Nik Sharma

Nik Sharma · NYT Cooking

This cake celebrates the sweet, jamlike texture of juicy ripe figs against the backdrop of a fragrant almond cake, with a sweet-and-sour tamarind glaze as contrast. As the cake bakes, the fresh figs release their juices, which begin to caramelize and take on the flavor of black pepper. Tellicherry black peppercorns and long pepper, if available, are wonderful options to explore for their unique aromas. Frozen fresh figs will also work in this cake. Just remember to thaw them to room temperature and drain off any excess liquid before using. And, make sure to use tamarind paste, not concentrate. Thick, syrupy concentrates lack the fruity flavor of tamarind and carry a noticeable artificial aftertaste.

Nik Sharma · NYT Cooking

This dish, adapted from Lucy Carvalho, the cookbook author Nik Sharma’s grandmother, owes its fragrance and fiery bite to a generous amount of crushed black peppercorns in a velvety gravy. Like many other Indian home cooks, Ms. Carvalho, who lived in the coastal city of Mumbai, took the Indo-Chinese dish black pepper chicken and substituted shrimp instead. Some versions of this dish call for curry leaves to be fried with the spices, or they might call for another protein in place of the shrimp, like tilapia, cod or catfish. Here, the peppercorns are infused in hot oil, then left to steep as the dish cooks. Fish sauce bolsters the savoriness, but can be left out. For an even stronger bump of heat, increase the amount of black pepper and toss in a sliced serrano. Serve it all over rice for a fast, satisfying dinner.

Nik Sharma · NYT Cooking

The bittersweet taste of blistered green beans shines through the strong flavors of soy and lime in this side dish, where fried shallots, garlic and pistachios add crunch. Cutting the beans in half makes them easier to maneuver in the wok and helps them cook evenly. For a bit of heat, toss in a minced bird’s-eye chile or sprinkle some red-pepper flakes over the dish when adding your garnishes. You can serve these blistered beauties alongside your Thanksgiving turkey — but they’re equally at home on the dinner table, regardless of the season.

Nik Sharma · NYT Cooking

One of the most wonderful ways to celebrate fresh (and, in this case, even frozen) fruit, clafoutis originated in the Limousin region of France. Here, a small part of the batter is baked in the baking dish, then the berries, ginger and the rest of the batter is layered on top to prevent the blueberries from sinking and burning. For maximum lemon flavor, zest the lemon over the batter in Step 3. You can substitute any type of fresh fruit — berries, grapes, or cherries; just remember to adjust the amount of sugar you add accordingly.

Nik Sharma · NYT Cooking

Pickled onions and labneh lend brightness to this brussels sprouts dish that’s full of flavors and textures, making it a show-stopping addition to the Thanksgiving table. (But why limit yourself there?) This recipe calls for date syrup, available at Middle Eastern grocery stores or online, or pekmez, a type of molasses made from grapes (and sometimes other fruit) used in Turkish cooking. If you can’t find either, use the same amount of maple syrup or honey. Some of the fruity and woody flavors will be missing, but these substitutes will provide much-needed sweetness to the rest of the dish.

Nik Sharma · NYT Cooking

Boneless, skinless chicken breasts are known for becoming dry, but brining them before cooking helps retain moisture. The chicken is soaked in cold, salted water to which a small amount of whey or yogurt is added. (The lactic acid and phosphates in the dairy help with moisture retention.) However, the star of this recipe isn’t the chicken: It’s the sauce, made from miso, plenty of garlic and a good amount of lemon and leftover pan juices. Just take care when salting it: Miso is salty by nature, and lemon juice tends to heighten its brininess. Round out the meal by pairing it with white rice, or a vibrant salad.

Nik Sharma · NYT Cooking

Galinha cafreal or chicken cafreal is a classic dish that’s often included in Goan Christmas and other noteworthy celebrations, accompanied by bread or rice. This dish is widely believed to have its origins in Mozambique and was brought by the Portuguese to their former colony of Goa in India. The signature hallmark of this dish is the fragrant concoction of spices and fresh herbs that’s used as the marinade and then cooked to form a very thick “dry” sauce, in which most of the water is driven out through evaporation to form a thick, flavorful coat on the chicken. Typically, the potatoes are fried, but boiling them in water and then roasting them in the oven produces a creamier interior and crispy exterior.

Nik Sharma · NYT Cooking

This splendid yet easy meal pairs koftas (gently spiced meatballs) and couscous with fresh accents from herbs, limes and crunchy pine nuts. Using a food processor to blitz all the kofta ingredients provides enough friction to help the meat proteins bind and form a much nicer and compact kofta. A similar technique is traditionally employed in India, where ground meat is chopped until it becomes a paste. While the sweet and tart taste of dried cherries are nice here, cranberries are an excellent substitute, bringing a similar spot of brightness to this dish.

