Soni's Food

Indian Inspiration!

Fara-Indian Lentil Dumplings for #Diwali

06 | 11 | 2018
By Soni Sinha

I’ve got for you a traditional appetizer/breakfast item that has also been mom’s signature dish. It’s called Fara and its the North Indian answer to dumplings that’s so popular across the globe. Mom’s world famous Fara has been one of her most coveted recipes and I’ve had the pleasure of devouring it on numerous occasions such as Diwali and Dusshera among other festivals throughout my childhood and even now when I visit her in India. With Diwali around the corner this seemed like a perfect appetizer recipe to be shared here.

Fara-Indian Lentil Dumplings

Fara is a special delicacy from the state of UP in India and depending on the region, its made using either rice flour or regular whole wheat flour.Mom uses whole wheat flour and it’s to die for!The dumplings have a delicious split pea lentil (chana dal) filling and the dough is just a regular chapati dough. The lentils have to be soaked for at least 4 hrs. or overnight and ground to a paste with ginger, garlic, cumin and cilantro. The dough is stuffed with the lentil filling and boiled in ample water for a few minutes. Once cool enough they’re cut into small pieces and pan fried with caraway seeds and curry leaves. Its certainly a special food item to serve your guests and you’ll get rave reviews each time because its so unique.

FaraIt does involve some extra effort as all special family recipes do but the result is worth it. Each bite has layers of different flavors. The caraway seeds and curry leaves add an earthy aromatic flavor to the fara and as you bite into the crisp exterior the flavors from the lentils combined with ginger, garlic and cumin come through. It’s pure joy and you just cannot stop at one! The good part is that it can be made ahead and frozen. Just thaw and pan fry when you need it.Its best served with some green chutney on the side. It’s also super healthy and packed with protein, vitamins and fiber making it a nutritious and wholesome dish.Make it this Diwali and impress your guests!

Wishing you all A Very Happy Diwali!

Here are some more Diwali recipe ideas:
Rasgulla
Coconut Cardamom Balls(Laddoo)
Aloo Gobhi
Pua with Fennel and Bananas
Jackfruit Shami Kebabs

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Fara-Indian Lentil Dumplings for #Diwali

Ingredients

    for the dough
  • whole wheat flour/chapati flour-2 cups
  • water to knead
    • for the filling
  • chana dal soaked 2 cups
  • green chillies 2-3
  • garlic cloves 5-6
  • ginger 2 inch piece
  • cumin seeds 2 tsp
  • salt to taste
    • to pan fry
  • 1 pinch asafetida
  • 2 tsp caraway seeds
  • curry leaves
  • oil
  • black salt

Instructions

  1. Knead the whole wheat flour by adding water a little at a time until it forms a soft pliable dough.You can also use your dough attachment in you mixer.Cover and keep aside.
  2. In the mean time fill a large pot with water and bring it to a boil with a tbsp of oil.
  3. Place the filling ingredients in your food processor and pulse until the mixture comes together into a paste.Check for seasonings and adjust.
  4. Now take a small roll of the dough and roll out into a small circle.Take a tbsp or two of the filling and roll it from one side to the other as you would an empanada or calzone..Add a little water to the edges and stick them firmly.Drop it gently into the boiling water.
  5. Continue with the rest of the dough similarly and keep dropping them into the boiling water.Cook on medium heat for about 15 mins.The dumpling should be firm to touch and also rise to the top.
  6. Once they're done carefully take them out one-by-one with a slotted spatula and cut them into bite sized pieces.
  7. You can eat them straight away with green chutney if you prefer.
  8. Or heat oil in a pan and add the asafetida, caraway seeds and a few curry leaves.Once they splutter add the fara pieces and pan fry until golden and slightly crispy.Sprinkle some black salt and serve hot with chutney!
https://www.sonisfood.com/2018/11/fara-indian-lentil-dumplings-for-diwali.html

