Soni's Food

Indian Inspiration!

Pua (with Bananas and Fennel) for #Holi

01 | 03 | 2018
By Soni Sinha

Its Holi the Indian festival of colors and I’ve got for you a traditional dessert called Pua that has been a staple in our family for many many years. This dish comes from the states of Bihar and West Bengal in India and tastes heavenly! In simplified terms it’s a fried version of a banana pancake without the eggs and baking powder. Mom makes this on Holi every year along with a multitude of other delicacies synonymous with this festival and I love it!

Pua (with Bananas)

The distinctive sweet anise flavor from the fennel combined with the bananas,nuts and coconut, this dessert is a culinary delight of epic proportion.The soft fluffy dumpling like texture is addictive and you just can’t stop at one! It’s not overly sweet like the Malpua which is a different and a more common version of the Pua where the pua is soaked in sugar syrup after its fried.

The process starts with mixing the batter and leaving it to rest for a few minutes before frying. The bananas are added at the last minute since you don’t want it to turn brown.The soft melt-in-your-mouth Pua with bits of nuts,coconut and fennel is just what you want for Holi!!They taste great warm or chilled and loved by kids and adults alike. Enjoy and wishing you all a HAPPY HOLI!

Here are some other Holi delicacies that you can try!

Kathal Shami Kebabs (Jackfruit Kebabs)
Hara Bhara Kebab
Aloo Gobhi
Rasgulla
Ricotta Burfi

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Pua with Banana for #Holi

Ingredients

  • All Purpose Flour- 1 1/2 cups
  • Fennel Seeds-2 tsp
  • Bananas-2(mashed)
  • Whole Milk-1 1/2 cups (plus a little more as required)
  • Sugar-3/4 cup
  • Chopped nuts (cashews or pistachios) -handful
  • Finely Chopped or grated coconut (optional)-2 tbsp
  • Oil to deep fry

Instructions

  1. In a deep mixing bowl mix the flour,fennel,sugar,nuts and coconut (if using) with a whisk until nicely mixed and no lumps remain. If the batter is too thick add a little milk and mix again.Leave it aside for 30 mins.
  2. Add the mashed banana just before frying and mix well.
  3. Heat around 2 cups of oil in a deep frying pan on medium high.You can tell when its ready by dropping a pinch of the batter.If it immediately rises to the top the oil is ready.Be very careful since its hot.
  4. Take a small round ladle and drop about half a ladle of batter at a time.Do not spread.
  5. Flip it gently using a slotted spatula and let it puff up.Cook for about 2-3 minutes on low heat on each side so that it cooks evenly.
  6. Transfer onto a tray lined with paper towel.Also if desired press each pua in between paper towels once they are cooler to touch to drain out excess oil.
  7. Serve warm or chilled.
https://www.sonisfood.com/2018/03/pua-with-bananas-for-holi.html

 

Lemon Ricotta Cake

16 | 02 | 2018
By Soni Sinha

This simple cake with bright lemony flavor is my new favorite. I love Italian desserts and recently made a delicious Italian Love Cake for my girlfriends. Unfortunately, I couldn’t take any pics since I was in a hurry, but I promise to share the recipe with you very soon. But this cake is something else. An easy dessert that’s so simple and perfectly satisfying and if you love lemon desserts like me, you’ll fall in love with this!

Lemon Ricotta Cake

I bought two tubs of ricotta for my Italian Love Cake and used just one. I scoured the web for ricotta recipes and stumbled upon this one. It sounded pretty simple and lemon and ricotta seemed like just the perfect combination. I had all the ingredients and couldn’t wait to try this! It did not disappoint at all and the flavors are right up my alley.

The cake is wonderfully moist from the ricotta and is light and airy.I doubled the recipe and it turned out amazing! did not use the apples as mentioned in the recipe and just went with lemon and ricotta. You could dress it up with some berries if you prefer or just keep it simple like I’ve done here. The hubs and the kids went for seconds and needless to say it disappeared in no time!This is one elegant looking cake and I can’t wait to make this for my friends. This is a keeper. Enjoy!

