Eating the Asian Way

Bangladesh

Beguni is a delectable dish consisting of deep-fried eggplant slices. Variations include dipping eggplant slices in batter or coating them with gram flour and spices. The basic batter is made with rice and gram flour and flavored with turmeric, chili powder, and cumin, The dish is eaten both in Bangladesh and India. It is served with chutney or a yogurt-based sauce on the side and enjoyed as a snack.

Chomchon is a traditional sweet that is prepared with homemade cottage cheese called chana and cooked in sugar syrup. It is flavored with lemon juice and cardamom powder. It is served in a variety of ways including with chopped nuts, malai cream, or grated coconut.

China

Pineapple buns are golden and crispy sweet pastries that originated in Hong Kong. These pastries don’t have pineapple but are named by the pattern of their crust that reminds one of pineapple skin. These buns are prepared with just four ingredients – flour, oil, sugar, and eggs. They are usually eaten for breakfast or with afternoon tea. They are served with butter in the bun.

Hong shao rou is a delicacy that is made with braised pork belly. It originated in the Hunan province and today is associated with Shanghai. The pork belly is boiled and doused in rice wine, sugar, and light and dark soy sauce. The combination of these ingredients creates a sweet and sticky sauce that is red in color and the pork belly is cooked until tender.

Char siu is a dish that consists of roasted, barbecues pork. Before cooking the pork is marinated in soy sauce, hoisin sauce, rice wine, and star anise. When done it is slices a an appetizer or shredded and chopped for a main meal.

Shui jiao are Chinese dumplings that have been filled with shrimp, cucumber, purple cabbage, ground pork, bean sprouts, vermicelli, and rice. These boiled dumplings are a staple food of northern China.

You bao xia or stir-fried shrimp is a dish with whole shrimp stir-fried in a wok until crispy. Once done the shrimp are placed in a savory sauce made with chicken broth, black vinegar, sesame oil, sugar, and Shaoxing wine. Scallions and ginger slices are used in the cooking process. These are popular at Chinese New Year celebrations.

Guoti are pan-fried dumplings from northern China. The dumplings are filled with minced pork, Chinese cabbage, scallions, ginger, rice wine, and sesame seed oil. Once they are fried they have a crunchy, soft texture. While the bottom of the dumplings are frying a bit of liquid is added to the pan, then covered and let the dumplings steam through.

India

Amritsari kulcha originated in the North Indian city of Amritsari. This consists of flatbread that is stuffed with potatoes, onions, cottage cheese, and spices. The flatbread is garnished with coriander seeds, cilantro, and red chili powder. They are eaten as a staple food and are thin, crispy, and smeared with ghee butter. They are baked in large tandoor ovens.

Chole bhature is a combination of two dishes. Chole, a spice chickpea curry and bhature, a fried bread made with maida flour. The dish originated in Delhi and is popular all over North India. The dish is accompanied by onions, pickles, mint chutney, and chilled lassi. Usually this is eaten at breakfast. The bhature is filled with cottage cheese or potatoes.

Hyderabadi biryani is a dish from South India. The dish is made with basmati rice, goat, mutton or chicken meat combined with lemon, yogurt, onions, and saffron. The flavors blend what the raw meat and raw rice are cooked together in various spices.

Keema is a kind of stew that is prepared like a curry. It is made with minced lamb or goat meat, green peas, potatoes, ginger, chili, onions, ghee, garlic, and garam masala spices. It is served as a main dish accompanied by flatbreads.

Indonesia

Fried bananas or plantains are a common snack. These can be prepared by frying in shallow oil or slicing the bananas and coating in batter and then frying until golden brown. They are eaten as snacks.

Serabi pancakes are traditional small-sized pancakes made with rice flour and coconut milk or shredded coconut. They come in sweet and savory versions and can be topped with sugar, bananas, crushed peanuts, jackfruit, chocolate sprinkles, or fermented oncom.

Bubur ayam is the Indonesian version of chicken congee. This is a thick rice porridge topped with shredded chicken and savory condiments. The chicken is boiled and then shredded. The rice is cooked in the chicken broth until dense in consistency.

Iran

Ghormeh sabzi is an Iranian herb stew. The stew is a combination of fried herbs like chopped parsley, cilantro, and chives. These are mixed with cubed meat usually lamb and kidney beans and cooked into a rich and dense stew.

