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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What’s for Dinner TonightFeatured Dinner Recipes from 193 Countries

Showing 1873–1884 of 2290 dinner recipes

A bowl of Uzbek shurpa: tender lamb, chickpeas and potatoes in a red tomato broth, topped with onion rings and chopped fresh herbs.

Uzbekistan 2h 15m

Lunch •Uzbek Family Heritage

Uzbek Shurpa

This uzbek shurpa recipe simmers boneless lamb shoulder low and slow with chickpeas, potatoes, carrots, tomatoes and sweet pepper, until the meat is tender and the broth turns rich and golden. Cumin and coriander give it its warm Central Asian flavour, and fresh herbs and onion go on top. One serving is about 550 g, served in a deep bowl with flatbread.

Comfort & Warmth

A slow-simmered Uzbek soup of lamb, chickpeas, potatoes and vegetables in a tomato broth, seasoned with cumin and finished with fresh herbs.

Pairs Well With
Warm Uzbek flatbread (non) and green tea or sparkling water.

Soups & Broths

A steel bowl of Nepalese thukpa: thick wheat noodles, chicken pieces, carrots and cabbage in a spiced orange broth, with chopsticks resting on the rim.

Nepal 55m

Dinner •Himalayan Heritage

Nepalese Thukpa

This nepalese thukpa recipe simmers chicken with ginger, garlic, tomatoes and garam masala into a warm, spiced broth, then adds thick wheat noodles, carrots and cabbage until everything is tender. Timur pepper gives it its gentle Himalayan tingle, and lime juice and spring onions finish each bowl. One serving is about 600 g, served steaming hot in a deep bowl.

Comfort & Warmth

A Himalayan noodle soup of chicken, hand-pulled-style wheat noodles and vegetables in a spiced tomato-ginger broth, finished with lime and fresh herbs.

Pairs Well With
Chilli sauce and lemon wedges on the side, with hot milk tea or sparkling water.

Soups & Broths • Pasta & Noodles

Creamy yellow Sri Lankan dhal curry in a white bowl with a coconut milk swirl and sliced spring onions

Sri Lanka 50m

Dinner •Sri Lankan Heritage

Sri Lankan Dhal Curry

This sri lankan dhal curry recipe makes Sri Lanka's everyday lentil curry: red lentils simmered soft with turmeric and cinnamon, finished with creamy coconut milk and a hot-oil tempering of mustard seeds, cumin, fenugreek and curry leaves. It is the gentle, golden curry that sits at the centre of most Sri Lankan rice-and-curry meals. One serving is about 400 g.

Comfort & Warmth

Red lentils simmered in coconut milk with curry leaves and a mustard-seed tempering, served warm with rice.

Pairs Well With
Steamed rice, roast paan or string hoppers, with pol sambol on the side.

High Protein

Golden bhuna khichuri, a mound of spiced rice and lentils with whole green chillies, on a white plate

Bangladesh 1h

Lunch •Bangladeshi Heritage

Bhuna Khichuri

This bhuna khichuri recipe makes Bangladesh's beloved rainy-day comfort food: rice and moong dal first fried in ghee with bay, cardamom and cinnamon — the bhuna step that gives the dish its name — then simmered with potato, cauliflower, carrot and peas until soft, golden and fragrant. It is a one-pot lunch, rich and gently spiced. One serving is about 480 g.

Comfort & Warmth

Rice and moong dal fried with ghee and whole spices, then simmered with potato, cauliflower and peas until soft and golden.

Pairs Well With
Fried eggplant, a fried egg, or a simple cucumber salad, with green chilli and lemon on the side.

Nom banh chok in a white bowl: yellow fish curry over rice noodles with fresh basil, banana flower and herbs

Cambodia 1h

Breakfast •Cambodian Heritage

Nom Banh Chok

This nom banh chok recipe makes Cambodia's beloved breakfast noodles: soft rice noodles ladled with a fragrant yellow fish curry built on kroeung — lemongrass, galangal, turmeric, garlic and kaffir lime — with coconut milk, then piled high with bean sprouts, cucumber, banana flower, basil and mint. It is often called Khmer noodles, and it is eaten all over Cambodia in the morning. One serving is about 560 g.

Comfort & Warmth

Lightly fermented rice noodles in a fragrant yellow fish curry with kroeung, coconut milk and a pile of fresh herbs and vegetables.

Pairs Well With
Extra herbs and chillies on the side, with a hot Cambodian coffee or iced tea.

Pasta & Noodles

A bowl of shchi, Russian cabbage soup with beef, sour cream, parsley and spring onion

Russia 2h 15m

Lunch •Russian Home Cooking

Shchi

Shchi is Russia's everyday cabbage soup: tender beef simmered in a clear broth with sauerkraut, potatoes, carrots and dill, finished with a spoonful of sour cream. It is sour, savoury and deeply warming, and it tastes even better the next day. One serving is about 550 g.

Comfort & Warmth

A slow-simmered beef and sauerkraut soup with potatoes, carrots and dill, served hot with sour cream.

