Science and spices go hand-in-hand for LA chef Nik Sharma

Los Angeles-based food writer, photographer and cookbook author Nik Sharma had moved to the US from Mumbai to study molecular genetics. Although he transitioned to a career in food and beverages from science, his new book, The Flavor Equation, goes behind the recipes to investigate the science of taste, combining his knowledge of chemistry with the mysteries of flavour pairings. The popular food columnist, blogger and recipe developer spoke to Ishani Duttagupta about the Indian influences on his writing and also on mainstream American cuisine. Edited excerpts from the interview.
How do you combine your background as a scientist with your expertise as a chef?
They go hand-in-hand. I’ve always felt cooking in the kitchen is just like being in a lab but with a tastier outcome. Recipe writing is just like writing experiments -- things work and sometimes they don’t. That’s when you try to understand what is happening and how to fix it. A large part of recipe development is also problem-solving and creating solutions. This is where science comes in. For example, for the longest time, the paneer I made in America was too soft with a ricotta-like consistency -- a problem I never encountered in India. It turned out the calcium levels in cow’s milk is lower than that of buffalo’s milk used in India. To fix this, I simply needed to increase the amount of calcium and curdle the milk. Calcium chloride, an ingredient commonly used in cheese-making, does both these things. It gives the extra calcium and also the acid to help the milk proteins change their shape and turn into a firm block of paneer.
How does your Indian background define you as a chef and a food writer?
Growing up in India, I’ve been fortunate to experience and taste food from different regions as well as see and appreciate Indian ingredients and techniques for their versatility. In India, you can travel through various states and a staple ingredient like rice will morph as it moves from biryanis to fermented batters that make dosas and idlis. It gives me a sense of how ingenuity comes into play as recipes reflect adaptations to changes in geography and culture.
Do you think Indian cuisine is making a big mainstream impact in the US yet?
While I don’t think we’re exactly there yet, I do think we are on our way to seeing Indian food and ingredients in more homes than earlier. I think this is one of the most exciting times to be cooking Indian food in America because people are genuinely excited to learn about new flavours and ingredients. The works of chefs and writers like the late Floyd Cardoz, Asha Gomez, Tejal Rao, Priya Krishna, and several others are certainly helping cement the prominence of Indian cuisine in America.
Your new book has been described as flavour for geeks; what is the philosophy of going deep into the science behind cuisine and the food experience?
Cooking and for that matter even appreciating flavour, is something we learn through trial and error over time. It is experiential. I’ve learnt to cook by watching my family and friends as well as through cookbooks, magazines, television shows and also working as a pastry cook in a patisserie. Flavour is a wide umbrella that not only encompasses the taste and aroma of the ingredients in our food but it also involves the interplay of our senses -- the shapes and colours of the food we eat, the different textures of food, and even the sounds food makes as we cook and eat. I remember being taught in India to pay attention to the sound of cumin and mustard seeds popping when preparing a tadka. We are constantly using all sorts of sensory cues in our cooking. And then there’s the interplay of our emotions and memories that influences our perception of flavour. We love some flavours more than others, be it something we experienced in childhood or something tied into our cultures. The Flavour Equation is a book that gets into all these different facets from a nerdy-yet-fun lens with the recipes acting as enticing experiments.
How did your journey from India to the US shape food and flavours for you?
Living in two very different parts of the world gave me the opportunity to not only taste new food but also compare and contrast. You start to notice how people and culture define food. Often, similar beloved combinations exist throughout the world. They just get painted with different spices and are cooked in different ways -- for example, mashed potatoes and meat is a popular dish in the West but in Mumbai, potato chops provide that same degree of comforting flavours and textures where ground meat is encased in a shell of smooth, mashed potatoes before being shaped and pan-fried.
Your blog, A Brown Table, is popular. How tough was it for an Indian food expert to create a niche in the US?
My blog started out as a way for me to talk about the Indian food I didn’t see in restaurants or in magazines and an opportunity to show the versatility of Indian ingredients and techniques in Western cooking. I don’t see myself as an expert on Indian food since I certainly don’t know all there is to Indian cuisine but I do my best to share the food I enjoy cooking at home with people. It’s been a long journey but one that I’ve thoroughly enjoyed. While there are plenty of common misconceptions on Indian cooking, I try to do my best through my work to show people that they can easily incorporate a lot of those flavours in their own cooking at home. Over time, I’ve been fortunate to write for outlets such as The New York Times, The Guardian, The San Francisco Chronicle, The Washington Post, and Food52. It has certainly helped me share my food with a larger audience.
