Soni's Food

Indian Inspiration!

Brussels Sprouts Kofta for #MothersDay #SundaySupper

11 | 05 | 2014
By Soni Sinha

“Time and again,
come joy, come pain
your smile, your words
of wisdom,
of life,
of the values
instilled in our minds
has taught me so much
that I can carry forward
your message
to my kids,
teach them
the values,
of living this life
with love,
with compassion,
with a purpose,
with passion”

One remarkable woman is on my mind today.A woman who has endured so much pain in the past few months..lost her husband,survived a life threatening health condition and still trying to recover,but yet she smiles in all her pain,yet she speaks of positivity,of happiness,of joy,of love.Yeah that’s my Mom.And I’m so grateful that I’m her child.

Brussles Sprouts Kofta

My mom makes the best Koftas ever.And today I thought of recreating her favorite recipe using Brussels Sprouts along with some dried sweetened cranberries and I’m elated that it turned out absolutely delicious.A new family favorite indeed!Its a special dish that requires a special occasion for it to be served.

Brussels Sprouts Kofta 4

My Brussels Sprouts Kofta is one amazing dish with some exotic flavors and super simple for anyone to try.I recently spotted sliced Brussels Sprouts at Trader Joe’s and couldn’t resist buying one pack.Its a time saver.The koftas have some spices, ginger and dried cranberries and are bound together using some Gram Flour (Besan) easily available at your local Indian Grocers.The combination of the tart, sweet,spicy flavors is insanely good and will convert any Brussels Sprouts hater into a Brussels Sprouts lover.The only thing that you have to be careful about is to not cook the koftas for too long in the sauce.They might collapse.You can add the koftas just before serving and cook for a couple of minutes.They should be perfectly coated in the juices and taste delicious.Enjoy.

“Wishing all you Moms a Very Happy Mother’s Day”

Brussels Sprouts Kofta

Brussles Sprouts Kofta

Brussels Sprouts Kofta for #MothersDay #SundaySupper

Print Recipe Pin Recipe

Ingredients
  

For the Koftas

  • Brussels Sprouts Shredded/sliced-2-3 cups
  • Gram Flour Besan-1/2 cup
  • Crushed Ginger-1 tsp
  • Dried Sweetened Cranberries-3/4 cup
  • Cashews chopped-1/2 cup
  • Ground Coriander-1 tsp
  • Ground Cumin- 1tsp
  • Salt-1 tsp
  • Oil-to deep fry

For the Sauce

  • Onion Medium-1 finely chopped
  • Crushed Ginger-1 tsp
  • Crushed Garlic-1 tsp
  • Medium Tomatoes-2 pureed
  • Ground Cumin-1 tsp
  • Ground Coriander-2 tsp
  • Garam Masala-1 tsp
  • Turmeric-1 tsp
  • Red chili powder-1 tsp
  • Salt- to taste
  • Sugar-1 tsp
  • water-1 1/2 cups
  • Oil 2-3 tbsp

Instructions
 

Koftas

  • In a microwave safe dish soften the shredded brussels sprouts for about 3-4 minutes.
  • Mix all Kofta Ingredients and roll into small balls.
  • Deep fry the balls in the oil in batches until golden on all sides and keep aside.

Sauce

  • In a deep skillet heat the oil and add onions.
  • Fry for about 4-5 minutes until golden and add the ginger and garlic.
  • Add the tomatoes and spices and cook until oil starts to separate from the sides.
  • Add the water, bring to a boil.Lower the heat and cook for about 8-10 minutes.
  • Adjust the seasonings.Your sauce is ready.
  • When its time to serve, add the balls into the sauce and cook for about 2-3 minutes until the sauce bubbles.Serve hot with Naan, Roti or Rice.

Sunday Supper is celebrating Mother’s Day and my friend Liz from That Skinny Chick can Bake is hosting this exciting event.Scroll down for some mouthwatering breakfasts,appetizers,entrees and desserts for Mother’s Day!

Mother’s Day Breakfast:

Mother’s Day Appetizers, Soups and Salads:

 Mother’s Day Main Dishes:

Mother’s Day Desserts:

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 7:00 pm ET. Follow the #SundaySupper hashtag and remember to include it in your tweets to join in the chat. Check out our#SundaySupper Pinterest board for more fabulous recipes and food photos. 

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

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

Cabbage Koftas ~ Helping Hands for Hurricane Sandy #SundaySupper

25 | 11 | 2012
By Soni Sinha

Hurricane Sandy destroyed so many people’s homes, towns and communities and many are still facing difficulties.Although we didn’t suffer any damage to our property, there were power outages in our area for 4 -5 days.But for those who’ve lost their homes, their lives were torn apart in a span of a few hours.We’ve decided to help out the victims of Hurricane Sandy by offering them comforting meals to make them feel better and also providing you with relevant links to donate to the cause and make a difference in the lives of those affected by it.This event is hosted by our very own Liz of That Skinny Chick Can Bake!

If you want to make a donation,these are a few of the organisations that we recommend:


I’m making these comforting Cabbage Koftas (dumplings) in a tomato gravy.It can be made ahead and frozen or refrigerated to be heated before its served.I’ve also added some dried sweetened cranberries( instead of raisins to give it a Holiday feel) and cashews to the cabbage balls that give it a lovely sweet and nutty flavor.This dish is a very popular North Indian dish and its made in many different ways using lots of different vegetables (like spinach, zucchini) or meats.It goes very well with Naans, Rotis or even Rice.

