Jiaozi are gorgeous little stuffed dumplings that are either steamed, as in this recipe, or fried until crisp. They are a traditional part of a Chinese New Year feast, but so popular that they are also heartily consumed all year round, be it for breakfast, lunch, dinner or just general snacking. Jiaozi freeze really well
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China’s answer to a sandwich, a bao is an exceedingly delicious steamed bun made from the softest, fluffiest white bread you have ever tasted. Here the buns are filled with succulent char siu , or barbecued pork. The recipe makes twice the amount of barbecued pork needed to fill the buns, but it’s so tasty
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Popular in Israel and Lebanon, kibbeh are crisp, torpedo-shaped croquettes made of bulgur wheat, minced beef and spices. They are a bit of a fiddle to make but very much worth it. They also freeze well in their shaped but unfried state, so make sure you save some for when you don’t have the time
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The national dish of Egypt, and sold from street carts throughout the land, koshari – with two types of pasta, rice and lentils – is a carb lover’s dream. Very tasty and filling, this is a really authentic and economical street food dish. Do as the koshari sellers do and have everything lined up in
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Ful medames is a hearty fava bean purée common all over the Middle East, but especially in Egypt and Syria where it’s a regular street breakfast dish. The Egyptians favour serving it with chopped tomato and boiled egg; the Syrians with tahini, olive oil and Aleppo pepper sauce. Here I’ve gone the whole hog and
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These delicious fried rolls are filled with mechouia salad – a spicy grilled and chopped vegetable salad, with tuna, eggs and olives, traditionally served in Tunisia. For the very best flavour, grill the vegetables over a hot barbecue. The recipe makes double what you need to fill the rolls, but it keeps well for several
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In its native Morocco, this tasty soup is often eaten as a hearty workers’ breakfast, served from street stalls and hole-in-the-wall cafés. With such a simple pulse-based dish, getting the seasoning right is absolutely key to elevating it from potentially bland to really sublime, and here a sprinkle of spice and a good drizzle of
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Herrings are like the big cousins of sardines and with a little more flesh to the bone they are less fiddly to eat. You could very easily substitute sardines if they are easier to find, however. Either way, just make sure your fish are spanking fresh in this simple barbecue recipe with a Moroccan street
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Beghrir , also known as ‘thousand hole pancakes’, are a hybrid between a crumpet and an American pancake and are popular in Morocco as a breakfast on the run, or as a snack to break fasting during Ramadan. I love to eat these with fresh figs – their musky sweetness feels like a fitting match
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Supposedly named ‘red red’ after its two principal rouge-coloured components – African red palm oil and tomato purée – this is a hearty vegetarian bean stew from Ghana. For the red palm oil, try Afro-Caribbean food shops or online, but if you can’t get hold of it, substitute groundnut oil. The finished dish will, however,
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