Stew

Birmingham balti is a curry variety prepared with chicken or lamb (although, some may use vegetables or fish), served in a traditional steel bowl in which it was cooked. It is usually paired with naan bread on the side. Although it falls under the category of Indian curries, it is very probable that balti was created in the United Kingdom, more specifically in Birmingham, as the name suggests. The city has a large Pakistani population, who probably invented balti according to their authentic culinary traditions. In the 1970s, they started opening restaurants in Birmingham, serving the popular, slow-cooked curries. Their choice of spices included commercially available curry pastes and dried herbs since the fresh produce was not yet available. The dish gained its modern form when the traditional way of slow cooking was not sufficient or fast enough to adequately serve the customers. The restaurant owners then included the now famous balti, the thin steel bowl with two handles, which allowed the dish to be prepared much faster. One unsupported theory says that the origin of the dish might be Baltistan, the mountainous area of northern Pakistan, but it is more probable it was associated with the traditional bowl. Birmingham balti is an atypical version of a traditional curry since it uses dry herbs, and the traditional ghee is replaced with vegetable oil. In Birmingham, the restaurants serving balti were popularly called balti houses, and in the 1990s, they spread to other British cities. To this day, Birmingham balti remains one of the favorite British curries.

Birmingham balti

Slovenia

Bograč is a traditional meat stew that was supposedly invented by Hungarian shepherds when Prekmurje was under Hungarian rule. The stew consists of four types of meat&mdash;traditionally pork, beef, venison, and boar&mdash;which are simmered along with potatoes, onions, spices, wine, and optionally mushrooms. The dish was named after bogracs&mdash;a traditional cauldron in which it is still prepared today.

Bograč

Austria

B&ouml;hmisches Schwammerlgulasch is a traditional stew originating from Vienna. It's usually made with a combination of mushrooms, carrots, celery, potatoes, scallions, shallots, chicken stock, white wine, sour cream, butter, paprika, bay leaves, juniper berries, caraway seeds, dill, lovage, vinegar, salt, and white pepper. The shallots are saut&eacute;ed in butter, then mixed with paprika, white wine, and all the vegetables and bay leaves. The mixture is covered with stock, seasoned with salt and pepper, and simmered until the broth becomes thick. Mushrooms are added to the pot, and juniper berries and bay leaves are removed. The sour cream, dill, and lovage are finally added to the stew, it's simmered for a few more minutes, and vinegar is then added to taste. It's recommended to serve the stew with rye bread or dumplings on the side.

Böhmisches Schwammerlgulasch

Canada

Bouilli is a classic Qu&eacute;b&eacute;cois dish that is similar to the famous French pot-au-feu, made with inexpensive cuts of beef and salt pork, with vegetables such as carrots, turnips, cabbage, and potatoes. The combination of those ingredients is slowly simmered in a herb-flavored broth until the meat is tender and the broth becomes full of flavor. The name of the dish literally means boiled. Although there is no single recipe for the dish and every family prepares it differently, most people like to place a slice of bread with mustard at the bottom of the serving bowl, adding a slight acidity to this hearty dish.

Bouilli du Québec

France

Bouillon d'awara (also known as bouyan wara and awara broth) is a traditional Guianese specialty. The main ingredient in this dish is the paste of a palm fruit called awara. The paste is used as a base for a thick stock that's slowly cooked for a long time with a large number of added ingredients such as smoked fish, vegetables, salted meat, chicken, cassava, and various herbs. Awara broth is traditionally prepared during the Easter festivities and it's commonly served with rice on the side.

Bouillon d'awara

Greece

Boutridia is a vegetable stew originating from Zakynthos. It is typically prepared with beans, eggplants, potatoes, white beets, zucchinis, okra, tomatoes, garlic, and olive oil. Most of the vegetables are saut&eacute;ed, and everything is then seasoned with salt and pepper and baked in the oven. It is recommended to serve boutridia with fresh bread and, ideally, ladotyri &ndash; Zakynthian seasonally-produced white cheese.

