3 More Indo-Asian Savory Dishes by Nik Sharma (The Master of Umami)! 🌞

[justaprogressive]

Roast Chicken Thighs + Vegetables

A quick, flavorful chicken recipe with minimal effort. If you have time to marinate
the chicken overnight, the flavor will benefit. For a strong dose of umami, use an
umami flavored salt; it will give this a whole new dimension of taste.

SERVES 4

For the chicken:

4 chicken thighs (total weight about 2 lb [910 g]), bone-in and skin left on

For the marinade:

2 garlic cloves, peeled
One 1 in [2.5 cm] piece fresh ginger, peeled
2 Tbsp white vinegar
2 Tbsp Worcestershire sauce
2 Tbsp extra-virgin olive oil
1 tsp fine sea salt
½ tsp black peppercorns

For the roasted vegetables:

1 lb [455 g] new potatoes
8 oz [230 g] sliced mushrooms
1 cup [120 g] fresh or frozen peas (no need to thaw)
1 Tbsp extra-virgin olive oil
½ tsp coarsely ground black
pepper
Fine sea salt

For garnish:

2 Tbsp chopped chives
1 fresh green or red chilli such as bird’s eye chillies, thinly sliced.

THE FLAVOR APPROACH

Worcestershire sauce acts as the savory booster for the
marinade that seasons the chicken. The fat in the chicken
is released during roasting and renders, adding a second
component of flavoring to the vegetables in the pan. Garlic,
ginger, peppercorns, and fresh chillies provide the “heat”
molecules that act via chemesthesis.

To prepare the chicken, dry it with clean paper towels and
place in a large resealable bag. To prepare the marinade,
blend the garlic, ginger, vinegar, Worcestershire sauce, olive
oil, salt, and peppercorns on high speed for a few seconds
until combined. Pour the marinade over the chicken, seal the
bag, shake to coat, and let marinate in the refrigerator for at
least 2 hours, preferably overnight.

When ready to cook, set the bag with chicken on the kitchen
counter to reach room temperature, about 15 minutes.

Preheat the oven to 400°F [204°C]

To prepare the vegetables, toss the potatoes, mushrooms, and peas in
a large bowl with the olive oil and pepper and season with salt. Spread
the vegetables out in a large baking pan or roasting dish.

Remove the chicken from the bag and arrange the thighs, skin side
up, over the vegetables. Pour any leftover marinade over the chicken
thighs. Roast in the oven until the skin on the thighs is browned and
crispy and the potatoes are soft and tender, 55 to 60 minutes. The chicken
is ready when the internal temperature reaches 165°F [74°C] on an
instant-read thermometer.

Remove the pan from the oven and let sit for 5 minutes. Garnish with
the chives and chillies and serve.

From "The Flavor Equation"by Nik Sharma
https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/50998820-the-flavor-equation


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Sesame Sweet Potatoes + Gochujang Chicken

MAKES 4 SERVINGS

Use a knife to make two or three gashes across the skin side and
through the flesh of 4 to 6 chicken thighs, bone-in and skin-on (total
weight about 2 lb [910 g]). The cuts do not need to pass all the way
through the chicken.

In a large bowl, combine ¼ cup [60 ml] hot water, 2 Tbsp
gochujang paste, 2 Tbsp grated fresh ginger, 2 Tbsp apple cider
vinegar, 1 Tbsp honey, 1 Tbsp neutral oil with a high smoke point such
as grapeseed, and ½ tsp fine sea salt. Mix until smooth. Add the
chicken thighs and toss to coat. Refrigerate for at least 30 minutes and
up to 1 hour to allow the flavor to infuse the chicken.

While the chicken marinates, preheat the oven to 400°F [200°C].
Line two rimmed baking sheets with foil, one for the chicken and the
other for the sweet potatoes.

Place 2 medium sweet potatoes, scrubbed and cut in half
lengthwise, cut side up on one of the prepared baking sheets. Drizzle
with 2 Tbsp sesame oil. Sprinkle with 1 Tbsp sesame seeds, ½ tsp
ground black pepper, and fine sea salt. Cover with a second sheet of
foil and fold the edges to form a tight seal. Roast for 30 minutes,
remove the foil cover, rotate the pan halfway, and continue to roast,
uncovered.

At this point, remove the chicken thighs from the marinade, letting
the extra marinade drip off, then place them on the second baking
sheet and roast on another rack.

Continue roasting the sweet potatoes until they are cooked
thoroughly and tender (a knife should slide easily through the center),
an additional 10 to 20 minutes. Remove the sweet potatoes from the
oven and set them aside.

