In warm spirits

With the temperatures plummeting, following the winter showers this week, GulfWeekly has curated a list of hot snacks and quick, warm dishes from around the world that you could explore this season.

Batter-fried Mars bars

Origin: Scotland

Trust the Scots to deep-fry anything and make it better. Believed to have originated in a chippy near the coastal town of Stonehaven in the 1990s, this recipe calls for coating the popular chocolate caramel Mars bars in fish-and-chips batter and then deep frying it, causing the chocolate to ooze out with every bite.

Despite its reputation as ‘unhealthy’, it continues to be quite popular and can be paired with vanilla ice cream or other sweet drizzles. Try the traditional – but surprising –pairing with tomato ketchup. Go on, be brave!

Porkkanalaatikko or carrot casserole

Origin: Finland

A traditional Finnish Christmas staple, this dish combines the sweetness from carrots and the richness from milk with the flavour of festive spices like allspice or nutmeg. It is usually a side dish paired with the holiday turkey or fish preparations. However, some might eat it on its own as the baked preparation also has cooked rice, offering a fulfilling meal.

Harees

Origin: The Gulf

A staple during festivals and weddings, this dish combines bulgur or cracked wheat with meat, which is then slow-cooked to perfection. A savoury porridge popular in the Middle East and most prominent in the Gulf region, Harees is a heartwarming rustic creation that is highly nutritious. Garnish the dish with cardamom and cinnamon as it elevates the flavour profile.

Champorado

Origin: Philippines

This dish is a rich, chocolate-infused rice porridge that makes for a warm and comforting breakfast or snack. Made with glutinous rice, it boasts a delightfully gooey texture. Traditionally served alongside salted dried fish, it’s equally satisfying on its own. Creative variations feature flavours like ube, pandan and strawberry, offering a colourful twist to this classic treat.

Tomato Rasam

Origin: India

This light broth from the south of the subcontinent will warm the cockles of your heart. Laced with spices and aromatics, including fenugreek, cumin, chillis, coriander and more, it makes for the perfect winter warmer. Some variations use Indian gooseberries or raw mango instead of the tomatoes, which lends the dish a different type of sourness. It is traditionally served piping hot with steamed rice, but can also be slurped as is.

Social media food trends to watch out for

Cheese-stuffed sweet potato

The original recipe uses Japanese varieties of sweet potato, which is baked whole with the skin on for that crispy texture. You then bite the top off and stuff it with a block of any cheese of your choice. Foodies on social media have been going for soft American varieties, or even the German Butterkäse that melts easily, giving the diner a satisfying cheese pull as they snack.

Korean garlic bread

Combining the sweetness of condensed milk with the savouriness of cream cheese and garlic butter, stuffed into pillow-like bread rolls, this snack is all the rage with foodies online. A great potluck dish to take to a friend’s house this festive season, or even a satisfying snack to prepare in batches and freeze for a ‘rainy day’, this fun favourite is definitely worth a try. After skincare, looks like the Koreans are here to dominate the kitchens!

Lasagne soup

The dish brings the best of two worlds together in one bowl. The pasta broth uses broken lasagne sheets combined with ground beef cooked in a tangy tomato sauce and a variety of cheeses. While these ingredients are layered in a lasagne, this creation presents it in soup form. The cheese is the game changer – be generous! Served with garlic bread or salad, it is the ideal dinner for a cold, lazy weekday.