Lemon Ricotta Cake

Lemon Ricotta Cake

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Ingredients
  

  • 6 tbsp unsalted butter softened
  • 11 tbsp granulated sugar
  • 2 eggs
  • ¾ cup all-purpose flour
  • 2 tsp baking powder
  • pinch of salt
  • ⅔ cup ricotta
  • zest of one lemon
  • powdered sugar for dusting

Instructions
 

  • Preheat the oven to 375 degrees
  • Grease an 8 inch round pan with butter.
  • In a large bowl using a spatula or hand held mixer mix the softened butter and sugar until creamy.
  • Add eggs and combine well.
  • Add the flour,baking powder and salt.Mix well.
  • Add the ricotta and lemon zest.
  • Mix until nicely incorporated and no lumps are left.
  • Pour into the pan and bake for about 25-30 minutes or until you see the edges turning golden and a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.Let it cool for a bit before transferring it onto a wire rack to cool completely.
  • Dust with powdered sugar and serve!

Recipe adapted from Mon Petit Four

Fennel and Potato Soup

31 | 01 | 2018
By Soni Sinha

Winter months are the time when soups become a staple in our home.These days all my son wants for dinner is soup and although he loves his favorite Leek and Potato Soup , this time round I tried something different instead of leeks. I used fennel and boy was it delicious! We loved it,he loved it and I know I’ll be making it many more times in these cooler days.

Fennel and Potato Soup

If you know me, you know that I love fennel and use it a lot in my cooking.I love to combine it with cabbage in a simple Indian style stir fry or slightly roast it with some indian spices for a warm salad, but nothing comforts like a hot bowl of this delicious Fennel and Potato Soup especially when it’s cold outside!Fennel is also good for our bodies since its a natural anti oxidant.

I’ve used fresh and ground fennel here and the fragrant anise-like flavor comes through quite nicely. The potatoes are a great addition and balance the flavors in this soup. The potatoes also make it rich and creamy and all you need is a crusty bread to soak up the deliciousness. Enjoy and stay warm!

Fennel and Potato Soup

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Ingredients
  

  • 2 large fennel bulbs diced
  • 2 medium potatoes peeled and diced
  • 1 large onion chopped
  • 2 cloves garlic chopped
  • Butter-2 tbsp
  • 1 tsp ground fennel
  • 2 % Milk-1 cup
  • Water-1 1/2 cups
  • Salt and pepper

Instructions
 

  • In a pot heat the butter and saute the onion until translucent.
  • Add the garlic and saute for another minute.Add the ground fennel and mix.
  • Add the potatoes and fennel and cover for a minute.
  • Add milk, water, salt and pepper.
  • Once it comes to a boil, cover , reduce the heat and continue to cook for about 15-20 minutes until the potatoes and fennel are fully cooked.
  • Check the seasonings.Carefully transfer into a blender or use a hand blender and blend until all smooth.
  • Garnish with some fennel fronds and serve hot.

Nutella Swirled Cheesecake Bars

22 | 12 | 2017
By Soni Sinha

Nutella Swirled Cheesecake Bars have been on my to-make list for so long and I finally made them! These bars are just the size you need them to be to satisfy your sweet cravings and can be made a day ahead since they do require some chilling time before being cut into squares. They’re perfectly sweet and the swirls look so festive!

Nutella Swirled Cheesecake Bars

This is a Nutella lover’s dream and tastes phenomenal. The buttery graham cracker crust topped with a delicious cheesecake filling topped with Nutella is the kind of dessert meant for special occasions such as the holidays. I omitted the sugar in the crust in this recipe and it came out perfect. The hardest part is waiting for it to chill so you get to bite into these beauties. I left it to chill overnight in the refrigerator. My kids got to try these after school the next day and their verdict- “the wait was worth it”! 🙂

You know that they’re ready when you see the edges turning slightly golden.The best part-spreading the nutella!Just make sure that its slightly warm, makes it easy to swirl.This is not your average dessert but a decadent indulgent treat for you and your guests.Great for a crowd (makes 16 small bars) and super easy, this is one dessert that any Nutella lover will devour!Enjoy and wishing you all a great holiday season!

