Soni's Food

Indian Inspiration!

Eggplant in Garlic Sauce

09 | 01 | 2019
By Soni Sinha

My first post in the new year is an all time favorite Eggplant dish that I’m sure you’re going to love. Its an easy side dish to accompany your noodles or fried rice and although it’s very oily I’ve tried to use a little less oil here.:) I’m not very fond of eggplants but this dish really appealed to me when I had it for the first time in a tiny Chinese restaurant in China Town in London. Tender glossy eggplants sautéed with garlic and soy sauce and that hint of sweet and salty in the background was an absolute delight. I’ve been making it ever since and it’s so easy!

This recipe uses Asian Eggplants that are elongated and have a purple skin. You can use any long eggplant for this recipe. They can be cut into thin long strips or diced into smaller pieces like I’ve done here.

eggplant in garlic sauce

I absolutely love garlic and any dish that uses generous amounts of garlic is a sure shot hit in my books. The flavor of the pungent garlic is what’s prominent in this dish. The sauce is a mix of soy sauce, a little rice wine, Chinese black vinegar or balsamic vinegar, some sugar and a little salt. It’s a delightful mix of flavors that spark up this easy and popular stir fried eggplant dish that comes together in less than 30 mins. Enjoy!

eggplant in garlic sauce

Eggplant in Garlic Sauce

A popular Chinese vegetarian dish this Eggplant in Garlic sauce sparks with flavors from garlic,soy and black vinegar that results in a slightly sweet and salty sauce that tastes amazing!
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Cuisine Chinese

Ingredients
  

  • 2 Asian Eggplants diced
  • 2 large garlic cloves minced
  • 1 tbsp soy sauce
  • 1 tbsp chinese black vinegar or balsamic vinegar
  • 1 tsp rice wine
  • ½ tsp sugar
  • 3 tbsp canola oil
  • ¼ tsp salt

Instructions
 

  • Add the diced eggplants into a pot of water with some salt and let it sit for about 15 mins.Drain and pat them dry.
    In a bowl mix the soy sauce,vinegar,rice wine,sugar and salt
    In a wok heat 2 tbsp of oil. Saute the eggplants on high for a 2-3 mins on one side and flip them over.Cook for another 2-3 minutes on the other side or till they’re slightly golden and tender. Transfer them on to a plate.In the same wok add a tbsp of oil and cook the minced garlic on low heat until they begin to change color making sure to not burn them.Add the eggplants along with the sauce mix.Mix well and cook for another minute.Transfer into a serving bowl immediately.Garnish with spring onions.Serve hot.

Fennel and Potato Soup

31 | 01 | 2018
By Soni Sinha

Winter months are the time when soups become a staple in our home.These days all my son wants for dinner is soup and although he loves his favorite Leek and Potato Soup , this time round I tried something different instead of leeks. I used fennel and boy was it delicious! We loved it,he loved it and I know I’ll be making it many more times in these cooler days.

Fennel and Potato Soup

If you know me, you know that I love fennel and use it a lot in my cooking.I love to combine it with cabbage in a simple Indian style stir fry or slightly roast it with some indian spices for a warm salad, but nothing comforts like a hot bowl of this delicious Fennel and Potato Soup especially when it’s cold outside!Fennel is also good for our bodies since its a natural anti oxidant.

I’ve used fresh and ground fennel here and the fragrant anise-like flavor comes through quite nicely. The potatoes are a great addition and balance the flavors in this soup. The potatoes also make it rich and creamy and all you need is a crusty bread to soak up the deliciousness. Enjoy and stay warm!

