This soya chaap masala is my take on my dad’s chicken curry. It has a delectable gravy made with aromatics and whole spices, with tender chunks of soya chaap that might make you wonder where this plant-based protein has been all your life.
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My foray into Indian meat alternatives started with a craving. A craving for my dad’s chicken curry, but more specifically, the joy that came with sharing it, savoring the first bite in silence, and discussing how this version compared to past versions. Is the curry thicker than usual? How do we feel about the sharp slices of ginger? To mimic his aromatic gravy with tender chicken, I decided to employ soya chaap—a combination of soy and wheat wrapped around a popsicle stick and found in cans at Indian grocery stores. I know it doesn’t sound appealing, but take these lumps off the sticks, cut them into bite-size pieces, and fry them until golden and crisp on the outside with a flaky, chewy texture on the inside…I hope that sounds better.
In India, soya chaap and nutrela (soya chunks) are considered meat alternatives, but you won’t find soya chaap on the menu at most restaurants. (For more on soy’s journey through India, the Soy Info Center has a comprehensive timeline.) Perhaps it is because Indian cuisine has well-known plant-based options that successfully prove that meat isn’t necessary to complete a meal. That being said, soya chaap is a top notch alternative to meat, which got me thinking about how many minimally processed meat alternatives have been produced by non-Western cultures for centuries, yet we don’t encounter them in the average American grocery store. Check out the newsletter for a brief history of plant-based meat and culture!
How to Make Soya Chaap Masala
Fry the soya chaap
Take the soya chaap off of the popsicle sticks and cut into 1-inch pieces. Fry the soya chaap. It doesn’t have to be deep frying, as I found it to work well when submerged in a little oil.
Marinate the soya chaap
After the fried pieces have cooled down a bit, marinate in plant-based yogurt, red chili powder, turmeric, chaat masala, and salt.
Make the aromatic gravy
Start by blooming whole spices in oil. I went to town with bay leaves, cinnamon, cloves, cumin seeds, black cardamom, and green cardamom. These whole spices will release fat-soluble compounds that will flavor this dish very nicely!
For texture purposes, I chopped one onion and made a paste of another onion, ginger, and garlic. I wanted it to be smooth, but with texture, so making the onion-ginger-garlic taste and tomato paste is great for that.
Add some green chilis, ground spices like coriander and kashmiri chili powder, and some water to bring it to the texture you want. Add the marinated soya chaap, serve with roti, rice, or paratha, and enjoy!
Soya Chaap Masala
Ingredients
marinated soya chaap
- 800 g soya chaap
- oil for frying
- ½ cup plant-based yogurt
- ½ tsp red chili powder
- ½ tsp turmeric
- 1 tsp chaat masala
- salt to taste
soya chaap masala
- 2 red onions
- 2 inch ginger
- 6 garlic cloves
- 4 roma tomatoes, processed into ~ 1 cup tomato puree
- 2 tbsp neutral oil
- 1 tbsp vegan butter *optional, sub with oil
- 2 bay leaves
- 1 cinnamon stick
- 3 cloves
- 1 tsp cumin seeds
- 1 black cardamom
- 2 green cardamom
- salt to taste
- 3 green chilis, slit in half
- 1 tsp ground coriander
- 1 tsp kashmiri chili powder
- 1.5 cups water, plus more if needed
- ½ tsp garam masala
- 1 tsp kasoori methi (dried fenugreek leaves)
Instructions
- Take the soya chaap off of the sticks and cut into 1-inch pieces. Heat a pot or large saucepan with about an inch of oil. I ended up using about half a cup. Fry the chaap until golden brown and slightly crisp on all sides, which should take about 10 minutes.
- Marinate the soya chaap in yogurt, red chili powder, turmeric, chaat masala, and salt. Combine and let it sit until you're ready to use it.
- To prepare for making the soya chaap masala, finely chop 1 red onion. Process the other onion with all the ginger and garlic to form a coarse paste. Process the roma tomatoes separately for the tomato puree.
- Heat oil in either the same pot/saucepan or a different one over medium heat. Add a little vegan butter. When it's hot, bloom the whole spices: bay leaves, cinnamon, cloves, cumin seeds, black cardamom, and green cardamom until they begin to release their aromas.
- Add the chopped onions and stir until translucent and slightly golden, so about 4-5 minutes. Add the onion-ginger-garlic paste and cook for another 4-5 minutes. Add the tomato puree and a big pinch of salt. Increase heat to medium-high and allow the tomato juices to mostly evaporate, which usually takes 6-8 minutes.
- At this point, everything should be well-combined with one another. Add the slit green chilis, ground coriander, and kashmiri chili powder. Combine the spices with the gravy for a minute. Then add about 1 cup of water. Cover and simmer until it is at the texture you prefer. Add more water if necessary.
- Finish with garam masala, kasoori methi, and salt to taste. Add the marinated soya chaap and simmer for another 10 minutes. Cover to maintain the texture of the gravy.
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Yayyy glad you enjoyed!
sooo gooooodddd omg …i miss india 🙁
Great recipe. I tried it and it was delicious!
Glad you enjoyed it! That sounds amazing.
This is a phenomenal recipe! Enjoyed this dish with flaky laccha paratha 😃