In Odessa in the 90s, everyone knew that the most delicious vegetables are served in a steak house on the famous Odessa street – Deribasovska. But no one could figure out the secret that made them so delicious. Today it is no longer a mystery. But if you suddenly don’t know, soy sauce, as a marinade, gives vegetables the so-called fifth taste: the “umami” taste. It made the customers of the restaurant come back and order this dish again and again. The chef of that legendary restaurant told me about it at the lesson in our school.
In Odessa in the 90s, everyone knew that the most delicious vegetables are served in a steak house on the famous Odessa street – Deribasovska. But no one could figure out the secret that made them so delicious. Today it is no longer a mystery. But if you suddenly don’t know, soy sauce, as a marinade, gives vegetables the so-called fifth taste: the “umami” taste. It made the customers of the restaurant come back and order this dish again and again. The chef of that legendary restaurant told me about it at the lesson in our school.- Prep time: 15 minutes + 30 minutes’ marinating
- Cook time: 15 minutes
- Serves: 4
- Difficulty: easy
- Course: main course
- Cookware: grill rack
- Cuisine: Odessa
Ingredients
- 1 zucchini
- 1 aubergine
- 1 carrot
- ½ celery root
- 2 sweet peppers
- 1 medium onion
- 2 medium tomatoes
- 140 ml soy sauce
- 140 ml olive oil
- freshly ground black pepper
- sea salt
Cooking method
Step 1
Peel and coarsely chop all vegetables. Season with pepper and salt, pour olive oil and soy sauce. Mix the vegetables. Marinate for 30 minutes.
Step 2
Grill the vegetables for 15-20 minutes. To prevent the vegetables from burning, it is necessary to periodically sprinkle them with water, and the fire should not be allowed to ignite.
My tips and tricks:
When choosing vegetables, it is important to choose the plump, not watery, local and better seasonal: they will be much tastier. Since we cook different vegetables, we need to start with firmer ones: for example, carrots and celery, and end with the softest – tomatoes. Place vegetables in a bowl when ready. When you’re done, cover the bowl with foil and let the vegetables rest for 10 minutes. And from the leftovers you can make a delicious salad the next day: just cut the vegetables, add fresh herbs and season everything with fragrant oil from fried sunflower seeds from Privoz market.
- 1 zucchini
- 1 aubergine
- 1 carrot
- ½ celery root
- 2 sweet peppers
- 1 medium onion
- 2 medium tomatoes
- 140 ml soy sauce
- 140 ml olive oil
- freshly ground black pepper
- sea salt
- Peel and coarsely chop all vegetables. Season with pepper and salt, pour olive oil and soy sauce. Mix the vegetables. Marinate for 30 minutes.
- Grill the vegetables for 15-20 minutes. To prevent the vegetables from burning, it is necessary to periodically sprinkle them with water, and the fire should not be allowed to ignite.