Herbs & Spices

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.

Summer’s most accessible cocktail is much like the season itself: easy, relaxing, refreshing, sunny, and filled with fruit and flavor.

Getting a porterhouse steak to a blushing, consistent medium-rare is a feat—but the key is to keep it moving.

Sometimes the best meat in the butcher’s case isn’t beef. Pork shoulder steaks are fatty and flavorful.

A crispy-crusted pork shoulder glazed with a tangy vinegar and butter sauce.

Easy, hearty, and it can stand up to hot summer weather—even if you make it ahead. 

As in: Spoon it on grilled meats, fish, or vegetables. You can’t lose.

This subtly minty chocolate ice cream can also be made with chopped-up Thin Mints or Andes Mints.

Don’t let fish intimidate you on the grill. Cutting it into wide planks makes it easy to flip.

This barbecue chicken has the crackliest, stickiest skin.

In this 30-minute dish, which is inspired by Yotam Ottolenghi's recipe in his 2011 book Plenty, black pepper is the star, not the sidekick: When bloomed in oil, the coarsely ground peppercorns become piquant and fragrant enough to flavor the entire sauce, no red pepper flakes, dried chiles, or hot sauce needed. Take care not to burn the peppercorns as you toast them or the flavor could swing from spicy to bitter.

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. 

This vegetarian Thai curry comes together in about 30 minutes—and you don't need store-bought curry paste to make it. Our streamlined version is fresh-tasting and easy to throw together—just blitz cilantro stems (the most flavorful part of the herb!), ginger, garlic, shallots, and green chiles in a food processor or blender.

You need this spicy and deeply umami tiger bite sauce in your life.