They may be a support act, but great side dishes can transform a meal. Breads, salads, rice, potatoes and veggies, some can even be transformed into the main attraction with a little inspiration. Here are my favourite side dish recipes.
Sabzi Khordan (Persian Fresh Herb Platter) Like this recipe? You’ll love my online Persian cooking class! Persian food reminds me of Vietnamese with its love of fresh herb platters served at every meal. In Iran it’s any combination of mint, parsley, coriander, dill, tarragon, basil, chives, green onions and radishes; other wild or seasonal greens […]
Maast-O Khiar (Persian Yogurt Dip) Like this recipe? You’ll love my online Persian cooking class! Yoghurt and rice are natural companions and, given that rice appears at virtually all Persian meals, so does yoghurt. At its simplest it’s a bowl of thick, tangy natural yoghurt, but it’s also often maast-o khiar, which is a little […]
Baps (Scottish Morning Rolls) Like this recipe? You’ll love my online British cooking class! I have a wonderful memory of being at my Auntie Mary’s house in Glasgow and scurrying down the road early one morning to buy beautifully soft floury baps from the local baker for our breakfast (the scurry was necessary as it […]
Sauce Gribiche Like this recipe? You’ll love my online French cooking class! I love this deliciously easy variation on tartare sauce, made using cooked egg yolk instead of the usual raw egg. Parsley is traditional but you can add other herbs – I take inspiration from Matt Moran who uses chervil in his sauce gribiche; […]
Saffron Pilaf Like this recipe? You’ll love my online Middle Eastern cooking class! There are many different styles of pilaf (or pilau) across India and the Middle East. What they have in common is cooking long grain rice by absorption – sometimes in water, sometimes in stock – and usually with some butter, ghee or […]
Vietnamese Pickled Vegetables(Đồ Chua) Like this recipe? You’ll love my online Vietnamese cooking class! Vietnamese pickled vegetables, called do chua (đồ chua) in Vietnamese, are super easy to make and delicious served alongside any southeast Asian dishes. Traditionally vegetables were pickled during the warmer months when they were abundant, so they could be enjoyed during […]
How To Make Paratha (Kerala Parotta) Like this recipe? You’ll love my online Indian cooking class! India has so many delicious flatbreads, including roti, naan, puris and dosas. But Kerala parotta (called paratha in other parts of the country) is my favourite one to make. Making parotta is so easy once you see it done […]
Chicory Gratin Like this recipe? You’ll love my online Swiss cooking class! In northern Europe, notably Switzerland, the greens of chard, chicory and curly endive are often discarded, as it’s the crisp stems that are prized. There’s no need to waste either part of these tasty, healthy vegetables. Use the greens in a pie, salad, […]
Tabbouleh Like this recipe? You’ll love my online Lebanese cooking class! Along with hummus, tabbouleh (tabouli) is perhaps the best-known Lebanese dish outside the Middle East. It was certainly part of my introduction to Lebanese food and I remember my sister’s mother-in-law – Teta as everyone called her – making it in huge metal […]
Batata Harra (Spicy Fried Potatoes) Like this recipe? You’ll love my online Lebanese cooking class! Spicy batata harra is one of the most delicious potato dishes I’ve ever tasted; it’s popular as part of a meze and is great as a side dish with any meat, poultry or seafood. Traditionally the potato is deep-fried […]
