Mabhanzi/Zimbabwean Sweet Buns ~~~Zimbabwean Cuisine

Zimbabwe, i picked this country immediately when i was searching for recipes to cook for this month's long marathon for the alphabetical letter 'Z',as the theme for this mega marathon is Around the World in 30days starting with alphabets.The original name of the country was Rhodesia until the late 1970s when the country gained full independence and changed the name to the Republic of Zimbabwe. Zimbabwe means “House of Stone,” which is an illustrious nod to the eight century old stone structures left behind by the Shona ancestors. Today, nearly eighty percent are descendents of Shona people, almost twenty percent are Ndebele, while the remaining population is comprised of descendents of colonizers, immigrants, and emigrants.The cornmeal-based dietary staple of Zimbabwe is also the national dish, called sadza. Sadza to the Zimbabweans is like rice to the Chinese, or pasta to Italians. In fact, sadza re masikati , or "sadza of the afternoon" simply means lunch. Sadza re manheru, or "sadza of the evening" means dinner. Sadza is made from cornmeal or maize, and eaten with relish. Relish can be any kind of vegetable stew, but nyama, (meat), such as beef or chicken, is common among families who can afford it. Sadza is cooked slowly until thick, like porridge.Other traditional foods are peanuts, beans, butternut squash, gem squash, green maize (or corn on the cob), and cucumbers. Avocados are plentiful and cheap. Bowara or pumpkin leaves, can be eaten fresh and are commonly mixed into stews, like dovi (peanut butter stew).

During the summer, open-air markets sell dried mopane worms (spiny caterpillars) and flying ants by the pound. Both can be eaten fried and are said to taste chewy and salty. Flying ants fly in dense clouds around any source of light during the summer, and can be eaten live. The wings are torn off, then the bodies are eaten. The taste is considered slightly buttery.

Hawaij/Yemeni Spice Mix ~~ Yemeni Cuisine

As like 'Q, W and X', the alphabet 'Y' dont have that much option when its comes to a Country name starting with alphabets and obviously i sticked with Yemeni Cuisine as am running a whole month of blogging marathon with Around the World in 30days as theme..Its wonderful to know that this cuisine is influenced very much by Indians as well, obviously most of the Indian spices are used in this cuisine.

Yemen has 2 major regions: North and South Yemen, which used to be different states until the end of the 20th century. The traditions and the cultural habits are similar in the 2 regions of Yemen and the cuisine seems to be unique and general. Because it is mostly a rural country, the agriculture occupies the wide territories, filled with Wheat, coffee and the local qat.The most traditional dish is the saltah. Saltah is a soup like stew where vegetables and meat are removed from the cooking liquid and served separately. The soup is then served with a sauce made from ground fenugreek called Helbah. It is served with lunch and is considered the national dish of Yemen. *

The most important feature of the Yemeni cuisine is the fact that it is very spicy and the hot taste is the most frequent one. There is a wide range of such sauces and dressings, used to spice up the meat or the salads. Since cereals are grown in the country, Yemen people also make their own traditional bread, called the mellawach, which is served with a spicy hot sauce that contains many spices, called the zahaug. Zahaug (zahaug is salsa in which we call it in the west) is also put on grilled meat, besides the hilbeh (hilbah is another name for saltah), fenugreek or coriander paste. The Yemen cuisine includes Lebanese and Indian aliments and spices and also the Arabic general rules, Egyptian and Persian tastes, in a unique combination and authentic cuisine. Yemeni cuisine is extremely popular among the Arab States of the Persian Gulf

Coca de Venduras/Coca Vegetable/Vegan Catalan Style Vegetable Pizza

Pizza, this word itself makes my kids happy, they just love to have pizzas everyday,but since i dont like to feed often my kids with these cheesy super rich Italian dish, i'll try myself to make them at home with healthy stuffs in it. Sometimes i'll make wheat based pizza crust or else i'll go for mixed millets pizza crust as well. Also i'll try to add grated veggies in my homemade pizza based crust.However i'll find all the way to add healthy stuffs in my homemade pizzas. Pizzas makes an excellent meal if they are prepared in a healthy way. If you have an opportunity to make a pizza without cheese, how can i miss it. When googling, the name coca pulled me to go through the recipe and got to know more about this Spanish aka Catalan style of tart aka pizza which goes for a yeasted thin crust topped with sauteed vegetables without cheese.

Molotes/Xalapan Molotes ~~ Xalapan Street Food

For this month's long marathon, i have cooked couple of dishes from various World cuisine starting with alphabets, today i was supposed to post a recipe from a Country name starts with 'X', since there is no country name starting with X, Srivalli suggested to cook from a city name starts with X from any Country. Immediately i started searching for a city and find out Xalapa which is a capital city of Veracruz state of Mexico. Xalapa is known very much for its large number of art galleries and theaters. Its well known for being home of great number of colleges of the University of Veracruz. This city is a land of mountains, one among the most charming Mexican capitals. Obviously this city is very much visited by tourists.Eating out in Xalapa, you are sure to find something from among the local delicacies to delight your palate. Typical dishes from around the state include chicken chileatole (a hot soup made with chilli, corn dough, and spices); molotes (snacks made from corn dough and mashed potato) and tamal de cazuela (stewed, local-style corn tamales).

