I got a comment on Jan 21 from unknown person ‘V’ asking me if my mum or I knew how to make Soya Chunks Curry?

I replied saying I would get to it immediately, but oops – it’s taken me a little longer than I had planned. Apologies ‘V’.

This curry is a popular one for vegetarians. You can make it with or without the potatoes.

I am not 100% convinced about soya meat. To me it feels too synthetic and therefor not entirely healthy. But I have not done enough research to understand it’s nutritional qualities – if it all it has any. So for this reason, I don’t eat it often.

There are probably 20 different varieties of soya meat on the market. I don’t like the round ones. My mum uses a brand which seems to have a more chicken like texture. which may turn off vegetarians – which could be a turn off for vegetarians. It’s all very complex. 🙂

Anyway it is a popular dish in my mum’s kitchen and many other Tamil homes and ‘V’ has requested it. So here goes.

INGREDIENTS

• 375g frozen soya meat
• 1 small onion medium chopped
• 3 cloves garlic medium chopped
• 2 medium tomatoes medium diced
• 12 curry leaves torn in 1/2
• 1 ¼ tsp salt
• 2 tsp curry powder (we use King’s curry powder now)
• ¼ cup coconut milk (milk/soy milk alternative)
• 3 small to medium potatoes cut in large pieces
• ½ tsp fenugreek seeds
• 1 tsp ground pepper&cumin spice*
• 1 Tbl vegetable oil
• 3/4 tsp ground paprika (my mum says this is for colour and not taste)

* This is a little secret spice my mum uses which is a combination of ground pepper and ground cumin in equal parts. We also use it for Lentil Curry.

1. Boil water in a kettle.
2. Cover the soya meat in the boiling water and soak for 5 minutes or until it becomes soft.
3. Cut the soya meat into smaller pieces (as small as you would like it).
4. Using your hands squeeze the water out of the soya meat and place in a bowl.
5. Add the salt and the curry powder to the soya meat.
6. Heat oil to a pan.
7. Add onions and garlic and fry till deep golden brown.
8. Add fenugreek seeds and fry for 1 minute.
9. Add tomatoes and fry on low heat till it becomes soft (approx 5 minutes).
10. Add soya meat.
11. Add 2 cups of boiling kettle water.
12. Add the potatoes and cover.
13. Cook until potato becomes soft
14. Add coconut milk and cook for another 3 minutes
15. Add the pepper&cumin spice and curry leaves.
16. Turn off stove.
17. Serve.