We made this curry in Sri Lanka with Chef Peper Kuruvita during one of his many cooking demonstrations. I fell in love with this curry; it is unique. Kalu kukul mas curry literally translates to "blackened chicken", and is a classic village-style dish in Sri Lanka. It is most popular around Galle and the southern Western region of the island, where spices grow abundantly. As history tells us, this is an ancient curry, pre-dating Colonialism and dating back to Buddhist times.

The Heart of Rajasthani cuisine is the Mathania chilli. It is also called "Laal Badshah" or "Red emperor" and is used exclusively in the cuisine. The chilliis characterised by its balance of heat and sweet-smokiness. The colour is also beautiful, a deep maroon that maintains its hue even after cooking. This is a lovely and pungent chutney. The chillies add the smokiness, and the garlic adds a deep pungency that makes this chutney pop. The colour is beautiful. This chutney is

This dish highlights rustic cooking with local ingredients that are so common on the island. The ingredients are local, goat or lamb from the hills, anchovies from the sea and ingredients from the land. The richness of the goat is cut by the anchovies' umami; it truly is a beautiful combination. The rosemary adds a lovely aroma and herby flavour, and the lime, a tang. The Italian concept of agrodolce is highlighted in the recipe, the use of sharp, salty and acidic elements i

Raita is the perfect foil for biryani. The rice is rich and greasy, the spices can be bold, and the dish is hot. Raita is the complete contrast, cold or room temperature, mild or even sweet, cooling and opening to the palate. The only requirement for a raita is yoghurt; it can contain almost anything else: vegetables, fresh or fried, fried lentils or lentil products, fruit, and, of course, lots of spices and herbs. They are usually simple to make, and an Indian table is almos

Fritters are amazing, and almost every culture in the world has a fritter of some type, either sweet or savoury. They also vary from being deep-fried to shallow-fried, the latter being almost feather-like and flaky. Vegetable fritters are among my favourite dishes; there are so many variations that highlight the vegetables' flavours. This is a simple and lovely fritter. The carrot is still chewy and crisp, I love that, and the cilantro adds a herby nuance to the dish. Nigel S

I was having a meal at my sister-in-law's house a while ago, and she had served this dish. I, too, took a bite and knew immediately that I wanted to learn this recipe. Little did I realizehow simple this recipe is. Potatoes are the backbone of the Indian kitchen, and the variety of dishes made with them across every region is absolutely amazing. Here is a very simple dish that captures the essence of Assamese cuisine. Bhartha is a dish from North India made with mashed veget

There is magic in a perfectly roasted potato. The crisp outside, the soft inside, it is bliss. Finding an excellent, flavour-packed recipe is difficult, given the number of recipes available. This recipe combines a superbly roasted potato with a pop of Indonesian flavour. The skin is caramelised and crisp, the inside soft. The scallions and garlic add mild flavours, and the acid and salt from the soy and vinegar make it special. The acid cuts through the soft potato beautiful

Satay, or sate, is the national identity of Indonesia. It is prevalent throughout the country, but varies across the regions. Satay is recognised as one of Indonesia's national dishes. The term "Bhinneka tunggal ika" means "Unity in diversity". The concept of sate is believed to have originated in Java, where it traded with Muslims and was exposed to Islamic kebabs. The concept was adapted and localised to local ingredients, bamboo skewers to hold the meat, and local spices,

Sweet potatoes are an important crop on the islands of Comoros and Mayotte. There are native varieties that are essential to the cuisine, Ktuna with red skin and yellow flesh and Zora with yellow skin and white flesh. These are cooked in a number of ways, including boiling, mashing, frying, and grinding into flour, all of which are then used to make unique dishes. I love sweet potatoes, and will get them every instance I can. There is the sweetness, especially when they are b

When I curate a course dinner, one essential I add is a canapé. For me, it is essential. It is because of our love for bread, and the variations on it are infinite. A cape is also a chef's way of expressing himself and setting the tone for the rest of the meal. This is a lovely sandwich Ihave turned into a canapé. I love the play between the sourdough bread, the earthy mushrooms and the pop of tartness from the cherry tomatoes. The original recipe calls for lime juice, which

