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• Black pepper (white, green and red)

  Probably the most common seasoning used nearly in all cuisines worldwide, with origin in India. The seasoning are fruits of pepper plant in various level of ripeness.

• Achcharu - Green papaya pickle

  When I was in Sri Lanka for the first time, I was living in the house with Sri Lankan aunties and a granny too. When I came back in one year, the granny unfortunately was not there any more..... At the time it was just 3 months she passed away, so I witnessed preparation for Almsgiving ceremony, Sanghika dana. The ceremony should bring a beautiful post-mortem life of the person. Loads of special food are prepared for the ceremony and one of them is achcharu, green papaya or carrot pickle.

• Authentic Moroccan couscous with beef and vegetables

  In our fast moving world it is quite hard to imagine preparing real couscous as they do in North Africa. The real one takes a few hours to prepare. Couscous in Morocco is a festive dish served on Friday. One of the reasons for long preparation is a slow cooked meat (usually beef or lamb). The second, most important one is slow moisturising of dry couscous by hands and then slow steaming above meat and vegetables in a special pot called couscoussier. Thanks to this slow process the couscous is well done, filled with smell of meat and vegetables and nicely loose.

• Baby jackfruit curry - Polos

  Jackfruit is a fascinating fruit. Not only because of its size, but it is used completely different way in each stage of its ripeness. If it is of a size about 15-20 cm, it is called baby jack (or green jackfruit). It is used as a vegetable and has a sour taste. The curry made of it is called polos and is a bit sour too, but very nicely sour.

• Beef tajine with green peas

  This tajine I learned on a traditional Moroccan market in a restaurant made of clothes where they cooked various kinds of tajines not only for shoppers but for vendors as well. Vendors could even cook their own using the kitchen. It was quite fun as I asked for tajine with green peas, so I had to shell them myself. I had to buy the meat too, as there was not meat on the market. The butcher saw a white girl, so he sold me some low quality beef, which I was told buy two local guests who I invited for the lunch as soon as they put the first piece of the meat to their mouths. Next time I have to be more careful.

• Beetroot pachadi

  Gently spiced beetroot salad, which belongs to Kerala specials, state of South India. It can be served both, warm and cold. And it is vegetarian dish as majority in India.

• Beetroot thoran

  Special, typical for South Indian state, Kerala. It is a vegetarian / vegan recipe, where sweetness of beetroot is balanced with chilies, ginger and garlic.

• Black bean fish

  This delicacy I had in a small restaurant on Borneo island. It was so good I couldn't resist and went there again following day. The waiter spoke English a bit, so I mentioned that I love cooking. When I wanted to pay, he brought me three pieces of paper. One of them was the bill, the other one was recipe for the dish I had just finished and the third one was for the fish in a black bean sauce I had yesterday here. I love Asia and approach of local people, who are happy when they make other people happy.

• Crispy Chinese omelette - Phuyng hay

  Yes, I put it among Indonesian recipes, as this omelette is made pretty often at various street restaurants in Bali. But originally it comes from China. Its one of the best omelettes I have ever had. All over that I have learned it from such a nice couple in a beautiful outdoor kitchen with plenty of beautiful tropical flowers around. Such nice memories.

• Dhal

  The essential dish in Sri Lanka. Locals eat it two, sometimes even three times a day. As most of recipes in Sri Lanka are vegetarian and vegan, lentils are very important source of proteins. Most of dhal recipes I have known seemed too complicated. So this is probably one of the most easy recipes, I was taught by my Sri Lanka family and it is so delicious too.

• Dhal - Lentils Kerala style

  The most frequented dish, which you will find in hundreds of variants allover India. This recipe is from Kerala, South India, where fresh coconut is a very common ingredient. Dhal is not an exception.

• Duck noodle soup Bun Mang Vit

  When imagining Vietnamese cuisine, most probably it is gonna be around the great noodle soups. The most known is probably Pho, which means wide noodles in Vietnamese. This recipe is about soup made of thin noodles, called vermicelli, in Vietnamese Bun. It is an amazing combination of duck meat, bamboo shoots and radish.

