Asia
Egg Fried Rice: Day-Old Rice, Scallions and Soy
Chinese-style egg fried rice made with cold day-old rice, soft scrambled egg, scallions and soy sauce in a home skillet, ready in about 25 minutes.
25 min
Asia recipes
Weeknight-friendly versions of dishes from East, Southeast and South Asia, with notes on the sauces and pantry items that matter most.
Asia is home to many separate food traditions, and this section treats them that way. A Japanese simmered dish, a Thai curry, a Chinese stir-fry and an Indian dal use different tools, different seasonings and different ideas about balance. What they often share is careful preparation: ingredients cut evenly and set out before the heat goes on.
Our recipes are adapted for the equipment most home cooks have, such as a large skillet in place of a wok. We explain the sauces and pantry items that matter most, which ones you can buy once and use many times, and what to use if a shop near you does not stock them.
Many dishes here are quick once the prep is done, which makes them a good fit for busy evenings.
Recipes in this section
Asia
Mapo Tofu: Silken Tofu in Spicy Sichuan Sauce
Soft tofu and ground pork in a red sauce of chile bean paste, fermented black beans and numbing Sichuan pepper, ready in about 40 minutes.
40 min
Asia
Pad Thai: Stir-Fried Rice Noodles with Tamarind Sauce
Rice noodles stir-fried with shrimp, tofu, egg and bean sprouts in a sweet, sour and salty tamarind sauce, finished with peanuts and lime.
50 min
Asia
Chicken Katsu: Crisp Panko Cutlets with Tonkatsu Sauce
Pounded chicken cutlets coated in panko and shallow-fried until crisp, served with cabbage, rice and a quick pantry tonkatsu-style sauce.
55 min
Asia
Bibimbap: Korean Rice Bowl with Vegetables and Gochujang Sauce
Warm rice topped with five seasoned vegetables, marinated beef, a fried egg and gochujang sauce, cooked one part at a time in about 75 minutes.
1 hr 15 min
Asia
Chana Masala: Chickpeas in Spiced Tomato Gravy
Chickpeas simmered in an onion-tomato gravy with cumin, coriander, turmeric and garam masala, finished with lemon. Ready in about 50 minutes.
50 min
Asia
Butter Chicken (Murgh Makhani): Creamy Tomato Chicken Curry
Yogurt-marinated chicken, broiled until charred at the edges, then simmered in a smooth tomato sauce finished with butter, cream and dried fenugreek.
1 hr 20 min
Asia
Thai Green Curry with Chicken and Vegetables
Chicken thighs and vegetables simmered in coconut milk fried with green curry paste, finished with Thai basil and served over jasmine rice in about 50 minutes.
50 min
Asia
Chicken Pho (Phở Gà): Vietnamese Noodle Soup
Clear, spiced chicken broth with charred onion and ginger, poured over rice noodles, shredded chicken and fresh herbs. Mostly hands-off, about 3 hours.
3 hr