Asian Vegetable-led Recipes, Page 4

A tour of Asia through vegetable-led: 209 authentic dishes, each tied to a real country and region, each with its cultural story and dietary swaps built in.
209 recipes · showing 145 to 192
Shrak (Jordanian Bedouin Saj Bread)Amman, Jordan · advanced · 1 h 15 minPaper-thin, soft, unleavened flatbread of whole-wheat and white flour, stretched by hand into wide sheets and baked in seconds on a domed saj or an upturned wok.
Kashk-e Bademjan (Persian Eggplant and Kashk Dip)Tehran, Iran · medium · 1 h 50 minFried eggplant mashed with golden onions, garlic and turmeric, enriched with tangy kashk and walnuts, and finished with fried onion, sizzled dried mint and swirls of kashk.
Chotpoti (Bangladeshi Spiced Peas with Tamarind)Dhaka, Bangladesh · easy · 9 h 20 minSoft dried peas and potato, warm and tangy, heaped with raw onion, green chilli, cucumber, coriander, grated boiled egg and crushed fuchka shells and drenched in spiced tamarind water.
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.
Baya Kyaw (Burmese Split Pea Fritters)Yangon, Myanmar · easy · 8 h 45 minCrunchy little fritters of soaked yellow split peas, half ground smooth and half coarse, with onion, chilli, coriander and turmeric, served hot with a tamarind dip.
Shelpek (Kazakh Fried Flatbread)Almaty, Kazakhstan · easy · 55 minThin, soft rounds of milk and butter dough, fried quickly in hot oil until puffed and golden, and eaten warm with tea, butter, honey or jam, or beside soup and meat.
Chai Tow Kway (Singapore Fried Carrot Cake)Singapore, Singapore · medium · 7 h 40 minCubes of homemade steamed radish cake fried until crisp, then tossed with garlic, preserved radish and egg; white with fish sauce, or black with sweet dark soy sauce.
Ezay (Bhutanese Chili and Cheese Relish)Thimphu, Bhutan · easy · 15 minA fiery raw relish of chopped chilies, tomato, red onion and coriander, crumbled with fresh cheese and seasoned with salt and numbing Sichuan pepper, spooned onto rice.
Ka'ak al-Quds (Jerusalem Sesame Bread)West Bank, Palestine · medium · 2 h 33 minLong oval rings of soft, yeasted bread thickly coated in toasted sesame and baked until crusty, eaten warm with za'atar, olive oil and baked eggs.
Lavash (Armenian Thin Flatbread)Yerevan, Armenia · medium · 1 h 30 minPaper-thin, soft sheets of flour, water and salt, rolled until you can see through them and baked in seconds on a very hot pan, for wrapping cheese, herbs and grilled meat.
Shafoot (Yemeni Flatbread in Herbed Yogurt)Sana’a, Yemen · medium · 2 h 15 minSpongy lahoh flatbreads soaked in a cold, green yogurt and buttermilk sauce blended with garlic, chili, coriander, mint and spring onion, topped with pomegranate seeds.
Tamees (Saudi Hejazi Flatbread)Hejaz, Saudi Arabia · medium · 2 h 7 minA large, round yeasted flatbread of white and wholemeal flour, docked all over, brushed with ghee and scattered with sesame and nigella, baked very hot until blistered and eaten warm with ful.
Regag with Egg and Cheese (Emirati Crisp Flatbread)Dubai, United Arab Emirates · medium · 1 hA wafer-thin batter bread spread across a hot griddle until crisp, topped while it cooks with beaten egg and cream cheese, then folded into a crunchy triangle.
Nakhi (Kuwaiti Spiced Boiled Chickpeas)Kuwait City, Kuwait · easy · 14 h 10 minChickpeas simmered soft with whole green chilies, cumin and salt, served warm in their broth with lemon juice, more cumin and a pinch of chili, and warm bread.
Shakarob (Tajik Tomato and Onion Salad)Dushanbe, Tajikistan · easy · 15 minRipe tomatoes and paper-thin onion, soaked in cold water to tame their bite, seasoned simply with salt, black pepper, herbs and a little oil, to eat beside plov.
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.
Kabab Bahraini (Bahraini Chickpea Flour Fritters)Manama, Bahrain · easy · 55 minSpoonfuls of spiced chickpea-flour batter full of chopped tomato, onion, green chili and garlic, fried until crisp and golden and eaten hot with a yogurt and coriander dip.
Bajilla (Qatari Spiced Boiled Broad Beans)Doha, Qatar · easy · 13 h 10 minWhole dried broad beans soaked overnight and boiled soft with salt, then served warm with lemon, cumin and chopped hot chili, with bread on the side.
Paneer Tikka (Spiced Grilled Paneer)Punjab, India · easy · 1 h 34 minCubes of paneer, onion and pepper coated in a yogurt marinade with chilli, garam masala and dried fenugreek, then grilled hot until charred at the edges and served with green chutney and lemon.
