Dinner Ideas • Recipes from 193 Countries

Dinner Ideas from 193 Countries — What to Cook Tonight

Stuck on what to cook for dinner? Dinner Ideas brings easy dinner recipes from 193 countries — signature dishes with ingredients, steps, nutrition and pairings.

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193

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Breakfast to Snack

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What’s for Dinner TonightFeatured Dinner Recipes from 193 Countries

Showing 1477–1488 of 2321 dinner recipes

A plate of German kale stew with a Pinkel sausage and boiled potatoes

Germany 2h 10m

Dinner •North German Winter Classic

German Kale Stew

This german kale stew recipe makes Grünkohl mit Pinkel the way it is cooked in Bremen and Oldenburg: curly kale blanched, then braised low and slow with onions, smoked pork belly and Kassler until meltingly tender, with Pinkel sausages warmed through at the end and boiled potatoes on the side. Rich, smoky and deeply savoury, it is the dish northern Germany eats after a long winter walk. One serving is about 515 g.

Comfort & Warmth

Slow-braised kale with smoky Pinkel sausage and boiled potatoes — the hearty winter meal of Bremen and Oldenburg.

Pairs Well With
Boiled potatoes, sharp mustard and a cold German lager or apple juice.

Golden bolo de arroz rice-flour muffins with sugared domed tops in tall paper cases in a Lisbon bakery display

Portugal 40m

Snack & Tea •Lisbon Bakery Classic

Bolo de Arroz

This bolo de arroz recipe creams butter and sugar, folds in rice flour with a little wheat flour and lemon zest, and bakes the batter in tall paper cases until the muffins dome up golden with a crisp sugared top. One serving is one muffin, about 68 g.

Sweet & Comforting

Golden rice-flour muffins with a fine, slightly sandy crumb, a lemon scent and a crisp sugared dome.

Pairs Well With
A small strong coffee (bica) and a glass of milk

A coiled m'hanncha pastry topped with flaked almonds and rose petals on a white plate

Morocco 1h 10m

Snack & Tea •Moroccan Celebration Pastry

M'hanncha

This mhanncha recipe makes the Moroccan snake pastry the way it is served at celebrations: a fragrant paste of ground almonds, sugar, cinnamon and orange blossom water, rolled into thin filo, coiled into a spiral and baked until crisp and golden, then brushed with warm honey and scattered with flaked almonds. One slice is sweet, nutty and delicately floral, and it tastes of a Moroccan tea table. One serving is about 82 g.

Sweet & Festive

A coiled filo pastry filled with orange-blossom almond paste, baked golden and brushed with honey — Morocco's celebration sweet.

Pairs Well With
Mint tea and fresh fruit, or a small glass of orange blossom lemonade.

A platter of glossy golden-brown fried mombar links scattered with fresh parsley and dill on a paper-lined plate.

Egypt 2h

Dinner •Egyptian Festive Classic

Egyptian Mombar

This Egyptian mombar recipe stuffs cleaned beef casing with short-grain rice, tomato, onion and a generous handful of parsley, dill and coriander, boils the links until the rice is tender, then fries them until the casing turns crisp and golden. One serving is about 370 g.

Festive & Hearty

Crisp-fried beef casing stuffed with herby tomato rice — a rich, celebratory Egyptian side, best shared hot from the pan.

Pairs Well With
Baladi bread, a tomato and cucumber salad, and pickled vegetables, with mint tea to finish.

High Protein

Lebanese batata harra: golden fried potato cubes tossed with red pepper and fresh coriander leaves in a black serving dish

Lebanon 35m

Lunch •Lebanese Mezze Classic

Lebanese Batata Harra

Lebanese batata harra is the mezze table's fiery potato dish: waxy potato cubes fried until golden and crisp, then tossed while still hot with garlic, fresh coriander, chilli and lemon juice. The heat comes from chilli, the freshness from coriander, and the lemon keeps every bite bright. One serving is about 220 g.

Bold & Spicy

Crisp fried potato cubes tossed with garlic, fresh coriander, chilli and lemon.

Pairs Well With
Serve with hummus, labneh and warm pitta bread as part of a Lebanese mezze spread.

