Southeast Asian

Can be prepared in 45 minutes or less.

(Grilled Beef Salad) The following grilled beef salad has as many versions as there are cooks in Thailand. The success of the dish depends upon starting with good-quality tenderloin and achieving a balance of hot, sour, and salty. Before serving, be sure to sample the salad and adjust the amount of chili, lime, fish sauce — and, if desired, sugar — to your taste.

This main-course soup is called pho in Vietnam, where it is eaten at any time of day.

Gin Thoke This salad is pungent, crunchy, intriguing, and addictive. Although served as a dessert in Myanmar, it is also a great accompaniment to grilled fish, chicken, or steak.

Hor Neung Pla Duk Active time: 2 hr Start to finish: 21/4 hr

Active time: 45 min Start to finish: 4 hr

"I'm hoping to get the recipe for a terrific appetizer I tried at Hamiltons' at First & Main in Charlottesville, Virginia," says Sue Carter of Murieta, California. "The seafood fritters came with lettuce leaves (to wrap around the fritters) and a spicy sauce."

Gaeng Pah Muu Most curries from southern Thailand use coconut milk. This one, from the mountainous north, doesn't, because the climate is too temperate for coconut palms to survive. Don't be intimidated by the start-to-finish time; the curry paste and chicken stock can be made days ahead. Once you have those components at hand, the recipe only takes about 1 hour to put together. If you prefer your food less spicy, use the smaller amounts of curry paste and vegetable oil. Active time: 3 1/4 hr Start to finish: 7 1/4 hr (includes making curry paste and stock)

This recipe can be made vegetarian by substituting either soy sauce or Bragg Liquid Aminos for the Nuoc Nam, a Vietnamese fish sauce made from anchovies which is used as a salty seasoning. The flavor will not be quite the same, but it will be equally satisfying.

Most Southeast Asian soups, salads, or fried rice dishes call for a sprinkling of Crisp-Fried Onions. To make them at home, I suggest you use Asian red onions or shallots. They become crisp more quickly than ordinary onions and do not need to be floured before frying. If you do not want to make your own, you can buy them at Asian supermarkets.

Low effort, big flavor, and ready in under an hour.

Slowly caramelized sugar, sweet lychees, warming spices, and fiery ginger create the perfect base for tofu to simmer in.

Braise tender pork belly in soy and vinegar, then grill with shishito peppers and toss with ginger and a tangy dressing for bold, savory Filipino dinakdakan.

This fast stir-fry dish pairs minced pork and fragrant basil with hot Thai chiles and a crispy fried egg.

This riff on the Laotian classic comes together in 20 minutes.

Packed with shrimp, bean sprouts, and tofu puffs, this Malaysian-style laksa noodle soup is the revivifying post-holiday balm you’ll crave.

With custardy tofu, a fragrant scallion sauce, and smoky bonito flakes, this restaurant-quality dish is an impressive appetizer or main for dinner at home.

Soft scrambled eggs are taken up a notch with brown butter, scallions, and crispy shallots. Serve with toast or rice for a quick meal ideal any time of day.