9 simple(ish) recipes inspired by the world’s tastiest cuisines

Whether you’re tired of being ‘locked down’ and need a new challenge, or are simply in the mood to travel the globe with your tastebuds, these recipes from South Korea, Myanmar, Turkey and beyond should hit the spot.

Some have fewer ingredients than others, but we’ve selected them because they’re fairly straightforward to follow, the ingredients offer a little room for interpretation, or there are less ingredients than other recipes we’ve seen. (See more of our best world recipes here.)

Bibimbap recipe, from Korean Home Cooking (Zach and Buji)

You will require lots of vegetables to make this recipe work, but if you have plenty in your fridge drawer, plus a carton of eggs on hand, you’re most of the way there. Indeed, traditionally, bibimbap is designed to make the most of last night’s cooked veggies.

All you’ll need to do is throw in some cooked rice, and find a few South Korean ingredients for the dressing, which you should be able to track down in the ‘World Foods’ aisle of your supermarket.

Nohut piyazi recipe, from The Turkish Cookbook (Toby Glanville)

This chickpea salad is a street food staple in the Anatolia region. The chickpeas are cooked in lamb stock, and served with a crisp, fresh salad: a mix of garlic, onion, red bell pepper, olive oil, store cupboard spices and herbs.

Hopefully, an easy tradition to recreate at home. It won’t quite transport you to Turkey, but every little helps, right?

Pan con tomate (Shutterstock)

This recipe couldn’t be simpler: delicious bread, tomato and oil. Of course, there’s a touch more to it than that, giving this Spanish breakfast snack some extra flavour. You can also add a bit of whatever you fancy.

Nasi goreng, from the Fire Islands cookbook (Kristin Peres)

Nasi goreng is served all over Indonesia, but made at home, it’s a great dish for using up any odd vegetables lying around your fridge or cupboard. As long as they’re chopped up nice and small, you can suit this recipe to your own shopping list.

Cooking nasi goreng only requires a tiny bit of finesse, knowing when things are perfectly caramelised and when to stop the stir fry. Pay attention to the instructions and you’ll be fine.

Chili-garlic sauce from Myanmar, taken from the Burma: River of Flavours cookbook (Shutterstock)

If you like hot sauce, you’ll like this recipe for nga yoke thee schin. In fact, this condiment has sweet notes and vinegary moments, too, so it works for just about every meal: meat, veggies, rice, eggs, noodles, fried snacks – the list goes on.

There are only six ingredients, and is best made a day before you want to eat it, so it thickens overnight. Then you can keep it in the fridge, and douse to your heart’s content.

Guotie dumpings recipe, from The Food of Taiwan cookbook (Shutterstock)

As far as dumpling recipes go, this one isn’t the most complicated we’ve ever seen. If you’re a first timer, it’s worth a shot.

These guotie dumplings from Taiwain are filled with pork, spring onion, cabbage and ginger, expect a fresh flavour, plus after all that dough-kneading, a delicious texture, too.

Cinnamon buns, from Fika: The Art of the Swedish Coffee Break (Shutterstock)

Cinnamon buns are the perfect accompaniment to a cup of coffee in Sweden, and indeed all over the world. Fittingly, this recipe helps recreate the magic of a well-earned mid-morning sweet treat at home.

You’ll need flour, butter, egg, yeast, a few different kinds of sugar and a couple more additions to create a bakery-quality cinnamon bun in your own kitchen. Good luck!

Turkish Baklava recipe, from the Sweet Middle East cookbook (Shutterstock)

What fills this pastry dessert, eaten all over Turkey, Armenia, Azerbaijan, Greece, Hungary and beyond – really depends on which country you’re in.

This recipe – which does have a few trickier-to-find ingredients, though few ingredients overall – goes for pistachio, Turkey’s baklava filling of choice. Hazelnuts, apricots, walnuts and almonds are all suitable alternatives.

Welsh cakes, sprinkled in sugar. Delicious (Shutterstock)

A straightforward bake, resulting in delicious mini cakes, stuffed with dried fruit and spices, and sprinkled generously with sugar. They’re best served warm, so you’ll simply have to keep making them over and over again. Enjoy!