The process begins by shredding the cabbage.In my case I just got the shredded cabbage from Trader Joe’s which made the process a lot easier.You then add the spices and gram flour (besan) which also acts as a binder.The trick is to fry these balls immediately after you’ve added salt and the spices otherwise cabbage tends to release a lot of water which then makes it difficult to fry.Once the balls are fried until golden, you can start the gravy.The gravy is a traditional North Indian curry base for making almost any curry using vegetables or meat.The balls are slowly simmered in the gravy,just before you serve the dish.A succulent rich Indian Cabbage Kofta that’s comforting in any situation.

Cabbage Koftas ~ Helping Hands for Hurricane Sandy #SundaySupper

Delicious Indian Spiced Cabbage Balls/Dumplings simmered in a Tomato Gravy!
Print Recipe
Prep Time 30 minutes
Cook Time 30 minutes
Total Time 1 hour

Ingredients
  

For the Koftas

  • Cabbage Shredded-2 cups
  • Gram Flour Besan-3/4 cup
  • Crushed Ginger-1 tsp
  • Dried Sweetened Cranberries-1 cup
  • Cashews chopped-1/2 cup
  • Ground Coriander-1 tsp
  • Cumin Seeds- 1tsp
  • Salt-1 tsp
  • Oil-to deep fry

For the Gravy

  • Onion Medium-1 finely chopped
  • Crushed Ginger-1 tsp
  • Crushed Garlic-1 tsp
  • Medium Tomatoes-3 pureed
  • Ground Cumin-1 tsp
  • Ground Coriander-1 tsp
  • Garam Masala-1 tsp
  • Turmeric-1/2 tsp
  • Red chili powder-1/2 tsp
  • Salt- to taste
  • Sugar-1 tsp
  • water-1 1/2 cups
  • Oil 2-3 tbsp
  • Coriander leaves- for garnish

Instructions
 

  • In a deep fry pan heat oil on medium.
  • In a microwave safe dish soften the shredded cabbage for about 3-4 minutes.
  • Mix all Kofta Ingredients and roll into small balls.
  • Deep fry the balls in the oil in batches until golden on all sides and keep aside.
  • In a separate pan heat the oil and add onions.
  • Fry for about 4 minutes until golden and add the ginger and garlic.
  • Add the tomatoes and spices and cook until oil starts to separate from the sides.
  • Add the water, bring to a boil.Lower the heat and cook for about 3-4 minutes.
  • Adjust the seasonings.Your gravy is ready.
  • When its time to serve, just add the balls into the gravy and cook for about 7-8 minutes. Garnish with Coriander.
  • Serve hot with Naan, Roti or Rice.

Please check out all the wonderful ideas from the helping hands of my Sunday Supper friends. And  consider a monetary donation if you have the resources…every dollar helps and many folks have lost nearly everything. Thank you!!!

Breakfast and Brunch:
Comforting Casseroles and Entrées:
Warming Soups and Sides:
Sweet Endings:

Please join on us on Twitter for #SundaySupper today, November 25, 2012, throughout the day.  In the evening, we will meet at 7 PM EST for our weekly #SundaySupper live chat.

All you have to do is follow the #SundaySupper hashtag or you can follow us through TweetChat.
We’d also love to feature your recipe ideas for #HelpingHands on our #SundaySupper Pinterest board so we can share them with all of our followers. Thanks to Isabel, of Family Foodie, for leading the mission to bring families back to the Sunday dinner table. Stop by her blog if you’d like to join us.

Sweet Potato Cranberry Casserole with Almond Coconut Streusel #CookedInTranslation

20 | 11 | 2012
By Soni Sinha

Today I’ve got for you a recipe that I could easily call one of the ‘best things I ever made and ate’ :).It can be made ahead and frozen or refrigerated to be baked at the last minute to get all lovely and golden.The secret to my recipe here is ginger that adds a great depth of flavor to this dish.

The streusel consists of Almond Flour and some shredded coconuts for a crunchy nutty topping and boy was it good!!I’m so glad I used Almond Flour instead of all purpose flour since it gave it so much more body and flavor.The sweet aroma of coconut filled my kitchen as it was baking in the oven.It tasted phenomenal and had the perfect amount of sweetness!

The cranberries gave it the perfect tartness and the coconut worked like magic!! A lovely Casserole that’s easy, healthy and the most delicious!

Sweet Potato Cranberry Casserole with Almond Coconut Streusel #CookedInTranslation

A delicious Casserole using Sweet Potatoes and Cranberries topped with an Almond and Coconut Streusel makes for a great Holiday Side Dish or even Dessert!
Print Recipe
Prep Time 1 hour
Cook Time 40 minutes
Total Time 1 hour 40 minutes

Ingredients
  

  • Sweet Potatoes-2 lbs
  • Dried Sweetened Cranberries-1 cup
  • Packed Brown Sugar-1/2 cup
  • Freshly Crushed Ginger-2 tsp
  • Sea Salt-1 tsp
  • For the Streusel
  • Almond Flour-1 cup
  • Unsweetened Shredded Coconut-1/2 cup
  • Packed Brown Sugar-1/4 cup

Instructions
 

  • Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
  • Wrap the sweet potatoes in foil and bake in the oven for 50 min-1 hr until cooked.Let cool.
  • Peel off the skins and mash the sweet potatoes with the next 4 ingredients and mix.
  • Mix the Streusel ingredients and keep aside.
  • Coat a medium sized square or rectangular baking dish with cooking spray and spread the Sweet potato mixture evenly.
  • Cover with the Almond coconut mixture and bake it in the oven for about 40 minutes until golden.

 

Our Cooked In Translation group is celebrating a Fusion Thanksgiving and this event is hosted by the lovely Stacy @ Food Lust People Love!! We’re recreating traditional Thansgiving dishes but with our own little twists :)Please check out other interesting recipes on the table!!


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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

Print Recipe

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.