Recipe from The Flavor Equation by Nik Sharma; HarperCollins Publishers India
Paneer + Beet Salad with Mango-Lime Dressing
There is an incomparable joy that I find difficult to express in words when I eat ripe Indian mangoes. During ripening, the starch transforms and gives way to a soft pulp that’s sweet and sour, carrying an aroma that reminds me of warm summer holidays in Goa. While mangoes are delicious as a sweet treat, they also make an excellent addition to savoury applications. The fruity, sweet flavour of mangoes with lime gives this beet salad a refreshing taste. Try to use a good ripe mango without a chalky aftertaste. It’s no surprise that I recommend Indian mangoes, but champagne mangoes are a good option. You’ll find paneer in the cheese section at Indian grocery stores as well as most regular food markets.

SERVES 4
PLUS 1½ CUPS [360 ML] DRESSING
For the marinade:
1 cup [240 ml] plain unsweetened kefir, buttermilk, or yogurt
2 tsp fine sea salt
½ tsp ground cumin
½ tsp ground turmeric
½ tsp red chilli powder
½ tsp freshly ground black pepper
14 oz [400 g] firm paneer, homemade or store-bought
For the beets
4 medium beets (total weight 1 lb [455 g]), ideally a mixture of red and yellow
2 Tbsp extra-virgin olive oil, plus extra for greasing the pan
Fine sea salt
For the mango-lime dressing:
5 oz [140 g] diced ripe mango
½ cup [120 ml] kefir or buttermilk ¼ cup [60 ml] grapeseed or debittered extra-virgin olive oil
1½ Tbsp fresh lime juice
1 Tbsp prepared yellow mustard ¼ tsp freshly ground black pepper
¼ tsp red chilli powder
Fine sea salt
For serving:
7 oz [200 g] arugula leaves 1 Tbsp extra-virgin olive oil 1 tsp freshly ground black pepper
Fine sea salt
2 tsp amchur
The flavour approach
Paneer is not a salty cheese, so the marinade must contain a bit more salt for the cheese to absorb.
The salad dressing provides a second layer of flavour as well as salt.
While paneer is one of the easiest cheeses you can make at home, I prefer the store-bought variety in this application, where shape and structural integrity are important. It takes the pressure of an extremely heavyweight to bring together the protein molecules in the paneer and force them to coalesce, producing a firm, compact paneer that can hold its shape when cut and cooked. Commercial producers have equipment that generates sufficient pressure; it’s a little tricky to do this at home but I’ve developed a method that you can use; otherwise, store-bought is perfectly fine.
Whisk the kefir, salt, cumin, turmeric, chilli powder, and black pepper in a small bowl. Taste and season with more salt if needed. Pour the marinade into a large resealable bag.
Cut the paneer into approximately 1 by 2 by ½ in [2.5 cm by 5 cm by 12 mm] cubes and place them in the bag with the marinade, seal, and gently shake to coat evenly. Let the paneer marinate for one hour at room temperature. If you need to marinate it longer, leave it in the refrigerator.
Preheat the oven to 400°F [204°C].
While the paneer marinates, prepare the beets. Peel, trim the ends, and cut into quarters. Place the beets in a baking dish or roasting tray, drizzle with the olive oil, and season with salt. Roast for 30 to 45 minutes, until they are tender on the inside and a knife slides through the centre with ease. Remove from the oven and let them rest for 10 minutes.
While the beets roast, prepare the dressing. Place the mango, kefir, oil, lime juice, mustard, pepper, and chilli powder into a blender and pulse on slow speed until combined and smooth. Taste and season with salt.
Grill the paneer just before you’re ready to assemble the salad. Heat a cast-iron grill pan or a medium non-stick sauce pan over medium-high heat and brush the surface with a little olive oil. With a pair of kitchen tongs, carefully lift the paneer out of the bag and cook it in batches in the hot pan until it turns golden brown and is slightly seared,two to three minutes per side.
To serve, toss the arugula in a large mixing bowl with the olive oil. Add the pepper and season with salt. Add the warm grilled paneer pieces. Drizzle with a few tablespoons of the salad dressing. Sprinkle with the amchur just before serving.
Serve the remaining salad dressing on the side.