Chai Spiced Peach Clafoutis

11 | 10 | 2018
By Soni Sinha

Hello! I’m back to blogging after a hiatus and boy have I missed it! We moved house in the summer and we’ve been swamped with tons of work that comes along with it. Apart from packing and unpacking a million boxes, we also made few renovations in the house to our liking and it’s not easy when you have a thousand different things to take care of before, during and after each project.Its been an exhausting but also a very exciting summer for us and the good news is that most of the work is now done and I can get back to sharing my recipes with you from my new kitchen!

chai spiced peach clafoutis

It’s been so long since I last shared a recipe that summer has given way to fall.The lush green foliage is now metamorphosing into warm gold, russet and sepia tones.Our streets adorned with these warm colors and more, autumn never fails to fascinate me.I’m looking forward to ‘Sweater Weather’ when my scarves, boots and hats are out and the cool crisp autumn air brushes against me.My most favorite time of the year.Freshly baked custard and caramelized peaches with warm chai spices (my favorite) seems like the perfect way to enjoy autumn after all the hard work over the summer.

I thinly slice the peaches and gently coat them with the warm chai spices and brown sugar.The peaches go into the warm pan and I I hear the sizzle telling me that the peaches are caramelizing. The spices let out their aroma and it fills my kitchen.I’m in a happy place breathing-in the warm spices and whip up the rich custardy batter that makes this dessert irresistible.Once I arrange the peaches this baby is ready to go in the oven and all I have to do is just wait!That is the hardest part.

Chai spiced peach clafoutis

Clafoutis or Clafouti is a classic French dessert traditionally made using cherries but I’ve also made it with apples here that tasted heavenly. I just found out that when you use other fruits instead of cherries it’s actually called Flugnarde! Cherry or no cherry I’ll stick with Clafoutis since it just sounds better -don’t you think? The batter for a clafoutis is very much like a crepe batter and it’s an easy dessert that’s best enjoyed lukewarm. I baked this in my cast iron pan and it turned out to be every bit as delicious as I imagined it to be. Perfectly comforting, perfectly spiced, and perfectly rich and tasty, Clafoutis is an all-time favorite.Enjoy!

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Chai Spiced Peach Clafoutis

Ingredients

  • 3 medium peaches sliced
  • 2 tbsp brown sugar
  • 1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
  • 1/2 tsp ground cardamom
  • 1/4 tsp ground cloves
  • 1/4 tsp pepper
  • 1 1/4 cup whole milk
  • 2/3 cup granulated sugar
  • 1 tbsp vanilla extract
  • 1/8 tsp salt
  • butter for the pan
  • powdered sugar

Instructions

  1. Heat oven to 350 degrees.
  2. In a bowl mix the peaches with all the chai spices and brown sugar.Heat a tbsp of butter in a pan and add the peaches.Cook for about 2-3 minutes until peaches are glazed.
  3. In a mixing bowl mix together the milk, flour, sugar, vanilla, and salt.
  4. Grease a cast iron pan with butter and arrange some peaches at the bottom.Pour half of the batter just to cover the peaches..Arrange the rest of the peaches followed by the remaining batter.
  5. Bake for about 45-50 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.
  6. Once done take the pan out using oven mitts and let it cool a bit.
  7. Sprinkle powdered sugar and enjoy!
https://www.sonisfood.com/2018/10/chai-spiced-peach-clafoutis.html

 

 

 

Green Tea (Matcha) Mochi Cake

15 | 05 | 2018
By Soni Sinha

I don’t know if I ever told you this, but I’m obsessed with Matcha (Green Tea) and Matcha flavored products.Our Whole foods has self-serve Mochi bars (bite sized ice cream) with different flavors to choose from-my favorite section in the whole store! My favorite drink these days is the Matcha Green Tea Latte from Starbucks. So good! Much to my excitement an Asian store recently opened in my area and if you don’t find me at my house then you know where to look! One of my all-time favorite things to buy at the store are the Japanese rice cakes (Mochi) with various fillings. I particularly love the Matcha Mochi given my love for all things Matcha.

