Soya Chunks Curry
Soya chunks curry is a delicious and very flavorful curry made with soya nuggets in an onion and tomato based gravy which is flavored with aromatic spices and a secret ingredient (coming to that later ). Soya chunks, also known as Nutrella or Meal Maker, are high in protein and fiber and once cooked, its said that their texture in similar to meat, and hence it is also known as ‘Vegetarian’s meat ‘ .
They are made of defatted soy flour and said to lower cholesterol, prevent heart disease and help in weight loss. That said, moderation is the key here as they are highly processed and they should be enjoyed once or twice a week . It is recommended to consume not more than 30 grams on a daily basis.
Soya chunks curry goes well with roti ,paratha or serve it over rice, biryani… it taste absolutely delicious with everything . They are a great addition to your diet if you are following Vegan or Gluten free diet.
I have added whole spices to make it flavorful as soya chunks are quite bland on their own. Also , I have added a little kewra water in it (the secret ingredient) which makes the curry super fragrant and flavorful ! Trust me, if you try this method, you will not try any other method again !! ( Kewra water is easily available in all Asian grocery stores )
Check out more easy restaurant style curries :
“If you try this recipe I would love to hear from you! I would appreciate if you could leave a review or a comment below !! Please feel free to share your feedback and suggestions as well! Thank you so much.”
Cuisine: Indian Course : Main Serves : 3-4
Ingredients :
- Soya Chunks: 1.5 cups
- Yogurt: 1/4 cup
- Onions: 2 large, sliced
- Tomato: 3-4 , medium sized
- Garlic: 4-5 cloves
- Ginger: 1/2 inch
- Tomato Puree : 1/4 cup (store bought , optional )
- Dry red chilli : 1
- Kashmiri red chillies : 2-3
- Oil : 1/4 cup
- Green chilli : 1
- Haldi ( Turmeric Powder ): 1/2 tsp
- Coriander Powder: 1 tbsp
- Chilli Powder: 1/2 tsp
- Jeera (cumin ) powder : 1/2 tsp
- Amchoor (dry mango ) powder : 1/2 tsp
- Black pepper powder: 1/2 tsp
- Salt : according to taste
- Kewra water: 1 tsp
Whole spices :
- Cinnamon stick : 1 inch
- Cloves : 4-5
- Bay leaf : 1
- Black Cardamom (Badi Elaichi ) : 1
- Green Cardamom : 1
Method:
- First of all, boil 1 litre water with 1 tsp salt. When the water starts boiling, add soya chunks to it . Boil chunks covered, for 10-12 minutes.
- Switch off the flame, drain soya chunks and squeeze the water out of them carefully.
- Next, add 1/4 cup of yogurt to the chunks and mix nicely. Keep it aside, while we make the gravy.
- For gravy, mix all the dry spices like haldi powder, coriander powder, chilli powder, jeera powder, amchoor powder and black pepper powder in a bowl.
- Grind together tomatoes, ginger , garlic , green chilli and red chillies in a grinder to a fine paste.
- Heat 1/4 cup of oil in a non stick wok or thick bottom pan. Once the oil is hot, deep fry sliced onion on medium heat, until they are dark golden. Be careful to not burn them.
- Take the onions out . Once they are a little cold, grind the onions to a smooth paste with little water.
- Next , heat the same oil on medium flame. You can take out some oil if you think it is too much.
- Add all the whole spices, like cinnamon , bay leaf, black cardamom , green cardamom and cloves.
- Next add tomato and chillies paste. Add the store bought tomato puree to it and mix everything.
- Stir fry the paste on medium heat for 3-4 minutes. When you see oil oozing from the corners , add the dry spices which we have mixed in a bowl.
- Next , add ground onions and mix . Fry on medium flame for 4-5 minutes.
- Add soya chunks along with yogurt and 2 cups of water.
- After few minutes, add garam masala and kewra water. Cook covered for 6-7 minutes on low-medium flame. Switch off the flame when you see oil on top of gravy.
- Serve garnished with coriander.
- Enjoy!
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