Whether you’re looking to break free from your standard weekly menu or fancy trying something new, you don’t need years of culinary experience to prepare some of the best dishes from around the globe. Better still, you can enjoy your meals without the guilt of eating something heavy in calories.
To help you out, we’ve listed our favourite dishes from other countries around the world, including our own takes on these amazing recipes to ensure they’re both simple and just as tasty. Here’s how you can amaze yourself and cook up a storm in the kitchen.
Beef Bulgogi (South Korea)
A Korean staple that perfectly balances savoury and sweet, Beef Bulgogi is typically made using thin slices of meat marinated in a mix of soy sauce, sesame oil, garlic, ginger, Asian pear, and brown sugar. For our take, we use minced beef and substitute the pear for an apple, which is much easier to find around the house and offers the same levels of sweetness (although it doesn’t tenderise the meat as well).
The secret here is to leave your meat in the marinade overnight – if you can’t wait to tuck in, though, 30 minutes will be enough. Then, fry your beef in a skillet or frying pan on high heat until it browns, usually after 5 minutes or so. Serve with fluffy white rice and your choice of vegetables – we love finely sliced carrots and cucumbers for ultimate freshness.
Chorizo and Sweet Potato Salad with Feta (Middle Eastern & Mediterranean-Inspired)
A filling and well-balanced salad combining a variety of sweet and savoury flavours in one. It’s complex when you look at the finished product, but it is incredibly easy; it just takes a little time and effort to prepare.
Start by peeling and cutting your sweet potato and beetroot into bite-sized chunks, cover in olive oil, salt, and cumin, and place in a pre-heated oven for around 20 minutes. While they are caramelising, slice your chorizo into 1 cm rounds and lay in a small frying pan with no oil, cooking on either side for around a minute or two until crispy and oily.
Now, prepare your salad dressing, using a spoonful of apple cider vinegar, the juice of one lemon, a splash of olive oil, and the signature ingredient, pomegranate molasses. Assemble your bowl with a bed of rocket or lettuce, your warm roasted sweet potato and beetroot, and the crispy chorizo. Drizzle over your tangy dressing and crumble some authentic feta over the top. We also recommend adding a soft-boiled egg cut in half for additional colour and depth.
It’s a dish that is best served immediately and slightly warm, but you can refrigerate it overnight and consume the rest the following day.
Palak Chicken (North India/Pakistan)
It’s hard to choose just one curry dish for this list, but our favourite has to be Palak Chicken. Don’t confuse this with the Saag, which uses a mix of leafy greens; a Palak curry only uses spinach. It’s a tasty and mild dish full of spices, specifically Kasuri Methi (dried Fenugreek leaves), that should be served with basmati rice and parathas.
Start by heating your whole spices (cumin seeds, cardamom, and cinnamon) in a hot pan with some neutral oil (or Ghee if you have it) before throwing in some chopped onions. Once translucent, add a little water and a ginger and garlic paste until the smell becomes less strong. Then, sear your chicken until it browns and add a mix of red chilli powder, turmeric, cumin powder, and coriander powder, adding extra water if it starts to stick.
If you wish to use fresh spinach, add this a handful at a time or add blocks of frozen spinach straight in, leaving to cook untouched for 30 minutes or so. Now is the time to add your dried fenugreek and a little oat milk for creaminess (and some green chillis for heat if you wish), cooking for another few minutes.
For our recipe, we used chicken breast, but you can use thighs, a full chicken shredded into pieces, or drumsticks.
Sticky Chicken with Stir-Fried Greens (China – inspired)
Impress your partner or family with the best fakeaway dish in our opinion. Inspired by Chinese cooking, our sticky chicken recipe includes crispy chicken bites tossed in a sweet and salty glaze, which works perfectly with a side of smoky vegetables.
While many recipes will tell you to dredge the chicken in eggs and breadcrumbs (which is both time-consuming and messy), we recommend placing your bite-sized chicken pieces into a bowl and dusting with cornflour until each piece is evenly coated.
Now, you have two choices: you can either cook the chicken in the air fryer or in a frying pan. For the first option, place in your tray so each piece has enough room, and lightly coat in oil, cooking until golden, which typically will take about 18 minutes at 200 degrees. In a pan, pour a generous amount (about 1 cm deep) of a neutral oil, such as vegetable or avocado, and batch cook the chicken until golden and crispy. You’ll know when it’s ready when the juices run clear, and the chicken is completely cooked on the inside.
