Recipes By Naz Deravian
140 recipes found
Angel Food Cake
The magic behind angel food cake’s light-as-air-texture is its meringue-based batter. No leaveners or fats are used in this fluffy dessert; instead, cake flour is folded into egg whites and whipped to stiff peaks with superfine sugar. (Make sure the egg whites have no trace of yolks and that the bowl of your stand mixer is very clean.) An ungreased angel food cake tube pan ensures the cake rises properly, and using one with a removable center helps it more easily release. Cool the cake upside down to maintain its structure (if your pan doesn't have feet, rest it over a wine bottle). Angel food cake is glorious served with barely sweetened whipped cream and fresh berries, or drizzled with chocolate or strawberry sauce.
Mochi
Sticky, chewy and pleasantly sweet, these Japanese rice cakes are fairly simple to make at home, but getting the right dough texture and assembly requires a little time and attention. Mochiko, a glutinous sweet rice flour, is simply combined with sugar and water to make the dough. Some recipes call for steaming the dough on the stove but here, the microwave is used to speed up the process, transforming it from opaque to glossy and almost translucent. To ensure the dough doesn’t stick when rolling it out, don’t be shy with the cornstarch, and keep a bowl of water on hand for dipping any utensils. For a pop of color, add a few drops of food coloring, then fill the rounds of dough with your favorite ice cream. (They can also be filled with red bean paste; see alternative method.) Mochi is enjoyed year-round, but it’s traditionally eaten around Japanese New Year festivities.
Roux
The foundation for a smooth gravy, a thickened cream sauce or a flavorful gumbo, roux is prepared by combining equal parts fat and flour, then cooking the mixture until it reaches the desired shade. A roux loses its thickening power the longer it cooks, but as it darkens, it becomes increasingly nutty and flavorful. A white roux is the first stage, and perhaps the most common, used to make white gravy or coat noodles for macaroni and cheese. Beyond that, a blond roux is used to make darker gravies and sauces; a peanut butter roux is common in richer stews and soups, such as étouffee; and a milk chocolate roux (pictured above) is traditional in gumbo. Use any fat you like, but be mindful that butter can burn the longer it cooks, so consider oil or a mix of oil and butter for a darker roux.
Ferni (Iranian Rice Flour Pudding)
Ferni (also called fereni or firni) is a nostalgic and comforting rose-scented Iranian pudding thickened with rice flour. Variations, with different names, can be found in Southeast Asia, Central Asia and beyond. This version is adapted from Fariba Nafissi, an Iranian pastry chef and the owner of Zozobaking in Los Angeles. Ferni can be served cold, as a delicately sweetened dessert, topped with fresh or dried fruits. It can also be served warm on chillier days. In Iranian culture, the hot version is used to comfort the body during an illness, like a sore throat or a stomach ache, according to Ms. Nafissi. The infusion of rosewater is one of the hallmarks of ferni, but you can also use the same amount of orange blossom water, or vanilla extract (about 1 teaspoon), if you prefer. The pudding has a custardlike consistency and comes together very quickly. But you will be required to continually whisk so that the pudding is smooth and does not stick to the bottom of the pan – resist the urge to walk away as it thickens. Ms. Nafissi recommends using a 2-quart nonstick saucepan. (If using another type of pan, lower and adjust the heat accordingly.)
Chicken Spaghetti
This comforting casserole is a staple at picnics and potlucks across the American South, and it’s no wonder why. Creamy, cheesy noodles are tossed with tender bits of chicken, tomatoes and chiles, then topped with even more cheese and baked until bubbly. There have been many iterations of this dish over the years: Some recipes call for Velveeta and condensed cream of mushroom soup, while Craig Claiborne’s childhood recipe calls for a quarter pound of ground beef and pork in addition to a whole chicken. In this version, a flavorful combination of Cheddar and Parmesan are used, and milk and chicken stock thickened with a roux stand in for the canned soup. Feel free to use whatever kind of cooked chicken you like — leftover roast chicken, rotisserie chicken or a couple chicken breasts you baked just for the occasion. Chicken spaghetti is the perfect casserole to prepare ahead of time and freeze, making it ideal for large gatherings or for stocking a loved one’s freezer (see Tip).
Pani Puri
For this variation of the popular South Asian snack, crisp store-bought shells known as puri (or golgappa) are filled with spiced potatoes and chickpeas, tamarind chutney and crunchy toppings, then drizzled with theeka pani, a bright green cilantro-mint water seasoned with ginger, green chile, tamarind, chaat masala and black salt. Set out all the components for a fun, interactive experience, and encourage diners to eat a filled-to-the-brim pani puri in one glorious bite to experience the delightful mix of textures and flavors. You can find all of the ingredients at South Asian markets and online.