An Argentine submarino: a tall glass of hot milk in a metal holder with a chocolate bar melting into it, a spoon resting in the glass

Argentina 15m

Snack & Tea •Buenos Aires Cafe Classic

Argentine Submarino

The Argentine submarino is a Buenos Aires cafe classic: a tall glass of steaming hot milk served with a bar of chocolate that sinks into it like a submarine, then melts as you stir. It is the drink of a slow afternoon in a confiteria, always with a medialuna on the side. One serving is about 288 g.

Comfort & Warmth

Hot milk with a chocolate bar melting in it, stirred at the table.

Pairs Well With
Serve with medialunas and a spoon for stirring, in a tall glass set in a metal holder.

Mazamorra morada: a deep purple corn pudding in a white bowl, garnished with a cinnamon stick and small biscuits

Peru 1h 35m

Snack & Tea •Peruvian Classic

Mazamorra Morada

Mazamorra morada is Peru's beloved purple pudding: dried purple corn boiled with pineapple peel, cinnamon and cloves until the water turns a deep violet, then sweetened, filled with diced fruit and thickened with potato starch until it is glossy and spoonable. It is served warm, dusted with cinnamon. One serving is about 244 g.

Sweet & Comforting

A glossy purple-corn pudding with pineapple, apple and dried fruit.

Pairs Well With
Serve warm with arroz con leche — the two desserts together are called el clasico in Peru.

Apam balik: a golden Malaysian peanut pancake cut into pieces on a wooden board, with crushed peanut filling visible

Malaysia 40m

Snack & Tea •Malaysian Market Classic

Apam Balik

Apam balik is Malaysia's beloved market pancake: a crisp, golden batter cooked in a round pan, scattered with crushed peanuts, sweetcorn and sugar, then folded in half and cut into pieces. The outside shatters, the inside stays soft, and the peanut filling melts into the warmth. One serving is about 117 g.

Sweet & Crispy

A crisp golden pancake folded over crushed peanuts, sweetcorn and sugar.

Pairs Well With
Serve warm with teh tarik, the frothy pulled milk tea of Malaysian kopitiams.

Four golden pieces of crisp fried tempeh on a dark plate set over a banana leaf.

Indonesia 40m

Lunch •Javanese Everyday Classic

Tempeh Goreng

Tempeh goreng is Indonesia's everyday protein: slices of fermented soybean tempeh soaked in a garlic and coriander marinade, then fried until deeply golden and crisp at the edges. It is served hot with steamed jasmine rice, a spoonful of sambal and cool cucumber. One serving is about 380 g, including the rice and sides.

Crisp & Protein-Rich

Garlic-and-coriander marinated tempeh, fried until crisp and served with rice, sambal and cucumber.

Pairs Well With
Serve hot with steamed jasmine rice, sambal oelek and sliced cucumber.

An uitsmijter — three fried eggs with bright yolks over ham and cheese on bread, with a lettuce, tomato and cucumber salad.

Netherlands 20m

Lunch •Dutch Cafe Classic

Uitsmijter

An uitsmijter is the Dutch answer to a quick, serious lunch: thick slices of wholemeal bread layered with ham and Gouda, then crowned with fried eggs whose yolks are still soft. It is eaten open — no top slice — with a knife and fork, and a little salad on the side. One serving is about 425 g.

Hearty & Satisfying

An open sandwich of wholemeal bread, ham and Gouda topped with fried eggs and a crisp side salad.

Pairs Well With
Serve hot with a crisp lettuce, tomato and cucumber salad and a glass of milk or fresh orange juice.

A sliced loaf of Belgian sugar bread with melted pearl-sugar pockets in the soft, pale crumb.

Belgium 3h

Breakfast •Belgian Bakery Classic

Craquelin

Craquelin is Belgium's sugar bread: a soft, buttery brioche loaf with pearl sugar folded through the dough and lemon zest for fragrance. As it bakes, the sugar melts into sweet pockets inside the crumb, and the top turns deep gold. One serving is about 120 g — one thick slice.

Sweet & Buttery

A soft Belgian brioche loaf studded with pearl sugar and lemon zest, baked golden and served in thick slices.

Pairs Well With
Serve thick slices warm or at room temperature, with butter and jam or on their own with coffee.