• Fish tagine

  Because of surfing I spent loads of time on Atlantic coastline of Morocco. That`s why a fresh fish was my daily bread. Grilled, fried or made in traditional Moroccan dish, tagine. This recipe I learned in a restaurant on my favourite beach, Lagzira.

• Fried liver with tomatoes and cucumber

  Vietnamese cuisine is full of recipes with inners. I love this recipe, as it is very fast, full of fresh herbs and it is delicious.

• Gai phat met mamuang himmaphan - Chicken with cashew nuts

  Irresistible combination of various flavors and consistencies. Another delicacy from range of not spicy Thai dishes.

• Ginger beef

  Amazing combination of flavours. And this Malay recipe with Chinese roots is very easy and fast too. I got it even without asking for it. It was enough to mention in the restaurant I was enjoying this dish that it is really delicious and that I love cooking and I got the recipe together with the bill.

• Ginger pepper fish Kerala style

  Kerala is well known for its backwaters. You can find thousands of various rivers and ponds throughout the state. There is no wonder, one of the most desired specials is fresh water fish. My favourite was a ginger pepper recipe. Firstly, when watching the preparation in one street restaurant, I was a bit hesitant as one huge table spoon of black pepper for one fish seemed a little bit too much. But the chef knew only too well what he is doing. It was delicious and very fast and easy too.

• Green and red chilies fry

  When I was invited for dinner by Ram in Rajasthan, I wanted to refuse with thanks. As fry, where the main ingredients are red and green chilies sounded like a bit too much for me. I didn`t resist though eventually. It was a really nice surprise. The chilies lost loads of their spiciness by frying and the taste became really fine thanks to ghee and yoghurt. So if you like spicy food, go for it. Sorry for quality of the photo, it was too dark everywhere around and we ate it directly from the pan :)

• Cha gio - Fried spring rolls

  When thinking of Vietnamese cuisine, fried spring rolls would probably belong to the three top of mind dishes. The filling is very variable. You can use minced pork, or go for a vegetarian version. One of the vegetables used often in Vietnam is a corm of taro, Colocasia.

• Chicken tajine

  Another tajine recipe. More precisely a dish prepared in traditional Moroccan pot, tajine. As there are so many possibilities what can be inside. This recipe I learned in my favourite small restaurant on one of the most beautiful beaches in Morocco, Lagzira.

• Indian pachadi - Pineapple with yoghurt

  Combination of pineapple, garlic, chilies and curry leaves? Before my trip to India, I would say "no, thank you". One is learning whole his life. As when I tried this pachadi recipe in Kerala, India, I couldn`t get enough. Every ingredient is very important in this vegetarian recipe and creates a perfect combination of flavours.

• Kefta tagine by Mustafa

  Each tagine is different. Some of them contain loads of vegetable and potatoes, some of them more or less just meat. And this is a case of kefta tagine I learned from Mustafa. One of the best chefs in a restaurant on my favourite beach, Lagzira in Morocco.

• Spicy and sour fish curry

  If you love spicy food, you will love this Sinhala fish curry recipe. Check the list of ingredients and you will understand ;). But still could be worse. Better have some sugar or yoghurt with you to extinguish your tongue.

• Tkalia - Zesty tripes with olives

  Large pieces of tripes hanging from hooks at the butcher`s shops are inherent part of meat shops in Morocco. Tripes dishes are very common there. They use lamb, goat and beef tripes too. In combination with other offals or separately, like in case of this recipe, which is called Tkalia.

• Vegetable and egg roties

  Roties, pastries with origin in South India, now widely spread all around Sri Lanka. It is available nearly everywhere. Sri Lankans eat it for breakfast, lunch and dinner too.

• Vegetarian tagine berber style

  Morocco is not a paradise for vegetarians. So vegetarian tagine doesn`t belong to typical Moroccan dishes. But this doesn`t mean they do not exist at all. I was so lucky I bumped into a place they made it and it was a traditional berber style.