Make takeout classics at home
We understand that pressing a button takes less effort than getting behind the stove yourself when you’re craving a good meal. Still, some dishes are very easy to make at home with just a little effort.
Pad thai
Possibly the meal most often eaten by tourists in Thailand. You won’t recreate those street food vibes and 30-degree temperatures at home anytime soon, but stir-frying noodles is a breeze. This pad thai recipe only needs an ice-cold Chang beer to go with it.
Butter chicken
This creamy curry with tender chicken is a takeout classic for good reason. You do need a well-stocked spice cabinet for this recipe, but it certainly isn’t difficult.
Tandoori chicken tikka
This chicken should really come out of a tandoor oven, but you can make a delicious version in your home oven too. Indistinguishable from the one at a really good Indian restaurant, but homemade.
Beef in oyster sauce
Strips of steak with broccoli and oyster sauce. A Chinese dish by origin that has become so Dutchified that you’ll also find it at the average Thai and Vietnamese restaurants. With this recipe from The Dumpling Sisters , you can make it very easily at home.
Spareribs
We admit it, this takes quite a bit longer than simply calling Spare Ribs Express. But you’ll be so proud when these ribs come off the barbecue perfectly tender after hours of cooking.
Roti
Cheap, filling and above all incredibly delicious. We love roti. Making it at home is a celebration (use this recipe), and if you make too much, freeze it. You can simply buy the roti flatbreads at a Surinamese shop or even an Asian supermarket; they’re often in the freezer section. And be careful not to accidentally buy Indian garam masala, but Surinamese masala.
Gyros
Possibly our favorite warm meat sandwich. Making gyros at home isn’t difficult at all and is insanely delicious. Get good pitas (or make them yourself) and serve with generous amounts of tzatziki.
Satay
An Indonesian rice table isn’t complete without meat on a stick, and neither is your life. Forget the chicken satay from the local Indo-Chinese restaurant and make your own saté ajam with phenomenal peanut sauce.
Spring rolls
Making your own spring rolls takes a bit of work, but it’s great fun if you do it with someone else. The same applies here: make far too many and fill your freezer to the brim. It’s anything but traditional, but we won’t get mad if you dip them in chili sauce.
Babi pangang
The ultimate classic at the Chinese restaurant that people in China have never even heard of. Many people act snobby about the local Chinese takeaway and the greasy food you get there. At the editorial office, we embrace babi pangang and that awful flat bami with cubes of ham. And secretly, so do you, so make that babi pangang at home soon.
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