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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Breakfast to Snack

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What’s for Dinner TonightFeatured Dinner Recipes from 193 Countries

Showing 289–300 of 2290 dinner recipes

Shorshe ilish — hilsa fish steaks in a golden mustard sauce with green chillies, served in a bowl

Bangladesh 45m

Dinner •Dhaka Heritage

Shorshe Ilish

This shorshe ilish recipe is the Bengali classic: steaks of hilsa, the national fish of Bangladesh, gently simmered in a pungent sauce of ground yellow and black mustard seeds, mustard oil, turmeric and slit green chillies. The mustard is sharp and warm rather than simply hot, and it balances the rich, oily fish perfectly. One serving is about 200 g, not counting rice.

National Fish, Bold Flavour

Hilsa, the national fish of Bangladesh, simmered in a sharp mustard-seed sauce with green chillies and mustard oil — the Bengali dish that defines a celebration meal.

Pairs Well With
Plain steamed rice & a squeeze of lime

High Protein

Bangladeshi beef bhuna — dark, dry beef chunks in a thick clinging spice sauce, served in a clay bowl

Bangladesh 2h 25m

Dinner •Chittagong Heritage

Bangladeshi Beef Bhuna

This bangladeshi beef bhuna recipe is a slow-cooked dry curry from Bengal: beef chuck fried hard with onions, ginger, garlic and whole spices, then braised low and slow until the sauce has almost disappeared and the meat is dark, glossy and coated in a thick, clinging masala. It is not a wet curry — the sauce is the point, and there is barely any of it. One serving is about 260 g, not counting rice or bread.

Slow, Dark & Deeply Spiced

Beef chuck slow-fried with onions and Bangladeshi spices until the sauce is thick, dark and clinging — a dry bhuna, not a wet curry.

Pairs Well With
Plain rice or paratha & cucumber salad

High Protein

Kacchi biryani — fragrant layered rice with tender mutton, potatoes, boiled egg and salad, served on a plate

Bangladesh 2h 30m

Dinner •Old Dhaka Heritage

Kacchi Biryani

This kacchi biryani recipe is Dhaka's own biryani, and the one that makes it different is right there in the name: kacchi means raw. Yoghurt-marinated raw mutton is layered with parboiled basmati rice and potatoes in a heavy pot, the lid is sealed with dough, and the whole thing slow-cooks on its own steam — dum — until the meat is spoon-tender and the rice is fragrant with saffron, rose and kewra. One serving is about 435 g.

Dhaka's Wedding Feast

Raw yoghurt-marinated mutton layered with parboiled rice and potatoes, sealed with dough and slow-cooked on its own steam — Dhaka's kacchi biryani.

Pairs Well With
Borhani & cucumber-onion salad

Grilled mahi-mahi fillet with mango-pineapple salsa in a small glass dish and a scoop of mashed potatoes topped with cheddar and chives, garnished with coriander

Barbados 55m

Dinner •Barbados Heritage

Bajan Grilled Mahi-Mahi

This bajan grilled mahi mahi recipe rubs firm mahi-mahi fillets with Bajan green seasoning — spring onion, parsley, thyme, garlic and Scotch bonnet with lime — grills them until the edges char, and serves them with a bright mango-pineapple salsa and a scoop of cheddar mash. One serving is about 456 g. This bajan grilled mahi mahi recipe serves 4, takes 55 minutes, and tastes of the Barbadian coast: smoky fish, sharp lime and sweet fruit.

Fresh & Fruity

Firm mahi-mahi grilled in Bajan green seasoning with lime, served with a sweet mango-pineapple salsa and cheddar mash.

Pairs Well With
Serve with the mango-pineapple salsa and cheddar mash from the recipe, a crisp green salad, and a cold lime drink.

High Protein

Bajan macaroni pie — a thick golden slice of baked macaroni and cheese on a striped plate

Barbados 1h 5m

Lunch •Barbados Heritage

Bajan Macaroni Pie

This bajan macaroni pie recipe is Barbados's answer to mac and cheese — and it is a different dish entirely. Long tubular macaroni is baked in a thick sauce of sharp cheddar, evaporated milk, eggs, mustard and ketchup, with onion, thyme and a dash of Bajan hot pepper sauce, until it sets firm enough to slice like a pie. It is the side dish on almost every Bajan table, and on Sundays it is the main event. One serving is about 275 g.

Comfort & Celebration

Long macaroni baked in sharp cheddar, evaporated milk, eggs, mustard and ketchup until firm enough to slice — the Bajan pie served at every Sunday lunch.

