Stew

Liberia

Torborgee is a spicy and bitter Liberian stew made with torborgee beans and palm oil. The dish is often enriched by the addition of dried meat, chicken, pork, or fish, and it is usually associated with the Lorma people inhabiting the area of Lofa County in Liberia. It is said that there are three varieties of torborgee: beans torborgee, pepper torborgee, and bitter-ball torborgee.

Torborgee

Slovenia

Trži&scaron;ke bržole is a traditional stew originating from the Tržič and Gorenjska (Upper Carniola) area. The stew is usually made with a combination of mutton, onions, garlic, juniper berries, bay leaves, stock, potatoes, summer savory, salt, and pepper. The onions, garlic, and spices are saut&eacute;ed in fat, then mixed with small pieces of mutton. The mixture is covered with the stock and the stew is simmered for a few hours until the mutton is soft. Once done, the stew is served with boiled potatoes on the side. Interestingly enough, there is a legend that connects the dish with the Kofce mountain.

Tržiške bržole

Turli tava is a traditional North Macedonian dish consisting of meats and vegetables that are stewed together and baked in an oven. Common ingredients include pork, beef, or lamb, and vegetables such as potatoes, eggplant, carrots, and peppers. The dish is baked in a traditional earthenware vessel, just like the national dish of North Macedonia, gravče na tavče. The name of the dish is derived from the Turkish words turli, meaning mixed, and tava, an earthenware vessel.

Turli tava

Often referred to as Turkish ratatouille, t&uuml;rl&uuml; is a flavorful vegetable stew with added meat such as lamb or beef. The vegetables used in the stew are typically zucchinis, eggplants, onions, okra, green beans, and potatoes. The stew is usually flavored with garlic, tomato sauce, bay leaves, cinnamon, and a variety of fresh herbs. After the slow-cooking process, it is recommended to serve t&uuml;rl&uuml; with steamed rice and yogurt on the side.

Türlü

Australia

This Tuvaluan specialty is a seafood curry that marries the flavors of locally caught yellowfin or ahi tuna and coconut milk. Chunks of fresh tuna are simmered in a creamy coconut-milk-based broth with ingredients such as fried onions, ginger, garlic, red chilis, green onions, cucumbers, and sugar snap peas. The combination is seasoned with curry powder and soy sauce, both of which nod to the influence of Asian and Indian cuisines on the dish. Tuvalu coconut tuna is typically served sprinkled with fresh parsley or cilantro on top, and it is traditionally accompanied by a side of plain steamed rice or coconut rice.

Tuvalu Coconut Tuna

India

Urulakizhangu mappas is a traditional curry made with potatoes, coconut milk, and spices. The dish originates from Kerala, and it&rsquo;s made with a combination of potatoes, onions, garlic, green chili peppers, ginger, chili powder, coriander powder, turmeric powder, coconut milk, and spices such as cinnamon, cloves, fennel seeds, and black peppercorns. The spices are ground and mixed with the vegetables, then cooked until the potatoes are tender. Coconut milk is added to the pot and the curry is then mixed with tempered mustard seeds. This curry is traditionally served with appam, rice, or iddiyappam on the side.

Urulakizhangu mappas

Usal is a traditional dish originating from Maharashtra. The dish can be prepared with sprouted beans, dried beans, or lentils as the main ingredient, but in Maharashtra it's usually made with sprouted moth or matki beans. A combination of coriander seeds, sesame seeds, cloves, cardamom, coconut, cinnamon, bay leaves, and peppercorns is roasted until fragrant, and the combination is then added to saut&eacute;ed onions, garlic, tomatoes, chili powder, and turmeric powder. The sprouted beans are then added to the pot, and the mixture is cooked in water or coconut milk until tender, but not mushy. If desired, potatoes can be added to the dish for extra texture and flavor. Once done, usal is often garnished with coriander leaves, and the dish is typically served piping hot. There are many variations on usal, made with different additional ingredients such as curry leaves or fennel. It's recommended to serve usal with chapati, pav, or rice on the side.

Usal

Iran

Vavishka is a traditional dish originating from Gilan. It's made with a combination of ground beef (or chicken breast), tomatoes, lemon juice, onions, and turmeric. The stew is slowly simmered until the meat becomes tender. Vavishka is usually accompanied by rice or bread on the side. If desired, the dish can be enriched with a few cracked eggs on top near the end of cooking.

Vavishka

Vereshchaka is a traditional stew that has been prepared since at least the mid-18th century. Originally, it was a variation of machanka meat sauce. The stew is usually made with pork sausages, bacon, onions, flour, beer, and spices. Once prepared, vereshchaka is traditionally served in a pot, accompanied by buckwheat pancakes on the side. The dish was invented by royal chef named Vereshchaka, and it became widely known in the 19th century. Nowadays, this hearty stew has many variations, so in Ukraine, it is prepared with pork meat, rye bread, and beetroot sauce.

