The term 'The New Dutch Cuisine' has been used a lot in the Netherlands of late. It often refers to a renewed interest in our local products, used in a fresh, modern way, but we think it should also include food from cuisines that've influenced the way we eat in Holland today, e.g. dishes from our former colonies, like Surinam and Indonesia and the large Turkish and Moroccan immigrant groups in the Netherlands. Here are 10 of our favorites (in no particular order):

1. Moroccan Keftas with Tomato

This subtly spiced beef and tomato tajine is a popular dish that originally hails from Morocco.More »

2. Fattoush (Turkish Bread Salad)

This healthy Middle-Eastern bread salad is often seen on Turkish tables (and more and more regularly on Dutch ones, too). The salad works well with grilled fish that has been prepared with a chili paste like harissa.More »

3. Babi Ketjap (Indonesian Pork in Sweet Soy Sauce)

Babi Ketjap is a typical Indonesian stew, featuring pork, aromatic spices and 'ketjap', a sweet Indonesian soy sauce.More »

4. Surinamese Dhal with Roti

Dhal is a popular lentil dish in Surinam, with its East Indian influenced cuisine. This recipe, adapted from The World Cookbook for Students (Greenwood Publishing Group), has mango for a delicious tropical touch. Serve with roti, a grilled flatbread.More »

5. Moroccan Sweet Potato & Caraway Soup with Argan Oil

This Moroccan sweet potato and caraway soup with argan oil offers a pretty exciting combination: the sweet earthy taste of sweet potatoes with nutty argan oil and aromatic caraway seeds.More »

6. Moroccan Lamb & Apricot Tajine

Tajine is a popular Moroccan farmer stew made with meat or fish and vegetables, flavored with spices, dried fruits and/or preserved lemons. Its name comes from the special glazed terracotta pot in which it is cooked. The tajine's conical lid allows the dish to steam and stew simultaneously, optimally preserving natural flavors. This lamb & apricot tajine is a particularly tasty version of the genre.More »

7. Indonesian Satay (Pork Skewers with Spicy Peanut Sauce)

Indonesian satay has become so entrenched in Dutch food culture that it’s now seen as near-native. Not only is pork (or chicken) satay a very popular home-cooked meal, but you’ll find the Dutch snacking on take-away fries with satay sauce too. Talk about fusion!More »

8. Middle Eastern Taboulleh Salad

This recipe is a really good example of how foreign culinary influences have changed the way the Dutch eat. Ingredients like couscous and bulghur have become quite commonplace as a result of Holland's growing Moroccan and Turkish communities. Taboulleh salad, made with bulghur wheat, is an absolute favorite of mine. This Middle Eastern salad is packed full of healthy ingredients, but don't let that put you off: it won't only do you good, but will make your tastebuds sing too.More »

9. Surinamese Bojo Cake

Bojo is a rich flourless cake made from grated coconut and cassava. Cassava is a starchy root plant, also known as manioc and yuca. Bojo is flavored with rum and cinnamon, and as is typical of many South American desserts - it's both European and tropical at the same time. Dutch settlers in Suriname most likely learned to use local ingredients like cassava to make favorite foods from home.More »

10. Moroccan Roast Chicken with Chermola

This moreish recipe from 'De Keuken van Marokko' cookbook features roast poussin (baby chicken) with a spicy coriander, garlic, lemon and caraway marinade.More »