Soni's Food

Indian Inspiration!

Indian Spiced Chicken Meatballs ~Its Tailgating time!! #SundaySupper

09 | 09 | 2012
By Soni Sinha

chicken meatballs 1

Its tailgating time!!

I learnt about ‘tailgating’ only after we moved to America!For those who do not know what it signifies ‘a tailgate party is a social event held on and around the open tailgate of a vehicle. Tailgating often involves consuming alcoholic beverages and grilling food. Tailgate parties usually occur in the parking lots, stadiums and arenas, before and occasionally after games and concerts.’ {Source-Wikipedia}.Having said that, you don’t really have to be at the game venues to enjoy a tailgating party.You can have it indoors or outdoors, with a group of friends or lounge on your own!Its a great way to enjoy some great foods that are easy to make and eat!Its the start of the football season and my friend Lane from Supper for a Steal  proposed ‘tailgating foods’ for this Sunday Supper!

chicken meatballs

I’m bringing Chicken Meatballs for this event that has just the right flavors with an Indian twist!My meatballs are moist, juicy, perfectly sized to munch-on while watching your favorite team play!These balls are crunchy and rustic looking on the outside but incredibly soft on the inside with the lovely mint and coriander marrying beautifully giving them lots of fresh flavor.The best thing about these are that the food processor does all the work for you so you don’t have to work out a sweat in preparing them 🙂 They’re super easy, delicious and certain to please kids and adults 🙂

Indian Spiced Chicken Meatballs

Print Recipe

Ingredients
  

  • Chicken Thigh/breast mince-1 lb
  • Small Onion-1
  • Yoghurt-1 tbsp
  • Crushed Ginger-2 tsp
  • Crushed Garlic-2 tsp
  • Green Chillies jalapenos-2 chopped
  • Fresh Coriander -1/2 cup chopped
  • Mint -1/2 cup chopped
  • Plain bread crumbs-3 tbsp
  • Coarse Ground Semolina-2 cups
  • Salt-to taste
  • Oil-2 cups for frying

Instructions
 

  • In a food processor mix all the ingredients except semolina and oil.Make round balls and roll them in the Semolina.Deep fry in batches until nice and golden.Serve hot with Tomato ketchup!

 Look at the menu below for some great ideas for your next ‘tailgating party’!!This is one #SundaySupper you do not want to miss!! Hop on twitter at 7pm EST for the live #SundaySupper chat.

Pre Game Warm-ups:

On the Sidelines:

Main Events:

Overtime:

From the Cooler:

Wine Pairings by Wine Everyday

Whole Wheat Macaroni with Spinach Pecan Pesto #SundaySupper

29 | 07 | 2012
By Soni Sinha

In today’s busy lifestyle getting together for a family meal can be quite challenging for most of us.What’s important is the tradition of coming together at the dinner table as a family and consistently maintaining that tradition.We strive to achieve just that by having family meals every evening and its a great way to enjoy some quality time thereby creating some everlasting memories!It could be indoors or outdoors and it could be any day or everyday of the week!That to me is what #SundaySupper is all about.You must be wondering why I’m talking about all this!Well, our SundaySupper team wants to know what #SundaySupper means to us and our lifestyle.

macaroni with pesto 1

During the summer, family meals can be so much more fun since you’re constantly outside enjoying the weather.We often enjoy our dinner outdoors with family picnics.Its perfectly relaxing.We usually end up going to our local park with some mats to sit on, some games for the kids and some fun food.Talking about food, my picnic basket is usually made-up of  fresh fruits,salads,sandwiches,some cool drinks and of course my Macaroni with Spinach Pecan Pesto! 🙂
It can be served warm or cold and is a breeze to put together not to mention incredibly delicious and healthy!I use Whole Wheat Macaroni that has a great flavor and texture.My kids are always excited to see macaroni on the table and this is a lovely variation from the usual mac and cheese that they’re so used to having! 🙂
spinach pecan pesto
The pesto tastes great with the toasted pecans and spinach combo.Mixed with some olive oil and parmesan cheese, its an explosion of delicious flavors in every bite!

Whole Wheat Macaroni with Spinach Pecan Pesto

Print Recipe

Ingredients
  

  • Whole Wheat Macaroni-1 lb
  • Baby Spinach leaves-2 cups
  • Pecans-1/4 cup
  • Garlic cloves-2
  • Extra Virgin Olive Oil-1/3 cup
  • Grated Parmesan Cheese-1/3 cup
  • Salt and Pepper

Instructions
 

  • Boil the macaroni according to the instructions and keep aside.
  • In a pan toast the pecans on low heat until they're nicely toasted.Turn off the heat and allow to cool.
  • In a processor, combine the spinach,toasted pecan and garlic and pulse.With the machine running, gradually add the olive oil until the mixture is creamy.
  • Transfer into a bowl and add parmesan cheese.Season with salt and pepper.
  • Toss the macaroni with the pesto and serve warm or cold.

SundaySupper has teamed up with Merrel and chosen these 10 bloggers to host a giveaway on their sites.Make sure to visit their sites to win cool Merrel products!!!

Take a look at these wonderful stories and recipes for this event:
Join the the celebration each Sunday. We start at 3pm ET by tweeting, pinning, and showcasing recipes and food photos. Follow the #SundaySupper hashtag and share yours too. The live twitter chat starts at 7pm ET. Take a look at and follow our Pinterest board too.


