Soni's Food

Indian Inspiration!

Chicken Burgers with Curried Cabbage Slaw~{Indian Inspired} #SundaySupper

01 | 07 | 2012
By Soni Sinha

I really look forward to this time of the year when the air is filled with the smokiness of the grill.Its the official barbecue season and everywhere you see people are having a great time with their friends and family!Also a great time to enjoy burgers,grilled foods,salads and anything cold .

chicken burger 2

As the 4th of July nears, I’ve decided to serve my guests a delicious Indian style burger with a curried cabbage slaw!Its absolutely delicious and super easy to make even at the last minute.The juicy chicken patties, that are flavored with Indian spices combined with the fresh mint make them irresistible!Grilled to perfection these are a great variation from the usual and could also be served as an appetizer with a salad for your next party!

Curried Cabbage Slaw
The slaw is amazing and reminds me of the coronation sauce I’ve had in the UK!The crunchy cabbage with a hint of curry with the creamy mayo and the sweet honey results in the perfect slaw to accompany my burgers!I’ve used a light Canola Oil Mayonnaise (has no eggs)sold at Whole Foods that’s super delicious and healthy!

An Indian Inspired summer meal for this barbecue season, that’s to die for~

Chicken Burgers with Curried Cabbage Slaw

Chicken Burgers with Curried Cabbage Slaw~{Indian Inspired}

Print Recipe Pin Recipe

Ingredients
  

Burger Buns-5-6

  • 1 Large Tomato-Sliced
  • Lettuce leaves-5

For the Burger:

  • Chicken Mince-1lb
  • Ground ginger/garlic - 1 tbsp
  • Ground Coriander-1/2 tbsp
  • Ground Cumin-1/2 tbsp
  • Red Chilli powder Cayenne-1/2 tsp
  • Fresh Mint - 1/2 cup chopped
  • Salt-to taste
  • Oil -to grill

For the Curried Cabbage Slaw:

  • Shredded White Cabbage-2 cups
  • Canola Oil Mayonnaise-3/4 cup
  • Curry Powder-1 tbsp
  • Honey-2 tbsp
  • Salt-to taste
  • Pepper-1/2 tsp

Instructions
 

  • Mix together all the slaw ingredients and refrigerate.
  • Mix together the burger ingredients either by hand or in a food processor.Make 5-6 round shaped patties from the mixture and keep aside.
  • Preheat the outdoor grill for medium heat.
  • Lightly oil the grill grate and grill the burgers about 5-6 minutes on each side until fully cooked.Move the patties to a cooler area of the grill to keep warm.
  • Lightly grill the buns.Now assemble the burger.
  • Take the bottom part of a bun and place a tomato slice.Top it up with a lettuce leaf followed by a chicken patty.Spoon 2 tbsp of the slaw over the patty and top with the other half of the bun.Your burger is ready!
Check out the fabulous menu for some great ideas for the 4th of July!Its a SundaySupper that’s not to be missed J

Main Dishes:

Salads and Sides:
Desserts:
Fabulous Pairings by Martin from ENOFYLZ

 

 

Healthy Chicken Biryani~#Father’s day #SundaySupper

17 | 06 | 2012
By Soni Sinha

I was introduced to Biryani at quite an early age thanks to Papa, who would religiously enter the kitchen every Sunday to cook something special! Since Papa loves Mutton, it had to be either his signature Mutton Curry/Shami Kebabs or my favorite Mutton Biryani!!It has been my most demanded dish since childhood and Papa has happily been cooking it for us all. Every-time I visit my parents in India I so look forward to the succulent taste of this delicacy that is devoured by so many!

To me Papa’s Mutton Biryani has been one of the best foods I ever ate! I remember the aroma wafting through the air, every time Papa was in the kitchen and I patiently waited, since it was a little time consuming. Every bite of that biryani was an explosion of delicate flavors that made it absolutely delectable! My interest in cooking developed just by watching Papa cook. The patience he has, the love for cooking that’s so evident when he’s in the kitchen has rubbed off on me quite a bit. So this Father’s day I bring to you Papa’s favorite Biryani using Chicken instead! I’ve adapted Papa’s recipe to make my own healthier version using oil, but I’m sure he will love this one too 🙂
biryani1
Cooking biryani is an art of perfection. The rice cannot be over or under cooked. If it’s over cooked you’ll get a sticky consistency and that’s not what it should look like and if it’s under cooked, you don’t want to be eating that either.Every strand of rice should be flaky and separated and that’s why its so important to use long grain Basmati rice. Believe me, I’ve had a few disasters where the rice was under-cooked! But now, I’ve perfected the art of making Biryani and there’s nothing like a good home cooked version where YOU control the ingredients.Once its cooked the chicken is so juicy and tender, it just falls off the bone!Its also way healthier than the one’s served in restaurants doused in Ghee and butter.
The delicate mix of herbs and the aromatic spices flavor the dish beautifully and the caramelized onions give their sweetness in every bite! Truly a royal dish~

