Collection
Asian Vegetable-led Recipes
A tour of Asia through vegetable-led: 130 authentic dishes, each tied to a real country and region, each with its cultural story and dietary swaps built in.
130 recipes
Punjabi Chole (Chickpea Masala)Punjab, India · easy · 55 minChickpeas simmered dark and tangy with tea-infused water, ginger, and a toasted spice blend.
Imeruli Khachapuri (Cheese-Stuffed Bread)Imereti, Georgia · medium · 45 minA golden, pan-baked flatbread sealed around a molten heart of tangy, salty cheese.
MujadaraBeirut, Lebanon · easy · 55 minLentils and rice under a deep pile of slow-caramelized onions, the Levant’s humble masterpiece.
İmam Bayıldı (Swooning Imam’s Eggplant)İzmir (Aegean), Turkey · easy · 70 minWhole eggplants braised in olive oil until silken, stuffed with sweet onions, tomato, and garlic. Served cool.
Kerala Ishtu (Coconut Vegetable Stew)Kerala, India · easy · 40 minA gentle, fragrant stew of potatoes and vegetables in coconut milk with ginger, green chili, and curry leaves.
Yomari (Newari Sweet Rice Dumpling)Kathmandu Valley, Nepal · medium · 60 minFig-shaped steamed rice-flour dumpling filled with chaku (jaggery molasses), toasted sesame, and coconut, made for Yomari Punhi.
Dal Bhat TarkariKathmandu Valley, Nepal · easy · 60 minThe Himalayan daily plate: tempered black lentils, rice, and a turmeric-spiced vegetable curry.
Parippu & Pol SambolSouthern Province, Sri Lanka · easy · 45 minCreamy coconut-milk red lentils with a fiery fresh coconut-chili relish, the twin pillars of a Lankan rice table.
Bhuna KhichuriDhaka, Bangladesh · easy · 55 minToasted rice and moong dal cooked rich with ghee, whole spices, and caramelized onion, monsoon comfort from Dhaka.
Pav BhajiMaharashtra (Mumbai), India · easy · 50 minMumbai’s beach-stall classic: a buttery mashed vegetable curry with toasted buns, lime, and raw onion.
Gado-GadoJakarta, Indonesia · easy · 45 minJakarta’s "mix-mix": blanched vegetables, tofu, tempeh, and egg under warm peanut sauce.
Khaman DhoklaGujarat, India · easy · 35 minCloud-light steamed chickpea-flour cakes, tempered with mustard seeds and curry leaves, Gujarat’s teatime signature.
LobioRacha, Georgia · easy · 55 minKidney beans simmered and half-crushed with walnuts, coriander, and Georgian spice, served in clay with cornbread.
Ema DatshiThimphu, Bhutan · easy · 30 minBhutan’s national dish: green chilies stewed as the vegetable, not the seasoning, in a silky cheese sauce.
Ghapama (Stuffed Pumpkin)Yerevan, Armenia · medium · 115 minA whole pumpkin packed with rice, dried apricots, walnuts, and honey, baked until the shell is a spoonable bowl.
BalaleetDubai, United Arab Emirates · easy · 30 minSweet saffron-and-cardamom vermicelli topped with a thin savory omelette, the Gulf’s sweet-and-savory breakfast.
SabichTel Aviv, Israel · easy · 40 minPita stuffed with fried eggplant, hard-boiled egg, hummus, salad, and a drizzle of tangy amba and tahini.
AmbuyatBandar Seri Begawan, Brunei · medium · 30 minA glassy sago starch eaten with bamboo forks and dipped in a tart, pungent cacah sauce.
MuhammarManama, Bahrain · easy · 55 minBahrain's sweet brown rice scented with date syrup, saffron, and cardamom, traditionally served with fried fish.
QurutobDushanbe, Tajikistan · medium · 50 minTajikistan's national dish: flaky fatir bread torn into a tangy qurut yogurt sauce, topped with onions and herbs.
Batar Da'anDili, Timor-Leste · easy · 90 minA humble Timorese stew of corn, mung beans, and pumpkin simmered soft in a light, comforting pot.
