Soni's Food

Indian Inspiration!

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.

Mother’s Day Breakfast in bed-Strawberry Stuffed Ricotta Fennel Pancakes with #BonneMaman

10 | 05 | 2017
By Soni Sinha

Mother’s Day is round the corner and I’m excited!Every mother works hard for her family each day and its always sweet to surprise her with breakfast in bed so she can relax and take it easy for a change.Makes us moms feel special and appreciated :).My kids and the hubs have spoilt me crazy on Mother’s Day with their plans almost every year.Its always great to see their excitement for their efforts and fills me with so much gratitude. I look forward to my kids’ sweet cards and poems too!This time around we’re planning to do a 5K Mother’s Day Walk in support of March of Dimes followed by lunch and I’m looking forward to it!

Strawberry stuffed Ricotta fennel pancakes


I’m glad to be partnering with Bonne Maman for a special mother’s day Breakfast in bed recipe using their delicious strawberry preserves that’s perfect for whipping up something magical for us moms. While my mom is miles away from me, I can totally imagine her enjoying her breakfast in bed with these scrumptious stuffed pancakes using Bonne Maman Strawberry Preserves that are perfectly decadent and fluffy with fennel and ricotta.

Bonne Maman preserves are my favorite mainly for the fact that taste like homemade and they’re free from preservatives and artificial flavors.The flavors are fantastic and they’re made with the same time-honored traditional French recipes used to create the brand. They’re perfect for my Stuffed pancakes oozing out and adding their sweet fruity goodness in every bite.

Strawberry Stuffed Ricotta Fennel Pancakes

I came up with the idea of using fennel in this recipe reminiscing my mom’s Indian style pancakes called Pua that uses fennel and banana. They’re out of this world and the fennel works well with the ricotta for this recipe.The process is fairly simple and its just a matter of mixing all the ingredients to make a batter. The egg whites are then folded in carefully that makes these pancakes light and airy.Once its in the pan the strawberry preserve is added and covered with a small amount of batter and cooked to perfection until all fluffy with slightly golden edges.The fennel imparts a lovely sweet aroma and flavor to these pancakes and its what special breakfasts’ are made of!Enjoy and a very happy Mother’s Day to you all!

Strawberry Stuffed Ricotta Fennel Pancakes

Strawberry Stuffed Ricotta Fennel Pancakes

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Ingredients
  

  • 1 cup ricotta cheese
  • 1 tsp fennel seeds
  • 1 cup all-purpose flour
  • ½ teaspoon baking powder
  • 1 ½ tablespoons granulated sugar
  • ¼ teaspoon fine salt
  • ¾ cup milk
  • 2 large eggs separated
  • ½ teaspoon vanilla extract
  • Bonne Maman Strawberry preserves
  • Butter

Instructions
 

  • Whisk flour, fennel seeds, baking powder, sugar, and salt in a small bowl.
  • Combine ricotta, milk, egg yolks, and vanilla in a separate mixing bowl.
  • Add the dry ingredients to the ricotta and milk mixture, stirring gently until just combined.
  • Beat the egg whites with a handheld electric mixer until stiff.
  • Stir a tbsp of the egg whites into the pancake batter to lighten the batter, then fold in the remaining whites with a spatula.
  • Heat a griddle over medium-high heat. Melt a small bit of butter in the pan, just enough to coat the surface. Use a 1/4-cup measure to pour batter onto the hot griddle.
  • Spoon a tbsp of the strawberry preserve in the center and pour a small amount of batter just to cover it.
  • Cook the pancakes for about 3 or 4 minutes, until the undersides are golden and you see a few bubbles popping through the pancakes. Flip the pancakes and cook another 2 to 3 minutes, until golden. Repeat with the remaining pancakes.
  • Serve them immediately with powdered sugar, maple syrup and some fresh strawberries.

Murgh Kabuli (Chicken Kabuli)

06 | 04 | 2017
By Soni Sinha

Certain recipes stay with you for a lifetime and you always remember the first time you made them. In my case there’s one such recipe that I found years ago in a recipe booklet of a food processor that my parents bought when I was in college.I had just started to dabble in cooking and this recipe caught my eye as I was scrolling through.The flavors sounded unique albeit using familiar spices.It turned out delicious and my family loved it.It holds a special place in my heart since its the first of the few recipes that I tried early on in my life that I still cook and get rave reviews every time.

