Recipes from around the world, for every diet

Fatteh is a generous Levantine dish made with crisp pita bread, warm chickpeas and a creamy yogurt, tahini, lemon and garlic sauce, finished with toasted pine nuts, parsley and spices. The contrast between crunchy bread, tender chickpeas and cool creamy sauce is essential to the dish.

Shish Tawook is an iconic Levantine chicken skewer marinated in yogurt, lemon, garlic, oil and spices, then grilled over high heat. A good marinade tenderises the meat, promotes browning and produces juicy chicken with lightly caramelised edges.

Mujaddara is a Levantine classic made with lentils, rice and deeply browned onions. Simple, nourishing and aromatic, it relies on the contrast between tender lentils, separate grains of rice and a generous amount of almost crisp caramelised onions.

Mansaf is an iconic Jordanian dish of lamb slowly cooked in a jameed sauce, a strongly flavoured fermented dried yogurt, then served over shrak flatbread and fragrant rice. The dish is generously coated with sauce and finished with toasted almonds or pine nuts. Success depends on very tender lamb, a smooth balanced jameed sauce and fluffy separate grains of rice.

Maqluba is a spectacular Levantine dish whose name literally means “upside down.” Fragrant rice, chicken, eggplant, cauliflower and potatoes are layered in a large pot, gently cooked in spiced broth and then inverted in one motion onto a serving platter. The result should be a generous, aromatic dome with golden vegetables and perfectly cooked rice.

Musakhan is an iconic Palestinian dish of roasted chicken generously seasoned with sumac, served over flatbread soaked with olive oil and covered with plenty of soft onions. Toasted pine nuts and parsley finish the dish. Its character comes from the contrast between aromatic bread, tangy sumac onions and deeply browned chicken.

Warak Enab is a Levantine classic: grape leaves rolled around a filling of rice, minced meat, tomato and spices, then slowly simmered with lemon, garlic and stock. Gentle cooking makes the leaves tender while the rice absorbs the aromatic juices.

Kafta, or kofta, is a highly aromatic minced-meat preparation flavoured with onion, parsley and spices, shaped into elongated skewers or meatballs and grilled. This Levantine-style version combines beef and lamb for a juicy texture, well-caramelised exterior and pronounced parsley, cumin, coriander and allspice flavour.

Zaatar manakish are Levantine flatbreads topped with an aromatic mixture of zaatar and olive oil, then baked in a very hot oven until the dough is soft, lightly crisp around the edges and deeply infused with thyme, sumac and sesame flavours.

Fattoush is a fresh, crunchy Levantine salad made with tomatoes, cucumber, radishes, lettuce, herbs and pieces of toasted or fried pita bread. Its lemon, sumac, olive oil and pomegranate molasses dressing gives it a characteristic tangy and fruity flavour.

Kibbeh is a Levantine specialty made from fine bulgur and minced meat. In this version, the mixture is shaped into oval croquettes filled with seasoned meat, onion and pine nuts, then fried until the shell is crisp and the centre remains juicy. Success depends on a cohesive outer dough, a relatively dry filling and careful shaping.

A very fresh Lebanese tabbouleh in which parsley greatly outweighs bulgur, with tomato, mint, onion, lemon and olive oil. Unlike couscous-heavy versions, traditional Lebanese tabbouleh is primarily a finely chopped herb salad with a bright, tangy flavour.

A Middle Eastern-style chicken shawarma marinated with yogurt, lemon, garlic, olive oil and warm spices, then roasted at high heat for caramelised edges and juicy meat. It is served in pita bread with tahini or garlic sauce, tomatoes, cucumber, onion and fresh herbs.

Crisp on the outside and tender inside, these falafel are made from soaked dried chickpeas, fresh herbs, onion, garlic and spices. This recipe details the mixture, resting, shaping and frying techniques needed for a light texture rather than a dense or mushy one.

A smooth and creamy hummus made from chickpeas, tahini, lemon juice, garlic and olive oil. This version details chickpea cooking, the use of baking soda and extended blending to achieve a very fine, light and silky texture.

Shashlik is a popular marinated meat skewer found throughout Russia, the Caucasus and many parts of Eastern Europe and Central Asia. This version uses pork marinated with onions, garlic, vinegar, oil and spices, then grilled over high heat until deeply browned and lightly smoky while remaining juicy inside.

Medovik is a Russian honey cake made from multiple very thin honey cake layers assembled with a smooth sour cream and whipped cream filling. After several hours of resting, the layers absorb moisture from the cream and become incredibly tender, creating the cake's signature melt-in-the-mouth texture and deep caramelised honey flavour.

Solyanka is a rich, tangy and intensely flavoured Russian soup made with several meats, pickles, olives, tomato, lemon and aromatics. Its distinctive character comes from balancing meat broth, salty cured meats, pickle brine and lemon acidity, and the sweetness of onion and tomato.

Olivier salad is an iconic Russian salad made with potatoes, carrots, peas, eggs, pickles and cooked meat, all bound with a creamy mayonnaise and mustard dressing. For the best texture, the ingredients are cooked separately, cooled and cut into small even dice.

Classic Russian and Eastern European stuffed cabbage rolls filled with minced meat, rice, onion and aromatics, then slowly braised in a mild tomato sauce. The golubtsy become tender during cooking while keeping a juicy, flavourful filling.