Soni's Food

Indian Inspiration!

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.

 

 

Vegetarian Sourdough Bread Stuffing for #Thanksgiving

22 | 11 | 2017
By Soni Sinha

Thanksgiving side dishes are a great way of adding a good mix of items on your table. There’s the sweet potato casserole, mashed potato and roasted veggies that are super delicious. But my biggest hit last Thanksgiving was this Vegetarian Sourdough Bread Stuffing that my guests couldn’t get enough of.

Vegetarian Sourdough Bread Stuffing

This is one easy dish that takes no effort and tastes like you’ve spent hours in the kitchen! Its flavorful, looks beautiful and is a great side dish for your vegetarian as well as meat loving guestsI just love this and it seemed like the perfect dish to share with you for Thanksgiving.

I’ve used Dave Liberman’s recipe and made it pure vegetarian by using vegetable stock.You can use store bought vegetable stock or make your own. The mushrooms are a great addition to this meatless stuffing and you don’t miss the meat at all!The combination of sage and thyme works wonderfully. I’ve used a mix of cremini and shitake mushrooms along with red onions and the flavors are to die for.Serve alongside your other favorites and enjoy!

Have a Happy Thanksgiving!!

 

Vegetarian Sourdough Stuffing for #Thanksgiving

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Ingredients
  

  • Soudough Bread-1 lb loaf
  • 8 oz pack of cremini and 4 oz pack of shitake mushrooms
  • 4 Celery stalks with leaves
  • 1 medium onion
  • 3 ½ cups of vegetable stock
  • 10 sage leaves and some fresh thyme
  • salt to taste
  • pepper
  • 3 tbsp of butter

Instructions
 

  • Heat the oven to 350 degrees.
  • Grease a baking dish.
  • Slice the mushrooms and chop the celery and onions.
  • Cube the bread into 1 inch cubes and place In a large baking sheet.Bake until they're slightly golden and toasted.
  • In a skillet heat 2 tbsp of butter and add the mushrooms.Cook until they turn slightly golden.
  • Add the onion and celery and saute for a few minutes.
  • Add the stock, salt and pepper.Mix well.
  • Place the toasted bread pieces into a large dish and pour the veggies along with the liquid.Toss to combine.
  • Pour the mixture into the prepared baking dish and bake for 40 mins.

 

 

 

Rasgulla-Cheese Dumplings in Sugar Syrup for #Diwali

17 | 10 | 2017
By Soni Sinha

I’m not much of a dessert person, but there are certain favorites especially few Bengali sweets that I’ve devoured since childhood and have very fond memories of. Spongy melt-in-your-mouth cheese dumplings called Rasgullas served in earthen clay pots were the highlights of many evenings at home growing-up. Sold at Bengali sweet shops, these delicious dumplings were often served along with another classic Mishti Doi (sweetened yoghurt with jaggery set in a clay pot).I gorged on them and still do whenever I get the chance!With Diwali round the corner, this amazing dessert seems just perfect to be shared on my blog today.

Rasgulla

Rasgullas are spongy sweet cheese dumplings in sugar syrup that are incredibly delicious.The sugar syrup is flavored with rose water and saffron. They’re not overly sweet like most Indian desserts and the excess syrup can be squeezed out if too sweet is not your thing. In India these desserts are easily available at any Bengali sweet shop and you can enjoy them to your heart’s content.Abroad, not so much!You make your own when those cravings become unbearable and even more so in the festive season when you miss all those delicacies.paneerThey’re not that difficult albeit a bit time consuming, since you first make the chena/paneer and then proceed with the next steps.Once you have the chena ready, its only a matter of making the dumplings and the sugar syrup.The most important part in the process is massaging the chena until it releases the fat and your palms become oily.That tells you that its ready to be shaped into balls.

The balls are then dropped into the sugar syrup to soak up all the delicious flavors from the saffron and the rose water.These can be made a day ahead, so they’re perfect for a crowd.Serve them chilled garnished with some saffron strands and see them disappear!

