Recipes | I've Been Cooking

Sai Bondibaiy

Sai Bondibaiy is a Maldivian sweet sticky rice cooked gently in coconut milk with cardamom and pandan, enriched with ghee, raisins, and cashews, and finished with a touch of rose water.

🇲🇻 Maldives$$

Huni Hakuru Folhi

A traditional Maldivian leaf-wrapped sweet made with rice flour, grated coconut, and huni hakuru (coconut treacle), scented with cardamom and pandan, then steamed or griddled in banana leaves.

🇲🇻 Maldives$$

Panforte di Siena

Panforte di Siena is a dense, spiced Italian confection from Tuscany packed with toasted almonds, hazelnuts, and candied citrus bound in a honey-sugar syrup. Rich, chewy, and aromatic with cocoa and warm spices, it’s a classic festive dessert best served in thin wedges.

🇮🇹 Italy$$$

Mkate wa Sinia Mahorais

Mkate wa Sinia Mahorais is a fragrant, cardamom-scented, yeast-leavened coconut rice cake from the Comoros/Mayotte and Swahili coast. Lightly sweet, tender, and enriched with ghee and sesame, it’s perfect with tea or as a festive dessert.

🇾🇹 Mayotte$$

Engadiner Nusstorte

A classic Swiss walnut tart from the Engadine: buttery shortcrust pastry filled with a rich honey-caramel walnut filling. Sweet, nutty, and perfect with coffee or tea.

🇨🇭 Switzerland$$$

Mont Lone Yay Baw

Mont Lone Yay Baw is a classic Myanmar Thingyan (Water Festival) dessert of tender glutinous rice balls with a jaggery center, boiled until they float, then coated in fresh coconut and sesame. Often scented with pandan and finished with a splash of creamy coconut milk, it’s chewy, fragrant, and gently sweet.

🇲🇲 Myanmar$$

Sankhya Lapov

A Cambodian-inspired savory take on Sankhya Lapov: creamy pumpkin and coconut rice gently cooked with aromatics, turmeric, and chili, brightened with lime and cilantro.

🇰🇭 Cambodia$

Anguillian Coconut-Coated Crayfish

Crisp, aromatic crayfish coated in a golden coconut crust with lime, garlic, ginger, and a touch of Scotch bonnet heat—an Anguillian-inspired bite that’s zesty, spicy, and satisfying.

🇦🇮 Anguilla$$$

Poulet Nyembwe au Gingembre

A fragrant Gabonese chicken stew enriched with palm nut paste and fresh ginger, simmered with tomatoes, aromatics, and Scotch bonnet for a deep, warming flavor.

🇬🇦 Gabon$$

Kansiye

Kansiye is a rich West African beef and peanut stew simmered with tomatoes, aromatics, and warm spices, finished with a bright splash of lemon and fresh parsley. It’s hearty, comforting, and typically served over fluffy rice.

🇬🇳 Guinea$$

I've been...

Sai Bondibaiy

Huni Hakuru Folhi

Panforte di Siena

Mkate wa Sinia Mahorais

Engadiner Nusstorte

Mont Lone Yay Baw

Sankhya Lapov

Anguillian Coconut-Coated Crayfish

Poulet Nyembwe au Gingembre

Kansiye

I've been...

Sai Bondibaiy

Huni Hakuru Folhi

Panforte di Siena

Mkate wa Sinia Mahorais

Engadiner Nusstorte

Mont Lone Yay Baw

Sankhya Lapov

Anguillian Coconut-Coated Crayfish

Poulet Nyembwe au Gingembre

Kansiye