Soya chunks are made from soy beans and for vegans to meet their nutritional value it is best alternative to meat derivatives. It comes in dry form, but when boiled in water it becomes spongy. It absorbs sauces, flavours and spices. Soya chunks are highly nutritional and full of rich proteins, calcium and iron.
They are used in soups, stew, masala dishes, salads etc. They come in the form of regular chunks, mini chunks and granules.
In this recipe a masala is prepared by roasting the ingredients in oil, blended to a fine paste and cooked with soya chunks. It is tempered with mustard, curry leaves ,shallots and garnished with coriander leaves. Goes well with poori/ phulkas/naan/ idiyappam/ idlis.
SERVES : 2-3 people
INGREDIENTS
FOR WET GRIND
- Onion 1
- Garlic pods 3-4
- Coriander seeds 2 tsp
- Red dry chillies 2-3
- Kalpasi a small piece
- Cloves 2
- Cardamom 2
- Cinamom 1 inch
- Coconut grated 3 tbsp
OTHER INGREDIENTS
- Refined oil 2 tbsp
- Coriander leaves chopped 2 tbsp
- Mustard seeds 1/2 tsp
- Shallots chopped finely 5-6
- Curry leaves 1 sprig
- Soya chunks 1 tea cup
- Salt to taste
METHOD
Soak the soya chunks in two tea cup water for 20 minutes.
Heat a tbsp oil in a kadai/ frying pan, add dry chilles and coriander seeds for a minute. Add onions, cloves, garlic, kalpasi, cinnamon and cardamom, saute on medium heat stirring continuously to onions turn golden in colour. Take it out and keep it in a plate.
Add coconut to the same kadai and saute till it turns golden brown.
Let all the above mixture cool down. Blend everything together adding little water into a fine paste. Keep it aside.
In the same kadai add a tbsp of oil. Add mustard let it splutter, add finely chopped shallots and curry leaves, let shallots turn colour. Add the ground paste and after squeezing the water from Soya chunks add and mix well on low heat for 3-4 minutes. Add water, the consistency of gravy is up to you ( I have added two tea cup water). Season with salt. Cover and cook till soya chunks is done.
Garnish with coriander leaves and serve hot with poori/ phulkas/naan/ idiyappam/ idlis.