Soya Chunks Curry | Meal Maker Curry

If you are looking for a delicious, flavorful soya chunks recipe to use up your "meal maker," look no further. My vegan Soya Chunks Curry recipe is made with textured vegetable protein in a rich and deeply spiced tomato onion coconut flavored gravy for a meatless gluten-free meal that everyone will love.

Prep Time15 mins

Cook Time25 mins

Total Time40 mins

Course: Main Course

Cuisine: Indian, South Indian

Diet: Gluten Free, Vegan, Vegetarian

Difficulty Level: Moderate

Servings: 4

Calories: 247kcal

Author: Dassana Amit

Ingredients

Prepping soya chunks

• 1 cup soya chunks - 50 grams

• 3 cups water

• 1 pinch salt - optional

For curry

• 3 tablespoons oil - coconut or any neutral oil

• 1 cup finely chopped onions - 120 grams or 1 medium to large

• ½ cup finely chopped tomatoes - or 110 grams or 1 medium-sized

• 1 teaspoon Ginger-Garlic Paste

• ¼ teaspoon turmeric powder

• 1 teaspoon kashmiri red chilli powder or ½ teaspoon red chilli powder or cayenne

• 1 teaspoon coriander powder

• ½ teaspoon cumin powder

• ½ teaspoon fennel powder - optional

• ½ teaspoon Garam Masala Powder

• 2 tablespoons chopped coriander leaves

• 1 tablespoon chopped mint leaves

• 1 cup water

• salt as required

• 1 cup coconut milk

Tempering

• 1 tablespoon oil - coconut or any neutral oil

• 12 to 15 curry leaves

• 1 to 2 green chillies - slit or sliced

For garnish (choose any one)

• 1 to 2 tablespoons chopped coriander leaves

• 1 to 2 tablespoons chopped mint leaves or a few mint sprigs

Instructions

Prepping Soya Chunks

1. Rinse the chunks 2 to 3 times in water and drain all the water. Add 3 cups water and pinch of salt to a pan. Add soya chunks.

2. Boil for 5 minutes. This means that after the water starts to boil, continue to boil for a total of 5 minutes on medium heat.

3. Drain the water. Rinse very well with fresh water.

4. Press and squeeze the chunks to remove all the extra water the chunks have absorbed. Set aside.

Sautéing Onions, Tomatoes, Herbs

1. Heat 3 tablespoons neutral oil in a pan. Keep heat to medium-low or medium.

2. Add 1 cup finely chopped onions and begin to sauté in the oil on medium-low to medium heat.

3. Continue to sauté until onions start to caramelize and turn golden. Reduce heat to low.

4. Add 1 teaspoon ginger-garlic paste to the pan with your caramelized onions.

5. Mix and sauté for few seconds on a low heat until the raw aroma is gone.

6. Add ½ cup finely chopped tomatoes. Sauté on low to medium-low heat until tomatoes soften and become pulpy. Let oil release from the sides.

7. Add ground spices and sauté for 1 to 2 minutes on low heat.

Assemble and Cook Curry

1. Add soya chunks with 2 tablespoons chopped coriander and 1 tablespoon chopped mint leaves.

2. Mix well and season with salt.

3. Add 1 cup water.

4. Mix well. Cover and cook for 10 minutes on medium heat.

5. TIP: If you do not have coconut milk, you can stop here and serve the soya chunks curry. The gravy here will have a medium to medium-thick consistency. If the gravy looks very thick, simply add a bit more water. Be careful not to add too much, as this will dilute the flavors.

Optional - Add Coconut Milk

1. If including coconut milk, first switch off heat and then add 1 cup coconut milk.

2. Mix very well. Put on the heat and simmer on low until the gravy is hot and then switch off heat. Do not boil as the heat can curdle the coconut milk.

Optional - Temper Curry Leaves and Chiles

1. If you use coconut milk, I recommend following this step. Tempering the curry leaves and green chillies adds a lot of flavor to the curry gravy. If you are not using coconut milk, you can skip this step.

2. Heat 1 tablespoon oil in a small pan. Whichever oil you have used earlier, use the same oil at this step.

3. Add 1 or 2 sliced green chillies (depending on your heat preference) and fry them for a few seconds.

4. Add 12 to 15 curry leaves (chopped or kept whole).

5. Stirring well, fry for a few seconds until curry leaves are crisp.

6. Add the tempered spices and oil to the prepared meal maker curry. Mix well.

Serving Suggestions

1. Serve meal maker curry hot or very warm with Roti or Paratha for dipping, or enjoy with simple Steamed Basmati Rice, Jeera Rice or Ghee Rice if you are gluten-free. Garnish the curry with coriander leaves or mint leaves.

2. You can also serve this soya vadi curry as a side gravy with Vegetable Biryani or Pulao.

Storage and Leftovers

1. Store any leftovers in the refrigerator for up to one day only. Since coconut milk is used in the recipe, the gravy can curdle and go rancid if left for too long.

2. To reheat, use a small saucepan. Add a bit of water if the curry has become thick.

Notes

• Preparing Soya Chunks: Boiling is not the only method for preparing soya nuggets, rather is just my preferred way. You can also opt to soak the chunks in hot water for 30 minutes, or prep ahead and soak them in cool water overnight.

• Thickening curry: If you prefer a creamy consistency for the meal maker curry but don't have coconut milk on hand, add 2 to 3 tablespoons almond powder (almond flour/almond meal) or cashew powder. Mix well and simmer for 3 to 4 minutes. If the gravy looks thick, add some water.

• Choose the right soya chunks: In India, soya chunks come in three basic varieties. For this soya chunks curry recipe, you can use either the regular soya chunks or mini chunks. Do not use the soya granules. Make sure to check the soya chunks expiry date and not use if they have gone rancid or have an off odor.

• Coconut Milk Options: Coconut milk adds some rich creaminess to this meal maker curry. You can use canned or homemade thick coconut milk, or add coconut cream as well. Adjust water as needed if using coconut cream. Alternatively, you can add ground cashews or almond flour to thicken the gravy in place of coconut milk.

• Get the right consistency: You can add less or more water to alter the consistency to your liking.

• Herbs & Spices: I recommend to include all the spices and herbs, but you can skip mint leaves and fennel powder if you prefer.

• Additional veggies: To bulk up this vegetarian curry, you can add peas, finely chopped carrots or any veggie which can cook in about ten minutes. You can also opt to roast, steam or sauté heartier vegetables separately and add to the curry once the cooking is complete.

• Scaling: The recipes serves 4, but you can halve or double the proportions as needed.

Nutrition

Calories: 247kcal | Carbohydrates: 15g | Protein: 12g | Fat: 15g | Saturated Fat: 2g | Sodium: 364mg | Potassium: 141mg | Fiber: 6g | Sugar: 7g | Vitamin A: 542IU | Vitamin B1 (Thiamine): 1mg | Vitamin B2 (Riboflavin): 1mg | Vitamin B3 (Niacin): 35mg | Vitamin B6: 1mg | Vitamin B12: 1µg | Vitamin C: 68mg | Vitamin D: 30µg | Vitamin E: 6mg | Vitamin K: 4µg | Calcium: 143mg | Vitamin B9 (Folate): 372µg | Iron: 3mg | Magnesium: 24mg | Phosphorus: 23mg | Zinc: 1mg