Tamago Kake GohanOsaka (Kansai), Japan · easy · 4 minHot rice topped with a raw egg and a splash of soy, Japan's fastest, most comforting breakfast.
Chvishtari (Cornmeal Cheese Bread)Imereti, Georgia · easy · 30 minGriddled cornmeal cakes packed with young melting cheese, crisp outside and molten within, from the mountains of western Georgia.
Youtiao and Soy MilkSichuan, China · medium · 35 minCrisp, airy fried dough sticks dunked into a bowl of warm fresh soy milk, a classic Chinese breakfast.
Hobak-jukSeoul (Gyeonggi), South Korea · easy · 45 minA silky, naturally sweet Korean pumpkin porridge thickened with glutinous rice.
Manakish Za'atarBeirut, Lebanon · medium · 40 minFlatbread baked with a fragrant za'atar-and-olive-oil topping, the Levantine morning staple.
Menemenİzmir (Aegean), Turkey · easy · 30 minSoft eggs scrambled into a simmered base of tomato, green pepper, and pul biber.
Bubur SumsumYogyakarta (Java), Indonesia · easy · 30 minA soft rice-flour and coconut porridge pooled with dark palm-sugar syrup.
ChamporadoCentral Luzon, Philippines · easy · 35 minA sweet Filipino chocolate rice porridge, traditionally eaten with salty dried fish on the side.
Halwa PuriLahore (Punjab), Pakistan · medium · 70 minA festive Lahori breakfast of puffed fried puri, sweet semolina halwa, and spiced chickpeas.
Sel RotiKathmandu Valley, Nepal · medium · 50 minA ring-shaped, lightly sweet fermented rice bread, crisp outside and soft within.
Hoppers (Appa)Southern Province, Sri Lanka · medium · 45 minBowl-shaped fermented rice-and-coconut pancakes, lacy at the edges and soft in the middle.
KatlamaTashkent, Uzbekistan · medium · 45 minFlaky, layered pan-fried flatbread brushed with oil and folded, a Central Asian morning staple.
FattehAmman, Jordan · easy · 30 minLayers of toasted bread, warm chickpeas, and garlicky yogurt topped with sizzled butter and pine nuts.
AdasiTehran, Iran · easy · 60 minA warming Persian lentil breakfast stew spiced with turmeric, cumin, and cinnamon.
Ruti with Aloo BhajiDhaka, Bangladesh · easy · 45 minSoft whole-wheat flatbread with a lightly spiced potato-and-onion curry, the everyday Dhaka breakfast.
Dan BingTaipei, Taiwan · easy · 30 minA soft, chewy egg crepe rolled up and sliced, Taiwan's favorite hot breakfast off the griddle.
KhaginaKabul, Afghanistan · easy · 25 minAfghan eggs cooked into a soft, spiced tomato base, a quick, warming Kabul breakfast.
BoortsogUlaanbaatar, Mongolia · easy · 40 minSimple fried dough biscuits eaten with milky, lightly salted tea across the Mongolian steppe.
BaursakAlmaty, Kazakhstan · easy · 45 minFluffy yeasted fried dough puffs served warm with butter, jam, or honey and tea.
BalilaDamascus, Syria · easy · 15 minWarm chickpeas dressed with cumin, lemon, garlic, and olive oil, a simple Damascene breakfast.
Kaya ToastSingapore, Singapore · easy · 20 minToasted bread spread with coconut-egg kaya jam and butter, with soft-cooked eggs and kopi.
Khur-leThimphu, Bhutan · easy · 30 minRustic buckwheat pancakes from the Bhutanese highlands, eaten with chili-cheese ezay.
SakhanaMuscat, Oman · easy · 55 minA thick, sweet Omani wheat soup of dates, date molasses and milk, made through Ramadan and eaten after the fast.
Labneh with Za'atarWest Bank, Palestine · easy · 10 minThick strained yogurt swirled with olive oil and za'atar, scooped with warm taboon bread.