Shoyu Ramen
Soy sauce, or shoyu, dashi and chicken broth are the foundation of this comforting Japanese noodle soup, which is garnished with hearty toppings like soy-marinated eggs, pork belly, pickled bamboo shoots and fish cakes. Traditionally made with homemade dashi and chashu, or Japanese pork belly, you can speed things up by using instant dashi powder and store-bought chashu. (If you make chashu from scratch, use the cooking liquid to flavor the soup.) The soy-marinated eggs must be prepared at least 6 hours in advance, but that leaves time for other ingredient prep, including rounding up a range of textural toppings, which can all be found at a Japanese market. As for the ramen noodles, frozen, fresh or dried all do the trick.
Takoyaki
Crisp on the outside, creamy on the inside, a little bit savory and a little bit sweet, takoyaki are a popular street food in Japan made with a simple dashi-based batter filled with bits of octopus, bonito flakes, tenkasu, scallions and pickled red ginger, then fried in a molded pan to achieve an ideal bite-sized shape. You can make them at home with a little practice and a takoyaki maker (see Tip). The eggy batter might seem messy at first, but with a little finesse, you can mold them into practically perfect spheres. (Practice with a few to get the hang of the process.) Octopus is traditional (tako means “octopus” and yaki means “fried” in Japanese), but you can swap in cooked sausage or shrimp, edamame, corn or cheese. Serve takoyaki with any (or all) of the suggested toppings: takoyaki sauce, Kewpie mayonnaise and pickled red ginger, all of which are available at Japanese markets and online.
Egg Rolls
With a garlicky-ginger pork and cabbage filling tucked inside a crisp and chewy wrapper, egg rolls are a much-loved Chinese-American dish that is fun to make at home. Inspired by traditional East Asian spring rolls, egg rolls are thought to have first appeared at a Chinese restaurant in New York City in the 1930s. Unlike spring roll wrappers, egg roll wrappers are thicker and made with eggs, so they develop delightfully crackly bubbles on the surface during frying. The filling in this version includes ground pork, shredded carrots and cabbage (you can use a bagged slaw mix) and vermicelli rice noodles, but feel free to swap out half the pork with shrimp, or replace the meat with mushrooms for a vegetarian version by adding them to the slaw mix. Prepare a batch of egg rolls in advance and freeze (see Tip), then fry when the mood strikes.
Massaman Curry
Thicker than other Thai curries, massaman curry is rich with coconut milk, peanuts and warm seasonings like red curry paste, cardamom, coriander, cumin and cinnamon — flavors that reflect the dish’s Central and South Asian influences. You can buy premade massaman curry paste at Thai markets and online, but it’s easy to make from scratch, starting with store-bought red curry paste and adding toasted and ground spices. (Don’t shake the can of coconut milk before opening, so you can use the thick cream on top to fry the curry paste.) This version calls for boneless chicken thighs, but feel free to substitute beef, shrimp or tofu as you wish. Finally, it’s important to make sure the flavors — salty (fish sauce), sweet (sugar) and sour (tamarind) — are balanced, so towards the end of cooking, taste and tweak as needed. Serve alongside a pile of fluffy jasmine rice.
Slow-Cooker Whole Chicken
A whole chicken cooked in the slow cooker pays off beautifully for very minimal effort. The only thing you’ll need to account for is the time it takes to cook, which is all hands off. Turmeric and paprika do a lot of heavy lifting here, giving the chicken a subtle smoky flavor and vibrant color. Feel free to add any other aromatics and herbs that you like. The slow cooking ensures that you end up with tender, juicy meat. And there are endless options for how you serve and use the chicken: Carve and serve along with the carrots, onion and a bowl of its jus, or use the chicken meat in sandwiches, tacos or salads. The chicken skin is not meant to be crispy in this preparation (although you could transfer the chicken to an oven-safe dish and give it a quick blast under the broiler). This recipe leaves you with the gift of a rich and tasty broth, which can be used later for soup.
