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I turned a daily at Sofreh the minute Nasim Alikhani first flung open the doorways to the stylish Persian restaurant in Prospect Heights, Brooklyn. I used to be irresistibly pulled in by her aromatic platters of duck fesenjan and fish with herbs and tamarind. No matter my order, although, I needed to embody adas polo ba khorma — Medjool date and lentil rice. A cinnamon-scented mound of sentimental basmati rice, lentils and dates sprinkled with saffron and rose water and garnished with crisp slivers of fried onion, it was the dish that the majority haunted me between visits.
So when the Sofreh cookbook got here out final yr, adas polo was naturally the primary recipe I turned to. It’s an unfussy, weeknight model that Ms. Alikhani cooks at house for her household, and so much less complicated than the frilly model on the restaurant. Made with pantry-friendly components, it’s so pleasant and simple that I tailored it for my column this week in The New York Times. The mixture of rice and lentils simmered with spices and layered with caramelized onions, butter-warmed dates and herbs is perfection. A dollop of yogurt or a fried egg or two on high are all it must be a meal.
Featured Recipe
Adas Polo ba Khorma (Persian Lentil Rice With Dates)
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Rice additionally performs a job in a conventional Thai larb, albeit a a lot smaller one. In Colu Henry’s herby pork larb with chile, the raw grains are toasted, after which pounded into powder earlier than being added to the skillet with floor pork, shallot and fish sauce. You don’t want a lot; even a number of tablespoons of toasted rice powder provides a nutty depth and physique to the pungent, citrusy dish. If you don’t need to use pork, floor turkey or hen make wonderful substitutes.
Here’s a brand new workweek hen recipe for you: Ali Slagle’s sticky hen and brussels sprouts stir-fry. It unites two tangy-sweet dishes — teriyaki hen breasts and balsamic brussels sprouts — into one blissfully fast skillet dinner. Serve it over rice or candy potatoes for a simple midweek meal.
For a bracing, fiery recipe on the savory extremes of the flavour galaxy, Sarah DiGregorio’s shrimp in purgatory has the garlicky, chile-flaked sauciness of a Southern Italian eggs in purgatory, however starring succulent, candy shrimp. I like this one over polenta or couscous for optimum crimson sauce absorption.
Pasta lovers, I haven’t forgotten you! How about giving Kenji López-Alt’s spaghetti aglio e olio e fried shallots a whirl? He makes use of store-bought fried shallots, which add a caramelized crunch to the traditional garlic-and-oil pasta with none further work. Of course, this being a Kenji recipe, he additionally provides directions for making fried shallots from scratch must you be so inclined. Whether store-bought or selfmade, when you’ve acquired ’em, you’ll need to put ’em on every part. Come to think about it, they’d be wonderful on the adas polo.
And for dessert, have you ever ever made a chocolate mug cake? This moist and fudgy confection requires just some components, your prettiest mug and fewer than 5 minutes in your microwave. A garnish of rainbow sprinkles on high isn’t in any respect mandatory however does add a festive contact.
As at all times, you do have to subscribe to get these recipes and the 1000’s upon 1000’s of others we’ve got at New York Times Cooking. If you want any technical recommendation, ship an e mail to [email protected] for assist. And should you’d wish to say hello, I’m at [email protected].
That’s it for now. See you on Wednesday.