A white fondue pot of glossy melted dark chocolate over a lit tea light, with vanilla ice cream, banana, orange segments, marshmallows, sponge-cake cubes and wafer rolls for dipping

Switzerland 25m

Snack & Tea •Swiss Alpine Dessert

Swiss Chocolate Fondue

Swiss chocolate fondue turns a bar of dark chocolate into a party: the chocolate melts with cream and butter into a glossy pot that stays warm over a tea light, while everyone dips strawberries, banana, pineapple, cake cubes and marshmallows into it. This swiss chocolate fondue recipe serves 4 in 25 minutes, and one serving is about 352 g.

Sweet Togetherness

Dark chocolate melted with cream and butter, shared from one pot with fruit and cake.

Pairs Well With
Strawberries, banana and pineapple, pound-cake cubes and marshmallows for dipping

Find Dinner Ideas by Country

Every one of the world's 193 countries has a signature dish — browse the full directory to find tonight's dinner, or jump straight to a cuisine with recipes.

Afghanistan

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Antigua and Barbuda

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Zimbabwe Browse all 193 countries →

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A bowl of tagliatelle with rich ragù sauce

Ingredient Guides

The Pantry Staples Every World Kitchen Shares

From a market in Bangkok to a farmhouse in Tuscany, cooks reach for the same handful of staples: rice, dried beans, good oil, salt, garlic, chillies and something sour. Stock these, and dinner in any cuisine is suddenly within reach.

November 5, 2026 • 725 words

A hearty autumn stew served in a rustic bowl

Seasonal Cooking

Autumn’s Best: Cooking with Squash and Root Vegetables

When the air turns cool, the garden answers with squash, sweet potatoes, carrots, parsnips and beets. Roasted low and slow, these autumn vegetables turn sweet, caramelised and deeply satisfying — here is how to cook them well.

November 5, 2026 • 597 words

Fresh herbs rolled into Vietnamese spring rolls

Kitchen Techniques

How to Store Fresh Herbs So They Last Two Weeks

Fresh herbs wilt in days when they are tossed loose into the fridge. The jar method — a little water, a loose bag, and the right shelf — keeps parsley, cilantro, mint and dill bright and fragrant for up to two weeks.

November 5, 2026 • 658 words

Food Pairing Guide

What to Eat With What

Some foods taste better — and do you more good — together. Here is what to serve with each dish, and what to skip, with the science in plain words.

Tested in the Dinner Ideas kitchen

Phở Bò (Vietnamese Beef Broth)

Iron & Collagen Dynamics

EAT TOGETHER: Fresh Lime & Sawtooth Coriander

The ascorbic acid (Vitamin C) in freshly squeezed lime converts the non-heme and heme iron from thinly shaved beef into its bioavailable ferrous form (Fe²⁺), escalating iron assimilation by up to 300%. Fresh culantro supplies carotenes that ignite digestive bile acids.

AVOID IMMEDIATELY AFTER: Condensed Milk Iced Coffee

Drinking condensed milk coffee (Cà Phê Sữa Đá) directly following Phở binds active polyphenolic chlorogenic acids and milk casein directly to the beef iron molecules, forming unabsorbable insoluble complexes that severely stunt nutrient uptake. Wait at least 90 minutes.

Metabolic window: Breakfast (07:00 – 09:30) • Optimal Gut Transition: 3.5 Hours

Tomatoes & Wild Summer Greens

Carotenoid Unlocking

EAT TOGETHER: Extra Virgin Olive Oil & Aged Feta

Lycopene is an intrinsically lipophilic (fat-soluble) antioxidant compound bound tight inside tomato skin cells. Pairing ripe heirloom tomatoes with the monounsaturated fats of raw cold-pressed olive oil boosts vascular lycopene absorption by nearly 4.4-fold.

AVOID TOGETHER: Fat-Free Industrial Dressings

Consuming vine tomatoes with zero-fat or high-sugar artificial vinaigrettes prevents the body from emulsifying fat-soluble Vitamins A, E, and K, passing essential restorative nutrients unabsorbed through the gastrointestinal tract.

Metabolic window: Lunch or Aperitivo • Lycopene Uptake: +440%

Turmeric + Black Pepper

Piperine in coarse crushed pepper amplifies active curcumin bioavailability by 2000%.

Green Tea + Lemon Twist

Citric acid preserves delicate EGCG catechins through acidic stomach transit intact.

Calcium Rich + Iron Stews

Heavy dairy cheese interferes with non-heme iron absorption channels if consumed simultaneously.