Africa & Middle East recipe collection

Ground lamb sauteed with allspice, Madras curry, and rosewater, studded with sweet currants and crunchy almonds. A fragrant Persian-style skillet dinner ready in 45 minutes.

Vegetarian West African groundnut stew packed with sweet potatoes, eggplant, zucchini, and peanut butter in a ginger-spiced tomato broth. Serve over rice or millet for a filling plant-based meal.

Try this exotic salad that will satisfy both your hunger and tastebuds!

Tender beef chunks simmer with bay leaf and red pepper, then bake with rice, kidney beans, bell peppers, and curry powder in this hearty one-dish meal.

Fresh spinach wilts into a savory peanut butter sauce with sautéed onions and tomatoes in this quick 15-minute West African side dish.

Crisp matchstick vegetables dance in a tangy sweet-and-sour sauce spiked with sambal heat and golden turmeric. This Indonesian pickle jar classic pairs like a dream with Nasi Goreng.

Quick Indonesian pickled mushrooms in cumin-spiced vinegar with shallots. This tangy condiment takes 30 minutes and adds bright acidity to rice dishes and grilled meats.

Suhour (the meal before sunrise) is usually good, stick-to-your-ribs food.

Avocado stuffed with smoked fish is a West African appetizer of flaked smoked whitefish bound in a creamy sieved-yolk dressing, mounded into ripe avocado halves, and crowned with red pepper strips. Striking, elegant, no cooking.

Peeled ripe tomatoes dressed with fresh cilantro, hot chili, lemon juice, and olive oil. This bright Yemeni tomato salad comes together in 20 minutes with no cooking and packs a punch of fresh, fiery flavor.

Fire up the barbecue and enjoy this succulent dish that you and your friends will be hooked on!

Toast whole spices until smoky, grind with dried chilies and aromatics, then blend with oil and wine for a thick Ethiopian berbere paste that clings to meats and vegetables.

Afghan layered eggplant with tomatoes, peppers, and onions topped with garlic yogurt sauce. This vegetarian main dish is comfort food at its finest, served with flatbread.

South African Cape Malay fruit and vegetable curry with apricots, apples, raisins, and warm spices over rice. A fragrant, naturally vegan one-pot dinner full of sweet-spicy depth.

Fresh Afghan coriander chutney with garlic, green chilies, walnuts, and lemon. This vibrant 15-minute condiment is the perfect accompaniment to grilled kebabs and roasted meats.

While Schwartz describes the name for this Israeli dish as slightly pretentious, he notes that it won a cooking competition and found its way onto the menus of five star hotels. He recommends serving it over a bed or bulgur pilaf.