Healthy Chicken Biryani

Print Recipe

Ingredients
  

  • Mix of Chicken Thighs and Drumsticks-1.5 lbs
  • Long grain Basmati rice-2 Cups
  • Onion -2 Large thinly sliced separated
  • Ginger/Garlic paste-1 tbsp + 1 tsp separated
  • Red Chilli Powder-1 tsp
  • Ground Cumin-1 tsp
  • Chopped Mint-1 cup
  • Chopped Coriander-1/2 cup
  • 1 cup lukewarm milk
  • Saffron-1 tbsp
  • Oil- 2 tbsp
  • Salt to taste

Grind together:

  • Cloves - 6
  • Cinnamon - 1 inch
  • Cardamom-3

Instructions
 

  • In a bowl marinade the Chicken pieces in 1 tbsp of ginger/garlic paste, ground spices, red chilli, cumin and the herbs with some salt and refrigerate for a few hours or overnight.
  • Rice:
  • Soak the rice for about 30 minutes.In a large pot place the rice
  • and add about 5-6 cups of water along with a teaspoon of ginger garlic paste and a good
  • amount of salt. Bring it to a good boil until you see the rice roll over in the
  • boiling water. At this point drain all the liquid from the rice and it must be
  • ¾ cooked.

Onions:

  • Slice one large onion and sauté it with a little bit of oil on
  • low to medium heat until its golden and caramelized. Keep aside.

Saffron:

  • Microwave the milk in a cup and add the Saffron. Mix and keep
  • aside.

You are now ready to layer the Biryani.

  • Take a large flat-bottomed pot and add the oil.
  • Once heated add the raw sliced onions and cook on high heat for about 2 minutes. Add the marinated Chicken and continue to cook on high for about 3-4 minutes stirring regularly.
  • Arrange half of the cooked rice over the chicken.
  • Pour half the Saffron infused milk all over and arrange half of the caramelized onions all over. You could also sauté some cashews in oil until golden and add that too
  • Repeat this step again Rice-milk-onions.
  • Cover the pot with a tight fitting lid. Add 2 layers of aluminum foil all over making sure there’s no gap
  • from any side.
  • Seal it and cook on the lowest heat for about 35 minutes.
  • Switch off the heat and let it sit covered for another 10 minutes
  • before you open.
  • Your biryani is now ready! Serve hot with a raita and salad.
  • Enjoy!
I’m bringing this dish to our #Sunday Supper-Moments with Dad event! Check out the fabulous menu and recipes below!!This is a Special #SundaySupper you don’t want to miss!!!
Father’s Day Brunch:

Dad’s Favorite Soup, Salads and Bread:
Father’s Day Favorite Main Dishes:
Dad’s Sweet Tooth:
Wine Pairings for Father’s Day ENOFYLZ

Red Curry Chicken Kebabs with Thai Mango Salad

21 | 05 | 2012
By Soni Sinha

Today I’ve got for you my most favorite appetizer in recent months.Each of these kebabs are a carnival of spicy deliciousness.The flavors just explode in your mouth.So succulent, so juicy, so moist,I’m telling you’ll fall in love with this dish.

red curry kebab fg

This recipe is the result of trying to use-up two items I had on hand, some Ground Chicken and with the abundance of mangoes in the stores,some big juicy mangoes!Thai cuisine came to mind and since I had Red Curry paste in my refrigerator, I thought of making these Red Curry Kebabs along with a delicious Mango Salad!I found this amazing recipe for the kebabs in a blog called Gourmet Getaways and the recipe was exactly what I was looking for!

mango salad

I’ve used ripe mangoes for the salad, although most Thai Mango salads call for unripe mangoes.Like I said I just used what I had available.If you want you can substitute unripe mangoes as well.This makes for a great party food and will appeal to both kids and adults.The salad is very easy to put together and goes very well with these kebabs!The earthy spices in the Red Curry combined with the ginger and garlic flavors the kebabs.The cilantro leaves add some freshness and the Mango Salad makes this combination complete!Earthy, sweet, tangy, exotic flavors at their best!