‘Wishing you all a very Happy Diwali and may it illuminate your life with good health and all the joys of the world‘

You can also try other festive recipes below:
Aloo Gobi
Gobhi Mussallam (Whole Roasted Cauliflower)
Ricotta Cardamom Fudge
Easy Cardamom Coconut Balls 

Rasgulla-Cheese Dumplings in Sugar Syrup for #Diwali

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Ingredients
  

  • 1 ltr whole milk
  • 3 tbsp lemon juice mixed with a little water
  • 2 cups sugar
  • 4 cups water
  • ½ tsp rose water
  • few saffron strands

Instructions
 

Making the paneer/chena

  • Heat the milk in a deep bottomed pot on medium heat stirring every few mins so that it doesn't stick to the bottom.
  • Line a strainer with a cheese/muslin cloth.
  • Once the milk comes to a boiling point add 2 tbsp of lemon juice.The milk should start to curdle.If it doesn't, add a little bit more lemon juice.Turn off the heat and let it sit for 5 mins.
  • Pour the milk through the cheese/muslin cloth.
  • Now gather the muslin cloth from the sides and rinse the chena under running water.This helps get rid of the taste of lemon.
  • Tie the ends of the muslin cloth and squeeze the excess water out and hang it for about 30 mins until all the liquid has drained out.

To make the balls

  • The chena shouldn't have too much moisture or be too dry.
  • Now transfer the chena on to a tray and start massaging (this is the most important step to get soft spongy dumplings) with your palms for about 10 mins until your palms start to become moist with the fat from the chena.
  • Alternatively you can blend the chena in your food processor for just one minute and continue massaging by hand for abt 6-7 mins until it releases oil.
  • Once it reaches that point start making small balls making sure there are no cracks in them.Keep the sizes small since they puff up while boiling.
  • Heat the sugar water solution in a large pot with enough space for the balls to double up and add rose water and saffron.Bring to a boil and cook for about 5 minutes on medium heat.
  • Drop the balls gently into the syrup while its still boiling and cover it with a lid.Lower the heat to your lowest setting and cook for about 15 mins until they're all puffed up (they double in size).
  • Let it cool and transfer the rasgullas into the fridge to chill.
  • Serve chilled garnished with a few saffron strands.

Jackfruit Shami Kebabs (Kathal ke Shami Kebab)

27 | 09 | 2017
By Soni Sinha

It’s the festive season for Hindus with Navratri leading up to Dushehra and Diwali. It’s the time when guest lists and menus are prepared in full swing. Gatherings are the norm during this time in India and even for us living abroad, this is a busy time of the year with various parties to celebrate these festivals. As you can imagine, there will be lots of food and cooking going on in every household. Food consists of mostly traditional delicacies both sweet and savory. I’m looking forward to all of that in the coming weeks!

Jackfruit shami kebabs

My recipe today is a delicious vegan twist on a traditional kebab that’s typically made using mutton or chicken.My Dad made the best Mutton Shamis that I’ve ever had and I’ve used his recipe and substituted meat with jackfruit here.It tastes out of this world and you just cannot stop at one!Its one of those special recipes that needs to be added to your repertoire when you need an impressive appetizer for your guests.Your vegan guests will surely be pleased but so will the meat eaters!They won’t miss the meat with this one :).

Jackfruit whilst technically a fruit can be eaten ripe or unripe but unripe jackfruit tastes very different from the ripe.Unripe jackfruit is cooked along with different spices to make mouthwatering savory dishes in North India and the ripe ones are eaten as a fruit and used in desserts in South India. Due to its meat like stringy consistency, it is an ideal meat replacement and takes on different flavors very well. Whole Foods sells them fresh but chopping them is a pain since the skin is pretty hard and oozes out sap that can be very sticky. I prefer their ready to use pack, since all the work is done for you and you can create your recipes instantly. You can also find canned unripe jackfruit in Asian Stores or your local Indian grocers.Curries using unripe jackfruits taste amazing and I will be adding them on my blog but first lets talk about my Jackfruit Shami Kebabs.

