of milk and eggs, baked golden and served warm beside seafood soups and stews.
Papas a la Provenzal (Argentine Garlic and Parsley Fries)Mendoza, Argentina · easy · 50 minGolden fried potato batons tossed while still hot with raw chopped garlic and parsley, the provenzal mix Argentines put beside milanesas and grilled steak.
Patata il-Forn (Maltese Baked Potatoes with Fennel Seed)Valletta, Malta · easy · 1 h 40 minThin slices of potato layered with onion, garlic and toasted fennel seeds, moistened with stock, olive oil and a little tomato paste, and baked until soft underneath and crisp and golden on top.
Patatas a lo Pobre (Andalusian Poor Man’s Potatoes)Andalusia, Spain · easy · 50 minSliced potatoes slowly confited in olive oil with onion, green and red peppers and whole garlic, then browned at the end, the Andalusian side for chops, fish and fried eggs.
Patates Lemonates (Greek Lemon Roast Potatoes)Attica (Athens), Greece · easy · 1 h 30 minPotato wedges roasted in a bath of olive oil, lemon juice, water, garlic and dried oregano until they drink up the liquid and turn golden at the edges and creamy inside.
Perkedel Kentang (Indonesian Potato Fritters)Jakarta, Indonesia · medium · 2 hFried potatoes mashed with fried shallots, spring onion, celery leaves, white pepper and nutmeg, shaped into little patties, dipped in egg and fried golden, the classic side for soto ayam and rice.
Picadillo de Papa (Costa Rican Potato and Chorizo Hash)San José, Costa Rica · easy · 50 minSmall cubes of potato boiled just tender, then cooked with chorizo, onion, garlic, achiote, grated carrot and cilantro into a soft, orange-tinted picadillo served with rice, beans and tortillas.
Poi (Pounded Taro)Honiara, Solomon Islands · easy · 50 minCooked taro pounded to a smooth paste and often left to ferment slightly, the tangy staple side considered the national dish of the Solomon Islands.
Pounded Yam (Iyan)Lagos, Nigeria · medium · 40 minBoiled white yam pounded while hot into a smooth, stretchy, snow-white dough, pinched off by hand and dipped into egusi, okra or vegetable soup.
Pourgouri Pilafi (Cypriot Bulgur and Vermicelli Pilaf)Nicosia, Cyprus · easy · 35 minCoarse bulgur cooked with onion, vermicelli toasted golden in olive oil, and ripe tomato, then left to steam until fluffy, the everyday Cypriot side served with a bowl of yogurt.
Rau Muống Xào Tỏi (Stir-Fried Water Spinach with Garlic)Hanoi (Red River Delta), Vietnam · easy · 16 minCrisp hollow-stemmed water spinach blanched, then tossed in a very hot wok with plenty of garlic and a glossy splash of oyster sauce, the green side dish on countless Vietnamese family tables.
Roosterkoek (South African Braai Grill Bread)Western Cape, South Africa · easy · 1 h 55 minSoft balls of simple yeast dough baked right on the braai grid over the coals until crusty and hollow-sounding, split hot and spread with butter and apricot jam.
Roshi (Maldivian Flatbread)Malé, Maldives · easy · 1 h 25 minThin, soft flatbreads of plain flour, oil and boiling water, cooked on a hot pan until they puff, torn to scoop up mas huni or mixed into fish curry with a squeeze of lime.
Roșii Murate (Moldovan Fermented Pickled Tomatoes)Chișinău, Moldova · easy · 2 weeksFirm, half-green tomatoes layered in a jar with dill, garlic, horseradish and cherry leaves and left to ferment in salted, lightly sweetened brine until tangy and fizzy, the winter pickle beside Moldovan sarmale, meat and mămăligă.
Roti Jala (Malaysian Lacy Net Crepes)Penang, Malaysia · medium · 1 h 5 minSoft, golden, lace-like crepes of flour, egg, coconut milk and turmeric, drizzled in a net pattern onto a hot pan, folded and served with chicken curry.
Rourou (Taro Leaves in Coconut Cream)Viti Levu, Fiji · easy · 40 minYoung taro leaves simmered down in coconut cream with onion until silky, dark and rich.
Roz bel Shareya (Egyptian Vermicelli Rice)Cairo, Egypt · easy · 1 h 10 minFine vermicelli toasted golden in ghee, then cooked with short-grain Egyptian rice into a fluffy, buttery, nutty pilaf served with stews, kofta and roast chicken.
Rukau (Taro Leaves in Coconut Cream)Rarotonga, Cook Islands · easy · 1 hYoung taro leaves slow-cooked with onion and coconut cream into a soft, silky green dish, the Cook Islands staple vegetable.
Sahawiq (Yemeni Fresh Chili and Tomato Relish)Sana’a, Yemen · easy · 10 minTomato, green chili, garlic, cumin and coriander crushed together into a coarse, fiery fresh relish, spooned beside rice, bread, beans and meat at almost every Yemeni meal.
Saint Lucian Green Fig SaladCastries, Saint Lucia · easy · 1 h 45 minBoiled green bananas, the green figs of Saint Lucia, diced and folded with mayonnaise, peas and carrots, sweet pepper, scallion, onion and garlic into a creamy, potato-salad-style Sunday side.
Salad Shirazi (Persian Cucumber, Tomato and Onion Salad)Tehran, Iran · easy · 20 minCucumber, tomato and red onion cut into a fine, even dice and dressed simply with verjuice or lime juice, olive oil and crushed dried mint, the bright side salad for rice and kebabs.
Salat Katzutz (Israeli Chopped Salad)Tel Aviv, Israel · easy · 20 minTomatoes and unpeeled cucumbers diced as small as you can with onion, pepper and parsley, dressed only with lemon juice, olive oil and salt.
Salatet Dakwa (Sudanese Peanut Salad)Khartoum, Sudan · easy · 15 minDiced tomato, cucumber, green pepper, red onion and green chili tossed in a tangy dressing of peanut paste loosened with lime juice, water and oil.
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