Nik Sharma · Season: Big Flavors, Beautiful Food

The inspiration for this cake is a sweet chutney made from dates and tamarind, which is commonly served as a dipping sauce with samosas and other fried snacks. I often dust this cake with confectioners’ sugar or drizzle it with a little Kefir Creme Fraiche (see below). A high-speed blender is a marvelous tool to use for olive oil cakes because it can quickly whip air and emulsify the liquids in the batter to create a delicate cake crumb. This cake is first spiced with ginger and black pepper and sweetened with jaggery, adding contrast to the tamarind and dates in the batter, and then finally drizzled with a tamarind glaze to add a pop of fruitiness. I prefer to use the sour tamarind found in the Asian grocery stores rather than the sweeter Mexican variety because its stronger flavor comes through better in baking.

Nik Sharma · NYT Cooking

In this side dish inspired by Indian flavors, slices of eggplant and potato sit over a bed of crushed tomatoes seasoned with garlic, cumin and nigella seeds. It’s a wonderful accompaniment to seafood, particularly roasted fish. To cut the cooking time, slice the vegetables even thinner, using a mandolin or food processor. Nigella seeds are sometimes erroneously labeled as black cumin, but they look and taste quite different. They have a triangular shape and a distinct black coat, and the flavor will remind some of alliums. There is no direct substitute, but, for the same texture — if not the same taste — you could use sesame seeds.

Nik Sharma · NYT Cooking

The aroma of fresh mint and spices permeates this bright, turmeric-painted pulao made with basmati rice and ground lamb. This recipe, which has origins in the ground meat pulaos of India, is quite flexible and open to additions: a handful of fresh dill, a generous sprinkling of fried peanuts or other nuts, or crispy, fried onions tossed in just before serving. It also works well if you substitute beef for the lamb, and really needs no sides, except maybe some raita, creamy plain yogurt or a salad.

Nik Sharma · NYT Cooking

This creamy mango cheesecake has the unmistakable scent and taste of fresh limes and cardamom — and, best of all, it doesn’t require you to turn on the oven. Avoid using fresh mango pulp here: An enzyme in raw mango can prevent the gelatin from setting. (Canned mangoes don’t have that enzyme; it’s destroyed when they’re heated to high temperatures to be preserved.) If you must use fresh mangoes, purée the pulp, then bring it to a boil over medium heat, stirring constantly, and cool before using.

Nik Sharma · NYT Cooking

Coastal flavors from India permeate this crispy-skin salmon. The coconut chutney carries the buzz of ginger and green chile, while a drizzle of tadka — a hot, bright red oil infused with mustard seeds, curry leaves and Aleppo flakes — is the crowning glory of the dish. For perfectly crisp skin, resist the urge to fidget with the fish until the appropriate amount of time has passed; the skin will start to crisp at the edges and the fillet will release with ease. Use fresh or frozen coconut to make the chutney. (Desiccated coconut simply doesn’t work as well here.) You can use freeze-dried curry leaves instead of fresh, but you might need to double or even triple the amount, as their intensity is noticeably weaker in comparison.

Nik Sharma · NYT Cooking

This dish is loosely based on an Indo-Chinese garlic noodle dish. Here, a combination of Italian and Chinese condiments like cashews, Parmesan, soy sauce and anchovies create a creamy, umami-rich garlic sauce. This recipe uses rice noodles, but you could use egg noodles, ramen or any type of noodle. Since Parmesan, anchovies and soy sauce tend to fall on the saltier side, taste as you go and season the sauce accordingly. Feel free to reduce the amount of garlic, as it leans toward the generous side. These noodles are best eaten warm as soon as they’re mixed with the sauce.

Nik Sharma · NYT Cooking

The secret to making winter squash taste even better is to bump up its sweetness by roasting it, then pair it with sweet and sour ingredients, like this pomegranate molasses and honey dressing. Thinly slicing the squash speeds up roasting time, and, if you have access to precooked lentils, feel free to add them here. You can also substitute other soft, creamy cheeses for the feta, such as goat or sheep’s milk cheeses. Olive oil can leave a bitter aftertaste in emulsions, so, if you prefer to avoid it, use a neutral oil like grapeseed. Serve as a fall side, or alongside warm slices of generously buttered sourdough toast as a light meal.

Nik Sharma · NYT Cooking

In this recipe, roasted potatoes are paired with classic flavors used in Western and Indian cooking: butter and garlic, the fruity acidity of tamarind and lime juice, and the sweetness of date syrup. The potatoes are sliced and cooked in a pot of salted water, which helps them develop a thin crust and creamy interior when roasted. They make a great side to almost any meal, and can easily take the place of a breakfast hash. The shallots here carry a milder bite, but a red onion can be substituted for a stronger taste. Do stick to tamarind paste, and avoid using thick, syrupy tamarind concentrates. They lack tamarind’s fruitiness and carry a noticeable artificial aftertaste.