There’s literally something for everyone in Xalapa. If you dont like to enjoy the traditional Mexican food in Xalapa, you can try local dishes with a modern twist at the elegant Casa de Mama (Mother’s House). For the spicy food lovers, there are jalapeño chillies stuffed with ground beef or seafood. Sunset brings with the irresistible flavors of traditional Xalapan desserts, usually enjoyed with a coffee. You can choose from jamoncillo, a dessert based on milk, unrefined sugar and pumpkin seeds, and candied fruit with piloncillo (molasses). Locals traditionally end their evenings with torito, a milk and sugar cane-based liquor flavored with cajeta (a toffee sauce made from goat’s milk), caramel, coconut, coffee or nuts.

Welsh Crempog/Ffroes/Welsh Pancakes ~~ Welsh Cuisine

Welsh cuisine, this is the cuisine of Wales, which is a part of United Kingdom and covers a part of the island of Great Britain. For the alphabetic letter 'W' i picked Wales and cooked a simple traditional dish from this cuisine.Its was bit hard to decide for the letter W but however since i didnt cook United Kingdom for 'U', cooking from Welsh cuisine is very much granted as per terms of this month's blogging marathon hence i picked Welsh cuisine for W.You might have noticed that as am running a month of blogging marathon with Around the world as theme since few days with country's name starting with Alphabets. We are reaching almost the end of this month's blogging marathon, am so happy that i finished successfully cooking from various countries during this month and learned many more new dishes as well.

Coming to Welsh cuisine, as per wiki,Traditional dishes includes laverbread (made from, an edible seaweed), bara brith (fruit bread),cawl (a lamb stew), cawl cennin (leek soup), Welsh cakes and Welsh lamb. Cockles, a variety of clam are sometimes served as a traditional breakfast with bacon and laverbread.Although Wales has its own traditional food, and has absorbed much of the cuisine of England, Welsh diets now owe more to the countries of India, China and the United States.Chicken tikka masala is the country's favourite dish while hamburgers and Chinese food outsell fish and chips as a takeaway.Each dish is a potted history of Wales. It’s honest, hearty stuff, made with fresh seasonal ingredients. Other famous dishes, like Glamorgan sausages and Welsh rarebit, reflect a time when meat was a scarce luxury. Modern Welsh cooking is about the top-quality ingredients, cooked simply, to let the natural flavours shine through their cooking with lamb from mountains and saltmarshes, Welsh Black beef, Carmarthen ham, and abundant seafood. And to wash it down,Welsh people drink ales from the artisan breweries, Welsh wine and whisky, and plenty of fresh spring water.

Limonada Con Panela/Papelón con limón/Venezuelan Panela Limonade ~~ Venezuelan Cuisine

A month of blogging marathon is getting almost over,yes just few alphabets are left, happy that i accompalished this Around the world in 30days theme brightly by cooking various dishes from 26 countries to fit the tastebuds of my family members. For 'V', i was between Vietnam and Venezuela, vietnamese ingredients are easily available for me since am living in China town. However i want to try a different cuisine and hence i opted for Venezuelan cuisine.

Venezuelan Cuisine, a complete unknown cuisine for me, while googling i found that this Cuisine has a lot of European influences (especially Italian, Spanish and French) and is quite flavourful. But you can also find indigenous as well as African influence. As Venezuela is such a large and diverse country, each region has its own distinctive regional cooking.On the coast you will find high quality fish, shellfish, crayfish, fish soups as well as fish stews. Try the pargo (red snapper) or the dorado if you have the chance. Coconut is also part of some dishes.In the Andean region the food is quite different. Even the most famous dish the "arepa" is not made of cornmeal but wheat. Here you can find cured meats and sausages which are sold in many rural villages. You should not miss the famous fresh trucha (trout) dishes which come from the many Andean streams and lakes.The food in the Amazon region varies a lot from the rest of Venezuela. Besides the main ingredients like yucca, corn, beans and bananas some people even eat turtles, tapirs, monkeys birds and deep fried ants.Meat lovers will enjoy the parillas (mixed grill) in Venezuela as the quality of meat is quite high and the prices are low. You can choose between muchacho (roast beef), solomo (sirloin) and lomito (steak).

Rolex/ Ugandan Egg Roll ~~ Ugandan Cuisine

 Ugandan cuisine consists of traditional and modern cooking styles, practices, foods and dishes in Uganda, with English, Arab, Asian and especially Indian influences.Most tribes in Uganda have their own specialty dish or delicacy. Many dishes include various vegetables, potatoes, yams, bananas and other tropical fruits. Chicken, fish, beef, goat and mutton are all commonly eaten, although among the rural poor, meats are consumed less than in other areas.Main dishes are usually centered on a sauce or stew of groundnuts, beans or meat. Traditionally ugali (maize meal) or matooke (boiled and mashed green banana) are eaten in the South, or an ugali made from millet in the North.Lunch is typically the heaviest meal of the day, eaten around 1pm. Dinner is slightly lighter and usually eaten around 8pm. If you are invited to someone’s home in Uganda, they will typically serve you something, whether it is tea with snacks or a full meal. It is considered rude to not eat the food in such settings. In many traditional, rural Ugandan homes the women and children sit on a mat on the floor to eat, while the man sits at the table. In more modern families, everybody sits together at the table, although some women still prefer to eat while sitting on a mat on the floor. In central Uganda, people do not typically greet others while eating. If someone comes late to the table, they should not attempt to shake hands with or greet those who are already sitting and eating. After Ugali, the most important food you can find in Uganda is the famous Chapathi/chipati, the popular Indian unleavened bread.

