Soni's Food

Indian Inspiration!

Cream Cheese and Peach Chutney Pastry Cups #SundaySupper

06 | 09 | 2015
By Soni Sinha

Labor Day weekend is here and its the last long weekend of the summer.So enjoy it to the full before you’re swamped with work,kids’ activities,school, homework etc etc.The idea is to not tire yourself,so try and go easy on those complicated recipes if you’re entertaining.And if you’re lost for ideas then fret not since our Sunday Supper has some amazing No Labor recipes lined up for you!

Cream Cheese and Peach Chutney Pastry Cups 2

My contribution is a delectable appetizer that’s also pretty versatile and you might want to make a bigger batch.My Cream Cheese and Peach Chutney Pastry Cups are full of some very unique flavors from the fennel, nigella, cumin, fenugreek and mustard seeds that come together in the form of Panch Phoran also called Indian Five Spice.You can assemble them yourself or find them at your local Indian grocers where they come pre-made.Easy.

Peach Chutney

The chutney is a staple family recipe that Mom has been making for years.I’ve added the cayenne for some kick.The sweet juicy peaches combined with the distinctive flavors from the seeds is the perfect balance of the sweet and salty and the redolence is unbelievable.Once it’s chilled its ready to be smeared on your toast,served alongside a good roasted pork or chicken, served as a dip with crackers or as a topping on a cheese crostini.The possibilities are endless.

Cream Cheese and Peach Chutney Pastry Cups 1

The pastry cups are a real blessing saving time and effort and give you the freedom to get creative.The combination of the cream cheese and chutney works together in this cute little appetizer bites that’s bound to get your guests raving!That’s what I call a No Labor Recipe!Enjoy.

Cream Cheese and Peach Chutney Pastry Cups

Cream Cheese and Peach Chutney Pastry Cups #SundaySupper

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Ingredients
  

  • Frozen Puff Pastry Cups-1 pck
  • 1 8 oz pack of Cream Cheese at room temperature
  • Peach Chutney

Peach Chutney

  • 2 large ripe peaches peeled and diced
  • 1 tbsp of panch phoran Indian Five Spice-a mix of equal amounts of mustard,fenugreek,fennel,nigella and cumin seeds
  • 1 ½ tbsp brown sugar
  • 1 ½ tsp salt
  • Cayenne-1/2 tsp
  • 2 tbsp oil

Instructions
 

  • Prepare the puff pastry cups according to instructions and let it cool on a wire rack.

Peach Chutney

  • In a pan heat oil and add the Indian five spice (panch phoran).
  • Add the peaches, brown sugar,salt and cayenne.
  • Let it all simmer on medium low heat until the peaches are tender.
  • Check the seasonings and adjust.
  • Store in the refrigerator to chill.

To Serve

  • When ready to serve drop a tsp or two of cream cheese in every cup and top with a good amount of chutney,Serve immediately.

See what our Sunday Supper tastemakers have come up with for our No Labor Recipes event:

Savory Snacks and Sides:

Labor Free Main Dishes:

Sweet Treats and Drinks:

Labor Free Labor Day:

Sunday Supper Movement

Join the #SundaySupper conversation on twitter on Sunday! We tweet throughout the day and share recipes from all over the world. Our weekly chat starts at 7 pm ET. Follow the #SundaySupper hashtagand remember to include it in your tweets to join in the chat. To get more great Sunday Supper Recipes, visit our website or check out ourPinterest board.

Would you like to join the Sunday Supper Movement? It’s easy. You can sign up by clicking here: Sunday Supper Movement.

 

Grape Chutney

29 | 10 | 2014
By Soni Sinha

Sweet Chutneys are an important condiment in Indian cuisine.In recent years they’ve reserved their place in the global arena too, satisfying the sweet salty cravings of many.Who doesn’t love a good mango chutney!The sticky shiny texture and that sweet aroma is enough to make you start craving for a spoon instantly.Indian chutneys are made in various different ways depending on the region you are from.Mom always makes it using Panch Phoran (Indian five spice) consisting of a mix of aromatic seeds like cumin,nigella,fennel,black mustard and fenugreek.The spice mix is easily available at your local Indian grocers.

Red Grapes

The recipe I have for you is a Red Grape Chutney that tastes as good as it looks.Its a great way to use up all those extra fruits lying around.You could use any fruit you desire to make your chutneys.Cranberry chutney is a firm favorite during Thanskgiving.The process is fairly simple as you only need a few ingredients to bring it all together.The whole process takes about 20 mins and you have a mouthwatering home-made chutney waiting to be devoured.

