25 side recipes

The quintessential Indian-Singaporean meal accompaniment. Unfortunately, all too often it is made using highly processed white flour and margarine. Here, the parathas are made with whole-wheat flour (you could also try using spelt flour) and stuffed with peas and potatoes, for a lighter but more wholesome take on the original. Serve hot with yoghurt and herbs.

Tex-Mex garden salad with tomatoes, zucchini, corn, avocado, and green onions in a picante-cilantro-cumin dressing. A fresh no-cook side for grilled meats.

Chewy peanut butter oatmeal cookies packed with chocolate chips and raisins. A one-bowl, drop cookie recipe that makes 3 dozen grab-and-go treats in just 30 minutes.

Indian kachumber salad with cubed tomato, red onion, fresh chili, ginger, and lemon juice. A raw, no-cook side dish that pairs with any curry or grilled meat.

Bring a bit of the Hungarian culture into your dinners with this delicious side dish you will enjoy!

Traditional Polish holiday side dishes: golden fried cabbage with split peas, pearl barley, buckwheat, baked rice, breadcrumb-coated potatoes, and seasoned beans. A complete Wigilia spread.

Upside-down apple cake with caramelized Granny Smith slices, applesauce-enriched batter, and a cinnamon cream cheese topping. Served warm for the ultimate fall dessert.

Creamy lox dip with smoked salmon, cream cheese, sour cream, and fresh chives. A Lower East Side-inspired spread for bagel chips, cucumbers, and crudites, ready in 10 minutes.

Funny-Side-Up Pie is a savory bacon and egg pie with cream of mushroom soup and sour cream in a flaky homemade double crust. Retro comfort food with a creamy gravy on the side.

Indian-style fresh kachumber: tomato, red onion, fresh chili, and ginger tossed with lemon juice and salt. The crisp, tangy 5-minute side dish for channa masala, dal, or aloo parathas.

Light upside-down cake with canned apricot halves on the bottom, topped with a sponge-like batter made from separated eggs and bread crumbs.

A favourite served at Din Tai Fung gets a healthy make-over. Water spinach, commonly known as kangkong, is rich in fibre, magnesium, vitamins A and C and is very low in calories. Word of caution: do not eat it raw as it may carry parasitic cysts from the waterways that are its natural habitat.

Here's a recipe for Chow Mein which is a pretty classic application using pan fried noodles.

Dry your beans well before cooking. To get the traditional ‘blistered’ look of the beans you will need to shallow-fry them for 5-6 minutes and stir constantly to avoid burning.

Bite-size pepperoni pizza bites made on English muffins with pizza sauce, green pepper, and melted mozzarella. Microwaved in 1 minute for a 5-minute snack.

Coffee cake with a hidden filling of dried figs, walnuts, brown sugar, and cinnamon baked between layers of vanilla batter. A sweet surprise in every slice.