Boutridia

Sweden

Br&auml;nnesnuda is a traditional dish originating from the region of Sk&aring;ne. Although there are a few variations, the dish is usually made with a combination of pork legs, carrots, leeks, celery, potatoes, cabbage, parsnips, horseradish, white pepper, and oatmeal. The pork legs are cooked with the vegetables and spices, and after some time, the oatmeal is added to the pot and the dish is simmered until everything is tender. Once done, br&auml;nnesnuda is typically garnished with chopped parsley and served with mustard on the side. The dish is especially popular in winter.

Brännesnuda

Buranija is a flavorful Bosnian stew consisting of green beans and chunks of veal as its main ingredients. The stew is typically flavored with salt, paprika, pepper, and bay leaves, with additional ingredients such as onions, garlic, carrots, or potatoes. It is simmered for a few hours until all of the ingredients have combined their flavors and the meat becomes tender, although buranija can also be prepared without any meat in a vegetarian version of the dish.

Buranija

This slow-cooked corn (hominy) and bean stew is made with vegetables (plantains, sweet potatoes, squash, and yams), meat (marinated pork, chorizo sausages, or tuna), and spices (bay leaves, garlic, and pimento). It is the perfect &ldquo;poor man&rsquo;s dish&rdquo; &ndash; inexpensive, filling, and packed with protein. It hails from Cape Verde, a ten-island archipelago off the west African coast, and dates back to the 15th century when Portuguese settlers first began growing American vegetables. The dish comes in two varieties &ndash; cachupa rica (rich) and cachupa pobre (poor), the only difference between the two being that rica is made with meat while pobre is made with vegetables. Cachupa rica is a must at special occasions and weddings. Considered the national dish of Cape Verde, it is served on all ten islands in the archipelago, each with its own regional variation. It is a dish cooked by both men and women, and it is a traditional Saturday meal in numerous households and restaurants. The dish is cooked slowly, giving it a wonderful depth of flavor. Leftover cachupa can even be refried and served as cachupa refogada, a delicious breakfast dish often served with a fried egg, sausages, or mackerel.

Cachupa

Cachupinha is a simple and easy version of Cape Verde's national dish, cachupa. It's usually made with a combination of hominy, squash, fava beans, tomatoes, chouri&ccedil;o sausage, peppercorns, coriander, onions, olive oil, and salt. The onions, sausage, and peppercorns are saut&eacute;ed in olive oil, and then mixed with the soaked hominy and the rest of the ingredients. The mixture is brought to a boil and simmered until the vegetables become soft. The dish is seasoned with salt and sprinkled with chopped coriander before serving.

Cachupinha

Spain

Caparrones is a traditional dish originating from La Rioja. This hearty stew is made with caparr&oacute;n (red kidney bean type), pork rib, bacon, chorizo, and pig's trotter, ear, and tail. The beans are soaked in water, drained, then cooked with other ingredients until the beans are tender. Before serving, the meat is removed and placed in a casserole dish with fried vegetables. The beans are eaten first, followed by the meat and vegetables.

Caparrones

Argentina

Hailing from Patagonia, this hearty meat stew is usually prepared with chunks of beef, potatoes, squash, sweet potatoes, corn, and tomatoes. It is typically enriched with dried or fresh fruit, usually apricots or raisins, and it is sometimes placed inside a whole pumpkin before it is finished off in the oven. Carbonada criolla is a wintertime staple that is also enjoyed in neighboring Uruguay.

Carbonada Criolla

Carcamusa is a traditional dish originating from Toledo. This meat and vegetable stew is usually made with a combination of beef, jam&oacute;n, tomatoes, onions, chorizo, bell peppers, garlic, peas, white wine, chili peppers, salt, pepper, oregano, paprika, and meat stock. The stew is simmered over low flames, and it's then usually served in a small earthenware bowl as a tapa with lots of crusty bread on the side for mopping up the sauce. It is said that carcamusa tastes the best if it's left to sit overnight. The dish was invented in the 1950s.

Carcamusa

Carne al desarreglo is a traditional stew originating from Madrid. The stew is usually made with a combination of beef, tomatoes, onion, garlic, white wine, olive oil, salt, and black pepper. The beef is cut into cubes and browned in a pan with saut&eacute;ed onions and garlic. The mixture is covered with white wine and cooked until the liquid is reduced. Tomatoes are added to the pot, and the stew is then simmered until everything is tender and the sauce thickens. The stew is traditionally served in the summer when tomatoes are in season, and it's typically accompanied by patatas chulas &ndash; potato slices that are fried in oil and dressed with garlic and parsley.

