Bored of Beans on Toast?

33FOOD Katy tells us about some of the best dishes from different world cultures. I bet you’ll be salivating before you’ve reached the end!

One of my favourite things about being at university is having the opportunity to meet so many cool people from countries all around the world. Having a multicultural group of friends also means discovering lots of new foods and dishes from different cultures.

British Roast Dinner Let’s start with a meal that most of us know and love: a good old Sunday roast. This is a super fun one to cook together as a house, and is easier than you’d think when everyone pitches in. The best parts: Yorkshire puddings, roast potatoes and completely drowning the whole plate in gravy. A strong part of our national identity is taking pride in the meals our countries cook, and then sharing them with other people. Here I’ve rounded up some delicious national dishes from around the world. Some you will have already tried, but others you may not. If so, you need to befriend someone from these countries who will introduce you to them! Swiss Potato Röstis These are basically grated potato burgers cooked in butter or oil. They are super flexible; they are really good as a part of a brunch plate, or, if you add herbs, they are more savoury and therefore you can cook them for dinner as well. Spanish Paella This is a cheap and easy rice dish cooked in spices and stock. It’s traditionally cooked with seafood, and served with lemon wedges, but this can be switched up for chicken and chorizo, or just veggies. Top tip: make it in a big pan so you can refrigerate it as meal prep for later in the week. Japanese Ramen Switch up your Heinz Cream of Tomato for some Ramen noodle soup. This dish normally consists of noodles in a fish or chicken broth with

soy sauce and topped with sliced meat,

egg, and green onion. However, it’s also a really adaptable dish; you can add mushrooms, sweetcorn, spinach or whatever you feel like/whatever’s in the fridge. It’s the perfect cosy meal for a night in. Greek Moussaka I love anything with aubergine in it, so this dish with sautéed aubergine, topped with spicy minced lamb and creamy Béchamel sauce sounds dreamy. If you love a lasagne, you will become addicted to this.

Indian Biryani Forget chicken tikka masala, a biryani is where it’s at. You can make it veggie or meaty, and it’s traditionally cooked with a boiled egg in the middle. Another Indian classic is dosa (a thin pancake that can be stuffed with potato or served plain). I recommend the restaurant Dosa and Chutney in the city centre for the best biryani and dosa about.

Turkish Doner Kebab No, this isn’t just something to eat at 3am after a dip in the Ocean. Traditional Turkish doner kebabs are actually a lot healthier than what you might be used to. They consist of a flat bread with tomatoes, onions, lettuce, cucumbers, yogurt and mince. See, kebabs have more potential than just being the ultimate drunk food indulgence! Katy Skillen Illustrations and Page Design by Natasha Phang-Lee

“A strong part of our national identity is taking pride in the meals our countries cook, and then sharing them with other people”