Gluoy Bwod Chee/Thai Bananas in Coconut Milk ~~ Thai Cuisine

Thai cuisine, this cuisine is very close to my heart, my most favourite cuisine after Indian cuisine. Whenever i get a chance to cook from this cuisine, i dont even hesitate a second to cook from. Thai ingredients are easily available for me as am living in Paris china town, obviously its like going to an Indian grocery for me. Am running a month of blogging marathon with an interesting theme, yes my theme for this mega marathon is Around the World in 30days starting with alphabets. Obviously when i was chosing my recipe list for this theme, am was very much sure that i'll be cooking something from Thai cuisine for the alphabet 'T'.The ideal Thai meal is a harmonious blend of the spicy, the subtle, the sweet and sour, and is meant to be equally satisfying to eye, nose and palate. A typical meal might include a clear soup (perhaps bitter melons stuffed with minced pork), a steamed dish (mussels in curry sauce), a fried dish (fish with ginger), a hot salad (beef slices on a bed of lettuce, onions, chillies, mint and lemon juice) and a variety of sauces into which food is dipped. This would be followed by sweet desserts or fresh fruits such as mangoes, durian, jackfruit, papaya, grapes or melon.

Thai cuisine is essentially a marriage of centuries-old Eastern and Western influences harmoniously combined into something uniquely Thai. The characteristics of Thai food depend on who cooks it, for whom it is cooked, for what occasion, and where it is cooked to suit all palates. Originally, Thai cooking reflected the characteristics of a waterborne lifestyle. Aquatic animals, plants and herbs were major ingredients. Large chunks of meat were eschewed. Subsequent influences introduced the use of sizeable chunks to Thai cooking.

Watermelon Gazpacho/Vegan Spanish Watermelon Soup ~~ Spanish Cuisine

Spanish cuisine, this cuisine is vast as much as like few European cuisine. I learned many Spanish special dishes only after coming here. Our most favourite is always their Seafood Paella and Gazpacho.Its not easy to explain Spanish cuisine in few words, but however writing an intro about this cuisine is much needed to kick start this post. If you are my follower, you would have noticed that am running a month of blogging marathon since almost three weeks with Around the World in 30days as theme in alphabetical order. After the Rwandan cuisine, today am taking you all to Spanish cuisine as i need to post a dish from the country name starts with 'S'. The basis of the history of Spanish food of course has to do with its geographical situation. First of all, the country is located on the Iberian peninsula and is therefore almost entirely surrounded by the waters. Naturally, due to this fortunate location, seafood forms one of the pillars of Spain's gastronomy and categorizes the country as having a Mediterranean diet. The rest of Spain is a diverse terrain made up of mountain ranges, lush pastures, fertile farmgrounds, extensive coastlines and more, which together provide quite the variety of fresh products. For example, Spain's famous hams are cured high in the mountains, vineyards and olive groves sprawl across expanses of land, and fresh fruits and vegetables hail from throughout the country.

Endless cultures, as they passed through or settled in Spain, have influenced the history of Spanish food. The Phoenicians left their sauces, the Greeks introduced Spain to the wonders of olive oil, and Romans, Carthaginians, and Jews integrated elements of their own cooking into that of Spain. However it was the Moors who, during their centuries of reign, most impacted Spanish gastronomy. They introduced fruits and light seasonings into the Iberian diet, as well as combinations of fruits and nuts with meats and fish. Rice, a staple of Spanish gastronomy and therefore Spain's vast array of rice dishes, come straight from the Moors, as does the use of saffron, cinnamon, and nutmeg. As you eat gazpacho on a hot summer day, thank this clearly gastronomically talented Moorish culture, as it too comes straight from them.

Paneer,Horsegram Vermicelli Pulao/Kollu Sevai Paneer Pulav

You may wonder where i got this horsegram vermicelli aka sevai, am still unpacking my bagages which i carried all the way from India. Eventhough i started cooking with few of the healthy organic grains which i packed carefully, there were still few more packets to get cooked. One among those healthy stuffs is this kollu sevai aka horsegram vermicelli.Kollu sevai /Horsegram sevai was gifted to me by one of best buddy who is very close to my heart when i met her during my last visit in India.Instead of making a simple dish with this beautiful sevai, i planned to cook as a kids friendly dish as we love vermicelli very much as anything in anything. My family can have vermicelli from breakfast to dinner without any fuss. Obviously i dont forget to make vermicelli based dishes once a week without any fail.After many discussions with my kids, finally i ended with a delicious one pot meal aka pulao with this beautiful healthy sevai.

