Chettinad Soya Chunks Masala
Chettinad soya chunks masala gives soy chunks the dark roasted Chettinad spice treatment.
Jump to recipe ↓
1 hr 10 mintotal
50 min hands-on20 min hands-off
Prep 20 min · Cook 30 min
- Serves
- 2
- Difficulty
- Medium
- Spice
- High
Ingredients
Quantities are for 2 servings.
You'll need: Stovetop.
Includes boiling time.
Method
In a heavy pan, artfully dry roast the fennel seeds, black peppercorns, dry red chillies, and freshly grated coconut until they transition to a deep golden hue and emit an intoxicating aroma. Cool the blend, then process it into a luxuriously smooth paste with a splash of water.
Bring the cooking oil to a shimmer in a kadhai. Introduce the curry leaves, allowing them to crackle, followed immediately by the finely chopped onions. Sauté with dedication until the onions become perfectly translucent.
Add the chopped tomatoes and cook the mixture down hard until they break into a soft base.
Stir the spectacular freshly ground Chettinad coconut paste into the pan. Fry this master masala for 5 minutes, waiting for the oil to elegantly bead and separate at the perimeters.
5 min
Add the boiled soya chunks, squeezed dry, along with the salt. Toss well so each chunk soaks up the masala.
Pour in water to construct the gravy, secure the lid tightly, and command a gentle simmer on a low flame for 10 minutes, allowing the complex spices to deeply penetrate the protein.
10 min
How to tell it's done
Meaty, soft chunks swimming in a highly aromatic, dark, and thick peppery coconut gravy.
Getting it right
Tip
The culinary triumph of this dish rests entirely on squeezing the boiled soya chunks mercilessly dry; this critical action transforms them into literal flavor vacuums, ready to absorb the spectacular Chettinad gravy.
What to serve it with
Best plated scorching hot, next to a flaky Malabar parotta or plain ghee rice.
More Indian recipes to cook
Chettinad Meen Kuzhambu
Meen kuzhambu is a Chettinad fish curry, sharp with tamarind and cooked in sesame oil with shallots.
Chettinad Mushroom Masala
Chettinad mushroom masala cooks mushrooms in freshly ground coconut and the region's dark roasted spices.
Chettinad Pepper Chicken Masala
Pepper chicken masala leans on coarsely crushed black pepper, the Chettinad way rather than chilli heat.
Chettinad Prawn Masala
Chettinad prawn masala cooks prawns fast in the dark roasted Chettinad spice blend.
Chettinad Vengaya Paruppu
Chettinad vengaya paruppu is a peppery pigeon pea dal with whole shallots and a fresh coconut-fennel paste.
Chicken Keema Dal
Chicken keema dal cooks minced chicken into the dal so the two finish together.