Kahi with GeymarBaghdad, Iraq · medium · 50 minFlaky layered pastry baked crisp, soaked in syrup, and topped with rich clotted geymar cream.
Zhingyalov HatsYerevan, Armenia · medium · 50 minThin flatbread stuffed with a dozen or more chopped herbs and greens, griddled until blistered.
MasoubSana’a, Yemen · easy · 15 minMashed flatbread and ripe banana bound with honey and topped with cream, nuts, and dates.
MasabibRiyadh, Saudi Arabia · easy · 35 minSoft, holey yeasted pancakes drenched in date syrup or honey, a Hejazi and Saudi breakfast.
MalawachTel Aviv, Israel · medium · 45 minA flaky, buttery Yemenite-Israeli pan-fried flatbread served with grated tomato and zhug.
QutabBaku, Azerbaijan · medium · 45 minThin, half-moon griddle breads stuffed with greens and herbs, folded and cooked until charred.
KattamaBishkek, Kyrgyzstan · medium · 45 minA flaky, spiral pan-fried bread layered with onion, torn and eaten with tea or broth.
KatilapamBandar Seri Begawan, Brunei · easy · 40 minSoft steamed rice-flour cakes lightly spiced and faintly sweet, a Bruneian teatime and breakfast bite.
KhameerKuwait City, Kuwait · medium · 45 minSoft, lightly sweet date-and-cardamom yeast breads, griddled and eaten with cream or cheese.
ChebabManama, Bahrain · easy · 30 minSaffron-and-cardamom pancakes tinted gold, served with cheese or date syrup, a Gulf breakfast.
KhanfarooshDoha, Qatar · medium · 40 minLittle saffron-and-cardamom cakes, crisp outside and soft within, fried and dusted with sugar.
ShirchoyDushanbe, Tajikistan · easy · 20 minWarm milk tea poured over torn bread with a knob of butter, a simple Tajik mountain breakfast.
ChorekAshgabat, Turkmenistan · medium · 45 minRound tamdyr-baked bread with a crisp crust and soft crumb, torn warm with tea and butter.
Jagung BoseDili, Timor-Leste · easy · 90 minThe Timorese corn staple: dried corn and red beans slow-cooked until creamy in coconut milk, humble everyday nourishment.
DorayakiTokyo (Kanto), Japan · easy · 35 minTwo fluffy honey-scented pancakes sandwiching sweet red bean paste, a classic Japanese teatime treat.
Masala DosaTamil Nadu (Chennai), India · medium · 50 minA crisp, golden fermented rice-and-lentil crepe wrapped around spiced potato, South India's iconic anytime meal.
Gulab JamunPunjab, India · medium · 45 minSoft milk-solid dumplings deep-fried and soaked in rose-and-cardamom syrup, the sweet of every Indian celebration.
Mango Sticky RiceBangkok (Central), Thailand · easy · 55 minWarm coconut-sweetened glutinous rice with ripe mango and a salty-sweet coconut sauce, Thailand's favorite dessert.
Adjaruli KhachapuriAdjara, Georgia · medium · 45 minGeorgia’s famous boat-shaped cheese bread from Adjara: a molten pool of cheese in a golden crust, finished with an egg and butter stirred in at the table.
ChurchkhelaRacha, Georgia · medium · 60 minStrings of walnuts dipped repeatedly in thickened grape juice until candle-shaped, Georgia's ancient traveling sweet.
Chè Ba MàuHo Chi Minh City, Vietnam · medium · 75 minA layered sweet of red beans, mung beans, and green pandan jelly over ice with coconut cream, Vietnam's three-color dessert.
TangyuanShanghai, China · medium · 45 minChewy glutinous rice balls with a sweet black sesame center in warm ginger syrup, a Chinese symbol of family reunion.
HotteokSeoul (Gyeonggi), South Korea · medium · 105 minChewy fried griddle pancakes oozing a molten brown-sugar, cinnamon, and nut filling, a Korean winter street treat.