Poke Bowl
A vibrant mix of sushi-grade fish, sticky rice, crunchy vegetables and creamy avocado drizzled with spicy sriracha mayo, a poke bowl is just as much fun to look at as it is to eat. Poke, which roughly translates “to cut crosswise into pieces” in Hawaiian, was born out of a no-waste scenario. While the exact timeframe is uncertain, Polynesians inhabiting what is now the Hawaiian Islands chopped leftover cuts of their daily catch into bite-sized pieces and seasoned them with salt and other ingredients. In the late 1800s, Japanese immigrants added soy sauce and rice to the dish. Eventually, poke made its way to the mainland and evolved into a customizable dish: The toppings listed here are just suggestions, so feel free to get as creative as you like, just make sure there is a balance of flavors and textures. Fresh fish is the star and should be sushi-grade and marinated for at least 1 hour. For a vegetarian version, try marinating cubed, firm avocado, and bulk up on the other ingredients. In the time that it takes to marinate, you can prepare the rice, or make use of leftover rice (you’ll need about 4 cups cooked). Don’t skip the spicy mayo to bring it all together.
Aloo Gobi
Wonderfully fragrant and loaded with flavor thanks to garam masala, coriander and ground cumin as well as the mild heat of Kashmiri red chiles, this South Asian potato and cauliflower curry can be served as a vegetarian main or side dish. Preparation of aloo gobi (its name means “potatoes cauliflower”) can vary, but the one constant is that the vegetables must be cooked until tender but not falling apart. Some recipes call for deep-frying the vegetables first, while others roast or boil them; here, they’re partially sautéed, then finished by steaming, so everything is done in one pan. Tomatoes aren’t always typical in aloo gobi, but they add extra moisture and acidity to the dish. This version skews toward the drier side, so add just enough water to help the vegetables finish steaming. For a little tang, sprinkle on some amchur (dried mango powder), or drizzle with lemon juice. Serve aloo gobi with roti, or basmati rice and naan.
Açaí Bowl
The star of this refreshing and vibrant bowl is the açaí berry, a small, round fruit native to the Amazon rainforest. When picked from the palm on which it grows, the fruit is bitter with hints of chocolate, and slightly tangy; by the time the berries reach supermarkets (açaí is widely available nowadays), they have been pitted and turned into a frozen purée. Simply thaw the packets for a couple minutes and combine with milk and a handful of other frozen fruits in a high-powered blender for a quick breakfast or dessert. Be mindful not to thin it out too much — the consistency should be thicker than a smoothie so you can eat it with a spoon. Top açaí bowls as you like, with a variety of fruits, nuts, granola and honey.
Pancit
Often served for special occasions like Noche Buena or birthdays, pancit is a Filipino dish of stir-fried noodles, meat and vegetables coated in a savory-sweet sauce. Pancit, which means “noodles”, has many delicious variations. This one, made with tender vermicelli rice noodles, carrots, cabbage, and chicken or pork, is known specifically as pancit bihon. Feel free to add other vegetables like green beans or snow peas. You can top the noodles with lechon kawali, crispy and juicy fried pork belly, and use the stock from that dish instead of chicken stock. (Just be sure to adjust the salt as necessary.) Pancit can be prepared in large batches, but however it’s served, include wedges of calamansi, if available. It’s a citrus fruit native to the Philippines that will brighten up the entire dish.
Lumpia
Shatteringly crisp and stuffed with juicy pork filling, Shanghai lumpia are a popular Filipino dish similar to fried spring rolls. Pork is the traditional filling, but they can also be made with a combination of pork and shrimp, ground beef or chicken. If you have one, use a food processor to finely mince the vegetables, and for a pleasant crunch, drop in a big handful of water chestnuts or jicama. Rolling the lumpia into a cigar-like shape takes a little bit of practice, but don’t overstuff them, wrap them tightly so the oil doesn't seep in and keep at it. You can prepare a large batch and freeze (see Tip) until ready to fry. Serve lumpia with store-bought sweet chili sauce for dipping.
Chicken Vindaloo
Tangy and tongue tingling from Kashmiri red chiles, vinegar and garlic, chicken vindaloo is spicy enough to make you take notice, but not so much that it overpowers the sweet and sour flavors or the subtle warmth of the cloves, cumin and cinnamon. Vindaloo is a Goan recipe adapted from carne de vinha d’alhos, a Portuguese dish in which meat is marinated in garlic and wine or vinegar. In Goa, vindaloo is prepared with pork, while the Western version is typically made with chicken, as it is here. Toasting and grinding whole spices will yield the most traditional and vibrant vindaloo, but if you don’t have a spice grinder or a mortar and pestle, don’t fret — we’ve also provided the amounts of ground spices to use. The optional tomato paste, while not conventional, helps temper the chiles’ heat, but leave it out if you like your food fiery. Serve with basmati rice or yellow rice and naan.