Nutella Swirled Cheesecake Bars

Nutella Swirled Cheesecake Bars

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Ingredients
  

For the crust

  • 10 full sheet Graham Crackers or 1 1/2 graham cracker crumbs
  • 6 tbsp melted stick unsalted butter

For the cheesecake

  • 16 oz 2 bars cream cheese (room temperature)
  • 1 egg
  • 2 tsp vanilla
  • ¼ cup granulated sugar
  • ⅓ cup nutella slightly warmed

Instructions
 

  • Pre heat the oven to 350 degrees
  • Line a 8x8 baking pan with parchment paper with overhanging sides

For the base

  • In a food processor, process the graham crackers into fine crumbs.
  • Add the melted butter and pulse to fully incorporate.
  • Pour into the lined baking pan and gently even with hands or base of a measuring cup. Bake for 5 mins.
  • Remove from oven and let it cool.
  • Pour cream cheese mixture on it.

Cheesecake

  • While the base is baking, place the cream cheese and sugar in stand or electric mixer
  • Beat for 2 minutes until light and fluffy.
  • Add egg and vanilla and beat to combine until the mixture is smooth
  • Pour mixture onto the baked graham cracker crust and smooth into a single layer. Drop large spoonfuls of Nutella on top of filling and swirl gently with a knife.
  • Bake 30-35 minutes or until the center only slightly jiggles.
  • Remove from the oven and cool completely then refrigerate for at least 3 hours or overnight
  • Once set, remove from pan using the parchment lining and slice into bars.

 

Cream Cheese Chocolate Chip Cookies

19 | 12 | 2017
By Soni Sinha

The weather outside might be frightful but the fire inside is surely delightful during this time of the year! My kids wanted to sip hot chocolate with marshmallows sitting by the fire over the weekend and we did just that! I baked some Cream Cheese Chocolate Chip cookies for them and we had a lazy ‘Do nothing Day’ that we enjoyed. We all lead such busy lives that its essential to wind down every once in a while, and do nothing.It was so nice to just relax for once!

Cream Cheese Chocolate Chip Cookies

I had some cream cheese sitting in my refrigerator waiting to be used and I decided to bake some cookies.I looked up a few recipes on the web like this one and went along with what I had on hand.Some recipes called for brown sugar and I didn’t have any so I just went with regular granulated sugar.It still turned out good.The cream cheese adds a rich creamy flavor to these cookies and takes it to another level!And of course the chocolate chips add to the magic here.So so good.

Cream Cheese Chocolate Chip Cookies

It’s a great treat to have on hand during the holidays and something special. My kids loved it.The cookies are slightly chewy and dense just the way I like them. My other favorite cookies during this time are these Peanut Butter Blossoms and Chocolate Drop Cookies that are equally devoured by my kids.Enjoy!

Cream Cheese Chocolate Chip Cookies

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Ingredients
  

  • Cream Cheese-1/4 cup
  • ½ cup 1 stick butter softened
  • Sugar-3/4 cup
  • 1 large egg
  • Vanilla-2 tsp
  • All purpose flour-2 1/4 cup
  • 1 tsp baking soda
  • ¼ tsp salt
  • 1 cup semi sweet chocolate chips

Instructions
 

  • Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.
  • In a mixing bowl with electrical mixer, beat cream cheese, butter and sugar until light and fluffy.
  • Beat in egg and vanilla until all mixed.
  • Slowly beat in the flour,baking soda and salt.
  • Fold in the chocolate chips.
  • Drop the dough by teaspoonfuls onto a parchment paper lined baking sheet about 1 inch apart.
  • Bake for 10-12 minutes or until the top starts getting slightly brown around the edges.
  • Let the cookies cool on a wire rack.Once cool transfer into an airtight container.