Red Curry Chicken Kebabs with Thai Mango Salad

Print Recipe

Ingredients
  

For the Kebab

  • Chicken Mince-1 lb
  • Red Curry Paste-2 tbsp
  • Ginger crushed-1 tsp
  • Garlic Crushed-1 tsp
  • Green Chillies-2 chopped
  • lemon juice-1 tbsp
  • Coriander leaves-1/2 cup chopped
  • Cornflour-2 tbsp
  • Fish Sauce-1 tsp
  • Salt-to taste
  • Oil-2 tbsp

Thai Mango Salad

  • Firm Ripe Mango-1 large
  • Orange Pepper-1 cubed

Dressing

  • Soy Sauce-2 tbsp
  • Fish Sauce-1/2 tsp
  • Brown Sugar-1 tbsp
  • Lemon juice-2 tbsp

Instructions
 

  • Mix all the kebab ingredients except oil in a bowl and make small round shaped patties.
  • Heat the oil in a skillet and cook on both sides until they're golden brown.
  • Peel and cube the mangoes.
  • Whisk the dressing and pour over the mangoes and peppers.Your salad is ready.
  • Arrange the kebabs and the salad on a platter and serve!



 

Rice Noodles with Chicken and Mushrooms

02 | 01 | 2012
By Soni Sinha

Happy New Year!I was out of town for Christmas and New Year’s eve and had a great time vacationing with family!Hope you all had a great time as well.The amount of food we eat during the holidays is just unbelievable!The midriff keeps expanding and when its all over, that’s when you start thinking of how to get rid of those extra pounds or kilos that you’ve gained during this period.Time to start eating healthy and time to start exercising, getting back into shape.

Kicking off 2012, I have a great recipe, quite healthy and delicious, quick and easy at the same time!My family loves Chinese food and since I haven’t added any Chinese recipes here yet, I thought now would be a good time to do so.This recipe is inspired by the numerous noodle dishes from the Chinese restaurants in China Town in London’s West End that we frequented on a regular basis.

I use Yellow Peppers, Baby Bella or portobella mushrooms and boneless chicken thighs.The use of Oyster Sauce and Soy Sauce is very common in Chinese dishes and they impart the savory flavor to the dish.You can make it spicy or non-spicy according to your preference.

Rice Noodles with Chicken and Mushrooms
Print this Recipe



Ingredients:


Rice Noodles-1 pck
Boneless skinless chicken thighs- 6 cubed
Yellow peppers-1 sliced
Portobella or Baby Bella mushrooms-1 pkt Cubed
Onion-1 chopped
Garlic-3 sliced
Dried Red Chillies-3
Oyster Sauce-2 tbsp
Soy Sauce- 3 tbsps
Fish sauce- 1 tsp
Brown Sugar-1 tsp
Oil ( Peanut, Sesame or Vegetable)-3 tbsp





Process:


Cook the Noodles according to instructions.Keep aside.
In a separate bowl mix oyster sauce, soy sauce, fish sauce and brown sugar.

In a wok heat 1 tbsp of oil and add the chicken pieces.Season with salt.Continue to cook until slightly browned.Remove the chicken pieces.Add 2 tbsp of oil.Add the garlic and red chillies.Follow with onion and mushrooms, cook until they are golden and then add the peppers.Add the sauce mix.Throw in the chicken and the noodles.Mix well.Check and adjust the seasonings.Serve hot!


Easy Indian Chicken Curry

13 | 12 | 2011
By Soni Sinha

The recipe I have for you today is easy and absolutely delicious!It is a baked Chicken Curry recipe without all the effort to make you enjoy a curry in a far easier and quicker way than the traditional method without compromising on any of that delectable taste.The flavors combine beautifully in the oven, while you can sit back and enjoy a glass of wine or any drink that you prefer.The only process that needs to be taken care of is the browning of the onions.That can take a few minutes, but makes all the difference in a good curry.So here it is, my Easy Indian Chicken Curry!

Easy Indian Chicken Curry

Easy Indian Chicken Curry

Print this RecipeIngredients:Skinless Chicken Thighs with/without bones or Breasts-6 piecesOnions-2 Medium chopped

Ginger Garlic paste-1 tbsp

Tomatoes-2 medium chopped

Ground Coriander-1 tbsp

Ground Cumin-1 tbsp

Turmeric- 1 tsp

Red Chilli Powder/Cayenne-1 tsp(depending on your heat preference)

Garam masala-2 tsp

Water-1/2 cup

Oil-3 tbsp

Salt- to taste

Process:

Preaheat the oven to 400 degrees F.

In a skillet heat oil and add the onions.Cook until golden brown.Then add the Ginger garlic paste.Cook for a couple of minutes and then add the tomatoes.Follow with salt and all the dry spices and cook until the spices release their aroma (about 5-10 minutes on medium heat).You have the basic curry masala ready.

 

Now puree the mixture in a blender/grinder.Transfer into an oven proof dish and add the chicken pieces.Mix them properly.Add water and bake them covered in the oven for about 35-40 mins until all the chicken is fully cooked.Boneless pieces will take shorter time.Adjust the seasonings.

Enjoy with Rice or Rotis/Naans!