chilli soya chunks recipe (2024)

• 1 cup uncooked dry soya chunks
• 1 1 cup onion chopped into medium squares
• 1 cup tomato puree
• 2 green chillies adjust to taste
• 1/2 cup green capsicum cut into squares
• 1 tablespoon ginger garlic paste use freshly minced ginger and garlic for best taste
• 3-4 dry red chillies adjust to taste
• 2 tablespoons soya sauce
• 1 tablespoons tomato sauce / ketchup or hot and sweet sauce
• 2 tablespoons oil
• 2 tablespoons spring onions or scallions for garnishing
• Salt to taste

• Bring 4 cups of water to a rolling boil, add 1/2 tsp salt and the soya chunks to it. Keep covered and let it soak for 30 mins.

• Heat the oil in a pan and add the dry red chillies.

• To this, add the onions, capsicum, green chillies and ginger-garlic paste.

• Fry for 2-3 minutes on medium heat until the red chillies turn brown and the onions get transparent. Take care not to burn the chillies. Turn off heat.

• When ready, drain the soaked soya chunks in a colander and reserve the water.

• Squeeze them gently to remove excess water and add to the pan. The soya chunks should be very soft at this stage.

• Turn the heat back on. Add salt and toss well, letting everything cook together for about 5 minutes and until well combined.

• Takes the reserved water from soaking the soya chunks and adjust it to get 1.5 cups water in total, adding more plain water if required

• Add the soya sauce, pureed tomato and tomato sauce to this water and mix well.

• Turn the heat to high and add this to the pan with the soya chunks.

• Mix well on high heat for 30 seconds and then lower the heat to medium-low. Cook closed for 8-10 mins until the gravy cooks down and the soya chunks absorb some extra moisture.

• When done, adjust salt. Garnish with the spring onions.

There are a few different ways to hydrate the soya chunks. I find soaking in boiled hot water to be the easiest and least hands-on method. Share in comments below if you have a better technique.

The quantity of sauce in this recipe can be varied according to personal choice. Since I served it with roti, I wanted more gravy than normal. Make sure you adjust water accordingly because as you keep this dish longer, the soya nuggets will absorb more and more water making the dish drier than you may wish it to be. If you find the gravy too watery, mix 1 teaspoon corn flour (corn starch) with some 2 teaspoons water and add to the dish, heat it through, and serve warm.

Soya chunks tend to have a distinct smell. If you are not a fan of that but love the texture and taste, add some minced garlic to the hot water while soaking them.

Another trick to remove the raw smell of soya chunks is to add 3-4 teaspoons of milk to the hot water they soak in. I personally haven’t tried this one so let me know if you do!