Recipes

Yotam Ottolenghi · The Guardian

These are brilliant make-ahead skewers for a barbecue. The coconut milk tenderises the meat while it marinates, while the fat in the milk gives the cooked skewers a flavoursome sheen. The marinade works equally well with chicken or pork

Yotam Ottolenghi · The Guardian

This works very well as a speedy supper or brunch dish. If you are catering for more than one, make the omelettes in batches, or just make a large one in a big frying pan

Yotam Ottolenghi · The Guardian

Tinned fish makes one of easiest, tastiest, quickest and most cost-effective meals. Spice up pilchards with some harissa and herbs – all it needs is some toast to soak up all that tomatoey goodness, but, if you like, smother some pasta in it to make a light supper

Yotam Ottolenghi · The Guardian

These simply addictive greens make for a very quick and versatile side dish, and the five-spice tomatoes, which are delicious on their own, make them extra-special

Yotam Ottolenghi · The Guardian

This brings together two Middle Eastern/Mediterranean dishes that I adore: the first is b’siniyah, a hugely comforting meat casserole with a tahini crust, and the second is chraimeh, a spicy Moroccan tomato sauce

Yotam Ottolenghi · The Guardian

Inspired by Chinese stuffed aubergines – a dish I love – with the sauce taking the dish it in a slightly Middle Eastern direction. Earmark the filling and sauce to make fabulous use in other meals: just shape the filling into patties, for instance, then sear them on both sides then simmer in the sauce

Yotam Ottolenghi · The Guardian

There are many versions of this lipsmackingly delicious, sweet-and-sour Sri Lankan dish. This one uses coconut cream for richness and sweet red peppers. If you can’t find any a pandan leaves (look for them in specialist south Asian food stores), then just omit it from the spice paste

Yotam Ottolenghi · The Guardian

Couscous always feels like a bit of a magic ingredient, especially when it comes to near-instant meals. Boiling water plus five minutes’ waiting, and that’s it! Quinoa also works well here, should you prefer a gluten-free option

Yotam Ottolenghi · The Guardian

Once you’ve made this really versatile dish a couple of times, experiment with the ingredients: choy sum works as well as the pak choi, for instance, as do radishes for the cucumber; cooked chickpeas or chunks of leftover roast chicken also work here instead of the tofu. Serve with boiled rice or noodles

Yotam Ottolenghi · The Guardian

My test kitchen colleague Chaya is from Mauritius, where stir-fries are often eaten with a garlic relish that’s quite similar to daqa, an Egyptian condiment. Here we merge the two to bring an acidic lift to vegetables. Serve just as it is, or with boiled rice or noodles

Yotam Ottolenghi

The mixture of cooked and raw beans here makes this dish fall somewhere between a salad and a slaw – both of which are, of course, great additions to any summer lunch spread

Yotam Ottolenghi

This is an even more perfect summer side than a tomato salad. It can be made in the one tray, and pairs very well with crusty bread or pasta; in fact, it hits all the spots. Serve warm or at room temperature

Yotam Ottolenghi

Substitute the apricots for another dried fruit, if you fancy – if it’s firm, just make sure you rehydrate it in boiling water first. Prepare the chicken in advance up to the point when it’s ready to go in the oven, then chill until you’re ready to cook (if you do this, take it out of the fridge an hour beforehand)

Yotam Ottolenghi · The Guardian

Use over-ripe melons if you can, because that’s when they are at their sweetest and most perfumed. Alcohol stops this granita from being especially icy, but if you prefer, leave it out and replace with water

Yotam Ottolenghi · The Guardian

This is a simple dessert for easy summer entertaining. The chocolate curls are made by scraping and shaving a bar of chocolate with a large knife, but you can just grate it instead, if you prefer. To make it dairy-free, simply omit the cream or swap it for a plant-based alternative

Yotam Ottolenghi · The Guardian

Both the peaches and granita can be made up to a week in advance. The peaches are great on yoghurt, too, so make extra, if you fancy. I’ve used a spent vanilla pod here (ie, a pod saved after scraping out the beans); alternatively, use a quarter-teaspoon of vanilla bean extract

Yotam Ottolenghi · The Guardian

This dramatic-looking dish makes great use of plums as a dressing, which is inspired by the Georgian dressing tkemali. Make extra, if you like, and serve with duck and other fatty meat, or with cheese. Feta would work as a substitute for the blue cheese, if need be

Yotam Ottolenghi · The Guardian

This chutney pairs very well with all sorts: other fatty meat, such as duck. Serve with plain rice or flatbreads

Yotam Ottolenghi · The Guardian

This sweet and spicy dressing is a perfect match for grilled nectarines and cucumbers. The dressing is inspired by ssamjang, a Korean dipping sauce that’s often served with grilled meat

Yotam Ottolenghi · The Guardian

This great make-ahead dessert requires very little hands-on time. If you like, serve it with slices of fresh mango or swap the lime for passion fruit

Yotam Ottolenghi · The Guardian

Pulao is a dish that often marks big celebrations such as weddings and birthdays in parts of the Middle East and Asia. It’s similar to biryani in that it can be made with fish, meat or vegetables, but it uses fewer spices and isn’t accompanied by a saucy gravy. We’ve used curry powder, but feel free to swap it for any spice mix that you have to hand

Yotam Ottolenghi · The Guardian

The cooked frozen mussels make this a really quick and easy dish; it also works just as well with frozen prawns or clams. It makes a lovely starter, and is great for dipping crusty bread into. Make it a day ahead, if you like, and store in a sterilised jar in the fridge, because the mussels become even more flavourful overnight

Yotam Ottolenghi

Katmer is a dessert from Gaziantep in Turkey that’s traditionally served with Kkaymak, a Turkish, clotted cream. You can find it in most Middle Eastern shops, but if you can’t get hold of any, swap it for Cornish clotted. As a twist, we’ve added feta and a lemony cardamom syrup to ours. Serve alongside with seasonal berries and/or orange segments, if you like

Yotam Ottolenghi

Kubbes come in many shapes and sizes. This version uses rice as the casing and curry leaves as a twist, but; if you can’t get your hands on fresh curry leaves, then swap it them for any soft herbs that you have to hand, likesuch as dill or parsley. To get ahead, make the filling the day before, but don’t cook the rice until just before forming the kubbes