Pairs Well With
Dark rye bread, sour cream & fresh dill

Soups & Broths

A slice of sachertorte with glossy chocolate glaze and a visible apricot jam layer on a white plate

Austria 1h 30m

Snack & Tea •Viennese Coffee House

Sachertorte

Sachertorte is Vienna's most famous cake: a dense, dark chocolate sponge split and spread with apricot jam, then coated in a mirror-smooth chocolate glaze. A slice is rich, not too sweet, and always served with a cloud of unsweetened whipped cream. One serving is about 130 g.

Celebration & Indulgence

Dark chocolate sponge layered with apricot jam under a glossy chocolate glaze, served with whipped cream.

Pairs Well With
Unsweetened whipped cream & black coffee

Thin slices of cured pork back fat dusted with black pepper on a grey plate

Ukraine 20m

Snack & Tea •Ukrainian Table Classic

Ukrainian Salo

Salo is Ukraine's most iconic snack: pork back fat cured in salt with garlic and black pepper until firm and silky, then sliced paper-thin and eaten on dark rye bread with pickles. It is intensely savoury, rich and satisfying in small amounts — a little goes a long way. One serving is about 140 g.

Hearty & Satisfying

Salt-cured pork back fat with garlic and black pepper, sliced thin and served with rye bread and pickles.

Pairs Well With
Dark rye bread, garlic & dill pickles

High Protein

A bowl of ciorba de perisoare, Romanian sour soup with pork meatballs, parsley and orange broth

Romania 1h 25m

Lunch •Romanian Home Cooking

Ciorbă de Perișoare

Ciorbă de perișoare is Romania's beloved sour meatball soup: soft pork and rice meatballs poached in a vegetable broth, soured with borș — fermented wheat bran liquid — and finished with lovage and sour cream. It is bright, savoury and gently tart, the kind of soup that tastes like home. One serving is about 615 g.

Comfort & Warmth

A sour Romanian soup of tender pork meatballs in a vegetable broth soured with bors, finished with lovage and sour cream.

Pairs Well With
Sour cream, fresh lovage & crusty bread

Soups & Broths

A bowl of Georgian satsivi, chicken in creamy walnut sauce topped with chopped herbs, with a slice of bread on the side

Georgia 1h 15m

Dinner •Georgian Festive Table

Satsivi

Poached chicken, cooled and folded into a smooth sauce of ground walnuts, garlic, coriander and blue fenugreek, then served cold with a scatter of pomegranate seeds. One serving is about 370 g.

Festive & Satisfying

Cold poached chicken in a creamy walnut, garlic and coriander sauce, scattered with pomegranate seeds.

Pairs Well With
Warm lavash or crusty bread & a crisp cucumber-tomato salad

High Protein

A plate of Kazakh funchoza with glossy glass noodles, beef strips, carrot, yellow bell pepper and cucumber

Kazakhstan 55m

Lunch •Koryo-saram Table Classic

Kazakh Funchoza

This kazakh funchoza recipe turns mung-bean glass noodles into a cold, tangy salad with strips of seared beef, crunchy carrot, cucumber, bell pepper and onion, all tossed in a soy-vinegar dressing with garlic, coriander and chilli. One serving is about 314 g. Serve it chilled after a short marinade, when the noodles have soaked up the dressing and the vegetables are still crisp.

Light & Satisfying

Cold glass noodles with lean beef strips and crisp vegetables in a tangy soy-vinegar dressing — light, fresh and filling without feeling heavy.

Pairs Well With
Warm baursak and a cup of hot green tea

Pasta & Noodles

Golden rounds of Uzbek obi non with stamped centres, sesame and nigella seeds, stacked in a pile

Uzbekistan 1h 55m

Breakfast •Tashkent Tandyr Bread

Uzbek Non

A round, yeast-leavened flatbread baked hot until golden, with a puffed, chewy rim and a thin centre stamped with a pattern — the loaf that sits at the heart of every Uzbek table. One serving is about 155 g.

Warm & Satisfying

Golden tandyr-style flatbread with a crisp rim, a thin stamped centre and sesame seeds.

Pairs Well With
Green tea, fresh cheese & sliced tomatoes

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

Albania

Algeria

Andorra

Angola

Antigua and Barbuda

Argentina

Armenia

Australia

Austria

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Bahamas

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Chad

Chile

China

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Democratic Republic of the Congo

Republic of the Congo

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Zambia

Zimbabwe Browse all 193 countries →

Dinner Ideas by Category

Soups & Broths Pasta & Noodles High Protein Fermented / Gut Health Quick Prep (<30m)

Dinner Ideas by Meal

Breakfast Lunch Dinner Snack & Tea

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The Dinner GazetteFresh Dinner Ideas from the Journal

All news →

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.

Dinner Ideas from 193 Countries — What to Cook Tonight

What’s for Dinner TonightFeatured Dinner Recipes from 193 Countries

Find Dinner Ideas by Country

Dinner Ideas by Category

Dinner Ideas by Meal

Dinner Ideas by Region

The Dinner GazetteFresh Dinner Ideas from the Journal

What to Eat With What

Iron & Collagen Dynamics

Carotenoid Unlocking

Never wonder what’s for dinner again