Soya chunks and pea Pulao:
Ingredients:
- Basumati rice -2cups
- Onion - 1/2 cup, chopped
- Green chillies - 2 nos, slit open
- Biryani masala powder - 1/2 tsp, optional
- Coriander leaves - 1/4 cup, chopped
- Salt - to taste
- Ghee - 1 tsp
- Oil - 1 tsp
- Coconut milk - 3/4 cup
- Green peas - 1/4 cup,
- Lime juice - 1 1/2 tbsp
For marination:
- Soya chunks - 3/4 cup
- Turmeric powder -1/2sp
- Red chilly powder - 1 1/2 tsp
- Curd - 2 tbsp
- Salt - a pinch
- Ginger garlic paste - 3/4 tsp
To saute and grind:
- Onion - 1 medium sized, chopped
- Tomato - 1 , chopped
- Ginger - 1/4 " piece
- Garlic - 4 pods
- Fennel seeds - 1 tsp
- Garam masala powder - 1 tsp, optional
- Mint leaves - 1 handful
- Oil - 1 tsp, to saute
Method:
- Boil 1 1/2 cups of water with salt, add the soya chunks to the boiling water and cook for 2 to 3 minutes on medium flame. Switch off and drain the water. Leave it for few minutes. In the mean time, carry on with other work. After some time, squeeze out the excess water from the soya chunks and place in a wide bowl. Add the Ginger garlic paste, turmeric powder, red chilly powder, curd, salt and combine well with the soya chunks. Keep it inside the refrigerator for 30 minutes.
- Now take a pan and heat a tsp of oil and saute the chopped onion first. Saute until it turns translucent and then add the fennel seeds, ginger, garlic and fry for 2 minutes on medium flame. Add the chopped tomatoes to the mixture and stir together until the tomato gets cooked. Now add the mint leaves and fry for 15 secs. Finally add the garam masala powder stir together with the masala. Switch off and cool down the masala. Grind them to a fine paste.
- Clean the basmati rice and soak for 10 minutes.
- Add the ghee, oil together in a pan and heat for half a minute. Add the sliced onions and fry them well until it turns translucent. add green chilly and saute well. Now add ground masala and mix well. Cover and cook the masala for 3 minutes on medium low flame. Cook the masala until the oil starts coming out. Now add the marinated soya chunks and the green peas, gently coat with the masala.
- Add the coconut milk (3/4 cup) and water(altogether should come around 2 1/2 cups of liquid,including coconut milk) to the masala and stir together. Cook the masala until it comes to a boil. Add the coriander leaves, lime juice and combine well. Add the soaked rice into the boiling water, mix thoroughly. Cook open until few bubbles spotted on top. Cover the pot now and cook on really low flame for 10 minutes. now ready soya chunks pulao and serve hot with raita/curd.
