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    Home » Recipes » Veg Curry » Meal Maker Curry

    Meal Maker Curry (Soya Chunks Curry)

    Published: December 5, 2020 by Sangeetha Vel | Updated: November 3, 2022 Leave a Comment

    2353 shares
    Jump to Recipe

    Meal maker curry which is also called Soya Chunks curry is a protein-rich, flavor-filled savory Indian dish. Soya chunks cooked along with onions, tomatoes, and Indian spices make this curry flavorsome and irresistibly delicious. This meal maker curry is a tasty, healthy, and nutritious side dish that tastes best when served with chapati, roti, or rice dishes. This is a perfect alternate meat for vegan and vegetarian lovers for lunch and dinner.

    meal maker gravy
    Meal Maker Curry / Soya Chunks Curry
    Jump to:
    • What is Meal Maker?
    • Variations of Meal Maker recipe
    • About this Meal Maker Curry
    • Serving Suggetions
    • Related Recipes
    • Meal Maker Curry Recipe video
    • 📖 Recipe
    • FAQ

    What is Meal Maker?

    Meal makers also called soya chunks is a defatted soy flour products extracted from soybean oil. These easily available soya chunks are a good source of protein. These soya chunks are also called meal maker/soya beans that are popular in Indian cuisine and with the people who follow vegan diets around the world.

    In Sri Lanka, soya meat - an alternate term for soya chunks is in use. The people in the region use coconut paste or coconut milk as an additional ingredient to prepare this soya chunks of curry. This meal maker curry is an excellent meat substitute and tastes similar when prepared with the right spices along with other key ingredients.

    Variations of Meal Maker recipe

    As with any other dish, Meal maker curry have a wide range of variations with different styles and spices based on the food habit and traditions of people in a particular region.

    From biryani to pulao, gravy to dry roasts these soya chunks can be made in different varieties to make a flavorsome meal for us to taste and enjoy.

    About this Meal Maker Curry

    The meal maker curry recipe is one of the nutritious and tasty dishes that can be prepared with typical Indian spices. Here in this recipe, I have shared a simple version of soya chunks curry in which the meal maker is cooked in a spicy gravy that is garnished with pepper, lemon juice, and cilantro.

    We cooked the meal maker in boiling water until it turns soft and then squeezed all the water out. Alternatively, you can soak the soya bean in hot water for about 30 minutes to achieve the same softness. The soaked soft soya nuggets are then cooked with a spicy curry base until it thoroughly absorbs all the masala.

    Even though this is a curry version of the meal maker, it can also be made as Soya Keema Masala by grinding the soya chunks in a blender. Though this is a perfect plant-based dish, it tastes similar to a recipe prepared with meat.

    Serving Suggetions

    This soya chunk curry delivers a soft, spongy, and tasty nutritious dish that tastes best with chapati, roti, ghee rice, white rice, and basmati rice or even with simple steamed rice. Alternatively, we can also use Soya chunks to prepare Soya Chunk Rice Bowl or Soya Chunk Wrap which are unique and different in taste but equally delicious.

    Related Recipes

    You could find similar Veg curry recipes below and more under Vegan Recipes.

    • Gutti Vankaya Curry
    • Bhindi Masala
    • Paneer Masala
    • Chole
    • Vatha Kuzhambu
    • Sambar

    To make your life easy, I have also created a collection Indian Vegetarian Lunch Recipes at one place and I believe it will help you to plan your meal and prepare and enjoy at home. Take a peek!

    Meal Maker Curry Recipe video

    I have shared instructions to make this meal maker curry dish in the following video and I believe it will help you to prepare the dish and enjoy at home. For a quick reference, you could also find this recipe in story format.

    Meal Maker Curry / Soya Chunks Curry

    📖 Recipe

    soya chunks curry

    Meal Maker Curry (Soya Chunks Curry)

    Meal maker curry or Soya chunks curry is a protein-rich Indian dish made with soya or meal maker with spices which is a perfect substitute for meat. This curry can be served with roti, chapati, or rice dishes.
    4.75 from 4 votes
    Author: Sangeetha Vel
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    Course: Side Dish
    Cuisine: Indian
    Diet: Vegan
    Prep: 15 mins
    Cook: 20 mins
    Adjust 4 servings

    Ingredients
     
     

    • 1 cup Soya Chunk
    • 1 Onion, thinly sliced
    • ¼ cup Onion paste
    • 2 Tomato, chopped
    • 2 tsp Ginger Garlic Paste
    • 1 Cinnamon Stick, small
    • 4 Cardamom
    • 1 tsp Fennel Seeds
    • ½ tsp Turmeric Powder
    • 1 tsp Chili Powder
    • 3 tsp Coriander Powder
    • 1 tsp All Spice Powder
    • 1 tsp Pepper Powder
    • 1 tsp Lemon Juice
    • Salt, as needed
    • 3 Green Chili
    • ¼ cup Oil
    • Coriander Leaves, to garnish
    • 3 cups Water
    More on Measurements & Conversions »
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    Instructions
     