Murgh Kabuli (Chicken Kabuli)

Murgh Kabuli comes from Afghanistan and they’re known for their mild creamy preparations using yoghurt,cream,aromatic spices, nuts and poppy seeds.This recipe does not use onion and that saves a ton of time and effort. Its a great recipe for a crowd and tastes as amazing as it looks.

The process starts in the food processor blending yoghurt with tomatoes and ginger and then the mixture is transferred into the pan along-with the rest of the ingredients.The Chicken pieces are added in and simmered away gently while developing some outstanding flavors predominantly from the fennel and poppy seeds and the dish is finished off with some cream for that rich creamy texture.The aroma is to die for.It’s a dish that will wow your guests and it sure is a keeper.Serve with some hot Naan or your favorite bread.Enjoy!

Murgh Kabuli (Chicken Kabuli)

Murgh Kabuli (Chicken Kabuli)

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Ingredients
  

  • 8 pieces of Chicken mix of Chicken Drumsticks and Thighs Bone-In
  • 4 cloves garlic
  • 1 ½ inch ginger chopped
  • 3 tomatoes chopped
  • 8 ounces plain yoghurt
  • 10 cashews soaked
  • 2 tsp ground poppy seeds
  • 1 tsp nutmeg
  • 1 tsp ground cumin
  • 1 tsp ground coriander
  • 1 tsp ground fennel
  • 1 tsp ground cardamom
  • Cream-1/4 cup
  • Oil-2 tbsp
  • Salt and pepper

Instructions
 

  • Soak the cashews in a little water for at least 2 hrs prior to cooking
  • Grind the poppy seeds to a powder.
  • Blend the garlic,ginger,tomatoes,yoghurt and the strained cashews into a puree.
  • In a heavy bottomed pan heat oil and transfer the mixture along with the ground poppy seeds and continue to cook on medium heat stirring frequently until the mixture thickens and you see the oil separating from the sides.
  • Add the chicken pieces and continue cooking for a few minutes.
  • Add all the spices and salt and cover the pan.Reduce the heat, cover and let the chicken cook.
  • Once done stir in the cream,pepper and check the seasonings.Turn off the heat.
  • Serve hot with your favorite bread.

 

Gobhi Musallam (Whole Roasted Cauliflower) for #Holi

12 | 03 | 2017
By Soni Sinha

It’s Holi, the festival of colors and we’re celebrating! While I’ve shared my Hara Bhara Kebab and Kheer (rice pudding) with you in the past for Holi, the recipe I have for you today is apt for this festive occasion. Its a Mughlai recipe from Northern India called Gobhi Musallam meaning whole cauliflower and it’s a stunning dish that easily becomes the center piece of any table. It’s a unique way to enjoy cauliflower proudly standing in all its glory.

Gobhi Musallam

Cauliflower is one of my favorite vegetables and I’m always looking to expand my repertoire of cauliflower recipes. This dish has been on my list for quite sometime and I finally got around to making it using this recipe. I’ve had it on numerous occasions but never tried it myself until now and I have to tell you that it’s absolutely delicious! Even more so when it’s homemade! The best part is that it looks and sounds like a complex dish but you’ll be surprised to know that its actually pretty easy.The process starts with blanching the cauliflower and preparing the creamy sauce. The cashews have to be soaked for at least a couple of hours before you start the process. The mix of onions, ginger, garlic, spices and tomato is sautéed and then blended in the food processor along with the soaked cashews. The spice paste is then poured all over the cauliflower and baked in the oven until tender. You can make the spice paste ahead of time and bake it on the day. Its a great recipe for parties and gatherings and popular with guests.

The flavors from the spices coat the cauliflower and its ready to be devoured with your favorite bread. This dish is a culinary delight and goes to show the depth of flavors in the Indian subcontinent and the different cooking techniques that differentiate the phenomenal from the mundane. This is phenomenal. Enjoy and Happy Holi!

