The 10 most popular recipes in March 2026
Ramadan, Easter and Pesach prep, plus the beginning of the school holidays, March was an interesting time to be cooking! The top recipes of the month reflect this in the best way possible. From show-stopping desserts to a classic family pickled fish recipe, here are the 10 recipes you loved most in March 2026.
10. Lemon drizzle cake
We knew that sweet treats would be top of mind this month, so we posted a round-up of the best 5 cakes according to you. This cake was on this list. Spoiler alert: it's not the only cake from that article to make an appearance here. Citrus cake was the main theme, but we opted for Mogau Seshoene, a.k.a. The Lazy Makoti's lemon drizzle cake as an example. Clearly it was the right choice, as you flocked to the recipe.
9. Nokx Majozi’s lamb curry pie
When chef Nokx Majozi took a break from her residency at top restaurant Fallow in London and came to Cape Town, we nabbed her to show you what she does best: make pies! And this one is extra special. The filling is a take on her mom's lamb curry recipe, plus everything is made from scratch! There's so much to learn here. You could just make the shortcrust pastry for your own nostalgic fillings. You could make the lamb curry and enjoy it as is. You could make the pomegranate-and-tomato salad and enjoy it as a side at your next dinner party. Or you could be bold and make the whole recipe!
Nokx Majozi’s lamb curry pie recipe
8. Moist chocolate cake with coconut ganache and white chocolate cream-cheese filling
We didn't have to wait long for the second cake from our round-up to make an appearance. And of course, chocolate got more views than citrus! This cake by Abigail Donnelly is a sure-fire hit – just read the name of the recipe to see why. Any of the elements sounds amazing on its own but when you put them together, you create heavenly cake magic.
Moist chocolate cake with coconut ganache and white chocolate cream-cheese filling recipe
7. Orange-infused milk tartlets
Who doesn't love a milk tart? These ones by Fayruza Abrahams are extra special. First, as the name suggests, they're an orange-infused version. Second, Fayruza made these milk tartlets to share as gifts during Ramadan. Third, they have brûléed tops! This is optional, but definitely worth it. Whether you're making them for a special occasion or as edible gifts, these little tarts will definitely put a smile on your guests' faces.
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Orange-infused milk tartlets recipe
6. Pickled fish mom’s way
We can always tell Easter is around the corner when one of our pickled fish recipes gets a lot of attention without us even posting it. This year, Khanya Mzongwana's recipe was the one you turned to. This is her mom's recipe and was passed down through her family, ensuring a delicious piece of heritage is present at every Easter celebration.
5. The greatest tuna-cheese toastie
We know. Claiming a cheese toastie is "the greatest" is pretty bold. But Bonnie Chung has the goods to back up this claim, namely, her Miso Tasty white miso paste. The British entrepreneur came to the TASTE kitchen to showcase her Miso Tasty products, which are now available in Woolworths, and her new cookbook, aptly titled MISO. One of the recipes she shared was this tuna-cheese toastie, and many of you were curious about why it's been dubbed the greatest. We hope it lived up to the hype!
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The greatest tuna cheese toastie recipe
4. Phyllo ice-cream cake
Eid definitely needs a show-stopping dessert, and Fehmz pulled out all the stops when she created this beauty. She got the idea to make this ice-cream cake from one of the most beloved Eid sweet treats: baklava. More specifically, phyllo. It's an ingredient Fehmz always reaches for at Eid, and she wondered what else she could make using it. Enter this beauty.
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3. Milk tart malva pudding
Tell me you're South African without telling me you're South African. This recipe is it! We love posting this mash-up dessert by Keletso Motau because you love it every time! Case in point, it made it to the third top spot on the list. We really can't blame you, we're just as obsessed with this one.
Milk tart malva pudding recipe
2. Chicken kalya
This is how Fehmz describes this recipe: "Chicken kalya is not chicken curry’s bougier cousin, it’s chicken curry’s ROYAL cousin". And that intro alone is enough to make us want to try it. Clearly, it worked on you, too! You clicked on this recipe so many times, it took silver in our most popular recipes of the month.
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1. Viral soup-dumpling lasagne
When things go viral, there's no stopping them. This recipe may seem like an outlier among all the special occasion food on this list, but the viral soup-dumpling lasagne was all over the internet in March. Abigail Donnelly had to TASTE test the trend, but in true Abi fashion, she put her own spin on it and made the recipe a little easier. Clearly, it was a great addition to the algorithm.
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