Matcha Mochi(Green Tea) Cake

I also love the flavor of the sweet rice flour and its glutinous texture that makes eating the mochi an indulgence.I spotted Matcha Green Tea Powder at Trader Joe’s the other day and picked it up. They’re easily available on Amazon too these days. The next thing I knew, I was scouring the web for some easy recipes and found this one on Food and Wine. The closest thing to a store bought rice cake is this beauty that I’m sharing with you today. Be ready to be blown away with the flavor and texture here.

Matcha Mochi Cake

Its insanely delicious and I’m so glad that I don’t have to run to the stores every-time to satisfy my mochi cravings (that are quite frequent!). The green tea flavor is prominent enough (just the way I like it) and it’s perfectly sweet for my tooth. The sweet rice flour easily available at your Asian grocers gives these cakes their sticky sweet consistency and texture.I love the chewy edges! The lack of eggs and dairy in these bars make these the perfect vegan dessert with the added health benefits of the Mactha green tea powder that’s known for its antioxidants and other healing properties. If you’re a matcha green tea lover like me then go ahead and try this recipe today. You’ll be pleased that you did! Enjoy.

 

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Green Tea (Matcha) Mochi Cake

Ingredients

  • 1 1/2 cups sweet rice flour
  • 1 cup sugar
  • 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
  • 1 1/2 teaspoons matcha powder
  • 1 cup water
  • 3/4 cup coconut milk
  • 3/4 teaspoon vanilla extract

Instructions

  1. Preheat the oven to 275°.
  2. Grease an 8-inch square cake pan.
  3. In a bowl, whisk together the rice flour, sugar, baking powder and matcha powder.
  4. In a separate bowl, whisk together the water, coconut milk and vanilla extract.
  5. Pour the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients and whisk until smooth.
  6. Pour the batter into the pan and bake for 70-80 minutes, until the top is set.
  7. Remove from oven and let it cool.
  8. Cut into squares and enjoy.
https://www.sonisfood.com/2018/05/green-tea-matcha-mochi-cake.html

Lemon Tart with Shortbread Crust

27 | 04 | 2018
By Soni Sinha

Spring is finally here and a myriad of colors from spring flowers are everywhere. I love our streets lined up with beautiful cherry blossoms and it’s such a pretty sight. There’s something about lemons too that gets me all excited in spring! I start craving for that fresh lemony taste in almost everything that I eat.A good squeeze of lemon is a standard in my salad and my sauces these days and I love that little tang in every bite.That fresh fragrance just brightens up the day for me.

Lemon Tart with Shortbread Crust

So, I decided to bake a Lemon Tart to embrace the flavors of spring. I have to tell you that this is one hell of a dessert that’s so decadent, rich and lemony with the zest and juice, that you’ll keep going for seconds and thirds! The crust has a rich shortbread like texture that makes it irresistible.Just let it chill in the fridge for sometime to set and you’ll get a clean slice to enjoy.

 

This was my first try at making a lemon tart from scratch and I looked up a few recipes on the web. I settled on this one since it didn’t use as many eggs or cream as some of the others and decided to give it a try. I cut down on the sugar and did add an extra egg since I have a 10 inch pie dish and had to increase the amount of the filling just a little bit.
Nonetheless it turned out lip-smacking d e l i c i o u s!!

lemon tart

As I’m writing this post I have a slice of this beautiful tart right in front of me and the fresh lemony aroma is filling up my room. I cannot get enough of this beauty.The flavors scream spring and if you’re a lover of lemon desserts then you’re going to love this one for sure.Enjoy!