Gobhi Musallam (Whole Roasted Cauliflower)

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Ingredients
  

  • 1 medium Cauliflower whole
  • 10 Cashew nuts
  • 1 large Onion chopped
  • 2 Tomatoes chopped
  • 5 cloves Garlic chopped
  • ½ inch Ginger chopped
  • 1 teaspoon ground Cumin
  • 1 teaspoon ground Coriander
  • 1 teaspoon Red chili powder powdered dried red chilies
  • 1 teaspoon Garam masala
  • 2 teaspoons Kasoori Methi Dried Fenugreek Leaves
  • ½ teaspoon Turmeric
  • Coriander leaves for garnish
  • Salt
  • Oil-3 tbsp and 1 tbsp to drizzle

Instructions
 

  • Heat the oven to 395 degrees F
  • Soak the cashews in some water for 2 hours.
  • In a tray cut the outer part(green stem) of the cauliflower.
  • In a deep pot bring to a boil enough water with a tsp of turmeric and salt to submerge 3/4 of the cauliflower.Let it boil for 5 mins on one side.Gently flip the cauliflower upside down and let it boil for 5 mins on the other side.Strain the cauliflower and keep aside.
  • In the meantime heat oil in a pan and saute the onions, ginger and garlic until onions become translucent.
  • Add the chopped tomato and all spices except kasoori methi.
  • Cook on medium heat with a little salt until tomatoes are soft.Let the mixture cool down.
  • Once cooled blend the mixture along with the soaked cashews to form a smooth paste.
  • Heat a tbsp of oil in the same pan and transfer the paste.Add kasoori methi,salt and cook for a few mins.
  • Place the cauliflower in a oven proof dish and pour the spice paste all over covering it completely.Drizzle a tbsp of oil all over and bake it in the oven for 30 mins.
  • Once ready take it out of the oven and garnish with coriander leaves.Serve hot.

 

Easy Pea Soup

10 | 01 | 2017
By Soni Sinha

Hello all and a very HAPPY NEW YEAR to you!! Hope it fills you with love, peace, prosperity, good health and all the joys of the world. We had a great ending to 2016 with an amazing Disney Bahamas Cruise with magical skies,gorgeous blue waters and warm sunny weather.Kids had an equally great time with onboard activities that included a Pirate Party and meeting famous Disney Characters.With the copious amounts of food (and alcohol) that we consumed, it’s now time to eat healthy and light.

Bahamas

Magical Skies from our ship

My first recipe of 2017 is a delicious Pea Soup that I’ve been making and enjoying over the years. Pea is an under-rated vegetable but I love its versatility cut across different cuisines. I love Peas added into my Indian stews, curries and pasta, but this sweet soup is all I crave for in this cold weather. I’ve used Frozen peas here but it tastes equally good.

easy-pea-soup

The sweet shallots go well with peas and fresh parsley adds a lovely lemony flavor to the soup. It’s delicious with any crusty bread of your choice or on its own. The vibrant green color is in great contrast to the snow outside (if you live in a cold area like me). I usually make a big batch and have it for two or three days in a row. So so good. Enjoy and stay warm.

easy-pea-soup

Easy Pea Soup

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Ingredients
  

  • Butter-1 tbsp
  • Fresh or frozen peas-5 cups
  • Shallots-8-10 peeled and halved
  • Celery-1 stalk rinsed and diced
  • Garlic - 3 cloves chopped
  • chopped Fresh parsley-1/4 cup
  • 2 cups water
  • 2 cups vegetable broth
  • ½ cup cream
  • Salt and pepper

Instructions
 

  • In a deep pot heat butter and add the halved shallots.Cook for a minute.
  • Add celery and continue to cook for about 2-3 minutes.
  • Add garlic and cook until raw smell disappears 2-3 minutes.
  • Add parsley and stir followed by the peas.Mix well.
  • Add the liquids, salt and pepper and bring to a boil.
  • Reduce the heat, cover and continue to cook for about 8-10 minutes until cooked.
  • Using a stick blender puree the soup or transfer in batches in a blender and puree.Be careful since it'll be very hot.
  • Add cream and check the seasonings.Garnish with some more fresh parsley.