Fry

These simple, flavorful noodles are seasoned with soy sauce and a sprinkle of umami-rich dashi powder, plus three dimensions of garlic: fresh, fried, and infused into oil.

The crunchiness and juiciness of flowering chives combined with tender, lightly seasoned pork is an unbeatable combination—and this dish is super quick to make.

Monte Cristo sandwiches usually have a sweet element, like powdered sugar sifted over the top, or raspberry jam served on the side for dipping. In this version, you’ll cook green apple and canned green chiles down into a sweet and spicy compote to slather on your bread.

These crispy, golden brown crepes get slathered with an aromatic mushroom spread, then rolled and dredged in breadcrumbs before pan-frying.

This omelet is flavored simply with nearly charred onions and fresh chives. To ensure the accompanying frites are soft and pillowy on the inside, they’re cooked in salted water before being fried.

This mixed vegetable dish takes its inspiration from Buddhist vegetarian cooking and can include any combination of ingredients that represent good luck, prosperity, happiness, family wholeness, and longevity. 

Rice cakes are available sliced, marble-shaped, and in batons. There are dried versions, but the refrigerated version is widely available and easier to work with. You can use any combination of vegetables and seasonings here, so feel free to experiment with flavors.

One great thing about dumplings is that you can use practically anything in the filling—and you can pan-fry them, or boil them, or deep-fry them.

Named for the famous 8th century Tang dynasty consort, Yang Guifei, this dish of juicy dark-meat chicken and peppers is sweet, sour, and just a little spicy.

The liberal spoonful of Chakalaka (spicy vegetable relish) makes these extra special. If you don’t have a jar of it in your fridge, you can use any type of relish or chutney.

These pancakes are quick to cook and are typically eaten for breakfast. Spread them with a little butter, ghee, or sesame oil and sprinkle with sugar if you’d like. Serve with hot tea or alongside cups of Shaah Cadays.

These pan-fried dumplings are among the best selling items at Nom Wah Tea Parlor in New York City. The chicken gives the dumplings body, while the cabbage gives them volume.

This recipe lets mushrooms shine, turning them crispy and meaty—almost like carnitas. Top with a creamy, savory peanut butter and serrano salsa.

This roll can be filled with whatever you like: beef, pork, or vegetables. The combination in this recipe is my favorite.

These crispy zucchini fritters take inspiration from the Bengali onion snack piyaju. Soaked and blended red lentils make up the batter, which is spiked with turmeric and chile powder.

While this recipe features scallions, Korean pancakes can be filled with almost anything: garlic chives, ramps, chrysanthemum leaves. If you want something a little more substantial, add squid or shrimp cut into  bite-sized pieces.

These crepes are a great solution for using up discarded sourdough starter. Tender and a little bit tangy, they make an ideal blank canvas for sweet or savory toppings like jam, crème fraîche, demerara sugar, or lox.

These Dominican mashed plantains are creamy, hearty, and full of flavor, while still tasting fresh and light. They have a mellow, tropical earthiness that becomes a canvas for colorful toppings like pickled red onions and avocados.

This highly riffable dinner salad features cubes of leftover polenta, tossed in Parmesan, and crisped in a skillet for croutons that are naturally gluten-free, delightfully crunchy on the outside, and warm and creamy on the inside.

This chile oil combines tons of texture from toasted whole spices and seeds with a just-spicy-enough heat level. Drizzle it over any, literally any, savory food you can think of.

In this spicy salad, cubes of fried tofu act like tender-bellied croutons amid the leaves of baby kale, only with much more protein and spunk than the usual toasted bread.

This recipe from Bryant Terry highlights the earthy taste and the toothsome texture of collards, and offsets the greens with tofu that’s been soaked in a Jamaican-inspired marinade.

These turkey burgers are my nod to the Mediterranean, packed with fresh herbs, lemon, and red onion.

Our simple technique of draining before frying makes the tofu extra-crispy, and perfect for absorbing the salty-sweet flavors of maple syrup, soy sauce, and fresh ginger.