Kheere ka Raita (Cucumber Raita)Punjab, India · easy · 12 minCool whisked yogurt with chopped cucumber, fresh coriander and mint, seasoned with salt and a dusting of roasted cumin, served alongside biryani, pulao and spiced curries.
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.
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.
Lobiani (Georgian Bean-Stuffed Bread)Racha, Georgia · medium · 11 h 10 minSoft yeasted bread rounds filled with buttery mashed kidney beans, onion, garlic, coriander and blue fenugreek, baked golden, brushed with butter and eaten warm in wedges.
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.
Cong You Bing (Scallion Pancakes)Shanghai, China · medium · 1 h 35 minHot-water dough rolled thin, spread with scallion-scented oil paste and chopped spring onions, coiled into a snail and flattened, then pan-fried until crisp and flaky outside and chewy within.
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.
Fatayer bi Sabanekh (Lebanese Spinach Pies)Beirut, Lebanon · medium · 2 h 12 minSmall triangles of soft yeasted dough sealed around a tangy filling of spinach, onion, sumac, lemon and olive oil, baked until golden and eaten warm or at room temperature.
Şehriyeli Pilav (Turkish Rice Pilaf with Orzo)İzmir (Aegean), Turkey · easy · 52 minRinsed, soaked rice cooked with little rice-shaped pasta toasted golden in butter, then left to rest under a cloth until every grain is separate and fluffy.
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.
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.
Turon (Filipino Caramelised Banana Rolls)Central Luzon, Philippines · easy · 35 minHalved saba bananas and strips of ripe jackfruit rolled in brown sugar and lumpia wrappers, then fried in oil with more sugar that melts into a crackly caramel shell.
Kachumber (Pakistani Tomato, Cucumber and Onion Salad)Lahore (Punjab), Pakistan · easy · 10 minFinely diced tomato, cucumber and red onion with green chilli and coriander, dressed with lemon juice, salt, black pepper and roasted cumin, the fresh relish served beside biryani, karahi and kebabs.
Shalgam (Kazakh Radish Salad)Almaty, Kazakhstan · easy · 1 hLong white radish, carrot, sweet red pepper and onion cut into fine strips and dressed with oil, vinegar, garlic, a little sugar and a pinch of chilli, a crunchy cold salad for the start of a feast.
Mutabbal (Jordanian Smoky Eggplant and Tahini Dip)Amman, Jordan · easy · 1 hEggplant charred whole over a flame until the flesh is soft and smoky, then mashed with tahini, garlic, lemon and a spoonful of yogurt, finished with olive oil and pomegranate seeds.
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.
Laboo (Persian Hot Beetroot Street Snack)Tehran, Iran · easy · 1 h 50 minWhole beetroots boiled slowly until tender, peeled, cut into wedges and tossed hot in a glossy syrup made from their own cooking liquid, the steaming winter snack of Iranian street carts.
Pidan Doufu (Taiwanese Century Egg Tofu)Taipei, Taiwan · easy · 10 minA chilled block of silken tofu topped with diced century egg, spring onion and bonito flakes, dressed at the table with lightly sweetened soy sauce and a few drops of sesame oil.
Di Gua Ye (Taiwanese Garlic Sweet Potato Leaves)Taipei, Taiwan · easy · 15 minTender sweet potato leaves and shoots stir-fried in a very hot wok with plenty of garlic and a splash of water until just wilted, silky and bright green.
Jeow Mak Len (Lao Roasted Tomato and Chilli Dip)Luang Prabang, Laos · easy · 30 minTomatoes, shallots, garlic and chillies charred until blistered, then pounded in a mortar with fish sauce and coriander into a smoky, chunky dip for sticky rice.
Gotu Kola Sambol (Sri Lankan Pennywort and Coconut Salad)Southern Province, Sri Lanka · easy · 20 minFinely shredded pennywort leaves mixed by hand with fresh grated coconut, red onion, green chilli and tomato, sharpened with lime juice and salt, a raw green side for rice and curry.
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.
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.
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.
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.
Makdous (Syrian Oil-Cured Stuffed Eggplants)Damascus, Syria · medium · 5.5 daysBaby eggplants blanched, salted and pressed, stuffed with walnuts, red pepper, chili and garlic and cured under olive oil for days until tangy, then eaten straight from the jar with warm flatbread.
Matbucha (Cooked Tomato and Pepper Salad)Tel Aviv, Israel · easy · 2 h 20 minCharred, peeled tomatoes and red peppers cooked slowly in olive oil with garlic and hot chili for an hour and a half until thick and jammy, served cool with bread among the first-course salads.
Timman (Iraqi White Rice with a Golden Crust)Baghdad, Iraq · easy · 1 h 5 minSoaked long-grain rice boiled hard in its soaking water with oil and salt, then steamed low and slow until every grain stands apart, with a thin crisp golden crust turned out on top.
Sambusak b'Tawa (Iraqi Chickpea Turnovers)Baghdad, Iraq · medium · 2 h 5 minThin yeasted dough folded into half-moons around mashed chickpeas cooked with golden onion and turmeric, then shallow-fried a minute a side until crisp and golden.
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