Recipes
India
While biryani is now savoured in all parts of India, this version is a blending of Mughal and Andhra Pradesh cuisines, and dates back to the royal kitchens of the Mughals, who ruled much of India for more than two centuries.
Vietnam
Sticky rice is eaten everywhere in Vietnam and the black-hued variety is best-known boiled, sweetened and served as a pudding. When cooked, the rice has a viscous texture and turns a deep purplish colour, which adds a lovely bit of vibrancy to dishes.
Spain
There are as many versions of the original Valencian paella as there are cooks, and the defining element of modern-day interpretations is the pan. If you don’t have a paella pan, use a wide heavy-based frying pan.
Malaysia
In Malay, nasi means rice, while ulam relates to the mix of herbs in the recipe. While versions of this dish exist throughout Malaysia, it is especially common in the state of Kelantan, where the rice is tossed with local wild herbs such as jungle pepper leaves, Indian pennywort, cashew leaves and betel nut leaves.
China
The tradition of eating zongzi (sticky rice parcels) during the Dragon Boat Festival is still very much alive. The festival is held to honour Qu Yuan, a patriotic poet who threw himself into a river 2000 years ago, when he heard the kingdom of Chu had been conquered.
Poland
While this combination of shredded celeriac, prosciutto and fresh herbs is a more refined take on the traditional version of Polish rice cakes – typically paired with grated or mashed potato – the resulting rendition is every bit as satisfying.
Photography by Chris Chen.