Ibiharage/Rwandan Fried Beans ~~ Rwandan Cuisine

After 'Q',come on lets go to Central africa, exactly to Rwanda. Since am running a month of blogging marathon with Around the world in 30days as theme with alphabets,i picked Rwandan cuisine for the alphabet 'R'.Rwandan food tends to be simple, made with locally-grown ingredients.Lunch and dinner may consist of boiled beans, bananas, sweet potatoes or cassava. Umutsima (a dish of cassava and corn), isombe (cassava leaves with Eggplant and spinach) and mizuzu (fried plantains) are common dishes. Porridge is the traditional breakfast and meat is seldom eaten outside the cities due to its expense. Though stews are often flavoured with dried fish and meat, as is common in much of Africa. Flaked and dried fish is sometimes cooked with Chicken, yam, onions, various spices and water to prepare a flavored stew.The Rwandan diet is fairly starch-heavy. At a local restaurant you will find an array of starches - rice, crepes, cassava, sweet potatoes, chips (as in fried potatoes) and matooke (starchy bananas).If you're not meat lovers, you'll probably end up eating mostly starches, which are more than likely fried. Dinner is the heaviest meal. Between meals, Rwandans often snack on fruits. Tropical fruits such as avocados, bananas, mangos and papaya are abundant in Rwanda. Roadside vendors in urban areas sell roasted corn and barbecued meat. In all of Rwanda, women are the ones who take care of cooking and they mainly stick to preparing beer, bananas and other simple to make dishes. Cooking is done in multiple ways such as roasting, baking, boiling, mashing, and spicing. cassava plants are mostly consumed as cooked greens. The most traditional meats that are still consumed in some parts of Rwanda are those hunted in the forests. Another interesting specific cooking method involves "Isombe", which are the green leaves from the manioc plant. The leaves get finely mashed and look a bit like spinach while the roots of the plant are used to make flour-like ingredients.

Drumstick Leaves, Brown Rice & Dal Bhath

We are having a nasty hot weather, i dont felt like cooking for hours in kitchen as the climate is super humid.I cant live without my pressure cookers,they makes really our lives easier and anything cooked with them goes hardly for less time when compared with the dishes cooked in pans or in kadais.Obviously i opted for a hearty and healthy one pot meal with mixed dals,brown rice and drumstick leaves for our yesterday's lunch. This dish will definitely goes for quick cooking and you can enjoy this food anytime of the day served simply with papads, potato chips or else pickles.I used organic Brown sona masoori rice with toor dal,masoor dal and moong dal along with fresh drumstick leaves. You can also add veggies in this healthy food or else any other greens as you prefer.

Motabel/Qatari Eggplant Dip ~~ Qatari Cuisine

Q, this alphabetical letter dont have many options when its comes to a country's name. For this month's long blogging marathon, we marathoners are running Around the world in 30days as theme starting with alphabets. After the alphabet 'P', today we are landing to Qatar, this country and its cuisine is not that much familiar for me,i just travelled twice in Qatar airways  and have seen their airport. Apart from it, this Country is quite unknown for me,but for my surprise their foods are very much known as the most important influence on Qatar's food came with the arrival of other Arab people as Levantine (also known as Lebanese) cuisine arrived. This brought hummus, tabbouleh, and spices that are now common in Qatar and throughout much of the Middle East.The region also changed its food due to the influence from others who came and went with the trade moving to and from the Persian Gulf. The Persians, Indians, and even the Europeans arrived with new ingredients and ideas that changed the cuisine. This led to the greater prevalence of rice in the dishes and again new spices and ingredients arrived in greater numbers.

In the modern age foods from abroad have been introduced to Qatar, but none have truly changed the traditional foods. Most traditional dishes remain the same, but ethnic foods are now more common and available, including Chinese, Indian, Filipino, Italian, and American foods. These foods are growing in popularity partially due to the fact that people from these countries live and work in Qatar and partially due to the fact that the locals also enjoy these foreign foods on occasion.

Bolo Lêvedo / Portuguese Sweet Muffins ~~ Portuguese Cuisine

After Omani cuisine, am taking you all to Portuguese cuisine for this month's long blogging marathon. As you know, am running Around the world in 30days with alphabets as theme. After O, today we are landing towards to Portuguese cuisine for the letter 'P'.Portuguese cuisine is born from the earth. It is hearty peasant fare full of strong flavours, many charting the culinary history of the country. For instance, the famous dried salt cod or bacalhau changed the course of Portuguese history. When it was discovered that the beautiful white fish caught in the cold Scandinavian waters could be dried and kept for long periods, sailors were able to go on long voyages of discovery to new lands, which then opened up trade routes.Paprika, bay leaves, garlic and wine feature largely in many dishes, olive oil is adored and used to cook both cook food and finish off dishes. Pork is a favourite meat and is used in the famous chourico sausage, which is smoked over wood with heavy aromas of garlic and paprika. Spices in general are popular including piri piri (small fiery chilli peppers), black pepper, cinnamon, vanilla, and saffron. Herbs are also widely used, particularly coriander and parsley.Desserts rely heavily on eggs like crème caramel, rice pudding and the famous custard tarts or pasteis de nata. A selection of cheeses may also be served, with the most common varieties being made from sheep or goat’s milk.