Grape Chutney

The dark color and the amazing flavors from the spices and the ginger is just pure joy.You can taste the smoky, salty, sweet all together.I love to spread it all over my toast for a delicious breakfast or a snack :).Enjoy!

Grape Chutney 2

Grape Chutney

Grape Chutney

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Ingredients
  

  • Red seedless grapes-2 cups
  • Panch Phoran Indian five spice-1 tsp
  • Fresh crushed ginger-1/2 inch
  • Brown sugar-1/2 cup
  • Oil-1 tbsp
  • Water-2-3 tbsp
  • Salt-1 tsp

Instructions
 

  • Wash the grapes and cut them in half.
  • In a pot heat the oil and add the panch phoran.
  • Once it crackles lower the heat and add the ginger.Stir for about half a minute.
  • Add the grapes,brown sugar,salt and water.
  • Cover and cook on medium heat for about 15-20 minutes or until the grapes are fully cooked.
  • Mash it all up with a masher.
  • Taste the seasonings.
  • Allow to cool.Store in the referigerator for a week.Enjoy.

 

 

 

 

Couscous Cakes

03 | 05 | 2013
By Soni Sinha

Couscous is on the menu today!The tiny jewels of semolina granules coated in wheat flour is packed with fiber, vitamins and minerals.The key to a good couscous lies in the flavor you add to it, since its quite flavorless on its own.It cooks quickly and is the perfect lunch when you’re in a hurry!I’d picked up a packet of Whole Wheat Couscous from Trader Joe’s with the purpose of using it in some way and looked up the web for some inspiration.I came across Giada’s Recipe for Couscous Cakes that sounded unique with an Indian twist and I instantly knew I had to try it!

Couscous Cakes

I made some changes to the original recipe by using parsley instead of coriander and added some dried cranberries and almonds for some tart and crunch that works perfectly.The lemon zest gives a nice fresh flavor to the dish and the star of the dish clearly is the Mango Chutney that has all the delicious spices and ginger and juicy bits of mango that you get every now and then.

Couscous Cakes 1

The cakes turned out great and I really enjoyed all the flavors together!You can make these cakes ahead and store them in the refrigerator until required.Just shallow fry them at the last minute and serve your guests.A lovely recipe with an Indian touch that’s surely a keeper 🙂

Couscous Cakes

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Ingredients
  

  • Whole Wheat Couscous-1 cup
  • Egg-1
  • Egg Yolk-1
  • Mango Chutney-1/3 cup
  • Ground Coriander-1 1/2 tsp
  • Lemon Juice-2 tbsp
  • Lemon Zest-1 tbsp
  • Dried Cranberries-1/4 cup
  • Sliced Almonds-1/4 cup
  • Chopped Parsley-1/2 cup
  • Plain Flour-2 tbsp
  • Salt-to taste
  • Pepper- 1/2 tsp
  • Olive Oil- to shallow fry

Instructions
 

  • Cook couscous according to the instructions.
  • Add all the ingredients except Olive Oil and mix together.
  • Heat a skillet with some Olive oil.
  • Wet your hands with a little water and take a small amount of the mixture.
  • Form round shaped patties and shallow fry them until golden.
  • For easier frying you can also refrigerate the cakes for about 30 mins before frying them.
  • Serve hot!

Couscous Cakes 3

Pizza with Spicy Shrimp and Fennel Onion Chutney #CookedinTranslation

19 | 09 | 2012
By Soni Sinha

Who doesn’t love a Pizza!I could have it every day of the week.Its one dish that can take so many different forms and every way its made, its tastes delicious!Experiment with your toppings and you will have one amazing Pizza every single time.I’m so excited that our host Pola from An Italian Cooking in the Midwest chose Pizza as the theme for our ‘Cooked in Translation’ series.

fennel pizza2 fg

My pizza dish is inspired by two things, my love for Indian chutneys and Seafood!I’m making my own fennel onion chutney and adding sautéed shrimp to go underneath some fresh mozzarella!I’ve made this pizza using Middle Eastern Flat Bread (sold at Trader Joe’s ) since I find it extremely easy to use and the perfect size for one person.Its also a time saver since its already cooked and 5 minutes is all it needs under the grill.

Pizza with Spicy Shrimp and Fennel Onion Chutney

My fennel onion chutney is the star of this pizza!Its perfectly caramelized, sweet, salty, acidic all in one.I’ve used cooked Shrimp here and mix it with some spices that contrasts beautifully with the sweet chutney.I’ve sprinkled a little amount of mozzarella since, I did not want the flavors in the onions and the shrimp to be overpowered with the cheese.The result is a healthy, elegant pizza that is so different and so delicious!