Fennel and Potato Soup

Print Recipe

Ingredients
  

  • 2 large fennel bulbs diced
  • 2 medium potatoes peeled and diced
  • 1 large onion chopped
  • 2 cloves garlic chopped
  • Butter-2 tbsp
  • 1 tsp ground fennel
  • 2 % Milk-1 cup
  • Water-1 1/2 cups
  • Salt and pepper

Instructions
 

  • In a pot heat the butter and saute the onion until translucent.
  • Add the garlic and saute for another minute.Add the ground fennel and mix.
  • Add the potatoes and fennel and cover for a minute.
  • Add milk, water, salt and pepper.
  • Once it comes to a boil, cover , reduce the heat and continue to cook for about 15-20 minutes until the potatoes and fennel are fully cooked.
  • Check the seasonings.Carefully transfer into a blender or use a hand blender and blend until all smooth.
  • Garnish with some fennel fronds and serve hot.

Spiced Chicken Stuffed Rolls

08 | 12 | 2017
By Soni Sinha

The excitement has begun since it’s ‘the most wonderful time of the year’! Holidays are almost here and I’m sure you all have wonderful plans of spending it with family and friends. There’s something magical about December, wouldn’t you agree? I cannot think of a more magical month that gets everyone so excited!

Spiced Chicken Stuffed Rolls

Keeping the holidays is mind I’ve come up with an easy appetizer that your guests will love. My Spiced Chicken Stuffed Rolls are delicious, flavorful and fun to eat! They take literally minutes to prepare and you can make the filling a day ahead. The ground chicken is first cooked with some spices and the mixture is then stuffed into store bought flaky biscuit dough! Yes, we’re using just that and it makes for an amazing holiday appetizer! Stuff them and bake just before your guests arrive! It’s that easy.

Spiced Chicken

Ground chicken is sautéed with onions, some ginger, garlic and few spices until cooked. I’ve also added frozen peas towards the end. The mixture must be dry and you have to make sure that all moisture has evaporated.The spices add layers of flavors to amp up the deliciousness quotient here.

Spiced Chicken Stuffed Rolls

These warm fluffy rolls are just the hand held food you need at your party!And to think that all you did was just make the filling. These soft rolls with a surprise Indian Inspired filling are sure to wow your guests and also great for a crowd. Enjoy!

Spiced Chicken Stuffed Rolls

Spiced Chicken Stuffed Rolls

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Ingredients
  

  • 1 package Flaky Biscuit Dough
  • ½ lb ground chicken
  • ½ cup frozen peas
  • 1 small onion
  • 1 tsp crushed ginger
  • 1 tsp crushed garlic
  • ½ tsp ground cumin
  • ½ tsp ground coriander
  • ½ tsp garam masala
  • ¼ tsp turmeric
  • ¼ tsp red chili optional or paprika
  • 1 tsp tomato paste
  • 1 small tomato chopped
  • salt to taste
  • 2 tbsp oil

Instructions
 

  • Thaw the biscuit dough if frozen.
  • Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F.

For the filling

  • Heat oil in a pan and saute the onions until slightly golden.
  • Add the ginger and garlic and continue to cook for about a minute.
  • Add the spices and the tomato paste.Add 2 tbsp of water if it sticks to the bottom.Add the chopped tomato.Mix well and cook until they become soft and the mixture comes together.
  • Add the ground chicken along with some salt,cover and cook until fully done.
  • If there's water in the pan take the lid off and make sure all moisture has evaporated while stirring every few minutes on a medium heat.
  • Add the peas and mix it well.
  • Check the seasonings and continue to cook for another 5-6 minutes.
  • The filling is ready.Let it cool down a bit before you start to fill.

For the Rolls

  • Take the discs out and tear each disc in half with your hands.You should have 16 small discs.
  • Take one disc and stretch it out from all sides using your fingers to make it big enough to stuff a little amount of the filling.
  • Take a tsp of the filling and bring all the sides together.
  • Roll it into a round shape and keep it face side down onto a baking sheet or pan.
  • Repeat for all the other discs.
  • Brush them with an egg wash (optional) or melted butter.
  • Bake them in the center rack in the oven for about 12-14 mins or until the rolls are golden.Keep an eye to make sure to not burn them.
  • Arrange them on a tray and serve hot with your favorite condiment.

