Cardamom

Marinated and spit-roasted, shawarma is a delicious Middle Eastern meat treat whose origins can be traced back to the Ottoman Empire era, while its name stems from the Arabic pronunciation of the Turkish word çevirme (lit. to turn;... READ MORE

Hyderabadi biryani is a South Indian dish consisting of basmati rice, goat, mutton, or chicken meat, lemon, yogurt, onions, and saffron. There are two main varieties of the dish – kachchi (raw) and pakki (cooked). It is sai... READ MORE

Keema is a stew that is usually prepared as a curry with ingredients such as minced lamb or chicken meat, green peas, ginger-garlic paste, chili, onions, ghee, and garam masala spices. The name of the dish means minced meat in Urdu. Altho... READ MORE

At its core, chole bhature is a combination of two dishes: chole - a spicy chickpea curry, and bhature - a type of fried bread made with maida flour. Popular throughout North India, the dish was invented in Delhi in the 1940s. It... READ MORE

Malai kofta is a traditional North Indian dish consisting of fried potato and paneer balls in a creamy sauce. The dish is commonly served at festivals, celebrations, and weddings due to its rich texture and flavors. A typical dish of Mughal cuisin... READ MORE

Aamras is essentially puréed mango pulp that is typically eaten as a dessert. It is made with ripe and juicy mangos that are sliced or diced and blended into a creamy, sweet, and fragrant mixture. The finely puréed cream usually gain... READ MORE

Vindaloo is a flavorful curry dish that is popular in England and the Indian regions of Goa and Konkan. It is typically made with marinated pork, but it can also be made with chicken, beef, mutton, or paneer. The name of the dish stems from the mi... READ MORE

Kulfi is a traditional ice cream made with slowly simmered whole milk. Although the long-simmering process results in a loss of volume, it makes up for it with a delicious, nutty, caramelized flavor. The ice cream is characterized by its unusual, ... READ MORE

Originating from India's Moghul cuisine, shahi paneer is a cheese curry that is prepared with paneer cheese, onions, cashews, and a rich, spicy tomato-cream sauce. The dish is typically accompanied by Indian breads such as naan, roti, or puri. Oft... READ MORE

Chicken karahi is a poultry dish that is popular in Pakistan and North India. The word karahi in its name refers to a thick and deep cooking-pot similar to a wok in which the dish is prepared. Apart from chicken, the dish is made with red chili po... READ MORE

Phirni is a dessert made with ground rice that's cooked in milk and flavored with almonds, saffron, and cardamom. A favorite in North India, it is most often prepared for special occasions or festivals such as Diwali and Karwa Chauth. Traditionall... READ MORE

Shrikhand is a popular Indian yogurt-based dessert, combined with sugar and nuts in order to develop a rich, creamy texture and sweet flavor. In North India, it is usually served for breakfast, while in South India, it is commonly served as a dess... READ MORE

Chomchom is a traditional sweet from Bangladesh consisting of milk that is cooked in sugar syrup. It is often flavored with lemon juice and cardamom powder. The sweet treat can be served in a few different varieties – with chopped nuts, mala... READ MORE

Xacuti is a popular chicken or mutton curry that is heavily spiced with pepper, poppy seeds, coconut, and chiles. The dish is a specialty of the Indian state of Goa, where it was brought over by the Portuguese, who colonised the area in the past. ... READ MORE

Bakarkhani is a popular Mughlai flatbread made from maida flour combined with semolina, sugar, ghee, cardamom, and almonds. The dough is traditionally baked in a tandoor oven, and the bread is often sprinkled with poppy or nigella seeds. It has a ... READ MORE

Tsoureki is a traditional Easter bread characterized by its braided shape, which can be either circular or elongated like a loaf. Tradition says that tsoureki should be braided in three strands - one for each aspect of the Trinity. The bread is us... READ MORE

Kardemommeboller are traditional Swedish cardamom buns. This sweet knotted pastry is usually made with a combination of milk, butter, yeast, sugar, flour, crushed cardamom seeds, and salt. The milk is scalded and mixed with butter until everything... READ MORE

Rogan josh is an aromatic lamb curry that is believed to be of Persian origin, although today it is more closely associated with the Kashmir region of India. The stew is characterized by tender meat and a thick, fiery red sauce coming from deseede... READ MORE

Kaju katli, also known as kaju barfi, is a traditional dessert characterized by its diamond shape, made with cashew nuts, sugar, cardamom powder, and ghee butter. This sweet treat often comes wrapped in an edible silver foil, signifying l... READ MORE

Nihari is a popular meat-based dish originating from Old Delhi. When Pakistan gained independence in 1947, numerous immigrants from Delhi settled in Karachi, where they established their own restaurants, so nihar is also associated with Pakistani ... READ MORE

Hawawshi is a popular Egyptian snack consisting of a traditional baladi bread, in appearance similar to the famous pita pockets, stuffed with a flavorful mixture of minced meat, vegetables, and various spices. The generously seas... READ MORE