    To Cook the Meal Maker

    • In a pan with medium heat, pour water and add soya chunks/meal maker, and cook until it turns soft
      boiling soy chunks
    • Drain the soya chunks and squeeze the excess water from it and keep it aside for later use
      squeezing boiled soy chunks

    To Prepare Meal Maker Curry

    • In a pan with medium heat, pour oil and add cardamom, cinnamon stick, and fennel seeds
      adding spices to the hot oil
    • Add sliced onion and green chili and saute until the onion turns soft. Caramelizing the onions to golden brown gives a rich texture to the curry
      adding onion and green chilli
    • Now add the onion paste and saute until the raw aroma leaves. This gives a nice aroma and thickness to the curry
      adding onion paste and sauteing
    • Add ginger-garlic paste and saute until the raw aroma leaves
      adding ginger garlic paste and mixing
    • Now add turmeric, chili, coriander, allspice powder, and salt and combine everything well
      adding masala powders and mixing
    • Add the chopped tomatoes and mix well. Wait until the tomato turns mushy
      adding tomato and combining
    • Add water and mix well and allow it to cook for 5 minutes
      adding water and mixing well
    • Add the drained and squeezed soya chunk or meal maker to the curry mix and give a gentle stir
      adding soy chunks and mixing
    • Close the pan with the lid and cook the curry for 7 to 10 minutes. This helps the soya chunks to absorb all the flavors from the curry
      closing the pan and cooking
    • Open the lid and add pepper powder, lemon juice, and give a quick mix
      adding pepper powder and lemon juice
    • Garnish the curry with Cilantro leaves and switch off the heat
      garnishing with coriander leaves
    • Now the soya chunk curry/gravy is ready for you to taste and enjoy

    To Serve

    • Serve and enjoy the delicious Soya chunk curry with chapati, poori, roti, or as a side for rice dishes
      service soya chunks curry/graavy

    Video

    Notes

    • Cook the soya chunks in hot water for about 7 to 10 minutes to achieve soft and spongy soya chunks
    • Instead of cooking soya chunks, it can also be soaked in hot water for about 30 minutes to get the same softness
    • Pepper powder used in this recipe gives a nice flavor to the curry. You can skip this or reduce the chili powder if the combo feels spicier to your taste

    Nutrition

    Serving: 1serving | Calories: 250kcal | Carbohydrates: 18g | Protein: 13g | Fat: 15g | Saturated Fat: 1g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 4g | Monounsaturated Fat: 9g | Trans Fat: 0.1g | Sodium: 138mg | Potassium: 267mg | Fiber: 8g | Sugar: 7g | Vitamin A: 872IU | Vitamin C: 16mg | Calcium: 128mg | Iron: 4mg
    Tried this recipe?Mention @yellowchilis or tag #yellowchilis!

    FAQ

    What is Meal maker curry?

    Meal maker curry is a healthy Indian curry dish in which Soya chunks are cooked with onions and tomato along with aromatic Indian spices.

    What is Meal maker made of?

    Meal maker or textured vegetable protein is defatted soy flour, a by-product of extracting soybean oil.

    Is meal maker healthy?

    Soya chunks are considered to be a good source of protein, especially for vegans and vegetarians. But any food intake in moderation is key for good health.

    How do we cook soya chunks?

    Soya chunks are cooked in boiling water for about 7 to 10 minutes until it turns soft.

    What are the other names for Soy chunks?

    Soya bean, Meal maker, Soya meat are the other names used in the Indian subcontinent.

    How do we know the soya chunks are properly cooked?

    Soya chunks turn soft and spongy when it reaches the cooked state. It takes approximately 7 to 10 minutes for the same.

    Do I need to add chili as well as pepper powders for this curry?

    Not really. Even though pepper powder adds a nice flavor to the dish, it will increase the spicy level as well. So, if you prefer a less spicy version of the dish, you could either reduce the chili powder or get rid of the pepper powder altogether.

    How long should I soak the soya chunks?

    You can soak the soya chunks in hot water for about 30 minutes to achieve softness. Here we have cooked them in boiling water until it turns soft and then squeezed to get the water out.

    Why did you add pepper powder in this recipe?

    The combination of green chili, pepper powder, and lemon juice usually delivers a special flavor and taste for pepper chicken. To achieve a similar taste, we have used it here.

    Hope you enjoyed the recipe and let us know how it turned out for you!

    If you have any other questions, please feel free to post them in the comment section below and we will try to get back to you as soon as possible.

    Happy Cooking!

    Related Recipes:

    Minced Soya Chunks Recipe Kadala Curry Kerala StyleKadala Curry Recipe Gutti Vankaya Kura/Koora, Andhra Sytle Brinjal CurryGutti Vankaya Kura (Stuffed Brinjal Curry) Thai Red Curry with VegetablesThai Red Curry with Vegetables
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    Hi, I'm Sangeetha Vel! the author, recipe researcher, creator, and cooking hands behind Yellow Chili's. A realistic, friendly, empathetic, and enthusiastic foodie who loves to share authentic, easy, quick, healthy, instant, and kids-approved recipes.

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