Morgh e shekam por is stuffed chicken. The dish is prepared with smaller or very young chicken varieties which are cleaned and marinated in oil, juice apple, lemon, or lime, and spices like turmeric and saffron. The chicken is stuffed with dries fruit such as chopped prunes, dates, raisins, barberries, or apricots and mixed with onions, garlic, parsley, chives, cilantro, and tarragon.

Japan

Katsu kare is a curry that is prepared with tonkatsu (breaded and fried pork or chicken cutlet) and curry sauce. It is served with rice or over rice.

Japanese cheesecake is known as souffle cheesecake in Japan. It is made by whisking egg whites into a cake batter made with eggs, milk, sugar, and cream cheese. Then it’s baked in a bain-marie (a special pan). It comes out fluffy and sponge-like and people enjoy eating it straight out of the oven but it can also be eaten cold.

Nikuman are Japanese-style steamed pork buns. They consist of leavened wheat dough wrapped around a ground pork filling. The meat is combined with various vegetables and seasoned with soy sauce and spices.

Lebanon

Shawarma is a delicious Middle Eastern meat treat. Shawarmas are prepared with lamb, beef, chicken, or turkey or a mix of meats that are slow-cooked for hours basting in their own juices. These meats are marinated and spit roasted.

Mutabal is a dip that is prepared with roasted eggplants, tahini, lemon juice, garlic, yogurt, olive oil, and salt. The ingredients are blended together and garnished with parsley, pomegranate seeds, or cilantro. The dip is served with pita bread on the side.

Philippines

Inasal na manok is a grilled chicken dish originating in Bacolod and has become the signature dish of the Visayas region. The dish is made with chicken pieces marinated in vinegar and spices like lemongrass, garlic, and ginger. While grilling the meat is brushed with annatto-infused oil giving it a golden color and peppery flavor. It is served with annatto-flavored garlic rice and spiced vinegar.

Lumpia is a flavorful finger food. It consists of flour or rice dough wrap stuffed with ground pork or beef and cabbage, carrots, onions, and garlic. Once wrapped it is sealed with egg wash and fried. The result is a crunchy outside and tender inside. These are accompanied by sweet and sour dipping sauce.

South Korea

Jeon are a group of savory Korean pancakes. These pancakes incorporate sliced kimchi and are prepared with a simple flour batter. They are served as an appetizer or snack.

Thailand

Massaman curry is a mild and sweet curry. It is made with creamy coconut milk, meat like beef, bone-in chicken, lamb or mutton, potatoes, and curry paste with roasted spices. The curry is cooked for a long time with flavorings like cumin, coriander, cloves, cinnamon, and peppercorns mixed with fresh garlic, chili, lemongrass, tamarind paste, and palm sugar.

Khao soi is a delicious coconut soup which is the signature dish of Northern Thailand. The base of the soup is a combination of coconut milk and red curry paste. The broth is served with flat egg noodles, and meat like chicken, pork, or beef. The soup is served with condiments like fresh lime, pickled cabbage, shallots, and chilis.

Phanaeng curry is a variety of Thai curry with a thick texture and a salty-sweet peanut flavor. The dish is made with meat like chicken, beef, or duck, stewed with dried chilis, kaffir lime leaves, coconut milk, cilantro, cumin, garlic, lemongrass, shallots, and peanuts.

Turkey

Alinazik is a Turkish kebab originating in Gaziantep. It consists of char-grilled and pureed eggplants combined with garlic yogurt sauce and topped with chunks of sweet lamb. The meat is stewed with onions, red pepper paste, tomatoes, or tomato paste and olive oil. To give the eggplants a smoky flavor they are first roasted over a coal fire. This dish is served with rice pilaf or grilled vegetables on the side.

Piyaz is a traditional Turkish salad. It consists of dried beans, parsley, onions, and sumac and a sauce made with tahini, lemon juice, and vinegar. The beans are topped with the sauce and the salad is dressed with chopped tomatoes, sliced onions, hard-boiled eggs, olive oil, and parsley.

Hunkar begendi is a traditional dish consisting of a favorable lamb stew served on top of a creamy roasted eggplant puree. The puree is thickened with milk and cheese and the whole dish can be topped with a tomato-based sauce and garnished with fresh chopped parsley.