Mustikkapiirakka is a traditional blueberry pie originating from Finland. The crust for the pie is usually made with a combination of flour, butter, sugar, eggs, and baking powder. The dough is pressed into a tart pan, pricked with a fork, and pre... READ MORE

Although there are many recipes, the Egyptian umm Ali dessert is usually made by dividing bread or puff pastry into pieces, then mixing it with sugar, milk, and coconut flakes. The mixture is typically sprinkled with raisins, pistachios, almonds a... READ MORE

Kitfo is a popular Ethiopian dish consisting of raw beef that is freshly ground and combined with Ethiopian butter (niter kibbeh) and spices such as Cayenne pepper and cardamom. The dish is served with a variety of breads, with injera... READ MORE

Musakhan is a Palestinian dish consisting of roasted chicken and caramelized onions that are garnished with pine nuts and arranged on top of taboon bread that's previously been dipped in olive oil. The name of the dish comes from the Arab... READ MORE

Chhena poda is a traditional cheese dessert originating from Odisha. It's usually made with a combination of chhena cheese, sugar, rice flour, cardamom, and optional ingredients such as raisins, almonds, and cashews. A baking pan is greased with g... READ MORE

Murgh rezala is a traditional curry originating from East India, and it’s especially popular in Bengal. This aromatic and rich curry is usually made with a combination of chicken, dahi, oil, ghee, cashews, poppy seeds, ginger-garlic paste, c... READ MORE

Speculaas are spiced cookies mainly made in Belgium and the Netherlands, although they are also popular in Germany (Rhineland and Westphalia), Luxembourg and northern France. With an intense fragrance of cinnamon, cloves, nutmeg, and ginger, the c... READ MORE

Kheer or payasam is an ancient Indian dessert, a creamy rice pudding that is made in several versions across the country. It is a common dish at numerous Indian ceremonies, festivals, and celebrations, although it can be consumed any time... READ MORE

Munkki, translated as monks, are popular Finnish deep-fried doughnuts made with buttery, cardamom-flavored, leavened dough. They are usually shaped into round forms that are occasionally complemented with sweet and fruity fillings, or in ... READ MORE

Regensburger wurst is a German sausage originating from Regensburg, where it was invented in the late 19th century. The sausages are made from fine or coarse pork and they're smoked and boiled before being sold or consumed. The pork is us... READ MORE

Kebda Eskandarani or Alexandrian liver is the Alexandrine specialty consisting of fried beef liver with spicy seasonings such as cumin, garlic, cardamom, and chili peppers. It is usually served in sandwiches along with tahini dip... READ MORE

Shakriyeh is a traditional stew made with lamb cooked in a tangy yogurt-based sauce. The meat is simmered with garlic and onions, and then blended with a smooth yogurt sauce flavored with spices such as cinnamon or cloves. It's typically served ov... READ MORE

Kabab be al-karaz is a traditional and beloved Syrian dish of lamb kebab and cherries, especially popular in the city of Aleppo. It is made from minced meat mixed with onions and sour cherries (St. Lucie cherries traditionally), cooked with sugar ... READ MORE

Ouzi is a Syrian phyllo pastry pie filled with a mix of lamb, rice, peas and carrots, seasoned with bay leaves, cardamom, nutmeg, cloves, black pepper, and salt. It is served warm with yogurt and fresh salad and is usually followed by a serving of... READ MORE

This traditional Rajasthani sweet delicacy is made with a batter of flour, ghee, and cold water that is carefully poured into piping hot oil or ghee to fry, yielding a round, disc-shaped dessert with an intricate pattern. After it has been deep-fr... READ MORE

Mango chutney is a traditional chutney made with fresh mango as the main ingredient. Other ingredients include ginger, garlic, red chili peppers, cumin, coriander, turmeric, cloves, cinnamon, cardamom, and brown sugar. There's quite a few mango ch... READ MORE

Roshmalai or ras malai is a popular Bengali and Indian dessert consisting of milk, sugar and cardamom-flavored paneer cheese known as chhana. Almonds, cashews, and saffron are often added to the dessert. Roshmalai is of Bengali origin, an... READ MORE

Mattar paneer is a popular vegetarian dish of North Indian origin, made with peas and paneer cheese in a garam masala-spiced tomato sauce. The rich, thick curry is a specialty of Punjab, but it is widely enjoyed throughout India. Traditionally, th... READ MORE

Rasgulla is a traditional sweet that is usually served at the end of a meal, like many other Indian milk-based desserts. It is prepared from chhena paneer dumplings and semolina dough, cooked together in a sugary syrup. The origin of rasgulla is t... READ MORE

Kadai paneer is a traditional dish that's cooked in a unique wok called kadai, hence the name. The dish is made by cooking paneer cheese and bell peppers with freshly ground spices called kadai masala. There are two main versions of the dish &ndas... READ MORE

Paneer makhani is a traditional curry originating from Punjab. The dish has a few versions, but it’s usually made with a combination of paneer cheese and a gravy consisting of ghee, tomatoes, cashews, cream, green chili peppers, garam masala... READ MORE