 

 

Deiss® PRO Citrus Lemon Zester & Cheese Grater Review

25 | 10 | 2016
By Soni Sinha


In the world of specialized kitchen products, it’s always good to know of any gadget that makes your life easier. When you’re in the kitchen, certain recipes require you to grate cheese or chocolate or zest citrus fruits like lemon, lime and orange. You’d think that you’d have to buy different zester and grater for each, but there’s a product that lets you do it all in one and I’ve been enjoying it lately. Deiss Kitchenware is a small family owned company from Germany and they make some amazing Kitchen products that you’ll love. They sent me their beautiful zester/grater that I’d highly recommend to anyone looking for a great quality kitchen tool.

Deiss Zester/Grater

Deiss Zester/grater is a beautifully packaged sturdy tool with a lovely vibrant yellow color.
It has razor sharp stainless steel blade and I love its smooth non-slip handle that makes it very comfortable to use and effortless even when grating hard cheeses.
It comes with a safety cover for your protection for when you’re trying to reach for it in your drawer.
The curved edges are perfect since they help you grate/zest upside down, so you know exactly the amount that you’ve collected.I particularly love the ribbon-like curls of freshly grated parmesan cheese instantly melting on hot pasta!
It can grate anything from hard cheeses to ginger, garlic, chocolate and vegetables!I use it everyday to grate ginger and garlic directly into the pan for my curries.Quick and easy.
Its dishwasher safe and comes with a lifetime guarantee.deiss-zestergrater-1Deiss is offering a 15% discount on Amazon.com to all my readers in America, so if you’ve tried many zesters/graters but never used Deiss now is the time to switch.You won’t be disappointed! All you have to do is enter the code:
HJHG8YHS (please note that it expires on January 1)
It would be great as a gift this holiday season for someone that loves to cook/bake!For more information about their different products visit their website.

 

 

Disclaimer: I received Deiss Pro zester/grater  from Deiss Kitchenware and all opinions are my own.

Paneer Tikka Potato Poutine Bites #IdahoPotato #SundaySupper #FWCON

10 | 01 | 2016
By Soni Sinha

It’s National Sunday Supper Day!! I have been with this wonderful group for the past 4 years since joining in May 2012 and it has been an amazing journey!Sunday Supper is committed in their mission to bring back Sunday Supper around the family table in every home.You can also take the Sunday Supper pledge by clicking on this link.Our founder Isabel is a very inspiring woman with the way she has led and continues to lead our group. It has been a pleasure to share over 70 recipes for our Sunday Supper and I’m looking forward to many many more!!This day is even more special since we’re partnering with Idaho® potatoes in creating some delectable Poutine-Inspired recipes to celebrate our four-year anniversary!!Wait till you see the line-up we have for you!

Paneer Tikka Potato Poutine Bites

You know that I love potatoes!My recipes using potatoes are far too many to share here but I particularly loved using Idaho® potatoes in my Indian Spiced Potato Pastry Shells and they’re always popular with our guests. Idaho® potatoes’ Russet Potatoes are my favorite and I use them in most of my potato recipes.Idaho® potatoes have a unique taste and texture due to ample mountain-fed irrigation and rich Volcanic soil. Look for the “Grown In Idaho” seal to get top quality Idaho® potatoes in  your grocery stores.

Spicy Roasted Potatoes

I loved this Poutine Challenge thrown at us by Idaho® potatoes and decided to give my own Indian-Inspired spin on Poutine. Poutine is classic French Canadian dish of fries, cheese curds and gravy that I first tasted in Montreal.It was to die for! It has now gone global with chefs creating their own versions in different parts of the world! For today’s recipe I’ve come up with a savory spicy paneer tikka served over some garlicky roasted Potatoes that have been sliced and coated in warm aromatic spices like cumin and garam masala. I’ve made an Indian masala sauce to drizzle over these beauties and I have to tell you that they’re absolutely phenomenal!