FalafelBeirut, Lebanon · medium · 45 minCrisp herb-flecked chickpea fritters tucked into pita with tahini, pickles, and salad, a Levantine street classic.
KnafehBeirut, Lebanon · medium · 60 minMolten sweet cheese under a crisp orange semolina or shredded-pastry crust, drenched in syrup, a Levantine breakfast-dessert.
BaklavaGaziantep, Turkey · advanced · 90 minLayers of butter-brushed phyllo packed with pistachios and soaked in syrup, the crown jewel of Gaziantep pastry.
KleponYogyakarta (Java), Indonesia · medium · 45 minPandan-green rice balls with a molten palm-sugar center, rolled in fresh coconut, a favorite Indonesian sweet snack.
Leche FlanCentral Luzon, Philippines · medium · 65 minA dense, silky egg-yolk custard under a dark caramel, steamed in a tin mold, the Philippines' richest celebration dessert.
KheerLahore (Punjab), Pakistan · easy · 70 minA slow-cooked rice pudding perfumed with cardamom and scattered with nuts, the comforting sweet of every occasion.
Juju DhauKathmandu Valley, Nepal · easy · 45 minA rich, sweet set yogurt scented with cardamom, the King of Yogurts from the Newar city of Bhaktapur.
WatalappanSouthern Province, Sri Lanka · easy · 60 minA steamed coconut custard set with dark palm jaggery and warm spices, the festive pudding of Sri Lanka.
Chak-ChakTashkent, Uzbekistan · medium · 55 minCrisp fried dough pieces bound in warm honey syrup into a sticky golden mound, a Central Asian celebration sweet.
Sankhya LapovSiem Reap, Cambodia · medium · 70 minA whole kabocha pumpkin steamed with a coconut-palm-sugar custard inside, a striking Cambodian dessert.
MahalabiaAmman, Jordan · easy · 25 minA delicate milk pudding set with cornstarch and perfumed with rose or orange blossom, a light Levantine sweet.
Ash-e ReshtehTehran, Iran · medium · 150 minOne of Iran’s best-loved thick soups: legumes and a mountain of herbs simmered with reshteh noodles, finished with tangy kashk, sizzled mint, and caramelized onion.
Sholeh ZardTehran, Iran · easy · 75 minA fragrant saffron and rose rice pudding decorated with cinnamon, an Iranian dessert of celebration and charity.
RoshogollaDhaka, Bangladesh · medium · 55 minSpongy cheese-curd balls simmered in light sugar syrup, the springy sweet of Bengal.
Kuih Seri MukaPenang, Malaysia · medium · 80 minA two-layer sweet of coconut sticky rice under a smooth pandan custard, a jewel of the Malaysian kuih table.
Pineapple CakeTaipei, Taiwan · medium · 70 minA buttery shortbread pastry enclosing a chewy, tangy pineapple jam, Taiwan's most popular edible souvenir.
Khao TomLuang Prabang, Laos · easy · 75 minSweet coconut sticky rice wrapped around banana and steamed in banana leaf, a fragrant Lao treat.
FirniKabul, Afghanistan · easy · 35 minA silky ground-rice milk pudding scented with cardamom and rosewater, topped with pistachios, an Afghan celebration sweet.
Lahpet ThokeYangon, Myanmar · easy · 30 minA tea-leaf salad of fermented tea, crunchy fried beans, nuts, and seeds tossed with cabbage and lime, Myanmar's national treasure.
Sanwin MakinYangon, Myanmar · easy · 65 minA dense semolina and coconut cake topped with poppy seeds, a much-loved Burmese teatime sweet.
Halawet el JibnDamascus, Syria · advanced · 60 minSoft semolina-and-cheese dough rolled around clotted cream and drenched in syrup, a Damascene sweet-cheese specialty.
Pulut HitamSingapore, Singapore · easy · 70 minA warm porridge of black glutinous rice sweetened with palm sugar and finished with salty coconut cream, a Nyonya classic.
KhabzeyThimphu, Bhutan · medium · 60 minCrisp, lightly sweet fried dough shaped into knots and butterflies, a festive Bhutanese biscuit for New Year and offerings.
