Meal maker/Soya bite Gravy / Soya Chunks Gravy(Chettinad Style)

Well….I never tasted this recipe in actual chettiand home! But I always liked their extra spicy, hot hot & super hot curry recipes. Since most of the restaurants only produce their curry in non-veg form! Most of my family and friends happens not to taste their great curry! So I tried to fix the same curry for my veggie lovers!

So this could be called my creation!:) And my mother likes meal maker so much! So here you go! Meal maker/soya chucks could be related to vegetarian’s meat! Has it is rich in protein, tastes bit like meat, the texture is like meat….and even the color! So this make a perfect pick for chettinad Gravy.

Ingredients:

Soya bites/meal maker 1 large bowl full
onion 1
tomato 1
ginger-garlic paste 1 spoon
Green chilies 3
Curry leaves 3 twigs
Cashew nuts 2
Clove 2
Cinnamon sticks 2
Cardamom 2
Fennel seeds 1 spoon(som)
Cumin seeds 1 spoon(seeragam/jeera)
Black pepper 1 spoon
Cas cas/poppy seeds 1 spoon
Dhaniya/Coriander seeds 1 spoon
Dry coconut powder1 spoon
Star anise 1
Bay leaves 1-2
Marathi mokku 2
Oil 1 cup
Salt
Turmeric powder 1/4 spoon
Red chili powder 1 spoon

Method:

1. In a vessel add soya chunks and salt plus water. cook them on low flame for 5-10 minutes. And drain the water. squeeze soya chunks in a colander to drain all water out. Then set it aside.

2. In a large kadai/pan roast all spices together (clove, cinnamon, cardamom, dhaniya, cumin, fennel, pepper, cas cas, cashew nuts, dry coconut) roast them till good flavour and at the same time not too brown. powder them in a blender and store it in an air tight container.

3. In a large pan add oil. Add onions to it. Fry them till golden brown and add ginger-garlic paste. Fry them till its raw smell is gone. Then add tomato to it and fry for a while. Now grind them to a thick paste and set aside.

4. In a deep bottomed pan add oil. Add green chilies and curry leaves. Further add marathi mokku and bay leaves. Now add onion paste and fry for a while. Then add soya chunks. Now its time to add salt, turmeric and chili powder.

5. Once the soya bites are blend to the gravy well add the garam masala powder. let it be over high flame for at least few minutes….so that masala’s raw smell is gone. this can be taken along with paratha, chappathi, poori or mild flavoured ghee rice, pulav…etc.