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Lemon Tart with a Shortbread Crust

Ingredients

    For the Crust
  • All Purpose Flour-1 3/4 cups
  • Sugar-1/2 cup
  • Butter-3/4 cup room temp
  • Vanilla-1/2 tsp
  • Salt-a pinch
    • For the Lemon Filling
  • Large Eggs-4
  • lemon zest-1 tbsp
  • Freshly squeezed Juice of 3 lemons
  • Sugar-1 cup
  • All Purpose Flour-1/2 cup

Instructions

  1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.
  2. In a mixing bowl of a stand mixer using a paddle attachment mix butter, sugar, vanilla and salt until smooth.Add flour and mix until the mixture starts to form a dough.Press the dough into a 10 inch tart pan.Bake for 10 mins.Remove from the oven and cool completely.
  3. In a mixing bowl using a hand blender mix the eggs,lemon zest and juice,sugar and flour until all smooth and pour over the cooled crust.Bake for about 30 mins until its set and the edges are slightly brown.
  4. Remove from the oven and let it cool completely.Chill the tart in the fridge and sprinkle powdered sugar before serving.
https://www.sonisfood.com/2018/04/lemon-tart-with-shortbread-crust.html

Goan Vegetable Curry

23 | 03 | 2018
By Soni Sinha

We lived four hours away from Goa and my parents had many Konkani speaking friends from the region, some of whom would often invite us for dinner and vice versa. As a kid, I loved trying different foods and flavors and have been lucky enough to live in various places that enabled me to experience that. Dad was in a transferable job and we moved a lot. My childhood food memories revolve around many such moments that have stayed with me all these years. I remember the first time that I tasted a Goan Curry at one of our family friends’ and it was unlike anything I’d ever eaten! The smooth coconut-based sauce flavored delicately with spices and curry leaves was a flavor explosion in my mouth!Once home I’d pester mom to make it for us and she finally got the recipe from one of her friends. I’m sharing the recipe with you today as I reminisce all the delicious food I’ve had growing up.

Goan Vegetable Curry

I’ve often made this recipe with Prawns and Chicken but this is the first time that I’ve tried it using vegetables and it did not disappoint at all. The vegetables get coated with the delicious spice paste while gently simmering in the creamy sauce and hunger pangs start to set in! Its difficult to not want to eat it right away. The color here comes from the addition of the dry Kashmiri chili easily available at your local Indian grocers. I’ve also used tomato paste for extra color and flavor.

The base of the sauce is the spice paste made with fresh grated coconut (available in the frozen section of your Indian grocer) along with cumin, coriander, peppercorns, ginger, garlic and tamarind paste. Once you have the paste ready its just a matter of heating it up a bit for the flavors to come through. Since we’re making our own spice paste here, the flavor is very fresh and tastes a thousand times better. The coconut milk (full fat and not the skimmed) adds a lovely creaminess that brings this dish together and makes it so comforting. All you need is some hot steaming rice to indulge. Enjoy!

 

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Goan Vegetable Curry

Ingredients

  • 2 cups Cauliflower florets (cut them smaller)
  • 1 1/2 cup carrots peeled and diced
  • 1 1/2 cup potatoes peeled and diced
  • 2 small onions finely chopped
  • 1 medium tomato diced
  • 1 tbsp tomato paste
  • Water-1/2 cup
  • Coconut milk-3/4 cup
  • 8-10 curry leaves
  • Coconut Oil-2-3 tbsp
    • for the spice paste
  • 5 cloves garlic
  • 1 1/2 inch ginger
  • 2 tsp coriander seeds
  • 2 tsp cumin seeds
  • 1 tsp tamarind paste (available at your indian grocer)
  • 1/2 tsp turmeric
  • 1 tsp whole peppercorns
  • 8-10 kashmiri chili
  • 1/2 cup fresh grated coconut
  • 1 cup coconut milk

Instructions

  1. In a food processor blend all the spice paste ingredients into a smooth paste.
  2. In a pan heat 2-3 tbsp coconut oil and add the chopped onions and saute until slightly golden.
  3. Add tomato paste and tomatoes.Cook until tomatoes are soft and mixed nicely.
  4. Add the spice paste and mix well.
  5. Continue to cook on low heat until it becomes fragrant (about 6-8 minutes)
  6. Add the potato and carrot and let it cook for about 6-7 mins on low heat to soften them up.Add the cauliflower and mix well.Add water and coconut milk along with the curry leaves and salt and let it cook until the vegetables are tender.
  7. Check the seasonings and serve hot with rice.
https://www.sonisfood.com/2018/03/goan-vegetable-curry.html