Cartouche is a French term meaning "parcel". here the parcel contains a delicious salad that, in my opinion, is quite unique. The base of the salad is earthy but brought to life by the rice vinegar, mustard, and soy sauce. layered on top and adding flavour are the mushrooms and rosemary-scented beets. Finally, the cheese adds creaminess. The salad is wrapped and baked, allowing the flavours to come together beautifully when opened. I love it when folks open this salad, which

Timbale is a moulded dish, coming from the French term "timbale" meaning "a small drum". Historically, timbale moulds were shaped like drums, hence the name. A timble is a type of shell or container filled with meat, fish, cheese, vegetables, or custard, and it can be turned out into a firm structure. They can be both sweet and savoury and are most often found in French or Italian cuisine. When we look at the world of custard dishes, timbales, soufflés, and brûlées, we see ve

I loved this combination of figs and foie. Last year, I was travelling in Krakow, Hungary, and I found this little shop at the farmers' market that specialised in charcuterie. I was stocking up on Bresaola and smoked venison sausages when I spied these small cans of foie gras, goose liver pate, in the corner. I had to pick up a few. The owner explained that these were special cans infused with their spectacular Tokai sweet wine. The pairing is lovely, with the wine's sweetnes

Sometimes a soup brings out the vegetable's freshness and flavour. This is the soup that pushes boring zucchini to a masterful vegetable. For this recipe, use only young zucchini, not older ones, and red, ripe tomatoes with a beautiful flavour. This is a simple soup, and ingredients matter so much. The soup can be left chunky, but I find that folks are put off by the soft vegetables and end up focusing on the flavours rather than the beautiful soup. So I puree the soup to a t

This is a recipe from the island of Lombok, off the coast of Bali. It is a very traditional recipe that beautifully brings together the islands' spice profile. The spatchcocked chicken is brushed with a deep sambol sauce, one that is fiery and bold. When I first tasted the marinade, it was too spicy to use, so I diluted it a bit with pureed tomatoes to maintain the bright colour and calm the spices. The meat was brined oevrnight and the chicken turned out succulent and wonder

A tumbet is specific to Mallorca; it is unique to the region. It highlights the bounty of the land and the abundance of vegetables. It is country cooking at its best, the vegetables taking centre stage. The dish is influenced by the Arabs, Moorish farming and cooking techniques. The Moors ruled the Balearic Islands from the 10th to the 13th centuries, bringing advanced irrigation and cultivation techniques. They also introduced vegetables such as tomatoes and eggplants. From

Kaya comes from the term "thick coconut milk" and is characteristic of this style of curry. The spices are freshly roasted and ground for a lovely flavour, and the coconut milk adds a gentle sweetness to the spice. Mutton was held in high regard in the community as a sign of prosperity and hospitality. It was usually prepared for honoured guests and for family get-togethers. Coconut was used more for balance, to smooth out the heat from the pepper and chillies, and as a count

Some recipes come from the dessert, and this is one of them. The recipe is about a few ingredients and is cooked slowly to extract flavour and nourishment. Lentils form the core of this soup, slow-cooked until they retain a lovely bite, and spinach is added for colour and nourishment. The magic in the soup is the topping of coriander and garlic (taklia), which adds a pop and wonderful flavour. The soup is filling, and the slow cooking allows the community ot travellers to com

I have always believed that vegetables can be delicious, and this dish proves it. Whenever I have it on the table, I ask the hardcore carnivores to at least try it, and then I notice they almost always go back for seconds. This is a beautiful dish; the vegetables add a splash of colour, studded with mustard seeds and glazed with caramelised maple syrup. There is spice, sweetness and different textures. I sometimes make this as a main course and enjoy the vegetables for their

Our first day in Sri Lanka was the Katina Poojava, also known as Katina Pinkama, one of the most important Buddhist festivals. The entire community participates, organising, cooking dishes and preparing for this event. Our host, Yasassri, was contributing by making a few dishes. Together we cooked three dishes, see recipes below: Boiled manioc with grated coconut (Kaha manioc) Pumpkin curry with blackened coconut (Wattakka kalu pol maluwa) Pennywort sambols (Gotukola sambol)