Soni's Food

Indian Inspiration!

Deiss PRO Dual Julienne & Vegetable Peeler and Deiss ART Apple Slicer & Corer Set Review

27 | 07 | 2017
By Soni Sinha

As much as I love veggies like Carrots, Potatoes, Cucumbers etc I’m pretty lazy when it comes to peeling them for my recipes. My old peeler has been around for years and doesn’t glide as smoothly as I’d like it to.If my hands are wet it often slips and has scraped my skin a few times!Not fun.When Deiss sent me their Julienne and vegetable peeler I didn’t know what to expect since I’d been using my old peeler for years and didn’t know any better. Boy is it amazing! Peeling, slicing and julienning veggies have never been so effortless and smooth!I love it and use it almost everyday in my kitchen. It’s also easy to clean and dishwasher safe.As with any Deiss product you can expect superior quality and lifetime warranty. Highly recommended!

deiss veg peeler

 

Deiss also sent me their Apple corer and slicer;something that I didn’t use until now. Coring and slicing fruits and vegetables is now literally a one-motion process. It has a firm non slip grip and very comfortable.You can core and slice a myriad of fruits and veggies like apples, plums, pears, tomato, peach, avocado, potatoes etc..It’s a great tool to have on hand when you want perfectly cut fruits and veggies for your recipes.Saves time and effort!I’ve been my enjoying fruits salads that’s a breeze now with this product!It’s also dishwasher-safe and comes with a lifetime warranty as expected with a Deiss product always.Thankyou Deiss!

Deiss apple corer slicer

You can find Deiss products on Amazon…just click on these links to order:

Deiss Juleinne/Vegetable Peeler

Deiss Apple Corer and Slicer Set

 

Disclaimer:Deiss sent me these products and all opinion are my own.

 

 

 

4th of July Menu Ideas with a Twist!

02 | 07 | 2017
By Soni Sinha

Celebrate Independence Day with these amazing recipes with a delicious twist that’ll wow your guests.Summer is in full swing, so fire up your grills and get cooking!I’ve compiled a list of our favorite foods that you can try.Click on the recipe titles to view each recipe.Happy Fourth of July!

Grilled Sweet Potatoes with Cumin and Garlic

Roasted Red Pepper Dip with Mint

Coconut Crusted Tofu with Spicy Mango Cucumber Topping

Tandoori Turkey Sliders with Mint Raita

Harissa Mint Chicken Kebabs

Lemon Chicken Kebabs

Fish Tikka Bites

Fish Kebabs with Mint Chutney

Individual Strawberry Trifle

Mango and Strawberry Cream

4th of July Menu Ideas

 

 

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.