Panang Curry
Rich with coconut milk and crushed peanuts, panang curry, also known as phanaeng or panaeng curry, is subtly spiced with coriander and cumin. This version is made with chicken, but you’ll often find it made with beef and sometimes prawns. Panang curry is sometimes mistakenly linked to Penang, a Malaysian island, but it actually originated in Thailand. According to Pim Techamuanvivit, the chef and owner of Nari and Kin Khao restaurants in San Francisco, and the executive chef of Nahm Bangkok in Bangkok, it’s important to use thick coconut milk for the creamiest results, and be sure to break the sauce by simmering until a layer of bright red oil shimmers on top. Purchase panang curry paste online or at an Asian market and add crushed peanuts to it if it doesn’t include them (not all of them do), or prepare your own paste, as is done here.
Yaki Udon
Pleasantly chewy udon noodles are tossed with a mix of vegetables and meat, then coated in a salty-sweet combination of soy and oyster sauce, mirin, rice vinegar and sugar in this version of yaki udon, the Japanese stir-fry dish. Using precooked frozen udon noodles, available at Asian markets in vacuum-sealed bags, ensures that they don’t overcook and fall apart. Keep them on hand for a fast meal: Just give them a quick bath in boiling water before stir-frying alongside just about any meat and vegetables. While using dark soy sauce (see Tip) and oyster sauce is not traditional, this variation combines them for a thicker and slightly sweeter sauce.
Chicken Fried Steak
There is, in fact, no chicken in chicken fried steak. The name of the classic Southern dish refers to the batter — the sort typically used for fried chicken — which coats cube steak, whose perforated texture provides lots of little nooks and crannies for batter coverage. That, and a double dip in flour makes for a delightfully crisp crust. Season the flour with the salt and seasonings used here, or try 2 teaspoons of store-bought seasoned salt or Cajun seasoning. Chicken fried steak is traditionally draped with a simple white gravy made with flour, milk, butter and plenty of salt and pepper. Make it in a separate pan with butter for snowy white results, or recycle the pan and oil used for frying the steaks for a tawny, speckled gravy. Serve with fluffy mashed potatoes and a side of greens for the ultimate comfort food.
White Gravy
Smooth and creamy white gravy, one of the American South’s most beloved and versatile sauces, is really just a variation of béchamel, which was brought to Louisiana by French explorers in the 17th century. Excellent draped over chicken fried steak, biscuits or mashed potatoes, it comes together in no time. Start by making a white roux; this version uses butter, but you can also use bacon fat. To ensure the gravy doesn’t seize or clump, bring the milk to room temperature or heat it slightly, or slowly whisk in cold milk 1/2 cup at a time. Be mindful that the gravy will continue thickening off the heat, so remove it just before it reaches the desired consistency.
Stir-Fry Sauce
Making stir-fry sauce is easy, and chances are you already have most of the ingredients on hand. The best part is, you can make it your own: Start with soy sauce as the base, and build from there, adjusting until you hit the desired balance of salty, sweet and sour. The cornstarch is key, and it helps thicken the sauce as it cooks. Chicken or vegetable stock makes for a richer sauce, but feel free to use water (start with 1/4 cup) instead. Add the sauce to cooked vegetables, tofu, meat, seafood, or stir-fried noodles or rice. Start with a couple of tablespoons, stirring until everything is coated and glossy.
Cucumber Pomegranate Salad
Cucumber pomegranate salad is an early fall love story that confidently leaps into winter. Crisp and sweet Persian cucumbers are a welcome companion to ruby-red, tart pomegranate seeds, the jewels of cooler months. Tossed with red onion and both dried and fresh mint, this colorful and tangy salad enlivens a meal and your taste buds. There’s no need to prepare the dressing separately; drizzle and sprinkle everything directly on. The juice from the pomegranate seeds mingling with the lime juice makes for a pink-hued dressing that is worthy of slurping directly from a spoon.
Chicken Biryani
Just as beautiful for entertaining as it is for a comforting family meal, biryani is a Central and South Asian dish of layered rice, spices and meat or vegetables. There are many variations of biryani, but here, marinated chicken drumsticks are tucked in between layers of basmati rice, fried onion, whole spices and fresh herbs. Don't be intimidated by the multiple steps: Split up the work by marinating the meat in advance, and feel free to use store-bought fried onions instead of frying your own (use about 1 heaping cup). Traditionally, biryani is sealed with dough, but in this recipe, the lid is covered with a thin kitchen towel to ensure a proper seal and catch excess condensation so the rice steams properly. Garnishing with pomegranate seeds is not traditional, but they add a pop of color and a welcome fresh bite. Serve chicken biryani with raita, if desired.