Craving for something meaty during this lockdown? Missing all your meat dishes? Well, here is a recipe to satisfy your meat cravings – Soya peas pulao!
Soya is a great replacement for meat. Soya chunks, available as ‘meal maker’ in the market is very bland with a chewy texture. They taste great when flavored with spices and herbs. Soya chunks are very versatile meaning that whatever you marinate them with they will soak up all the flavors in no time. So, you can easily reproduce all the meaty flavors and taste in them.
The general impression of soya is that it benefits the bones, heart, etc. Not to forget that soya is a complete source of plant based protein. Also, they are high in unsaturated fats, fibre, vitamins and minerals. So, you may now start to think that it is a wonder food. But, along with all these benefits, there comes many disadvantages too!
High consumption of soya is said to interfere with thyroid functioning. They are also high in phytic acid. Phytic acid can block the absorption of minerals like calcium, zinc and iron.
Soya is also high in phytoestrogens and isoflavones. Because of its high estrogen content, men are advised to consume in minimum. However, even women can refrain from consuming a lot of soya and soya products. It is good to consume soy products occasionally instead of having them daily thinking that it is a good source of plant based protein for vegetarians.
So, once in a while when you are very much deprived of meat, may be you can replace it with meal maker or soya chunks. These are readily available in the market. Anyways, this pulao is a great option to add some protein and flavor to your lunch meal replacing your daily boring meal!
On day-19 of the No Veggies, 21-day Lockdown Series is a simple soya peas pulao recipe involving no marination. So, it gets ready quickly for you to enjoy it with your family! Serve them with some onion raita or some seasoned curd by the side. Stay safe, stay healthy! Happy cooking and eating!
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Soya Peas Pulao
Ingredients
- 1 cup basmati rice
- 1 cup mini soya chunks
- 1 tbsp ghee
- 1 tbsp oil
- 2 1-inch stick cinnamon
- 5-6 cloves
- 2 bay leaves
- 2 star anise
- 1 tsp cumin seeds
- 1 medium-sized onion, sliced
- 1 tbsp ginger-garlic-green chili paste
- 1/2 cup fresh or frozen green peas
- 1/4 tsp turmeric powder
- 1 tsp red chili powder
- 1/2 tsp kashmiri chili powder
- 1 tsp coriander powder
- 1 tsp garam masala
- 1 tbsp curd
- 2 cups water
- handful of chopped coriander leaves
- handful of chopped mint leaves
- salt, as per taste
Instructions
- Wash and soak the rice in enough water for 20 minutes.
- In a bowl, add soya chunks and hot water to it.Let the soya chunks soak in it for 10 minutes
- By now, the soya chunks would have doubled in size.
- Squeeze the water from the soya chunks using your hand and transfer it to a clean plate.
- In a pressure cooker on medium flame, add oil and ghee.
- Add the cinnamon, cloves, bay leaves, star anise and cumin seeds. Let it splutter.
- Add the onions and saute until they turn translucent.
- Add the ginger-garlic-green chili paste and saute until raw smell disappears.
- Add the green peas to the pressure cooker.
- Add all the spice powders (turmeric powder, red chili powder, kashmiri chili powder, coriander powder and garam masala). Mix well.
- Add the curd and mix well.
- Add the squeezed soya chunks and mix it with the sauteed onions in the pressure cooker.
- Add 2 cups water to the pressure cooker and let it come to a boil.
- When the water is boiling., add the chopped coriander leaves, mint leaves and salt.
- Add the soaked rice. Mix gently without breaking the grains and check for seasoning. Cover the pressure cooker and cook for 4 whistles or until rice is cooked. Let the pressure settle naturally.
- Open the cooker and fluff the rice with a fork. Serve hot with some curd by the side.
Notes
- Soak the rice atleast for 15 minutes.
- Squeeze all the excess water from the soya chunks.
- You can replace the ghee with oil also.
- You can also add tomatoes if you want to. If you are adding tomatoes , then add them after the onions and saute until they turn soft..
- Fresh green peas or frozen green peas can be used.
- Adjust the spices according to taste.
- Rice to water ratio that i have taken is 1:2 (rice:water).
- While checking for seasonings, ensure that the water is slightly salty. If not add a bit more salt until it is.
- While adding the soaked rice, mix gently and evenly without breaking the grains.Fluff the rice gently without breaking the rice.