Paneer Tikka Potato Poutine Bites 1

Paneer is an Indian cheese that’s easily available these days at your local grocers or if you’re lucky to have Indian grocers nearby. You can also make it at home following this recipe. The paneer is cubed and marinated in yoghurt and some spices for a few hours to soak the deliciousness and then grilled until nice and golden. The potatoes are coated in a spice mix and roasted in a preheated oven and deliciously crispy. Indian masala sauce consisting of onions, tomato, spices and cream is drizzled over the assembled poutine bites and the robust flavors tease your palate like none other. The contrasting flavors from the smoky paneer tikka on top of the crispy spicy potatoes smothered in a slightly sweet and rich creamy sauce is pure joy! Enjoy!

Paneer Tikka Potato Poutine Bites #IdahoPotato #SundaySupper #FWCON

Print Recipe

Ingredients
  

Paneer Tikka

  • Paneer-8-10 oz
  • Greek yoghurt or thick plain yoghurt-1/2 cup
  • Crushed ginger and garlic-1 tbsp
  • Tandoori masala-2 tbsp
  • Salt to taste
  • Oi

Crispy Spiced Roast Potatoes

  • 3 large Idaho® Russet Potatoes- washed and sliced into 1/4 inch thick rounds
  • Garlic powder-1 tsp
  • Ground Cumin-1 tsp
  • Garam Masala-1 tsp
  • Paprika-1 tsp
  • Salt
  • Oil

Masala sauce:

  • Finely chopped onions-1/2 cup
  • Crushed Ginger-1/2 tsp.
  • Crushed Garlic-1/2 tsp.
  • Garam masala- 1 tsp.
  • Tomato puree-1 cup
  • Sugar-1 tsp.
  • Water-1 cup
  • Cream- 1/4 cup
  • Salt to taste
  • Butter or oil-3 tbsp

Instructions
 

Paneer Tikka

  • Mix all the ingredients and let it marinate for about 3-4 hrs. In a foil lined greased baking sheet arrange the paneer cubes and broil on low for about 10-12 minutes turning them over midway until slightly golden. Cut them into small pieces when cool enough to touch.

Crispy Spiced Potato

  • Preheat the oven to 450 degrees. In a greased roasting tray mix the potatoes with spices and oil and spread evenly. Bake for 30 mins until slightly golden and crispy.

Masala Sauce

  • In a pan heat butter or oil and add the onions and sauté until golden. Add the ginger and garlic and fry for about a minute.
  • Add the spices and mix well. Add the tomato puree and sugar.
  • Stir and continue to cook on low heat for about 6-7 minutes.
  • Add water, bring to a boil and reduce the heat. Let it simmer for a about 5 minutes.Blend into a smooth paste.Pour the mixture into the same pan.
  • Add the cream. Turn off the heat. Mix well and check the seasonings.

To serve

  • Arrange the potato in a serving tray. Top with the paneer tikka pieces and drizzle the sauce all over.Enjoy!

For more information about Idaho® potatoes visit their:

Website: https://idahopotato.com/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/famousidahopotatoes
Twitter: https://twitter.com/idahopotato
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/idahopotatoes
Pinterest: https://www.pinterest.com/idahopotato/

Idaho-Potato-Logo-2015

More Creative Poutine Recipes from the Sunday Supper Tastemakers!!

Breakfast:

Appetizers:

Main Dish:

Plus: Poutine Variations for National Sunday Supper Day from Sunday Supper Movement

contest (1)

Help us celebrate National Sunday Supper Month by entering the Idaho® Potato Let’s Poutine recipe contest, sponsored by the Idaho Potato Commission, with prizes of $500, $200 and $100, plus a ticket for each winner to Food Wine Conference 2016. All the rules and conditions for entry can be found on our Sunday Supper Movement website.

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.

To get more great Sunday Supper Recipes, visit our website or check out our Pinterest board..To see some amazing Potato Recipes featuring Idaho® Potatoes check out our Idaho® Potatoes Pinterest Board!

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

Disclosure: This post is sponsored by the Idaho Potato Commission in conjunction with a social media campaign through Sunday Supper LLC. All opinions are those of the individual bloggers.