Soni's Food

Indian Inspiration!

Easy Home-made Hummus

27 | 12 | 2012
By Soni Sinha

The party season is on full swing and everyone wants easy recipes that can feed a crowd.My recipe today is probably one of the easiest and my most favorite of all time.Hummus!Its great for entertaining,its packed with nutrition, it’s easy to make and it tastes delicious.Hummus is a dip or a spread,made using cooked mashed Garbanzo Beans (Chickpeas) served alongside some toasted Pita or chips.It finds its origin in the Middle East and has now become an extremely popular appetizer in parties all across the globe.I love serving my Hummus with some Corn Tortilla Chips!

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Apart from its delicious taste, Hummus is also very nutritious.Its high in Iron and Vitamin C,and a great source of protein for Vegans and Vegetarians.You can cook the Garbanzo Beans (Chickpeas) at home (the process begins by soaking the raw garbanzo beans overnight followed by pressure cooking them the next morning).In case you’ve forgotten to soak your Garbanzo Beans (like I invariably do :)), place about 2 cups of raw Garbanzo Beans in your slow cooker.Add 4-5 cups of water.Let it cook for 5-6 hours and you have your Cooked Garbanzos ready to be used!I’ve cooked mine from scratch in this instance and you cannot beat the fresh flavors!Or you can skip the above process and use a Can of Cooked Garbanzo Beans instead.

Easy Home-made Hummus

An easy dip or spread using Cooked Garbanzo Beans (Chickpeas)!
Print Recipe
Prep Time 10 minutes
Cook Time 10 minutes
Total Time 20 minutes

Ingredients
  

  • Cooked Garbanzo Beans Chickpeas -2 cups
  • Reserved cooking liquid-1/4 cup
  • Tahini Sesame Paste-1 1/2 tablespoon
  • Garlic-2-3 cloves
  • Lemon Juice-3 tablespoon
  • Olive Oil-2 tablespoon
  • Salt-to taste

Instructions
 

  • Place all the ingredients in your food processor or blender and blend until smooth and mixed thoroughly.
  • Add a little cooking liquid if its too thick.
  • Check the seasonings.
  • Serve chilled or at room temperature with some toasted pita or any other chips or veggies of your choice.
As with any home made stuff, its way healthier than store-bought ones, since You control the amount of sodium. I have to warn you though that its highly addictive and you just cannot stop eating once you’ve started 🙂

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Chewy Cocoa Fudge Cookies

20 | 12 | 2012
By Soni Sinha

Its the Holiday season and the one thing we cannot get enough of are cookies! The food world is teeming with thousand of cookie recipes every day .I also jumped into the bandwagon and decided to try something different 🙂

Of late I’ve been using Coconut Oil a lot in my desserts and ever since I laid my eye on a recipe at My Recipes, I’ve been thinking of giving it a try.I finally did that yesterday and put my own spin by substituting Coconut Oil for Butter and boy was it good!

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We’ve all been eating away the cookies and I’m worried we’ll be running out of these too soon 🙂 The coconut oil and the yoghurt gives these cookies a very chewy almost cake-like texture that makes them very indulgent.Who knew healthy could be so so good!The recipe suggested that these were crisp on the edges, but mine were chewy all over and I think the coconut oil made that happen.It makes baked stuff really moist and chewy, just the way I like them :)These also have a longer shelf life since there are no eggs.I couldn’t have asked for a better, healthier , holiday cookie~

choc fudge cookies1

 

Chewy Cocoa Fudge Cookies

Delicious and healthy, these Cocoa Fudge Cookies use Coconut Oil and Yoghurt!
Print Recipe

Ingredients
  

  • 1 cup all-purpose flour
  • ¼ teaspoon baking soda
  • ⅛ teaspoon salt
  • 3 tablespoons Coconut Oil
  • 7 tablespoons unsweetened cocoa
  • ⅔ cup granulated sugar
  • ⅓ cup packed brown sugar
  • ⅓ cup plain low-fat yogurt
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
  • Cooking spray

Instructions
 

  • Preheat oven to 350°.
  • Combine flour, soda, and salt,set aside.
  • Melt coconut oil for about 20 seconds in a microwave.Remove .
  • Stir in cocoa powder and sugars
  • Add yogurt and vanilla, stirring to combine.
  • Add flour mixture, stirring until moist.
  • Drop by level tablespoons 2 inches apart onto baking sheet lined with parchment paper.
  • Bake at 350° for 10 minutes or until almost set.
  • Cool on pans 2 to 3 minutes or until firm.