While your chicken cooks, in a small saucepan, mix together tomato sauce (ketchup), sweet chilli sauce, garlic powder, light soy sauce, dark soy sauce, toasted sesame oil, and brown sugar – start off small with each and taste to your liking. Heat the sauce until it starts to caramelise and bubble, it should be a dark red/brown colour, then tip in your cooked chicken and it’s good to go.
For the greens, prepare tenderstem broccoli, green beans, and bok choi, as well as some chopped garlic. Heat a little toasted sesame oil at medium-high in your pan and throw in the greens. Once they start to brighten up, add your garlic, along with some light and dark sesame oil (about a tablespoon of each) and cook until they just start to wilt. If you fancy adding a carb as a side dish, egg-fried rice is an unbeatable choice.
Avgolemono (Greece)
Considered to be a hidden gem of Greek cuisine, Avgolemono is a creamy and comforting broth made from rich chicken stock and orzo, with a zesty lemon kick. It can easily go wrong, but by following our simple steps, it’ll come out perfect.
In a large pot, bring your chicken broth to a boil and add in your orzo, cooking for 20 minutes until almost cooked. Stir in shredded pre-cooked chicken for a few minutes and remove everything from the heat. In a separate bowl, whisk a few eggs with lemon juice and slowly ladle a few large spoonfuls of the broth, whisking constantly to prevent them from scrambling. It’s vital the broth isn’t too hot, and you do this slowly – the mixture should be light and creamy.
Finally, pour your tempered mixture back into the pot with the rest of the broth and mix until combined, heating on low for another minute so things thicken. Serve immediately with freshly chopped dill and a slice of lemon.
If you choose to eat the rest of your avgolemono the next day, heat it in a pan on high heat until warm to prevent the orzo from becoming mushy and the eggs from scrambling.
Chicken and Sweetcorn Soup with Crispy Chilli Oil (China)
A traditional Chinese takeaway-style soup made from chicken and sweetcorn that is filling enough to be served as dinner or a light lunch. All you need to do is combine chicken stock with a tin of sweetcorn (preferably mashed up a little) and add a little soy sauce. Turn on the heat, and when it starts to simmer, add your pre-cooked shredded chicken.
Add a few spoonfuls of cornflour slurry to thicken it up, and once it begins to bubble, turn down the heat. Whisk some eggs in a bowl and slowly pour into the mixture in a thin stream, only stirring after a few seconds to form ribbons. Now, simply serve in a bowl, and top with a drizzle of sesame oil, spring onions, and delicious crispy chilli oil. It’s the perfect kick to an already tasty dish.
Creamy Miso Mushroom Orzo (Japan-Italy)
A unique twist of traditional orzo recipes, our creamy miso mushroom orzo is the perfect blend of a creamy pasta with the umami flavours of Japan. It’s something that is quite light and easy to clear several portions of in one sitting.
All you need is high-quality orzo pasta, your choice of mushrooms (chestnuts or white button are easy to find and work well), garlic, stock, white miso paste, and oat milk. Sweat your mushrooms in a pan with some quality olive oil, then add some Italian-style herb seasoning and your orzo. Toast it for a minute or so and add in your broth, pre-mixed with the miso paste (we used chicken, but vegetable is also suitable).
As it cooks, you’ll see the liquid begin to disappear, and what you’re left with is a glistening pasta dish. Turn off the heat and add in your oat milk, as a healthy alternative to cream, and consider sprinkling over some Pecorino or Parmesan cheese.
Pho Ga/Chicken Pho (Vietnam)
While it may be among the more complex dishes on this list, Pho Ga is a soul-warming bowl of soup that will leave you with a feeling of accomplishment when you tell your friend what you made. Our recipe is a lot simpler than traditional recipes but just as tasty.
First, you need to make your broth. Do so by placing a full chicken in a large pot, filling it with a few litres of water, an onion chopped in half, a three-inch piece of ginger sliced into sections, a stick of cinnamon, one tbsp of soy sauce, and a tbsp of white sugar. Leave to cook for an hour while removing any froth that appears on the top.
Remove the chicken and shred once cool, then strain the broth through a sieve so that it is clear of the spices. If you feel it needs a bit more flavour, add some more light soy sauce. Prepare your noodles as per the packet instructions, place them into a deep-dish bowl, and ladle over your tasty broth. Top with your chicken, some spring onions, a fresh lime wedge, black and white sesame seeds, and a drizzle of sriracha sauce.