Omani HalwaMuscat, Oman · advanced · 75 minA dense, glossy, aromatic sweet of rosewater, saffron, and spices set with ghee and nuts, the pride of Omani hospitality.
QatayefWest Bank, Palestine · medium · 65 minLittle stuffed pancakes filled with sweet walnuts, fried or baked and soaked in syrup, the classic sweet of Ramadan.
KleichaBaghdad, Iraq · medium · 70 minSpiced pastry spirals filled with date paste and cardamom, Iraq's national cookie, made for every celebration.
SpasYerevan, Armenia · easy · 45 minA warming yogurt-and-wheat soup fragrant with mint and herbs, a soothing Armenian everyday bowl.
Bint al-SahnSana’a, Yemen · advanced · 75 minMany paper-thin layers of buttery dough baked and drenched in honey and scattered with nigella seeds, Yemen's honey cake.
AreekaRiyadh, Saudi Arabia · easy · 25 minSoft bread mashed with dates, butter, and honey into a rich, comforting sweet of southern Saudi Arabia.
LuqaimatDubai, United Arab Emirates · medium · 110 minCrisp golden dumplings drenched in date syrup and scattered with sesame, the classic fried sweet of the Emirati Ramadan table.
ZhentAlmaty, Kazakhstan · easy · 30 minA sweet, crumbly pressed mixture of toasted millet, butter, and raisins, a traditional Kazakh treat of the steppe.
HummusTel Aviv, Israel · easy · 75 minSilky-smooth chickpea and tahini puree pooled with olive oil, scooped up with warm pita, a Levantine lunch of devotion.
RugelachTel Aviv, Israel · medium · 60 minLittle rolled pastry crescents filled with chocolate or cinnamon, a bakery staple of Israel and the Jewish diaspora.
ŞəkərburaBaku, Azerbaijan · advanced · 85 minCrimped half-moon pastries filled with sweet ground nuts and cardamom, the pride of the Azerbaijani Novruz table.
PenyaramBandar Seri Begawan, Brunei · medium · 40 minA chewy fried cake of rice flour and palm sugar with lacy, crisp edges, a traditional Bruneian and Bornean sweet.
Foni BoakibaaMalé, Maldives · easy · 70 minA dense baked pudding-cake of rice, coconut, and rosewater, a sweet Maldivian favorite for Ramadan and celebrations.
Gers OgailyKuwait City, Kuwait · easy · 55 minA fragrant saffron and cardamom sponge cake topped with sesame and nigella seeds, a Kuwaiti celebration classic.
RanginakManama, Bahrain · easy · 35 minDates stuffed with walnuts under a blanket of toasted spiced flour and cinnamon, a rich Bahraini and Gulf sweet.
Assidat al-BoubarDoha, Qatar · easy · 50 minA warm pumpkin pudding of toasted flour, date syrup, and cardamom, a warming Qatari Ramadan sweet.
Injo-gogi-bapPyongyang, North Korea · easy · 35 minSheets of soybean 'meat' stuffed with rice and topped with a spicy sauce, a resourceful North Korean street food.
Gangnaengi-tteokPyongyang, North Korea · easy · 50 minChewy steamed corn cakes lightly sweetened and often dotted with beans, a homely North Korean treat.
Khailmag (Caramelized Clotted Cream)Ulaanbaatar, Mongolia · easy · 25 minA rich Mongolian dessert of urum, clotted cream, cooked down slowly with sugar and a little flour into a thick, caramel-toned pudding eaten warm with a spoon.
Zhansak (Walnut and Honey Candy)Bishkek, Kyrgyzstan · easy · 20 minA traditional Kyrgyz tea candy of crushed walnuts bound with mountain honey and sary may, the local clarified butter, then set and dried into sweet pieces.
Nishallo (Whipped Ramadan Sweet)Dushanbe, Tajikistan · medium · 25 minA glossy white Tajik whip of egg whites beaten into a hot sugar syrup and scented with vanilla, made for iftar in Ramadan and scooped up with warm bread.
