A small, growing BorderlessAdvice recipe shelf. These are practical starter versions designed to help newcomers recognise Dutch dishes and cook them at home. Regional and family recipes vary, so treat these as approachable templates rather than claims of one “official” recipe.

1. Boerenkoolstamppot

For about 4: 1 kg floury potatoes, 400–500 g chopped kale, milk, butter, salt, pepper and optional rookworst/bacon or vegetarian alternative.

  1. Peel and cut the potatoes; put kale above or among them in a large pan and add enough water to cook.
  2. Simmer until the potatoes are soft and the kale tender, roughly 20 minutes depending on size.
  3. Drain well. Mash with butter and enough warm milk for the texture you like.
  4. Season and serve with warmed rookworst, gravy or your preferred alternative.

Variation: replace kale with endive for andijviestamppot, or make hutspot with carrot and onion.

2. Snert / erwtensoep

For about 6: 500 g dried split peas, about 2 litres water/stock, celeriac, leek, carrot, onion, celery leaf, and traditionally pork and/or rookworst; vegetarian versions work well too.

  1. Rinse the split peas and simmer them with the stock and any slow-cooking meat until they break down.
  2. Add chopped vegetables and cook until everything is very soft.
  3. Stir regularly as the soup thickens; add water if it catches.
  4. Add sliced rookworst near the end. Season after tasting because sausage/stock may already be salty.
  5. Snert is famously thick and is often even better reheated the next day.

3. Nasi goreng — editor’s pick

This is a deliberately flexible home version, not a claim to one definitive Indonesian recipe. Use cold cooked rice, onion/shallot, garlic, vegetables, ketjap manis, sambal to taste, and egg plus chicken, shrimp, tofu or tempeh if wanted.

  1. Cook rice in advance and cool it thoroughly.
  2. Fry aromatics and your protein; add vegetables.
  3. Add cold rice and fry over fairly high heat so it heats through without becoming wet.
  4. Season with ketjap manis and sambal; taste before adding extra salt.
  5. Serve with a fried egg, cucumber, atjar or saté if you like.

Context: nasi goreng is Indonesian in origin; Dutch familiarity with nasi is inseparable from the Netherlands’ colonial and migration history. The Dutch/Indo-Dutch home version can differ significantly from Indonesian regional versions.

4. Hachee

For about 4: stewing beef, plenty of onions, butter/oil, stock, bay leaf, cloves, pepper and a little vinegar. Brown the beef, soften a generous quantity of onion, add stock and spices, then simmer gently until the meat is tender and the onions form a rich gravy. Balance at the end with vinegar. Serve with potatoes, red cabbage or another winter side.

5. Dutch apple pie

Make a buttery shortcrust-style dough, reserving some for the lattice. Fill with firm sliced apples, cinnamon, sugar, raisins if wanted and a little lemon. Bake until the crust is deeply golden and the apples tender. Dutch appeltaart is generally taller and more substantial than a thin tart; café slices are commonly served with whipped cream.

What should we add next?

This section is intentionally not complete. Strong next candidates include bitterballen/kroketten, kibbeling, poffertjes, hutspot, zuurvlees, oliebollen, speculaas and a fuller rijsttafel/Indo-Dutch collection. Cross-link recipes to Dutch food and cuisine so readers get the cultural context as well as ingredients.