If you are stuck in a culinary rut, the world’s cuisines offer an extraordinary range of dishes that are surprisingly simple to recreate in your own kitchen. You don’t even need expensive equipment of years of experience either, with some easy to make using the ingredients in your cupboards or produce from a local supermarket.
When browsing recipe sites and food blogs, it’s worth taking a moment to think about your online safety. Understanding the difference between what is a VPN vs proxy can help protect your personal data when visiting unfamiliar or unprotected websites. The NCSC advises always checking that websites are legitimate and secure before entering any personal details, which is worth bearing in mind when exploring lesser-known recipe platforms or those with subscriptions. With that covered, here are four brilliant dishes from around the globe to inspire your next meal.
- Kuku Sabzi, Iran
This Persian herb frittata is one of the most delicious and aromatic egg dishes you will ever encounter. Unlike a conventional omelette, kuku sabzi is packed with fresh herbs, typically parsley, coriander, dill, and scallions, bound together with beaten eggs and cooked until just set. The result is a bright green, flavour-packed dish that works equally well as a light lunch or a starter. Walnuts and tart barberries are classic accompaniments, adding texture and a pleasing sharpness that balances the herbs beautifully.
- Feijoada, Brazil
Brazil’s national dish is a deeply satisfying black bean stew that has been a staple of the country’s cuisine for centuries. Traditionally slow-cooked with smoked sausage or cuts of beef, feijoada develops a rich, smoky depth of flavour that rewards patience. It is served with fluffy white rice, farofa, and braised greens, which is a combination that turns a humble stew into a proper feast. It also adapts well to a vegetarian version by swapping the meat for extra beans and a generous amount of smoked paprika.
- Bobotie, South Africa
Bobotie is one of South Africa’s most treasured dishes, and once you try it, it is easy to understand why. A spiced minced meat base is combined with fruit such as apricots or raisins, giving the dish its distinctive sweet and savoury character. The defining feature is its golden custard topping, made from eggs and milk, which sets in the oven to create a silky crust over the filling below. It is traditionally served with yellow rice fragrant with turmeric, and makes for an impressive midweek dinner with very little effort.
- Nasi Goreng, Indonesia
Nasi goreng is Indonesian fried rice at its most flavoursome and an excellent use of leftover day-old rice. The key ingredients are kecap manis, a thick, sweet soy sauce, and shrimp paste, which together give the dish its deeply savoury, umami-rich character. Stir-fried at high heat with your choice of protein and fresh vegetables and finished with a fried egg on top, it comes together in under 20 minutes. It’s not surprising that TasteAtlas ranked Indonesian cuisine seventh in the world in its 2024/25 awards, with nasi goreng singled out as one of its most internationally celebrated dishes. It is the kind of recipe that feels far more impressive than the effort involved.
Cooking from a broader culinary repertoire is one of the most enjoyable ways to explore other cultures without leaving home. Pick one of these dishes this week and give it a go.
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