Name: Malai Soya Chaap Biryani
Prep time: 20 min
Cook time: 35 min
Total time: 85 min
Yield: 2 servings
Cuisine: Indian
Ingredients: 200 g Basmati Rice, soaked; 200 g Soy Chaap, sticks removed, cut into rounds; 4 tbsp Fresh Cream, heavy cream for rich marinade; 2 tbsp Indian-Style Yogurt, thick, whisked; 2 Green Chili Pepper, finely crushed to paste; ½ tsp Ground Cardamom, for royal fragrance; 10 Cashews, made into a smooth paste; 1½ tbsp Butter, for tossing the chaap; 2 tbsp Ghee, for layering; 1 tbsp Biryani Masala, mildly spiced; 1 tsp Salt, to taste

1 hr 25 mintotal

55 min hands-on30 min hands-off

Prep 20 min · Cook 35 min

Serves: 2
Difficulty: Medium
Spice: Mild

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Method

Remove the soya chaap from sticks and cut them into 1-inch thick rounds. In a pan, lightly toast them in the measured butter for 3-4 minutes until they have a slight golden crust.
3–4 min
In a mixing bowl, create the 'Malai' marinade by combining fresh cream, whisked curd, cashew paste, crushed green chilli paste, cardamom powder, and half of the salt.
Toss the butter-toasted soya chaap pieces into this rich white marinade. Let them sit for 15 minutes to absorb the creamy flavors.
15 min
Boil the soaked basmati rice in water flavored with whole spices (optional) and salt until 80% done. Drain well.
In a thick-bottomed pot, spread the marinated malai soya chaap along with all the creamy marinade as the base layer.
Sprinkle the biryani masala evenly over the chaap layer.
Top it with the par-boiled basmati rice. Drizzle the measured ghee over the rice.
Seal the pot tightly with foil or a tight-fitting lid. Cook on Dum (very low heat) for 12-15 minutes.
12–15 min
Turn off the heat and let it rest for 5 minutes. Mix gently to reveal creamy, meat-like chaap chunks mingling with aromatic rice.
5 min

How to tell it's done

Soft, spongy, meat-like chunks heavily coated in a sweet-savory white cream sauce, buried under perfectly separate, fluffy rice grains.

Getting it right

Tip

Toasting the soya chaap in butter before marinating prevents them from becoming overly soggy and helps them hold their shape within the rich, creamy gravy during Dum.

What to serve it with

A mild, rich biryani that pairs beautifully with a spicy mint-coriander chutney and a simple onion salad.

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Ingredients