Baquorah/Omani Gramflour Fritters ~~ Omani Cuisine

Amazing landscapes, scenic beaches, inspiring deserts, picturesque fields and cascading waterfalls fallen makes Oman as a country that is truly beautiful. Obviously  its cuisine is definitely very flavourful and delicious.Well known  rice with chicken or beef, marinated with special spices, like ‘qabuli with lamb meat’ or lamb biryani, djaj foug el eish are famous Omani dishes.Succulent dishes includes chicken with homos and vegetables, makboos chicken muscat style, chicken qabuli al battena style and chicken arssiya are also known for their flavours and their unique tastes.An Omani table will never be complete without seafood to create a spread that is truly rich in taste and nutrition. Fresh fish, shrimp and the very finest bounties of the sea are prepared to delightful perfection. What makes Omani cuisine deliciously distinctive is the way it borrows Asian tastes and flavors and incorporates them into typical Omani dishes to make it appealing and appetizing to every palate.Yes you can see Indian touch in most of the Omani dishes. Their dishes are definitely healthy balance of vegetables, meat and rice, infused with the mouth-watering aromas, delicious tastes and appealing presentation make it a cuisine that is unmatched in flavor and nutrition. Truly, the people of Oman and their guests are favored with food.

Risgrøt/ Norwegian rice pudding ~~ Norwegian Cuisine

After Moroccan cuisine, let me take you all to an another European tour, yes we are landing today to Norway. Am running a month of long blogging marathon with world cuisine starting with alphabets as theme, today for the alphabet 'N', am taking you all to Norwegian cisine. Most Norwegians eat three or four regular meals a day, usually consisting of a cold breakfast with coffee, a cold,usually packed lunch at work and a hot dinner at home with the family. Depending on the timing of family dinner, some may add a cold meal in the late evening, typically a simple sandwich.The basic Norwegian breakfast consists of milk or fruit juice, coffee or more rarely tea, and open sandwiches with meat cuts, spreads, cheese or jam. Cereals such as corn flakes, muesli and oatmeal are also popular, particularly with children.A meal that is eaten between 4-6pm. This is the meal that is considered the "warm" meal of the day. The rest of the meals served throughout the day are generally cold. Some foods eaten at this time would be fish with boiled potatoes and vegetables.Bread is an important staple food of Norwegian diet. A soft bread called lefse made out of potato,milk or lemonade and flour is very popular here. Cheese are extremely popular in Norway, many varieties of traditional products are available.

Baghrir/Moroccan 1000 holes Pancakes ~~ Moroccan Cuisine

Moroccan cuisine is very much familiar for me, twice or once a week i'll cook Moroccan dishes at home coz most of my neighbours comes from Morocco. Needless to say Moroccan foods are easily available here and their foods have their important place in France. French peoples loves Moroccan foods and any Moroccan products are easily available here as much as like Chinese and Indian. Baghrir, this pancakes is the first Moroccon food i have tasted here.While am doing my Language course in Paris, i had a couple of Moroccan ladies doing their french course with me, whenever we have a get together they brings many delicious Moroccan pastries along with this famous Baghrir. I still remember the taste of the first Baghrir i have tasted with the famous Moroccan honey and butter sauce which is usually served along with this spongy pancakes. This Baghrir is literally now as Pancakes with thousand holes,these Moroccan pancakes are usually made and enjoyed during Ramadan fasting. The sponginess and the softness of this pancakes will definitely pull anyone to have more than one. This Baghrir is in my to do list since ages, eventhough the ingredients are easily available here, dunno why i didnt tried these spongy,dangerously addictive pancakes at home. Finally i made them when i was searching for a dish from Countries name starts with 'M'.

Vegetarian Pot Pie

Pot pie, this dish is prepared with vegetables or chicken/meat served with a pastry topping, while some pie goes just for a pot without no pastry.Pot pie is usually refers to a type of meat pie with flaky puff pastry crust.Its been ages i had pot pie, finally i prepared a vegetarian pot pie for this month's Home Baker's Challenge, a monthly baking event where we bake varieties of baked goodies, the host of this month is Saraswathi of Sara's Kitchen, she suggested both pop overs and pot pies for this month's challenge.Initially i planned to prepare the sweet pot pie which goes for bananas and chocolates, but finally i dropped my plan and simply prepared this mixed vegetable pot pie for our dinner.

Lebanese Eggless Sesame Cookies~~ Lebanese Cuisine

 Lebanese cuisine is more than just a collection of dishes - it is a festival of delicious appetizers, rich appealing tastes, enticing colours and warm hospitality. From the evergreen mountains to fields of Lebanon, each region brings its own unique flavours been carried across the world. So it doesn’t matter how big the table is, a Lebanese mezze can pack a lot within a little. Famous Lebanese dishes  tabouleh, fattoush with olive oil, hummus with tahini, eggplant paste, green beans, okra with tomato and garlic sauce, kidney beans, foul modama are well known around the world and the list goes on and on. A typical spread would also include kebbeh, shish tawook, kaftah, freekeh of all kinds with chicken, beef or vegetables, shish barak, mojadara, sayadiyah, a combination of lip-smacking taste and health-friendly dishes. But this is not finished, wait till sweets are served,every bite inspires another.Besides being delightfully delicious and absolutely healthy, presentation plays a prominent part in Lebanese cuisine. From fantastic mezzes to appetizing dishes, every spread brings out the essence of the incredible cuisine. So, if you sit to a Lebanese table and take the first bite, am sure you will completely fallen in love with this cuisine.