Pishme (Turkmen Fried Dough Diamonds)Ashgabat, Turkmenistan · medium · 110 minTurkmenistan's celebration sweet: little diamonds of light yeasted dough fried until puffed and golden, then dusted with sugar.
Babilak Ai-luka (Cassava and Coconut Balls)Dili, Timor-Leste · easy · 35 minTimorese sweet fritters of grated cassava and fresh coconut bound with brown sugar and a little basil, rolled into balls and fried golden.
Roti CanaiPenang, Malaysia · medium · 50 minA flaky, stretched-thin griddle flatbread from the mamak stall, crisp outside and soft in layers within, served with a bowl of dhal to dip.
Cheese BourekasTel Aviv, Israel · medium · 55 minFlaky puff-pastry triangles filled with tangy feta and ricotta, glazed with egg and scattered with sesame and nigella seeds.
Aloo Tama Bodi (Potato, Bamboo Shoot and Black-Eyed Bean Curry)Kathmandu Valley, Nepal · easy · 65 minA tangy Newari one-pot curry of potatoes, fermented bamboo shoots, and black-eyed beans, soured by the tama and tempered in mustard oil.
Galayet Bandora (Fried Tomatoes)Amman, Jordan · easy · 50 minA simple Jordanian skillet of ripe tomatoes simmered down in plenty of olive oil with sliced garlic and green chilli until jammy, scooped up with warm pita.
Mujaddara (Lentils and Rice with Caramelized Onions)Amman, Jordan · easy · 55 minA humble Levantine pilaf of brown lentils and rice cooked together and crowned with deeply caramelized onions, seasoned simply with cumin.
Bolani (Stuffed Flatbread)Kabul, Afghanistan · medium · 60 minA thin Afghan flatbread folded around a spiced mashed-potato and leek filling and pan-fried until crisp, served with a mint-yogurt dip.
JalebiPunjab, India · medium · 50 minCrisp fermented-batter spirals deep-fried and soaked in warm saffron-cardamom syrup, the bright coils shared at Diwali and celebrations across North India.
Besan LadooPunjab, India · medium · 35 minGram flour slow-roasted in ghee until nutty and golden, sweetened with cardamom sugar and rolled into melt-in-the-mouth balls, a quintessential Diwali mithai.
Nian Gao (New Year Rice Cake)Shanghai, China · medium · 65 minA dense, chewy steamed cake of glutinous rice flour and dark brown sugar, studded with jujube and walnut, eaten at Lunar New Year because its name puns on rising higher each year.
GujiyaPunjab, India · advanced · 75 minCrisp half-moon pastries of maida filled with khoya, coconut, nuts and cardamom, deep-fried and made above all for Holi, when they are prepared at home and gifted between families.
MalpuaWest Bengal (Kolkata), India · medium · 45 minFried flour-and-milk pancakes with crisp lacy edges and a soft centre, soaked in cardamom sugar syrup, a festive sweet made across North and East India for Holi, Navratri and Diwali.
Puran PoliMaharashtra (Mumbai), India · advanced · 70 minA soft wheat flatbread stuffed with a sweet, spiced chana dal and jaggery filling, griddled with ghee, made across Maharashtra for Holi and Gudi Padwa.
DovgaBaku, Azerbaijan · medium · 50 minA warm Azerbaijani yogurt soup thick with fresh herbs, rice and chickpeas, stirred constantly so it never splits.
Kewa DatshiThimphu, Bhutan · easy · 40 minBhutan comfort food: sliced potatoes simmered with green chilies and melted farmer cheese into a creamy stew.
FattoushDamascus, Syria · easy · 30 minA bright Syrian chopped salad of crisp vegetables and toasted flatbread in a tangy sumac and pomegranate molasses dressing.
AshlyanfuBishkek, Kyrgyzstan · medium · 60 minA cold Kyrgyz noodle bowl of wheat noodles and springy starch jelly in a spicy, vinegary vegetable broth with egg ribbons.
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