Nik Sharma · NYT Cooking

Coated in panko and sesame seeds, tofu takes on a splendid crunchiness that contrasts with sautéed spinach in this 30-minute dish. It comes together under a fragrant coconut-lime dressing — which you can double, then toss with salad. Swap out the spinach to your taste: Try this with mustard greens or chopped collard greens, adjusting the cooking time accordingly. Be careful when handling the uncooked tofu once it is breaded, as the breading is delicate. Using a pair of kitchen tongs or two forks to grab the tofu from the sides will help prevent its crumbling or falling apart. Serve this satisfying main by itself, or alongside a bowl of rice.

Nik Sharma · NYT Cooking

This recipe, created with the convenience of sheet pans in mind, has an effortless charm. Crisp-skinned chicken thighs and caramelized butternut squash get smokiness from chipotle and nuttiness from sesame seeds. The sweet flavors of the fennel and squash play off each other, while a generous sprinkling of lime juice adds a hit of acid for contrast. Feel free to swap butternut squash with your favorite fall squash. You can peel it before you cook, but you can also leave the skin on. Once roasted until tender, it’ll release the squash easily when you eat it.

Nik Sharma · NYT Cooking

Goan cuisine is known for its bold use of sourness, heat and spices. Seafood occupies an important position in Goan food, and, in this shrimp soup, tamarind is used to provide sourness while chiles provide heat. Here, the raw shrimp are cooked slowly over low heat, helping the stock to develop its rich savoriness. But the method also works spectacularly with frozen shrimp, and you can use shrimp with their tails left on, if you prefer. Whatever you do, be sure to avoid using those thick, syrupy tamarind concentrates. They lack tamarind's fruity flavor and carry a noticeable artificial aftertaste. Serve with toasted slices of lightly buttered bread to finish off any remaining liquid in the soup bowl.

Nik Sharma · The Flavor Equation

Sweet potatoes are on a monthly rotation in my household; even my dog, Snoopy, loved them. The different components of the pie can be prepared on different days. Here's a suggested order of steps you might find useful, especially if you make this for Thanksgiving. Day 1: Roast sweet potatoes, reduce the beer, and prepare the pie crust, but don't blind bake (partially bake). Day 2: Blind bake the pie crust, prepare the sweet potato custard, and bake the pie. Of course, you can also do this all in one day. The Flavour Approach: Heat plays a very important part in this recipe: The bitterness of beer is concentrated through reduction by evaporating the water. When the nuts in the crust are heated, a whole new set of flavour molecules is produced, which will vary depending on the type of nut used. Heat also helps the egg, nuts, and sugar bind together to form the structure of the pie. When sweet potatoes are heated, the enzyme amylase breaks down the starch stored in the vegetable’s cell

Nik Sharma · NYT Cooking

Sweet potato and sweet corn are combined with curry leaves and spices in these savory cakes, meant to be served alongside a creamy pistachio-yogurt sauce. For best results, you’ll want to get as much liquid out of the ingredients: Salting the sweet potatoes helps, as does using fresh eggs. (If your eggs are a bit old, place them in a fine-mesh sieve over a small bowl to drain the watery part.) And don’t skip blanching pistachios to get rid of their skins, or they’ll retain their bitterness. These cakes are best eaten straight off the pan, paired with plain rice, or tucked into sandwiches drizzled with the pistachio-yogurt sauce, but leftovers can be reheated in the oven.

Nik Sharma · NYT Cooking

This silky-smooth sweet potato soup features the deep flavor of roasted garlic and a splendid dose of garlicky, Sichuan peppercorn chile oil, which delivers heat and a tingling sensation with every spoonful. Roasting the sweet potatoes at a high temperature does a few things in this recipe: First, it develops the sweet potato’s flavors, and second, it softens the tubers, yielding a smooth texture. Serve this soup with thick slices of buttered, toasted bread to sop it up.

Nik Sharma · NYT Cooking

Preparing tamarind paste is quite simple, and homemade paste has the added advantage of keeping for several months in the refrigerator, the result of its high acid content. Tamarind fruit comes in two forms: as blocks of fruit pulp or as whole fruit pods. If working with tamarind fruit pods, make sure they’re unripe, which ensures a stronger degree of sourness and less sweetness. And don’t forget to remove and discard the outer shell to use the pulp. Blocks of tamarind can be obtained from Indian and Asian grocery stores or online.

Nik Sharma · NYT Cooking

This earthy side dish stands out brilliantly with its mix of mushrooms, wild rice and chile crisp. The contrast between the rice and mushrooms provides textural interest: soft and firm, tender and chewy. Halve any larger mushrooms lengthwise to help them cook evenly. And be generous with the chile crisp, making sure to stir the mixture well. All of those crunchy bits carry flavor — and a mighty punch of savory heat.