Gochujeon/Korean Green Pepper Pancakes ~~ Korean Cuisine

If you are following my blog since few days,you might have noticed that am posting a month of blogging marathon with world cuisine starting with alphabets. After Jordanian cuisine, now am taking you all to Korean cuisine.Rice is the staple food of Koreans usually rice is accompanied by various side dishes, seasoned vegetables, soup, meat and stew. A Korean traditional meal is not complete without kimchi, a mixture of various pickled vegetables such as Chinese cabbage, radish, green onion and cucumber. Certain types of kimchi are made spicy with the addition of red chili pepper powder, while others are prepared without red chili peppers or are soaked in a tasty liquid. However, garlic is always used in kimchi to add to its flavor.Koreans have great variety of noodle dishes,various types of soups with or without meats and vegetables. Great varieties of side dishes are served during Korean meals.They have their own way of serving their dishes.Rice and soup are served on individual bowls, but side dishes are served in small dishes at the center of the table to be shared. Because each region of Korea produces different wild vegetables and ingredients, obviously there are hundreds of different side dishes.Rice is not only their main dish, they make special rice cakes for many occasions, and their desserts goes always for a tray of tea and cookies.

Taboon/Jordanian Taboon Bread ~~ Jordanian Cuisine

As per Wiki ,Jordanian cuisine is a traditional style of food preparation originating from Jordan that has developed from centuries of social and political change with roots starting in Paleolithic period. Jordanian cuisine goes from baking, sautéeing and grilling to stuffing of vegetables (grape leaves, eggplants, etc.), meat, and poultry, apart from thisr oasting or preparing foods with special sauces plays an important role in this cuisine. Since Jordan is one of the largest producers of olives in the world, olive oil is the main cooking oil in Jordan. Herbs, garlic, spices, onion, tomato sauce and lemon are added to bring the typical flavours in Jordanian foods. Jordanian food can vary from extremely hot and spicy to mild.The most common and popular appetiser is hummus, which is a prepared out of chick peas blended with tahini, lemon, and garlic. Ful Medames is another well-known appetiser. A successful mezze must of course have koubba maqliya, labaneh, baba ghanoush, tabbouleh, olives and pickles.The most distinctive Jordanian dish is mansaf, the national dish of Jordan,a symbol in Jordanian culture for generosity.Eventhough simple fresh fruit is often served towards the end of a Jordanian meal, there is also dessert, such as baklava, hareeseh, knafeh, halva and qatayef a dish made specially for Ramadan . Drinking coffee and tea flavored with na'na or meramiyyeh is almost a ritual here.

Pisang Goreng/Indonesian Fried Bananas ~~ Indonesian Cuisine

Indonesia have around 5,350 traditional recipes, with 30 of them are considered as the most important.Indonesian cuisine varies greatly by region and has many different influences.Some popular Indonesian dishes such as nasi goreng, gado-gado,sate and soto are ubiquitous in the country and considered as national dishes.Today, some popular dishes that originated in Indonesia are now common across much of Southeast Asia. Indonesian dishes such as satay, beef rendang, and sambal are also favoured in Malaysia and Singapore. Soy-based dishes of tofu and tempe, are also very popular Indonesian cuisine,however this cuisine is quite a unknown cuisine for me. When i was planning my recipe choices for this month's long blogging marathon with cuisines all around the world starting with alphabets, i dont want to stick to the famous Italian cuisine for the alphabet 'I'. Since i want to explore this Indonesian cuisine, i started searching for an interesting recipe and finally i ended up with this dangerously addictive Indonesian style fried bananas. Immediately i got hooked to this recipe and the author of this space shares many authentic Indonesian dishes with her beautiful clicks. This dish is quite a simple evening snacks, one cant stop just munching these super crispy fried bananas, they are dangerously addictive.The author of Daily Cooking Quest says that this Pisang Goreng  is one among the Indonesian most favourite food. She also says that traditionally Indonesian bananas are used for making this fritters, since Indonesian bananas are not that much easily available in other countries, any bananas available in your place can works awesome too for making this fried bananas.

Palacsinta/Hungarian Crepes/Hungarian Pancakes ~~~Hungarian Cuisine

Hungarian cuisine, this cuisine belongs to Hungary, and to its primary ethnic group The Magyars.Hungarian dishes are cooked with meats, seasonal vegetables, fruits,fresh bread, dairy products and cheese.Hungarians love to enjoy their meat in stews, casseroles, as steaks. The mixing of different meats and vegetables in their dish is a traditional feature of this cuisine.Soups,desserts, pastries and the famous pancakes are the other important dishes of this Hungarian cuisine.I have been looking for a simple recipe from this cuisine for this month's long blogging marathon as we are cooking from around the world with country name starts with alphabets, since today"s alphabet is 'H',i picked immediately the Hungarian cuisine. While going through the google master, i got hooked immediately to their Palacsinta, the famous Hungarian pancakes or crepes. These crepes are almost as like French crepes.However most of the Central European pancakes are thin pancakes similar to the French crêpe. The main difference between the French and this Hungarian version of this dish is that the mixture for this crepes can be used straight away unlike that of the French crepes which is suggested to be left at rest for several hours. Palacsinta are made by creating a runny dough from eggs, flour, milk, and salt and frying it in a pan with butter or oil. Unlike thicker types of pancakes, palascinta are usually served with different types of fillings and eaten for lunch or dinner.One among the  well known crepes of this Hungarian cuisine is the Gundel pancake (Gundel palacsinta), made with ground walnuts, raisin, candied orange peel, cinnamon, and rum filling, served flambéed in dark chocolate sauce made with egg yolks, heavy cream, and cocoa.