These soft melt in your mouth kebabs have a unique flavor profile from earthy spices like black cardamom and cloves and taste amazing.An easy crowd pleasing recipe that can be made ahead, these look delightful and are pretty easy to prepare.The use of chana dal or bengal gram (available at your Indian grocer) is what differentiates these from other kebabs and also adds as a binding agent here.The process is very similar to making traditional shami kebabs where all the ingredients are boiled and then blended. The mixture is then formed into patties and shallow fried until slightly golden.They are meant for special occasions such as this festive season, so make a big batch and serve these beauties with green chutney.Enjoy and Happy Dushehra to you all!

Jackfruit shami kebabs

Jackfruit Shami Kebabs (Kathal ke Shami Kebab)

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Ingredients
  

  • 1 20 oz can of green jackfruit
  • Onion-1 medium chopped
  • Ginger- 1/2 inch chopped
  • Split pea Lentils chana dal soaked for 4 hrs or overnight-1/2 cup
  • Coriander Seeds-1 tsp
  • Cumin Seeds-1 tsp
  • Black Peppercorns-3
  • Whole Cloves-3
  • Green Cardamom-3
  • Black Cardamom-2
  • Salt-to taste
  • Water
  • Oil-1 tbsp and more to shallow fry

Instructions
 

  • In a deep skillet heat a tbsp of oil and add chopped onions,ginger,coriander,cumin,peppercorn,black and green cardamoms,cloves,chili,chana dal and jackfruit.Add sufficient water just enough to cover the jackfruit and some salt.Let it come to a boil.
  • Cover and reduce the heat.Let it cook for about 15mins.
  • Transfer the mixture into the food processor without any liquid.
  • Blend into a paste.Add a few drops of water if too thick.
  • Empty into a separate dish.Add chopped coriander leaves and check the seasonings.Shape into round patties.
  • Heat some oil in a pan and shallow fry the patties until golden on both sides.
  • Serve with your favorite condiment.

 

 

 

Arroz Con Leche (Rice Pudding)

08 | 09 | 2017
By Soni Sinha

Cooler temperatures these past couple of days signal that my favorite season is approaching. As much as I love summer, my favorite season is autumn with nature painting its own mural with lovely hues of orange, gold, crimson and scarlet. The cool crisp air, warm aromatic spices, apples, pumpkins, the Hindu festivals of Dusshera and Diwali followed by the holidays are the joys of fall! The kitchen is a busy place all autumn and for a foodie like me nothing is more enjoyable than this.

Arroz Con Leche

This calls for a recipe like Arroz Con Leche (a Mexican Rice Pudding that’s become a firm family favorite of late) that’s perfect for this weather with its generous use of cinnamon and a rich creamy consistency. Rice Pudding is so ubiquitous around the world that there are a million ways to make it using fruits, nuts, coconut, cardamom, cinnamon etc.. Arroz Con Leche is one such variation where cinnamon is added to the milk and rice mixture giving it a pleasant aroma. Again, there are many ways of making this comforting dessert but this is an easier method using sweetened condensed milk and we love it!

It can be served warm or chilled and it’s the perfect dessert for a crowd that can be made a day ahead. The use of condensed milk reduces the cooking time by half and gives it that irresistible creamy consistency that’s to die for.A generous dusting of powdered cinnamon is all it needs before serving.Enjoy!

Arroz Con Leche (Rice Pudding)

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Ingredients
  

  • 2 cups water
  • 1 cup long-grain white rice
  • One 4-inch cinnamon stick
  • One 14-ounce can condensed milk
  • 1 cup whole milk
  • 1 Ground cinnamon for dusting

Instructions
 

  • Rinse the rice until water runs clear (two or three times)
  • Put the water,rice and cinnamon stick into a a pot and bring to a boil.Once its starts boiling reduce the hear to low, cover and cook for about 15 mins or until the rice is fully cooked.
  • Add the sweetened condensed and milk whole and continue to cook until the mixture boils.Reduce the heat and continue to cook on medium heat until the mixture thickens and becomes creamy.About 20 mins..
  • Let it cool for a few mins.At this point you can either serve this warm with a dusting of ground cinnamon or cool it and chill in the fridge.Dust with ground cinnamon just before serving.