2,148 pasteli recipes

Samak curry with white fish fillets braised in a spiced paste of dried lime, curry powder, nutmeg, and fresh herbs. A Middle Eastern-style curried fish ready in 35 minutes over rice.

Plantain soup made from green plantains fried golden, crushed into a paste, and simmered in stock with fresh lime juice. A creamy, starchy Caribbean-style soup with no cream needed.

Curry-glazed duck legs roast under a paste of jalapeno, ginger, garlic, and curry powder, then braise in orange-lime juice with chicken stock. The skin re-crisps for shatteringly crackly results.

South Indian vegetable kurma with eggplant, carrots, peas, beans, and potatoes in a fresh coconut-chili-poppy seed paste. A fragrant vegetarian curry finished with tomatoes and yogurt.

Vegan date walnut muffins built on a sticky date-water paste with brown sugar and crunchy walnuts folded in. No eggs, no dairy, just 12 tender muffins in 45 minutes.

Galveston rub: a wet Texas Gulf Coast paste of crushed garlic, cayenne, paprika, and lemon juice for poultry and pork. Four ingredients, ten minutes, makes about ⅓ cup.

Tandoori tofu brochettes marinate extra-firm tofu overnight in a saffron yogurt tandoori spice paste, then grill on skewers with red onion, mushrooms, peppers, and cherry tomatoes. A vegan twist on classic tandoori cooking.

Fresh mint and coriander chutney with tamarind, green chili, and onion ground into a bright, tangy paste. A no-cook Indian condiment that keeps in the fridge for a week and pairs with samosas, kebabs, and chaat.

Blanched vegetables stir-fried in a rich almond-cashew paste with paneer, potatoes, and fresh mint. A vibrant Indian jalfrezi that's vegetarian and ready in 30 minutes.

Moroccan dess b'l-besla: lentils simmered with caramelized onions, garlic, cumin and a pinch of cinnamon in a fragrant North African spice paste. Vegetarian, deeply spiced and ready in just over an hour.

Indian nut masala paste made from toasted cumin, cardamom, poppy seeds, and peppercorns ground with almonds, garlic, and fresh ginger. Keeps for a month.

Crusty lamb con ajo with a thick garlic and parsley paste coating a whole leg of lamb. Three full bulbs of garlic blended with oil create a fragrant, golden crust.

Malaysian Penangites favourite dish is a popular soup that you can make with the Penang Shrimp Paste. This soup is nice when served with noodles made from either rice or wheat or bean thread.

Restaurant-style sesame beef stir fry with crisp asparagus and red bell pepper. Triple-fried strips get tossed in a savory soy, sesame paste, and Shaoxing wine sauce that clings to every bite.

Pulikacchal: the tangy-sweet South Indian tamarind paste for puliyodharai rice. Mustard seeds, chilies, jaggery, and sesame cooked down into a shelf-stable rice mix.

Date haroset for Passover with dates, dried apricots, walnuts, almonds, cinnamon, ginger, orange juice, and kosher red wine. A Sephardic-style charoset processed into a thick, spiced fruit paste.