Pairs Well With
Fried flying fish & garden salad

Bajan cassava pone — a thick golden-brown slice of baked cassava and coconut pudding with raisins on a white plate

Barbados 1h 25m

Snack & Tea •Barbados Heritage

Bajan Cassava Pone

This bajan cassava pone recipe is Barbados's sweetest bake: fresh cassava and pumpkin grated fine, mixed with coconut, dark brown sugar, butter, coconut milk and eggs, then baked low and slow until the top turns deep gold and the middle sets into a dense, moist, chewy slice. Cinnamon, nutmeg and ginger give it a warm island spice, and raisins stud every bite. One serving is about 185 g.

Sweet Island Comfort

Grated cassava and coconut baked with brown sugar, butter, raisins and warm spices into a dense, golden slice.

Pairs Well With
Vanilla ice cream & a cup of hot tea

A platter of Kabuli pulao — spiced basmati rice mounded with raisins and shredded carrots

Afghanistan 2h

Dinner •Afghan Festive Table

Kabuli Pulao

This kabuli pulao recipe layers tender lamb and cardamom-scented basmati rice, then crowns the platter with caramelised carrots, plump raisins, almonds and pistachios. One serving is about 485 g.

Comfort & Warmth

Fragrant basmati rice steamed in lamb broth, crowned with sweet carrots, raisins and nuts.

Pairs Well With
Cucumber yoghurt, fresh salad and green tea

A plate of Afghan mantu dumplings topped with garlic yoghurt and tomato sauce

Afghanistan 1h 35m

Dinner •Kabul Family Table

Afghan Mantu

This afghan mantu recipe folds spiced beef and onion into thin dough squares, steams them until tender, and serves them under cool garlic yoghurt and a warm tomato split-pea sauce. One serving is about 450 g.

Comfort & Warmth

Steamed beef dumplings buried under garlic yoghurt and a tomato split-pea sauce.

Pairs Well With
Fresh salad, green tea and crusty bread

High Protein

Bolani flatbread cut in half showing potato and spinach filling, with yoghurt and green chutney

Afghanistan 1h 5m

Snack & Tea •Kabul Street Snack

Bolani

This afghan bolani recipe stuffs a thin, hand-rolled dough with mashed potato, spring onions and fresh herbs, then pan-fries it until golden and crisp. One serving is about 375 g.

Comfort & Warmth

Crisp pan-fried flatbread stuffed with potato, spring onion and herbs.

Pairs Well With
Plain yoghurt, green chutney and mint tea

A plate of Algerian couscous with lamb and vegetables at a restaurant table, with broth and meat on the side

Algeria 2h 10m

Dinner •Algiers Friday Table

Couscous with Lamb and Vegetables

This algerian lamb couscous recipe steams fine semolina over a slow red broth of lamb, tomato paste, turnip, carrot, zucchini and chickpeas, then serves it mounded high with the meat in the middle. One serving is about 585 g.

Comfort & Warmth

Steamed semolina mounded with lamb in a red tomato broth, turnip, carrot and chickpeas.

Pairs Well With
Harissa, buttermilk (lben) and mint tea

A pan of shakshuka with eggs poached in tomato sauce, topped with crumbled feta and parsley

Algeria 40m

Breakfast •Algiers Breakfast Table

Algerian Shakshuka

This algerian shakshuka recipe — chakchouka in Algeria — simmers tomatoes, green peppers and onion into a smoky sauce, then poaches eggs right in the pan until the yolks are just set. One serving is about 325 g.

Comfort & Warmth

Eggs poached in a smoky tomato and green pepper sauce, scooped up with bread.

Pairs Well With
Kesra flatbread, mint tea and fresh orange

Quick Prep (<30m)

A bowl of chorba frik — lamb and cracked green wheat soup — with bread on an iftar table

Algeria 1h 35m

Dinner •Ramadan Iftar Table

Chorba Frik

This chorba frik recipe simmers lamb, tomatoes and chickpeas into a rich red soup, then stirs in frik — cracked green wheat — until it swells and thickens the pot. One serving is about 550 g.

Comfort & Warmth

A tomato and lamb soup thickened with smoky cracked green wheat.

Pairs Well With
Crusty bread, dates and lemon wedges

Soups & Broths

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

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Andorra

Angola

Antigua and Barbuda

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Armenia

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Zambia

Zimbabwe Browse all 193 countries →

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

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The Dinner GazetteFresh Dinner Ideas from the Journal

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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.

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