Asian

This chile oil combines tons of texture from toasted whole spices and seeds with a just-spicy-enough heat level. Drizzle it over any, literally any, savory food you can think of.

In this spicy salad, cubes of fried tofu act like tender-bellied croutons amid the leaves of baby kale, only with much more protein and spunk than the usual toasted bread.

This recipe is a game-changer for people who think they don't like tofu. To get the right balance between moisture and texture, we provide three techniques for removing excess liquid.

I serve these pickles like a salad as a side with ramen noodles, gyoza (fried dumplings), or shumai (steamed dumplings), or with a sandwich. 

Green curry with chicken and eggplant from Chef Hong Thaimee.

Homemade green curry paste has more vivid flavor and aromatic intensity than store-bought, not to mention the freedom to control the spice level. Sopon Kosalanan of restaurant Khao King in, Queens says, “If you get it from a can, I don’t feel like it’s green curry. It doesn’t have the same aromas.” This is the recipe he makes in big batches for his restaurant every day.

Our simple technique of draining before frying makes the tofu extra-crispy, and perfect for absorbing the salty-sweet flavors of maple syrup, soy sauce, and fresh ginger.

A punchy, chile-spiked fish sauce vinaigrette works as both marinade and dressing for glass noodles and handfuls of basil and cucumber.

Coconut crisp, laced with chile and garlic, brings texture and heat to this easy salmon dish. Make a double or triple batch of the garnish and use it as a topping for savory oatmeal, hearty soups, or roasted winter vegetables.

This recipe moves fast—stay on top of it by prepping and lining up your ingredients before you start cooking.

The flavor of the soy paste really shines here, so use the best-quality one you can find. We like Yu Ding Xing’s glutinous rice soy paste.