Roast the chicken until the skin is crisp and the internal temperature
reaches 165°F [74°C] on an instant-read thermometer, for a total of 30
to 45 minutes. Let the chicken rest for 5 minutes. Before serving,
garnish with 2 Tbsp chopped chives or scallion. Serve immediately or
while still warm.

This is a sheet pan meal, one that I turn to often not only during the week
but also when we entertain. It’s sweet and spicy, with gochujang and
sesame doing all the work for you. This is one of those recipes that
requires minimal effort and planning, and I file it under the category of
“Minimal Work and the Cook Still Looks Ravishing” (which I wish also
applied to my morning skin care routine).

THE COOK’S NOTES

Gochujang, a staple in Korean cooking, is a gloriously red chilli
paste made from fermented soybeans, glutinous rice, sweeteners,
and salt. The degree of heat and sweetness vary by brand.This recipe
works great on an outdoor grill, which gives a nice smoky, charred
flavor.

Because gochujang contains sugar, watch the chicken carefully as it
cooks, or it could burn. If you’re starting to see too much color,
lower the temperature to 375°F [190°C] and adjust your cooking
time as needed.


From "Veg-Table" by Nik Sharma
https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/115575060-veg-table


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Cabbage with Date + Tamarind Chutney

MAKES 4 SERVINGS

In a wok, large saucepan, or Dutch oven, warm 2 Tbsp extra-virgin
olive oil over medium-high heat. When the oil is hot, add 1 tsp black
or brown mustard seeds and 12 to 15 fresh curry leaves and cook until
fragrant, the seeds start to pop, and the leaves start to turn
translucent and crisp, 30 to 45 seconds.

Turn down the heat to low and fold in

1 large green cabbage, cored and shredded;
¼ cup [50 g] red lentils, rinsed and drained;
¼ cup [60ml] water;
1 tsp ground black pepper; and fine sea salt.

Cover with a lid and cook until the cabbage and lentils are
completely tender, 25 to 30 minutes. Stir occasionally to
prevent burning.

Remove from the heat, transfer to a serving bowl, and garnish with
2 Tbsp chopped cilantro, and 1 fresh chilli such as jalapeño, serrano,
or bird’s eye, thinly sliced.

While the cabbage cooks, prepare the tamarind chutney. In a small
saucepan over medium heat, whisk together 2 Tbsp water; 2 Tbsp
date syrup; 1 Tbsp tamarind paste; 1 Tbsp peeled and grated fresh
ginger; ½ tsp red pepper flakes such as Aleppo, Maras, or Urfa; and ½
tsp ground cumin. Bring to a boil and remove from the heat. Taste and
season with fine sea salt.

Serve the cabbage-lentil mixture immediately, drizzled with 2 Tbsp
of the date and tamarind chutney. Serve the rest on the side. Store
leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days.
When I was growing up, my favorite way to eat cabbage was a dish that
my maternal grandmother, Lucy, prepared with lentils. I looked forward
to it every time we visited her home. This recipe is inspired by her recipe,
and I’ve added the date and tamarind chutney for a pop of sweet and
sour goodness.

THE COOK’S NOTES

Because the cabbage is cooked here, I suggest cutting it into wider
shreds with a chef’s knife. If finely shredded, it will release too much
liquid and the texture will suffer.

Fresh curry leaves can be purchased at your local Indian and Asian
grocery stores.

Tamarind paste is sometimes called tamarind concentrate or pulp,
depending on the brand. What you’re looking for is a thick liquid
made from water and tamarind fruit flesh.

From "Veg-Table" by Nik Sharma
https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/115575060-veg-table


So tasty!! Enjoy!!

[eppur_se_muova]

1. As one reviewer of the cookbook remarked, the format is awful. No total list of ingredients. No succinct recipe.

More of a log of what the chef did, than instructions for re-creating it.

[justaprogressive]

2. Since these are from two separate books

I'm not sure which book you you mean...

Personally I have no trouble following Sharma''s recipes,
they do require one to read through them first, (I'd
hope that you'd do that anyway!)

He's walking you through the preparation!

Sharma's only assumption is that you already know how to cook.

YMMV

[eppur_se_muova]

3. Standard format makes advance planning easier, like choosing a recipe to fit what's on hand.

Well-thought-out formatting actually makes prepping easier. I like sorted ingredient lists: "for the breading ... for the filling ... for the sauce ... ". People who write like this are being thoughtfully helpful, especially to prevent surprises. People who don't, aren't.

[justaprogressive]

4. Take it from a chef

There is no standard format.

[pdxflyboy]

5. Bookmarked

Thank you, justaprogressive!!!

[justaprogressive]

6. You're welcome!