Biryani
Biryani is layered with basmati rice, marinated meat or vegetables, spices, roasted onions and saffron. It is only pre-cooked and steamed.
Choose from quick skillet meals, vegetarian dinners, one-pot recipes and comforting oven dishes. Each recipe includes clear quantities and practical steps, so you can match dinner to the time and ingredients you have available.
Topics
Quick dinner recipes with short ingredient lists, manageable preparation and plenty of flavour for busy evenings.
Filling vegetarian dinners made with vegetables, pulses, pasta, rice, potatoes, eggs, cheese or tofu.
Simple one-pot recipes for pasta, rice, curries, soups and stews, with less washing up afterwards.
Recipes
Biryani is layered with basmati rice, marinated meat or vegetables, spices, roasted onions and saffron. It is only pre-cooked and steamed.
Chana Masala is a strong chickpea curry with onions, tomatoes, ginger, garlic, garam masala, cumin and amchur or lime.
Dal Tadka is made of soft boiled lentils and a hot spice taka made from ghee, cumin, garlic, chilli and spices. The taka brings the main flavour.
Palak Paneer is an Indian spinach dish with paneer, ginger, garlic, onion and spices. The spinach is blanched briefly and not boiled to death.
Chicken tikka masala combines grilled or spicy fried marinated chicken with a strong tomato spice sauce and some cream or yoghurt.
Butter chicken is cooked with marinated chicken, tomatoes, butter, cream, garam masala and kasuri methi. The sauce is supposed to be mild, creamy and spicy.
Fasolada is a Greek bean soup with white beans, tomatoes, carrots, celery and olive oil. The beans are boiled until soft and the soup is calmly seasoned.
Mimista are tomatoes and peppers stuffed with rice, herbs and tomato flesh. They cook slowly in the oven with olive oil and potatoes.
Stifado is a Greek stew dish with beef, lots of small onions, red wine, tomatoes, cinnamon, bay leaf and allspice. It takes time.
Greek peasant salad, horiatiki, consists of tomatoes, cucumber, peppers, red onion, olives, feta, olive oil and oregano. Leaf salad does not belong in the classical way.
Spanakopita is a Greek filo pastry cake with spinach, feta, spring onions, dill and egg. Important is a well squeezed dry, non-watery filling.
Moussaka is layered with eggplant, potatoes, spicy minced tomato sauce and creamy béchamel. After baking, the casserole needs a short rest period.
Salade Niçoise is a salad in the South of France with tomatoes, green beans, egg, tuna, olives, anchovies and a clear Dijon vinaigrette.
French onion soup gets its taste from slowly caramelised onions, broth, white wine, thyme and gratin cheese baguette.
Bouillabaisse is a Provencal fish soup with fennel, tomatoes, saffron, fish, seafood and rouille. Fish and shrimp cook only at the end.
Croque Monsieur is a French ham and cheese sandwich with béchamel, gruyère and crispy toasted bread. It is baked in the oven until golden brown.
Ratatouille is a Provencal vegetable dish with eggplant, zucchini, peppers, tomatoes, onions, garlic, olive oil and herbs.
Boeuf Bourguignon is a classic beef stew with red wine, bacon, mushrooms, carrots and pearl onions. It is cooked slowly until the meat is tender.
Coq au Vin is a French stew dish with chicken, red wine, bacon, mushrooms, pearl onions and herbs. The sauce takes time to become dark and round.
Spring rolls with vegetables need a dry, briefly fried filling of cabbage, carrots, mushrooms and glass noodles. This is the only way to make the shell crisp.
Wantan soup consists of stuffed dumplings in clear broth with ginger, spring onions, pak choi and sesame oil. The Wantans are gently cooked.
Dim sum dumplings succeed with juicy stuffing of minced pork or shrimp, cabbage, ginger, spring onions and ready-made dumpling dough sheets.
Chow mein with vegetables are fried egg noodles with crisp vegetables and a short sauce of soy sauce, oyster sauce or vegetarian alternative and sesame oil.
Mapo tofu is cooked with soft tofu, doubanjiang, fermented black beans, minced meat, chilli oil and Sichuan pepper. It is said to taste spicy and slightly numbing.
Fried rice is best with cold rice from the day before, egg, vegetables, soy sauce and high heat. The rice should be fried, not steamed in a wok.