SOYA CHUNKS BIRYANI

Soya chunks biryani or meal maker biryani is one of the protein enriched easy biryani that one can make, with lots of veggies of your choice (optional). It can be served without any side dish, however a simple boondi or onion raita also goes well with this. I have tried with boondi raita.

Ingredients:

1. Soya chunks - 2 cups

2. Basmati rice - 2 cups

3. Water - 3 cups

4. Salt to taste

5. Oil - 3 tsp

6. Cloves - 4-5

7. Black pepper - 6-7

8. Bay leaves - 2

9. Onion - 2 medium sized (finely chopped 1.5 cup)

10. Garlic cloves - 4 (crushed)

11. Green chillies - 2 (slit lengthwise)

12. Red chilli powder - 1 tsp

13. Turmeric powder - 1/2 tsp

14. Curd - 3 tsp

15. Garam masala or Biryani masala - 2 tsp

16. Coriander leaves - to garnish

17. Salt to taste

18. Ghee - 1 tea spoon

19. Carrot, Potato, cauliflower - 1 cup - cut into pieces

20. Green peas - 1/4 cup

Process:

1. To start with, in a saucepan, boil 3 cups of water with a pinch of salt and add soya chunks to the boiled water. The soya chunks should be completely immersed in the water. Let them cook for 5 mins. Once done, let them cool for more 5 mins. Rinse the soya chunks in cold water and squeeze the water out of the soya chunks.

2. Cook the rice with with twice the amount of water and salt till its 3/4th done, and set aside. 

3. In a kadhai or wok, add 3 tsp of oil and keep it on medium flame. Add peppers, cloves and bay leaves. When they sizzle, add onions and garlic. Fry them till the onions turn translucent. Then add tomatoes and continue frying till they turn mushy. Add green chillies, red chilli powder, turmeric powder, salt and mix well. 

4. Add all vegetables and soya chunks and cook for 2 mins.

5. Whisk the curd well and mix it with a little water and add in the kadhai. Continue to keep it on medium flame for another 8-10 mins. At this point, the gravy should run thick and the soya chunks should have absorbed the flavor from the gravy.

6. Add garam masala or biryani masala (whichever you are using) and mix properly. Now add the half cooked rice to the kadhai and carefully fold it in and simmer it for 5 mins covering the kadhai with an aluminium foil or simple lid. After 5 mins, off the flame. 

7. Open the lid / aluminium foil and check if rice are cooked properly. Sprinkle coriander leaves and ghee. Serve hot with boondi raita or onion raita.