No Bake Date Coconut Snowballs and a Virgin Coconut Oil Giveaway!!!!

09 | 12 | 2012
By Soni Sinha

I’ve recently tried cooking and baking with Coconut Oil and I have to confess,I’m addicted!!!I love the fruity smell of coconut oil and cannot believe it took me so long to realize how good this stuff is!!So imagine my excitement when the folks at Tropical Traditions sent me a 32 oz Jar of their Gold Label Virgin Coconut Oil!I always try and look for healthier alternatives in my cooking and baking and Coconut Oil seems to fit the bill perfectly.Its pretty versatile since it can be used in both sweet and savory creations and I love its warm sweet aroma filling my kitchen when I use it!

 

Gold Label Virgin Coconut Oil - 32 oz.

Tropical Traditions is America’s source for coconut oil. Their Gold Label Virgin Coconut Oil is hand crafted in small batches by family producers, and it is the highest quality coconut oil they offer. You can read more about how virgin coconut oil is different from other coconut oils on their website: What is Virgin Coconut Oil or watch this video.

To find out the different varieties, current offers and uses of Coconut Oil visit the Tropical Traditions Website.For more information on the health benefits of Coconut Oil, read this.

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Now to the Exciting Part!!

One of you lucky readers is eligible to win a quart of Gold Label Virgin Coconut Oil from Tropical Traditions!

HOW TO ENTER:

To enter, all you have to do is subscribe to receive Tropical Traditions’ Coconut Oil Sales Newsletter and leave me a comment here telling me you did so!

For some bonus entries, you can do any or all of the following:

*If you’re already following me on Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest or Google+ please note that in your comments!Also, please leave a separate comment for each entry here on my blog!

So, if you’re counting, that’s nine total entries to win a sample of this great product!

***This giveaway is only open to residents of the United States and Canada.  The giveaway will run through Dec 16th 2012.  The winner will have three days to respond to claim his or her sample before another winner will be chosen.*** 

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Now on to my recipe!!

My first recipe using Coconut Oil were my Sweet and Spicy Curried Nuts that got me hooked! The recipe I’m making today are these No Bake Date Coconut Snow Balls that are also perfect for the Holidays and so super easy.The coconut oil imparts a sweet flavor  and also makes these balls so moist!The flavor of coconut oil is very subtle, not too potent.I absolutely loved the texture and flavor that I couldn’t stop myself from eating them! These are soft indulgent bites of deliciousness that are also nutritious and cute!A guilt free dessert for the holidays.

No Bake Date Coconut Snowballs and a Virgin Coconut Oil Giveaway!!!!

Delicious no bake date, coconut snow balls!
Print Recipe Pin Recipe
Prep Time 20 minutes
Cook Time 20 minutes
Total Time 40 minutes

Ingredients
  

  • Mejdool Dates-1 1/2 Cups Pitted and chopped
  • Almond Flour-2 tbsp
  • Cashews-1/2 cup chopped
  • Shredded Unsweetened Coconut-1/2 cup plus 4 tbsp for rolling the balls
  • Packed Brown Sugar-2 tbsp
  • Coconut Oil-1 tbsp

Instructions
 

  • Toast 1/2 cup of shredded coconut in a pan until slightly golden.Keep aside.
  • In a food processor mix together the dates,almond flour,cashews,toasted coconut, brown sugar and coconut oil until the mixture comes together like a dough.
  • Take a small amount in your hands and form small balls.
  • Roll the balls in the shredded coconut.Enjoy!
 
**** Tropical Traditions provided me with a free sample of this product ****
*********THIS GIVEAWAY IS CLOSED********

 

Easy Butternut Squash with Bengali Five Spice (Panch Phoran)

30 | 11 | 2012
By Soni Sinha

Squash (any variety) is one of the few vegetables I strongly disliked growing up.But its funny how your tastes develop over the years!Many of the foods I didn’t like earlier are now my favorites and I keep finding new ways to cook them :)Although, this preparation is not new.Its the way my mom makes it and you can use any squash instead of Butternut!Since squash is inherently sweet this dish has a sweet taste but the Five Spice used here just balances the sweetness perfectly.