Kartoffelpuffer/German Potato Pancakes ~~ German Cuisine

After France, we are still travelling in Europe with German cuisine for this month's long blogging marathon, for the alphabet 'G' i picked German cuisine as this cuisine is one among the cuisine i want to explore more..German regional cuisine can be divided into many varieties such as Bavarian cuisine (southern Germany), Thuringian (central Germany), Lower Saxon cuisine or those of Saxony-Anhalt.I picked this Kartoffelpuffer aka potato pancakes are from Bavarian cuisine.The Bavarian dukes, especially the Wittelsbach family, developed bavarian cuisine and refined it to be presentable to the royal court. This cuisine has belonged to wealthy households, especially in cities, since the 19th century. The old Bavarian cuisine is closely connected to Czech cuisine and Austrian cuisine (especially from Tyrol and Salzburg), mainly through the Wittelsbach and Habsburg families. Already in the beginning, Bavarians were closely connected to their neighbours in Austria through linguistic, cultural and political similarities, which also reflected on the cuisine.Coming to this German potato pancakes,there are two different German words exists  for this potato pancakes, reibekuchen or kartoffelpuffer. Its seems Kartoffelpuffer are fingerly grated pancakes came from Bavarian cuisine, while reibekuchen are more coarsely grated which is well known as German potato pancakes.However my German potato pancakes goes for the finely grated potatoes, hence this dish is Kartoffelpuffer.

Fouée de Touraine/French Style Pita Bread/Fouace ~~ French Cuisine

French cuisine, this cuisine is definitely one among the famous cuisine of the world. French cuisine is very much know for its rich tastes with a long history behind this cuisine. For this month's long blogging marathon, when its comes to the letter 'F' i took French cuisine, watelse i can do. Since am living in Paris, personally i felt that i should do justice to this cuisine and hence i picked French cuisine for F. I have been looking for varieties of French dishes, but i finally ended up making a bread from this World famous cuisine.Before landing here, this cuisine is very much unknown for me. French peoples are hardcore meat lovers, most of their traditional foods are cooked only with meats and some the traditional french foods are still a nightmare for me. However thank god, i dont have any chance to taste those very meaty traditional foods here. French peoples like stuffed snails, frog legs very much and its their favourite festive food, most of their Christmas table have these two dishes with Duck liver which is the most loved and liked festive food here. But French desserts are my favourite, i love their creativity and the varieties of their desserts available easily to anyone here from many famous French chefs.French pastries are well known around the world especially their macaroons, croissants and many more. My favourite list of French pastries doesnt have an end, yes whenever i go to the nearby French bakery,i'll treat myself definitely with one of their pastry, its quite a ritual for us as most of the pastries are very difficult to prepare at home as they are quite time consuming.

Shorba Adas/Egyptian Lentil Soup ~~ Egyptian Cuisine

Egyptian cuisine cuisine makes heavy use of legumes and vegetables, since Egypt's rich Nile valley and delta produce large quantities of these crops in high quality.Bread made from a simple recipe forms the backbone of Egyptian cuisine. It is consumed at almost all Egyptian meals; a working-class or rural Egyptian meal might consist of little more than bread and beans.The local bread is a form of hearty, thick, glutenous pita bread called Eish Masri. Egyptian cuisine is notably conducive to vegetarian diets, as it relies heavily on vegetable dishes. Although food in Alexandria and on the Egyptian coast tends to use a great deal of fish and other seafood, for the most part Egyptian cuisine is based on foods that grow out of the ground. Meat has been very expensive for most Egyptians throughout history, and many vegetarian dishes have developed to work around this economic reality.Egyptian cuisine is characterized by dishes such as Ful Medames, mashed fava beans; Koshari, a mixture of lentils, rice, pasta, and other ingredients; 'Molokheyya, a green plant chopped and cooked with garlic and coriander sauce; and Fetir Meshaltet. Egyptian cuisine shares similarities with food of the Eastern Mediterranean region, such as rice-stuffed vegetables, grape leaves, Shawerma, Kebab, Falafel, Baba Ghannoug, and baklava.Some consider Koshari - a mixture of rice, lentils, and macaroni - to be the national dish. Ful Medames is also one of the most popular dishes. Fava bean is also used in making falafel (also known as ta`meyya), which originated in Egypt and spread to other parts of the Middle East.