You can always buy a pre-made Pho spice bag that simplifies this further, but the fun is in making everything from scratch.
Spanish Chicken with Potatoes (Spain)
A one-pot dish with a homemade sauce, this Spanish meal is both hearty and healthy. All you need is a few pieces of chicken breast, an onion, garlic, fresh tomatoes, an aubergine, and a red pepper.
Start by sauteing your diced onion and garlic for a few minutes and add in your chopped tomatoes and aubergine. Cook until everything starts to become soft and the tomatoes have broken down, which takes around 10-15 minutes. Transfer the mixture into a blender and process until lump-free and thick, seasoning with a little salt.
Pour some more oil into your pan and add your diced chicken breast and thinly sliced potatoes, frying for a few minutes until brown, then add your sauce back in, sprinkle with some smoked paprika, and cook for another 15 minutes. We served the dish with rice and a touch of fresh parsley, but you can toast some bread if you wish to soak up all the sauce.
Nasi Goreng (Indonesia)
A sweet and spicy rice dish made from fresh ingredients and low in calories. Nasi Goreng’s key ingredient is a sweet soy sauce called Kecap Manis, which is similar to molasses – you can find this in most major supermarkets now or can order it via Amazon. Traditional Nasi Goreng is also made with chicken and shrimp paste, but we opted for a vegetarian version without either.
Typically, you use leftover rice from the previous night so it coats in the sauce much better, but fresh rice will still taste just as good. It’s also healthier for you, since cooling rice increases resistant starch, reducing blood sugar spikes and calories consumed. Just make sure it is fully dried before cooking (spreading it thinly on a tray in the freezer does the job).
Use a blender or a pestle and mortar to grind up shallots, garlic, and red chillies into a paste, and fry this in oil for a few minutes. Add your cold rice and make sure each piece is evenly coated in the spicy sauce, then stir in your kecap manis along with soy sauce. And don’t forget to serve with a fried egg, sliced cucumber, and drizzles of sriracha.
For this recipe, we also only used soy sauce, but you can use fish sauce for added savoury depth.
FAQs
What are the easiest dishes for beginners?
All of the dishes in our list can be made by even the most novice of chefs, but it typically comes down to how much time or effort you’re willing to put into your meals. If you’re looking for some quick and easy, sticky chicken is your go-to, since you can combine your sauces into one pan and coat and cook the chicken in as little as 15 minutes. Our creamy miso mushroom orzo is also beginner-friendly, cooked in just one pan with only a handful of ingredients and preparation methods.
How do I find authentic ingredients for these meals?
While some of the dishes included in the list include ingredients you may not already have in your pantry or cupboards, they are quite easy to get hold of. Sainsbury’s has upped its game over the years, with a range of Indian, Korean, Chinese, and Thai ingredients in both its world food and fresh aisles such as miso paste, Fenugreek leaves, and Kecap Manis.
Additionally, you can get large quantities of herbs and spices from places like Grape Tree and local Asian supermarkets. We advise getting your meat from your local butchers to ensure freshness and high-quality, and you support independent businesses in doing so.
Can these meals be made vegetarian?
Absolutely! Every meal on this list can be adjusted to your taste and preferences. While they are authentic, there’s no hard-set rule. For example, swap chicken for tofu or tempeh in your pho, make your avgolemono without chicken following the same steps, or use paneer instead of chicken for your palak curry.
Can I freeze these meals?
Yes, we recommend freezing in suitable Tupperware if you intend to make bulk batches of some of these meals, although they taste best when fresh. Freeze the Beef Bulgogi mixture after letting it cool, the sticky chicken before adding the sauce, and the Spanish chicken and Chicken Palak in full once cool.
The chorizo and sweet potato salad is something that should really be made fresh due to the ingredients, and we suggest keeping it in the fridge if you want to eat it a day or so later. For the ramen, consider only freezing the soup base so you can add your choice of meat later. Similarly, freeze the chicken and sweetcorn soup before adding the crispy chilli oil.
We don’t recommend freezing the orzo or avgolemono since they can become soggy once defrosted. If you do choose to freeze, heat them quickly rather than low and slow. Since Nasi Goreng includes rice, if you do choose to freeze and eat later, be aware that reheating rice can come with risks – just make sure it is piping hot.