Herbs & Spices

Ginger and orange juice give this raita a holiday feel. Treat it like cranberry sauce–it goes with everything.

Thinly sliced flanken-cut short ribs, packed with rich flavor, are the key to this Thai stir-fry.

Chitra Agrawal took flavor inspiration for this simple dish from her mother’s home state of Karnataka in South India, where thuppa means “ghee” and anna means “rice” in Kannada, the local language.

Short ribs aren’t just for braising. Make sure to grill them to medium doneness, just long enough to render fat and tenderize, without letting them overcook or toughen.

Cucumbers are transformed into candy-like bites in this unexpected dessert inspired by Eton mess, a British summer classic typically featuring layers of strawberries, broken meringue, and whipped cream. 

Doogh, a salty-tangy Persian yogurt drink, is the perfect antidote to a humid summer afternoon. It’s traditionally made with dried mint (and sometimes dried rose petals and/or black pepper), but this recipe employs fresh mint for a boost of bright flavor and color. This drink can be made with flat water, but club soda adds a refreshing fizzy finish.

The key to stress-free stir-frying is all in the prep work. Be sure to chop, slice, and grate everything before even thinking about turning on the stove. Top this dish with fried eggs to put it over the top, but it’s also great without them.

A concentrated spiced simple syrup to flavor any cold brew.

This standby salsa recipe using either tomatillos or tomatoes for the base lasts five days in the fridge or up to a month if you freeze it.

This super-flexible, all-purpose salad turns cabbage into luscious tangles of crisp leaves coated in a rich and bright dressing.

Chewy wonderful Korean rice cakes soak up the flavor of a ginger-garlic-scallion sauce we can’t quit.

To make chitranna, which translates to “mixed rice" in Kannada, bright yellow rice, colored with turmeric, is sautéed in oil that's been seasoned with black mustard seeds, curry leaves, chile, the umami-rich spice asafetida, and urad dal and chana dal, two lentils that add a nutty taste and crunchy texture. The dish is finally garnished with fried peanuts, grated coconut, cilantro, and a generous amount of lemon juice, resulting in a symphony of savory, sour, sweet, spicy, and herbaceous notes.

Palya is a classic South Indian recipe usually composed of a single vegetable chopped into bite-size pieces and sautéed in oil that has been seasoned with black mustard seeds, asafetida, chile, and curry leaves. The dish is then finished with lemon juice, grated coconut, and cilantro. This same preparation is referred to by different names such as thoran or poriyal depending on which state in South India you are in. Seasonal produce is preferred, but the combination makes even the saddest of vegetables at the back of your fridge sing. 

This Persian rice dish, known as kateh gojeh farangi, is the ideal late summer comfort food. The cinnamon tames the natural acidity of tomatoes, creating a sweet-savory aroma and flavor.

Most of the world's saffron is grown in Iran, but the rest of the story is not so straightforward.

Saffron’s deep crimson threads add an intense sunset-orange hue and rich aroma to whatever it touches, but the downside is that it’s very expensive. This dish from recipe developer Yasmin Fahr uses a saffron technique taught to her mother by her mother and then passed on to her. By gently grinding the saffron threads, then mixing them with water, you can create a saffron liquid that makes a little bit of the expensive spice go a longer way (and it helps the threads dissolve better). If you don’t like fish skin, it’s easier to remove after you cook it.

This adaptable Thai salad with beef, aromatics, and plenty of herbs and lime juice is as spicy as it is bright.

A member of the larger umbrella group of easy fruit desserts, a buckle features tons of fruit barely held together by tender cake. We're talking so much fruit that the cake buckles around it, hence the name. There are many regional buckle variations, and not all have a streusel topping. This particular recipe, however, has got lots of big crumbs—and we think you’ll be glad that’s the case. 

These sautéed tomatoes are rich, silky, and endlessly versatile. 

This impossibly smooth, thick, saffron-studded treat is yogurt in its dreamiest, creamiest dessert form.

This recipe is Tyna Hoang's homage to Hanoi’s classic Chả Cá Lã Vọng, a dish of fried fish seasoned with turmeric, shrimp paste, and dill that’s served over vermicelli with lots of herbs and nước chấm, a fish sauce dressing. Her simplified version is married with the summer roll for a quick and refreshing nod to an otherwise perfect traditional recipe. In Vietnam, summer roll dishes are usually served deconstructed with platters of crisp greens, herbs, and accoutrements so guests can assemble their own rolls (post COVID-19, of course).

Sweet, sweet basil deserves all of your attention. Pay it proper respect with these delicious recipes.

Make a double batch and keep this spicy-sweet blend on hand for all grilled meats and vegetables.