Soya chunks curry

Soya chunks are a great alternative to your meat based dishes. They are populary also known as meal maker. Soya chunks are made from soya beans and are a storehouse of high proteins and a good source of fibre. The amount of protein contained in 100 g of soya chunks are a whopping 54.2 g and only 0.4 g of fat. 

Soya chunks as such are very bland in taste but when made into a good gravy, they absorb all the wonderful flavors from them and become very tasty and meaty. This soya chunks curry almost tastes like a meat dish. The addition of kalpaasi here almost gave this dish the taste of a meat curry. Kalpaasi is often used in the seasoning of meat dishes to enhance its flavor. Coconut milk added here gives a suble undertone of richness and sweetness

Ingredients

1 cup soya chunks

2 medium sized potato

1 medium sized onion 

2 medium sized tomato

1/4 ts turmeric powder, 1 ts chilli powder, 2 ts coriander powder, 1 ts chicken masala

1 ts ginger garlic paste

1 ts fennel seed

Few kalpaasi (black stone flower/ dagad phool)

Few curry leaves

1/3 cup thick coconut milk

Preparation

- Extract coconut milk and keep them ready.

- Boil potatoes until half done. Peel skin and chop them in cubes.

- Put soya chunks in hot boiling water and rest it for about 5 minutes. After soya chunks have become spongy, squeeze out the water from them and keep it aside. If the soya chunks are bigger sized, you may cut them into smaller bite size pieces.

- Heat oil in a kadai. Temper hot oil with fennel seed and kalpaasi.

- Add thinly sliced onions and saute until they turn translucent.

- Add ginger garlic paste and fry for a minute.

- Add chopped tomatoes.

- Add turmeric, chilli, coriander and the chicken masala powder. Also add the required salt. 

- Cook till the tomatoes become mushy or until oil seperates from the mixture.

- Now add the soya chunks and cubed potatoes.

- Add about a cup of water. Mix everything well.

- Allow the gravy to boil. Then simmer till the gravy reduces and thickens.

- Finally add the thick coconut milk and simmer for about 2-3 minutes.