Pizza with Spicy Shrimp and Fennel Onion Chutney

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Ingredients
  

  • Middle Eastern Flat Bread-2
  • Shredded Mozzarella Cheese- 1 cup

Fennel Onion Chutney:

  • Yellow Onion-1 large sliced thinly
  • Fennel Bulb-1 medium sliced thinly
  • Extra Virgin Olive Oil-1 tbsp
  • Ginger powder-1 tsp
  • Garlic powder-1 tsp
  • White Vinegar-1 tbsp
  • Orange juice- 1/3 cup
  • Brown Sugar-2 tbsp
  • Pepper-1 tsp
  • Salt-to taste

Spicy Shrimp:

  • Shrimp cooked-2 cups
  • Garlic Powder-2 tsp
  • Ground Coriander-1 tsp
  • Garam Masala-1 tsp
  • Red chilli powder cayenne-1 tsp
  • Salt- to taste

Instructions
 

  • Heat oil in a pan and add all the chutney ingredients.Let it come to a boil.Reduce the heat, cover and cook for about 20-25 minutes until the onions and fennel are soft and caramelised.Check the seasonings.Your chutney is ready.
  • Mix the spices with the Shrimp and saute or grill on medium high until golden.Take out and keep aside.
  • Take a flat bread and spread the fennel onion chutney all over.Top with the shrimp and the mozzarella cheese.Broil on high for about 5 minutes or until you see the cheese all melted and golden.Garnish with fennel fronds and serve!


 

 

Elegant Indian Inspired Thanksgiving Menu

20 | 11 | 2011
By Soni Sinha

I’m not a big Turkey fan, something to do with an unpleasant aftertaste every time I eat it. Hence I normally cook Chicken instead of Turkey during Thanksgiving.This time I’m inspired to give it an exotic Indian touch,something I haven’t done before.Yet I don’t want to spend the entire day cooking in the kitchen, instead, enjoy the Holidays with my family.That said, food still has to be top-notch.So I came up with idea of keeping it simple yet elegant at the same time, sort of “East meets West”.

I am making Indian style Spicy Couscous with Cranberries,Raisins and Slivered Almonds served with Indian Spiced Roast Chicken.Sounds tempting?Wait till you try it.The combination of sweet with the spicy gets your tastebuds dancing.You don’t have to wait for Thanksgiving to make these dishes. You can make them any time of the year.You can also serve the chicken as an appetizer with some chutney, or you can use it on a bed of rice with salad as your weekday or weekend meal.Enjoy!

Spicy Couscous with Cranberries,Raisins and Slivered Almonds/Indian Spiced Roast Chicken

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Ingredients
  

For the Spicy Couscous

  • Couscous- 2 cups
  • Water- 2 cups
  • Oil-2 tbsp
  • 1 medium Onion- chopped finely
  • 3 Green Chillies Jalapeños-chopped finely
  • Black Mustard seeds-1 tsp
  • Curry Leaves available in Indian stores- 3
  • Sweetened Cranberries- 1 cup
  • Raisins-1/4 cup
  • Slivered Almonds- for garnish
  • Salt-to taste

For Indian Spiced Roast Chicken

  • Drumsticks and Thighs-8 pieces
  • Oil-1 tbsp
  • Salt-to taste

For the Green paste

  • Coriander leaves chopped-3-4 cups
  • Ginger-1 inch chopped
  • Garlic-4 cloves
  • Turmeric-1 tsp
  • Ground Coriander-2 tsp
  • Ground Cumin-1 tsp
  • Red Chili powder or Cayenne pepper-1 tsp

Instructions
 

Spicy Couscous:

  • Boil 2 cups of water with some salt.Once it starts to boil add 2 cups of couscous.
  • Turn off the heat and cover the pan.Leave it for 2 minutes.Your couscous is cooked.
  • Gently stir it with a fork.Keep aside.
  • In a skillet, heat oil and add the mustard seeds and curry leaves
  • Once it splutters add the onions and green chilies. Saute until onions are light brown.
  • Mix into the couscous along with cranberries and raisins.Garnish with slivered almonds.

Indian Spiced Roast Chicken

  • Start by preheating the oven to 420 degrees F.
  • Make the green paste using all the ingredients above.Once the paste is ready,place the chicken along with oil,salt and green paste into a ziplock bag.Seal firmly and mix the contents together.Leave it in the refrigerator for 4-5 hours.
  • Place the marinaded chicken pieces on an aluminum foil on top of a baking sheet.Bake for about 40-45 minutes, turning the chicken once so that both sides are golden brown.
  • Once ready, let it rest for a little while before serving.