Harina de Maiz/Dominican Cornmeal Pudding ~~ Dominican Cuisine

 The Dominican Republic is a nation on the island of Hispaniola, part of the Greater Antilles archipelago in the Caribbean region. The western three-eighths of the island is occupied by the nation of Haiti, making Hispaniola one of two Caribbean islands, along with Saint Martin, that are shared by two countries. Both by area and population, the Dominican Republic is the second largest Caribbean nation after Cuba with the Santo Domingo as capital city.Dominican Republic cuisine is predominantly made up of a combination of Spanish, indigenous Taíno, and African influences, the first and last occurring over the last five centuries. Dominican cuisine resembles very much like other countries in Latin America, those of the nearby islands of Puerto Rico and Cuba, most of all, though the dish names differ sometimes.Breakfast can consist of eggs or meat and mangú which is mashed plantain. A heartier version uses deep-fried meat, such as Dominican salami. As in Spain, the largest, most important meal of the day is lunch. Its most typical form, nicknamed La Bandera  which meansThe Flag, consists of rice, red beans, meat like beef, chicken, pork, or fish, and salad. A typical Dominican food consists of the grains, especially rice, corn (native to the island) and wheat,vegetables, such as beans and other legumes, potatoes, yuca, or plantains, and salad; dairy products, especially milk and cheese; and fruits, such as oranges, bananas, and mangoes. However, there is heaviest consumption of starches and meats, and least of dairy products and non-starchy vegetables.The favourite dishes includes Chimichurries, ripe plantains, empanadas, chicharron, batata and tostones.

Croatian Doughnuts/Croatian Fritule - Croatian Cuisine

As per wiki,Croatian cuisine is heterogeneous, its known as a cuisine of the regions since every regions has its own distinct culinary traditions. Its roots date back to ancient times and the differences in the selection of foodstuffs and forms of cooking are most notable between those on the mainland and those in coastal regions. Mainland cuisine is more characterized by the earlier Slavic and the more recent contacts with neighboring cultures - Hungarian, Austrian and Turkish, using lard for cooking, and spices such as black pepper, paprika, and garlic. The coastal region bears the influences of the Greek, Roman and Illyrian, as well as of the later Mediterranean cuisine - Italian (especially Venetian) and French, using olive oil, and herbs and spices such as rosemary, sage, bay leaf, oregano, marjoram, cinnamon, clove, nutmeg, lemon and orange rind. Peasant cooking traditions are based on imaginative variations of several basic ingredients (cereals, dairy products, meat, fish, vegetables) and cooking procedures (stewing, grilling, roasting, baking), while bourgeois cuisine involves more complicated procedures and use of selected herbs and spices. Charcuterie is part of Croatian tradition in all regions. Food and recipes from former Yugoslav countries are also popular in Croatia.

Gaufre Liegeoise/Liege Waffle ~~ Belgian Cuisine

Belgian cuisine is widely varied with different significant regional variations which reflect very much with the cuisines of neighbour countries  France, Germany and the Netherlands. It is sometimes said that Belgian food is served in the quantity of German cuisine but with quality of French food. Outside the country, Belgium is best known for its chocolate and beer.Belgian cuisine traditionally prizes regional and seasonal ingredients, leading to distinctive dishes like carbonade flamande in Flanders or the couque biscuit of the town of Dinant.Belgians typically eat three meals a day, with a light breakfast, light or medium sized lunch and large dinner.Belgium not only famous for their chocolates and beers, their waffles have their important place, especially this street food is one among the Belgain street food been sold everyday in large quantities. We had an experience of having this authentic Belgian waffles when we went to Brussels during our last summer trip.Since waffles is one of the famous street food, you can see few variations depedning upon the region of this country. I replicated the Brussels style waffles at home many times but however the Liege waffles are the best and most favourite of my kids. Obviously when i picked Belgium for the alphabet B for this month's long blogging marathon, i know i'll be making this Liege waffles at home, as this is waffles are in my to do list since a long.

Badimjan Dilchaklari - Aubergines Rounds with Tomatoes ~~ Azerbaijani Cuisine

Azerbaijan, is situated at the crossroads of Eastern Europe and Western Asia, it is bounded by caspian sea to the east, Russia on north, Georgia in northwest, Armenia in west and Iran to the south.Azerbaijani cuisine has been influenced by the foods of different cultures, though at the same time, it remained distinctive and unique. Many foods that are indigenous to the country can now be seen in the cuisines of other neighboring cultures. For the Azerbaijanis, food is an important part of the country's culture and is deeply rooted in the history, traditions and values of the nation.The main course of Azerbaijani cuisine are over 30 kinds of soups, including those prepared from plain yogurt. One of the most reputed dishes of Azerbaijani cuisine, however, is plov from saffron-covered rice, served with various herbs and greens, a combination totally distinctive from Uzbek plovs. Azerbaijani cuisine includes more than 40 different plov recipes. Other second courses include a wide variety of kebabs and shashlik, including lamb, beef, chicken, and fish (baliq) kebabs. Dried fruits and walnuts are used in many dishes. The traditional condiments are salt, black pepper, sumac, and especially saffron, which is grown domestically on the Absheron Peninsula.Black tea is the national beverage, and is drunk after food is eaten. It is also offered to guests as a gesture of welcome, often accompanied by fruit preserves.