Learn how to make easy side dish for chapati - Soya Chunks Kurma recipe with step-wise pictures. Protein rich Meal Maker Kurma, best with chapati, roti, poori or dosa!
Today’s recipe Soya Chunks Kurma is an absolute favorite of mine. I know I say this a lot, and of course I wont share anything that I don’t enjoy cooking. But then, anything with soya chunks or meal maker gets my full marks and I simply love them. Ever since I can remember, I have been a huge fan of meal maker. Amma used to add it to her Sunday biriyanis and sometimes, to her veg kurma. Being a vegetarian family that didn’t even consume eggs, it was dad’s idea to incorporate meal maker in our diet to increase protein intake. I didn’t care for the nutrient information as much, just loved the texture. While there are many who don’t like the taste and smell of soya chunks – I am one of those obsessed with it.
What is Meal Maker and how to cook it?
Dehydrated soya meal, made to chunks is called as Meal Maker. Soya Chunks are made from defatted soyabean meal, a byproduct of extracting soya bean oil. Usually available as large chunks, these should be first cooked in water to rehydrate and washed well to remove any impurities. As soya chunks are really porous, they soak up a lot of water while cooking. Soya doesn’t have taste of its own, so it is better to squeeze off the excess water and that way, it absorbs all the flavors of the Soya Chunks Kurma!
What are the Health Benefits of Soya Chunks?
Soya is a great source of protein and has been used as a supplement in everyday diet. Soya Chunks being made from defatted soya meal is said to reduce the cholesterol and is good for heart health. It is also good for controlling hyper-tension, reducing the risk of osteoporosis. It also helps in weight-loss.
What is Kurma and how to serve it?
Kurma is a tamil style curry usually served with breakfast or dinner recipes – chapati, parotta, dosa, uthappam, roti and set dosa. Almost every vegetable can be made into Kurma and there are also many different versions of kurma recipes. Every hotel makes their kurma differently and just like that, every household’s kurma recipe could also be different. However, there is one common thing across every kurma – the base of the kurma is made from a coconut along with poppy seeds and sometimes, fried gram or cashews. I usally add soya chunks to my Vegetable Kurma but this Soya Chunks Kurma comes in handy if you don’t have any vegetables available.
Check out this easy video recipe for Soya Chunks Kurma –
How to make Soya Chunks Kurma | Meal Maker Kurma –
Soya Chunks Kurma | Meal Maker Kurma
Equipment
- Kadai/Fry Pan
- Blender
MEASUREMENT
1 cup = 250ml, 1 tablespoon = 15ml, 1 teaspoon = 5ml
Ingredients
For Coconut Paste –
- ⅓ cup Chopped Coconut
- 1 teaspoon Fried Gram
- 4-5 Whole Cashews
- 1 teaspoon Poppy Seeds
- Water as needed
For Soya Chunks Kurma –
- 2 cups Soya Chunks
- 2 Medium Onions Finely Chopped
- 1 Medium Tomato Finely Chopped
- 1 teaspoon Ginger Garlic Paste
- 2 teaspoon Oil
- 1 Cinnamon Stick
- 2 Cloves
- 1 Cardamom
- 1 Dried Bay Leaf
- 1 Green Chilli Slit
- ¼ teaspoon Turmeric Powder
- 1 teaspoon Coriander Powder
- 1 teaspoon Kashmiri Red Chilli Powder
- ½ teaspoon Garam Masala Powder
- ¼ cup Coriander & Mint Leaves Tightly Packed
- Few Fresh Curry Leaves
- Salt as needed
- Water as needed
Instructions
- First cook the soya chunks in enough water. Once cooled down, squeeze off the excess water. Set aside.
- Add the ingredients under “coconut paste” and grind into a smooth paste by adding little water. Set aside.
- In a pan, heat 2 teaspoon oil. Add cinnamon stick, cloves, cardamom & bay leaf.
- Add finely chopped onions and slit green chilli. Fry for a couple of mins and add fresh curry leaves.
- As the onions turn translucent, add ginger garlic paste. Cook until the raw smell is gone for about 3 mins.
- Add finely chopped tomatoes and cook them until slightly mushy.
- Now add all the spice powders – turmeric powder, Kashmiri red chilli powder, coriander powder and salt as needed.
- Cook for a couple of minutes and as the oil oozes from the sides, add coriander and mint leaves. Cook for another 2 minutes.
- Next add cooked soya chunks. Add some water as needed and cook for 3-4 mins.
- Now add the prepared coconut paste and quickly add some water. Mix well.
- As the kurma comes to a slow boil, add garam masala powder.
- Let the gravy boil on low flame for 3-4 mins.
- Garnish with fresh coriander leaves and remove from heat.
- Serve hot with chapati/roti, parotta and it goes really well with dosa varieties too!
Video
Nutrition
Detailed step-wise picture recipe of making Soya Chunks Kurma | Meal Maker Kurma –
First cook the soya chunks in enough water. Once cooled down, squeeze off the excess water. Set aside.
Add the ingredients under “coconut paste” and grind into a smooth paste by adding little water. Set aside.
In a pan, heat 2 teaspoon oil. Add cinnamon stick, cloves, cardamom & bay leaf. Add finely chopped onions and slit green chilli. Fry for a couple of mins and add fresh curry leaves.
As the onions turn translucent, add ginger garlic paste. Cook until the raw smell is gone for about 3 mins.
Add finely chopped tomatoes and cook them until slightly mushy.
Now add all the spice powders – turmeric powder, Kashmiri red chilli powder, coriander powder and salt as needed.
Cook for a couple of minutes and as the oil oozes from the sides, add coriander and mint leaves. Cook for another 2 minutes.
Next add cooked soya chunks. Add some water as needed and cook for 3-4 mins.
Now add the prepared coconut paste and quickly add some water. Mix well.
As the kurma comes to a slow boil, add garam masala powder.
Let the gravy boil on low flame for 3-4 mins.
Garnish with fresh coriander leaves and remove from heat.
Serve hot with chapati/roti, parotta and it goes really well with dosa varieties too!
nitaara
Recipe looks so yummy…will surely try…
One query…
Will it effects the taste of dish if we skip poppy seeds…??
Ramya
Hi Nitaara, poppy seeds add creaminess and nutty flavour to the kurma. You can skip it off you don't have them, it should still be fine 🙂
PansandProses
This is delicious!
Ramya
Thank you 🙂
Yasha Ramesh Desai
Hi,
Coconut grated howmuch would be required for the given recipe measurement..Can u guide on this please
Ramya
Hi Yasha,
You can use upto 1/2 cup grated coconut and can up to 3/4 cup if not packed tightly. Hope this helps!