Sohla El-Waylly

Peanut butter, jelly, and buttery crackers in (no-churn!) ice cream pie form.

This dish of saucy, seared paneer channels the flavors traditionally found in matar paneer—coriander, cumin, chile, and ginger—into a quick-cooking cherry tomato sauce that's packed with bright spring-y sugar snap peas. If you can’t find paneer, give this a try with another sturdy non-melty cheese like Halloumi or queso fresco. Or think of it as a simple sauce you can serve over any protein, like a crispy-skinned salmon fillet, seared shell-on shrimp, sliced feta, or even just a bed of salted yogurt. 

If the words crispy dumpling skirt don't send you running to your stove, we don't know what will. Instead of steaming these dumplings in water, we simmer them in a vinegary cornstarch and flour slurry that creates a lacy, crunchy golden crust as the water evaporates and the dumplings brown. The vinegar adds tang, but also creates the lightest and crispiest skirt, a pro move we borrowed from Dumpling Galaxy in Flushing, Queens. 

These cookies are inspired by the most trusted human energy source: trail mix. They’re crammed with toasted nuts, dried fruit, hearty oats, and chocolate.

Guaranteed to make any raw vegetable taste good.

These fluffy buttermilk-laced buns are filled with a cinnamon-scented date purée to capture all that gooey sticky bun glory without being overly sweet.

Not just a clever name, this savory tart combines three alliums (scallions, garlic, and onion) for maximum flavor and crispy-jammy texture. The key to the flaky crust is to move fast! Rolling and folding the dough while the butter is still cold creates distinct layers of butter and flour that will steam apart during baking, making the crust light and flaky.

You’ll find all the flavors of Middle Eastern shish barak (tiny lamb and pine nut) dumplings here, but made simpler and brighter with help from dried pasta and plenty of fresh dill.

Here’s what happened after carrot cake met carrot halwa, the milky, long-cooking, spoonably-soft confection common in South Asia. Raisins, cinnamon, and cream cheese frosting made way for brown-butter pistachios, cardamom, and sticky carrot glaze and the rest of their romance was history. 

Wheat germ, the nutrient-rich heart of wheat kernels, gives these cookies their hearty, nutty crunch while also keeping them tender and crumbly. You can often find wheat germ in the bulk bin aisle of the grocery store, but toasted rolled oats or ground flax can be used in its place for a similar texture. These cookies are ideal for making in advance, as their flavor and texture improve after a few days. The butter and milk can be substituted with plant-based alternatives without sacrifice, so make them vegan if you want.

We really went for it here, drawing on the flavor and texture of idli podi (a coarsely ground spice mixture that also goes by the name “gunpowder spice”) to create a gluten-free version of craggy-crunchy fried chicken. Our version swaps chickpea flour and sesame seeds for wheat flour, and, once fried, we dust it with lime zest, coconut, and crushed red pepper flakes. Be sure to fry the chicken to a deep brown to create superior crunch and coax out the nutty flavors of the chickpea flour and sesame seeds. And don’t skip the honey: It will balance out all the bold flavors.