Carne al desarreglo

Italy

Cassoeula is a traditional dish from the region of Lombardy, consisting of braised pork cutlets and cabbage in a hearty stew. The dish is often served with creamy polenta on the side. The name of the dish is derived from the word cazza, meaning pan, referring to the pan in which it is prepared. Cassoeula is traditionally prepared during winter because it is very filling and nutritious. It is closely associated with the feast of St. Anthony Abbot, celebrated on the 17th of January, which marks the end of the pig slaughtering season.

Cassoeula

Cheap, easy, and delicious cawl is a traditional stew. It is believed that the dish was invented in the 14th century. Cawl was traditionally prepared in a pot over an open fire and it was usually served during festivities and special occasions. Today, the English refer to any Welsh stew as cawl, but the most traditional version includes Welsh favorites such as lamb and leeks. At first, cawl was prepared during winter, but today, it is eaten throughout the year in many Welsh restaurants. Since this medieval stew has evolved over time, any vegetables, meat, or seafood can be used in it, and the ingredients mainly depend on the location &ndash; seafood cawl is more frequent in the coastal areas, while the meat-filled varieties are more traditional inland. The only imperative is that it should be cooked for hours until the ingredients and the flavors are completely fused. There are two traditional ways of consuming cawl: meat and vegetables should be consumed together with the broth, or the dish should be divided in a two-course meal so that the broth is served first, followed by meat and vegetables.

Cawl

Ceci in umido is a traditional chickpea stew originating from Italy. This simple dish is made with a combination of chickpeas, garlic, olive oil, salt, and pepper. The chickpeas are soaked and cooked in a pan with saut&eacute;ed minced garlic and olive oil. The mixture is then covered with water, seasoned with salt and pepper, and simmered until the chickpeas are tender. Once done, this chickpea stew is served in individual bowls. The dish can be served warm or cold. If desired, additional ingredients such as rosemary and onions can also be added to the stew for more flavor.

Ceci in umido

Japan

A highly caloric staple of the sumo wrestlers' diet, chankonabe is a rich stew consisting of dashi, sake, chicken or fish, and vegetables such as daikon and bok choy, although the dish has no fixed recipe and usually contains readily available ingredients that are full of protein. The dish is often served with rice, beer, and side dishes such as fried chicken and shrimp dumplings. Chankonabe dates back to the late 19th century, when cooks from Niigata started to make meals for sumo wrestlers. It is the main course of a sumo meal, and all the wrestlers have to eat it as a part of their weight-gain diet, whether they like the dish or not. The word chan refers to father, while nabe refers to one-pot meals that are often served at the table. However, chankonabe is not reserved only for sumo wrestlers, as it is a nutritious and filling bowl of soup that is ideal for winter, but it should be consumed in moderation in order not to gain too much weight.

Chankonabe

Chapea is a hearty Dominican stew made with beans, rice, and vegetables such as plantains, auyama squash (calabaza), onions, green peppers, carrots, and garlic. The stew is usually flavored with coriander and sour orange juice or lime juice. When served, it is usually accompanied by longaniza sausage, although it is also delicious with smoked ham or pork chops. If desired, garnish the stew with diced avocados.

Chapea

India

Cheera moru is a traditional curry originating from South India and it's especially popular in Kerala. The dish is usually made with a combination of spinach, yogurt, tomatoes, ginger, hot peppers, shallots, garlic, vegetable oil, mustard seeds, fenugreek, curry leaves, turmeric, and salt. The mustard seeds are fried in oil and mixed with fenugreek, garlic, hot peppers, shallots, curry leaves, and ginger. The mixture is saut&eacute;ed until the shallots are browned. Tomatoes, turmeric, spinach, and salt are added to the pan while stirring everything, and the pan is then removed from the heat. Yogurt is gradually added while stirring, and the dish is then gently warmed over low heat while constantly stirring. Cheera moru curry is served warm with steamed rice on the side.