Vereshchaka

Vindaloo is a flavorful curry dish that is popular in England and the Indian regions of Goa and Konkan. It is typically made with marinated pork, but it can also be made with chicken, beef, mutton, or paneer. The name of the dish stems from the mispronounced Portuguese dish called carne de vinha d'alhos, meaning meat marinated in wine vinegar and garlic. The Portuguese explorers brought the dish to Goa in the 15th century, when it was adjusted to local conditions - since there was no wine vinegar in India, the Franciscan priests made their own version with palm wine. Many Indian spices were incorporated into the dish, such as tamarind, cinnamon, cardamom, and hot chiles. Vindaloo was later brought to England, where it became another hot curry, losing some of the earthy flavors and the balance of numerous spices due to the excessive use of chiles in modern Anglo-Indian cuisine.

Vindaloo

Wat is the national dish of Ethiopia (and also popular in Eritrea, where it's known as tsebhi), a spicy stew made with berbere - a spice blend usually consisting of very hot chili peppers, garlic, ginger, rue, basil, ajwain, nigella, and fenugreek, all of them sold in markets and ground together in a mortar using a pestle. It is the most popular dish in these two countries and can be made with beef, chicken, lamb, lentils, vegetables, or fish. Pork is never used due to religious reasons. In Ethiopia and Eritrea, nothing gets wasted, so every possible cut of meat is used in the wats, either fresh or dried, from fine cuts to organs. In the past, women were judged on the basis of their wat cooking skills, and those who made the best ones were the most respected by their neighbors and husbands. Wat begins with onions, used for sweetening and thickening the stew, followed by berbere, water, tomato sauce, and meat or vegetables, slowly cooked to perfection.

Xacuti is a popular chicken or mutton curry that is heavily spiced with pepper, poppy seeds, coconut, and chiles. The dish is a specialty of the Indian state of Goa, where it was brought over by the Portuguese, who colonised the area in the past. Xacuti is characterized by its vibrant colors, which come from the Kashmiri chiles, and layers upon layers of complex flavors, making it a favorite local dish. It is available at all Goan fast food eateries, where the curry is usually served with poey, a local bread which is crunchy on the exterior, and tender on the interior. There are also varieties of xacuti such as prawn, oyster, and shark xacuti, while the vegetarian version, mushroom xacuti, is available only in selected eateries.

Xacuti

Yaohon is a Cambodian hot pot that contains a variety of vegetables, meat, and seafood. The broth is based on a mixture of coconut milk or cream, chicken broth, and coconut soda, and it is typically flavored with barbecue sauce, fish sauce, soybean curd sauce, makrut lime leaves, lemongrass, and palm sugar. Typical vegetables include watercress, spinach, and bok choy, while the selection of meat and seafood usually includes beef, chicken, shrimps, squids, oysters, and mussels. Other ingredients featured in this flavor-packed broth are crushed peanuts, quail eggs, mushrooms, and (optionally) beer. Sweet, spicy, and savory, yaohon is commonly enjoyed with rice noodles or steamed rice.

Yaohon

One of three major curry types in Thailand is the famous yellow curry. Similar to its red and green counterparts, yellow curry is also made with spices such as coriander, cumin, lemongrass, kaffir leaves, garlic, galangal, and numerous other aromatic additions. The spices are usually combined with potatoes and onions; all doused in a creamy and slightly sweet sauce made with coconut milk. What differentiates yellow curry from the other types is the addition of yellow curry powder, giving the dish its distinctive color. Yellow curry falls into the category of mild Thai curries since it does not incorporate a lot of spicy chili peppers, but bases the flavors on the fragrant and lightly sweet curry powder. It is usually made with chicken, fish, duck, vegetables, or tofu. Just like other Thai curries, yellow curry has a thin broth that differs from the thick Indian curry varieties. It can be found everywhere in Thailand, and it is one of the favorite Thai dishes eaten outside of the country. Traditionally, yellow curry is accompanied by a cucumber relish known as ajat. In Thailand, yellow curry is referred to as kaeng kari, and it should not be mistaken with sour curry, known as kaeng lueang.

Yellow Curry

Japan

Yokosuka navy curry is a variety of Japanese curry prepared with a combination of beef, chicken, potatoes, onions, and carrots. The ingredients are cooked in a pan and thickened with a roux consisting of curry powder and flour. The dish is always accompanied by rice, while traditional sides include a salad and a glass of milk. This curry type is so popular that upon arrival at Yokosuka navy base, visitors are greeted by a statue of a seagull holding a big plate of this delicious curry.