I’ve used the Bengali Five Spice also called Panch Phoran that consists of equal amounts of the following seeds,Cumin,Fennel,Mustard, Fenugreek and Nigella!You can make the combination at home or buy it from your Indian Grocer!Its an aromatic mix of spices that flavor almost any vegetable and all you need is a teaspoon or two.Little bit goes a long way and its used a lot in Bengali kitchens in a lot of preparations!

An easy and flavorful dish ideal for weeknights for an Indian Inspired dinner that’s also vegan and healthy!You will be amazed at how good this is!

Easy Butternut Squash with Bengali Five Spice (Panch Phoran)

Butternut Squash stir fried using Bengali Five Spice (Panch Phoran) for an amazing and easy side dish!
Print Recipe
Prep Time 20 minutes
Cook Time 15 minutes
Total Time 35 minutes

Ingredients
  

  • Buttersquash peeled and cubed-2 cups
  • Panch Phoran Bengali Five Spice-2 tsp
  • Jalapeños green chilli-1 chopped
  • Oil-2 tbsp
  • Salt- to taste

Instructions
 

  • Heat oil in a skillet.
  • Once heated add the Panch Phoran followed by jalapeños until it splutters.Immediately add the squash and salt.
  • Lower the heat, cover and cook, stirring in between until done (about 10-12 minutes).
  • Serve with Rice or Roti.

 

 

Sweet and Spicy Curried Nuts- Gifts for the Holidays #SundaySupper

11 | 11 | 2012
By Soni Sinha

Its the beginning of the Holiday season and for us Hindus our biggest festival Diwali is round the corner too!That makes for double celebrations this month!We also exchange gifts and sweets with friends and family during this time and nothing says it better than a home made gift from your kitchen.Who doesn’t like edible gifts?Its fun, its tasty, its personal and it comes from the heart!

I love munching on nuts and there’s something about the sweet and spicy ones that I find hard to resist!My Sweet and Spicy Curried Nuts make for an ideal holiday gift!I have to warn you though that these are highly addictive!I’ve used a combination of Cashews, Walnuts and Hazelnuts, but you could use any nut of your choice.I’ve used Extra Virgin Coconut Oil that gives it more depth of flavor and works beautifully with the curry powder!

When you first bite into it there’s this hint of sweet, followed by the spices and the coconut in the background and then the ginger hits the palate and somehow you find yourself, craving for more and more!

 

Sweet and Spicy Curried Nuts- Gifts for the Holidays #SundaySupper

A combination of nuts roasted with Indian spices for a sweet, spicy,crunchy healthy snack or a holiday gift!
Print Recipe
Prep Time 10 minutes
Cook Time 20 minutes
Total Time 30 minutes

Ingredients
  

  • Cashews Walnut halves,and Hazelnuts-2 cups
  • Ground Cumin-1 1/2 tsp
  • Ginger Powder-1/2 tsp
  • Curry Powder-1/2 tsp
  • Cayenne-1/2 tsp
  • Sugar-2 tbsp
  • Salt-1 tsp
  • Extra Virgin Coconut Oil-2 tbsp

Instructions
 

  • Preheat the oven to 300 degrees.
  • Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
  • In a pan heat the Coconut Oil and with all the spices on low heat and stir for about 5-6 seconds until they're aromatic.
  • Pour the mixture over the nuts and add the sugar and salt.Mix well.
  • Spread the nuts in a single layer on the baking sheet and bake for 20 minutes.
  • Cool completely.Pack them in small air tight jars!
Our host for this event is the lovely Susan Pridmore from The Wimpy Vegetarian .We have 50 recipe ideas from our group for holiday gifts, hostess gifts, or just something you might want to gift yourself with :-) .

 Breads/Breakfast

Condiments/Ingredients
Soups and Snacks
Sweets
Drinks

Please join on us on Twitter throughout the day during #SundaySupper on November 11.  In the evening we will meet at 7pm 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 own posts for Gifts From the Kitchen on our #SundaySupper Pinterest board to share them with all of our followers, too.