Salty Lassi ~ Beat the Heat #SundaySupper

15 | 07 | 2012
By Soni Sinha

In the scorching heat reminiscent of an Indian Summer, one drink that promises to bring relief is a good old lassi. Lassi is a yoghurt drink mixed with either milk or water along with spices, sometimes fruits, sugar or salt. But growing up I’ve had more Salty Lassi than the sweet ones mainly because I didn’t have much of a sweet tooth back then! Now its a different story because now, I have a sweet tooth like no other J Salty Lassi is relatively unknown outside India unlike its cousin, the Sweet Lassi or the ubiquitous Mango Lassi! In my opinion, all versions are equally delicious though! So when my friend Jen from Junaita’s Cocina suggested ‘Beat the heat’ as the theme for this #SundaySupper, I knew it had to be Salty Lassi for me! 🙂

salty lassi
Salty Lassi has a cooling effect on your body with unique digestive and health benefits. It’s also a great alternative to the alcoholic beverages during the summer and you can flavor it with any spice you want. Traditionally Salty Lassi is flavored with roasted cumin seeds and mint, sometimes ginger.You could also add a little bit of sugar.
The roasted nutty cumin adds a smoky flavor to the lassi. The mint is a perfect garnish to contrast the color and imparts a clean, crisp, minty flavor! Cool, delicious and spicy! Perfect to ‘beat the heat’~

Salty Lassi

Print Recipe

Ingredients
  

  • Plain Yoghurt any-1 cup
  • Water-2 ¼ cup
  • Roasted and ground Cumin-1 tsp
  • Salt-1 tsp or to taste
  • Mint-to garnish

Instructions
 

  • Cumin-Dry roast some cumin seeds in a pan on medium heat until its golden brown and aromatic.
  • Allow to cool and then just crush using a pestle and mortar.
  • Blend all the ingredients except the Mint until smooth.
  • Pour into servings glasses and garnish with mint. Serve chilled!

See what my friends are serving this #SundaySupper to “beat the heat”!
Scroll down for the fab menu J

#BeatTheHeat Appetizers:

#BeatTheHeat Salads, Soups, & Sides:
#BeatTheHeat Main Dishes:
#BeatTheHeat Desserts:
#BeatTheHeat Drinks & Cocktails:
Wine Pairings Provided By: ENOFYLZ

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

 

 

Aaron E’s Favorite Apple Coffee Cake #Sunday Supper with “The Mom 100 Cookbook”

24 | 06 | 2012
By Soni Sinha

Today is a whole new level of excitement on Sunday Supper,since I’ve never done anything like this before!This week we’ve joined with Katie Workman author of “The Mom 100 Cookbook” and we’ll be cooking our favorite portable dishes for friends and family from her book!


The-Mom-100-Cookbook
Katie’s book as the name suggests has 100 recipes for Moms that are easy, affordable and a great way to enjoy food with family and friends.I particularly love the story behind each recipe and “what the kids can do” section on how to involve the kids in making the dish!!
I’ve chosen Aaron E’s Favorite Apple Coffee Cake mainly because we love apple desserts in my family and my kids like to bake with me!
coffee cake katie2

The aroma of the Cinnamon Sugar wafting through the air, my house smelt wonderful once the cake was in the oven. I loved how easy this
recipe was and the fact that it uses staple pantry ingredients saving you the time and effort to run to the stores! The cake came out moist and delicious and the Fuji apples gave them an extra sweet flavor. The cinnamon sugar just brought it all together and my kids enjoyed their triumph in the kitchen J
As Katie says its perfect as a snack, dessert, a bake sale item or even a potluck offering J
Aaron E’s Favorite Apple Coffee Cake-From The Mom 100 Cookbook by Katie Workman
Ingredients:
For the Cinnamon Sugar Topping
Granulated Sugar-1/4 cup
Ground Cinnamon-1 tsp
For the Coffee Cake
Unsalted Butter-8 tbsp (1 stick) plus butter for greasing
the pan
All Purpose Flour-1 ¼ cup
Baking Powder-2 tsp
Kosher Salt-1/2 tsp
Granulated Sugar-1/3 cup
Large Eggs-2
Pure Vanilla Extract-1 tsp
Whole Milk-2/3 cup
Large Apple -1 peeled, cored and coarsely chopped
Process:
Make the cinnamon sugar topping by mixing together the
granulated sugar and cinnamon. Set aside.
Preheat the oven to 375 F.
Grease a 9-inch square or round baking pan.
Place the flour, baking, powder and salt in a small bowl and
whisk to mix. Set aside.
Place the sugar and butter in a medium sized bowl and using
an electric mixer beat them until fluffy (about 3 minutes).
Add the eggs one at a time and then add the vanilla. Add the
flour mixture and the milk alternatively in about 2 batches of each, beating
after each addition until almost incorporated. At the end you still want to see
streaks of flour and milk.
Using a wooden spoon, fold in the apple until everything is
just combined. Spoon the cinnamon sugar topping over the top.
Bake the coffee cake until golden brown and a toothpick
inserted in the middle comes out clean, about 30 minutes.
Let the cake cool in the pan on a wire rack.
Serve the coffee cake warm or at room temperature!
Join us for #SundaySupper on twitter starting at 3:00 pm EST.Katie Workman will be joining us to answer questions, give tips and inspire at 5:30 pm EST.  You don’t want to miss this week’s #SundaySupper and these fabulous recipes!

Connect with Katie Workman, Author of The Mom 100 Cookbook:

All you have to do is follow the hashtag #sundaysupper on twitter or follow along on TweetChat.  Our #SundaySupper Pinterest Board will be filled with fabulous family recipes.