Africa & Middle East recipe collection

Refreshing Middle Eastern cucumber yogurt salad with garlic and mint. This creamy, cooling side dish pairs beautifully with spicy grilled meats, rice dishes, or warm flatbread.

Homemade falafel made from cooked chickpeas mashed with tahini, garlic, cumin, turmeric and cayenne, then deep-fried into golden balls. Stuff into pita with cucumber, tomato, sprouts and your favourite sauce.

Moroccan dessert couscous steamed three times until feathery light, finished with olive oil and cinnamon, then garnished with dried fruits and almonds. A traditional North African sweet.

Moroccan diced pepper and tomato salad with grilled green peppers, fresh tomatoes, and garlic. A smoky, no-cook side dish served chilled with just four ingredients.

Slow-simmered brisket chili with dried kidney beans, three kinds of chile peppers, masa harina, and brewed coffee. Bold, beefy, and deeply spiced.

African-style eggplant curry with potatoes, tomatoes, cumin, cardamom, turmeric, and hot chiles simmered into a thick, syrupy sauce. Vegetarian and served over rice.

Moroccan eggplant salad (zaalouk-style) with sauteed eggplant, grated tomatoes, garlic, red pepper flakes, and parsley. A warm, smoky appetizer served with lemon wedges.

A traditional Middle Eastern dish containing bulgur wheat and fresh herbs. Serve with Toasted Pita Chips (see separate recipe) and raw vegetables.

Favourite Tabouli Bread with Olives and Apricots recipe

Greek style appetizer, these spanakopitas are always a hit; they are so delicious and you just always want one more!

Indian-spiced split pea soup with turmeric, cumin, coriander, cardamom, and a finishing dust of garam masala. A warming, fiber-rich vegetarian soup with deep heat.

Indonesian chili peanut sauce with garlic, soy sauce, sesame oil, vinegar, and red pepper flakes. A versatile satay-style dipping sauce ready in 15 minutes.

Ingelegde vis, a Cape Malay pickled fish with poached cod or flounder in a tangy curry-onion sauce. Traditional South African Easter dish served cold after a mandatory chill.

Joyce's Indonesian fried rice (nasi goreng): the classic Southeast Asian fried rice with shrimp paste, tamarind, and ketjap manis, loaded with shrimp, chicken, and barbecued pork. Dinner for four in 45 minutes.

Ketjap manis, the Indonesian sweet soy sauce that flavors nasi goreng, satay, and bami goreng. Homemade syrup of dark brown sugar, soy, molasses, galangal, and coriander cooks in 20 minutes and keeps for months.

Persian herb frittata loaded with spinach, parsley, dill, cilantro, and scallions baked until fluffy and golden for a protein-rich meal.