For years, food lovers have been captivated by briyani because of its combination of spices and aromatic flavours. Briyani has endless variations depending on the masala, meat or technique you use. Today, we're excited to show you our Soya Chunk Briyani recipe, a flavourful vegetarian friendly variation on the traditional meat-based briyani using the Aria Kitchen All Purpose Masala. If you are vegan fret not, all you will need to do is replace the yogurt in this recipe, with your favourite plant-based yogurt.
Recently, soya chunks have been taking the vegetarian and vegan community by storm due to its chewiness that very closely resembles the texture of meat. Nutritionally, since soya chunks are purely made from dehydrated soya, it is highly packed in quality plant-based protein, making it popular in the gym community. The beauty of using soya chunks in cooking is its ability to adapt to almost any recipe due to its simple flavour. This allows you to infuse soya chunks with any flavour you need to make it taste exactly how you like it! In this recipe, we wanted the soya chunks to resemble chicken. To do so, we soaked the soya chunks in vegan chicken stock for 20 minutes.
If you are a meat-lover however, you can always opt for your favourite meat. This recipe can be made with chicken, mutton, fish, and even prawns.
INGREDIENTS
Soya Chunk Marinade
40g Soya Chunks soaked in stock or water (if using water, add salt)
2 cups 'Chicken' Stock / Water
Yogurt / Plant-based yogurt
1/2 tablespoon Chilli Powder
1/2 teaspoon Turmeric Powder
Briyani
2 tablespoons Oil
2 pods of Cardamom
2 pieces of Cloves
1 Large Onion Diced
1 Tablespoon Ginger Garlic Paste
2 slit Green Chillies
2 Medium Tomatoes Diced
100g Frozen Green Peas
1/2 Teaspoon Turmeric Powder
1/2 Tablespoon Chilli Powder
1 1/2 Tablespoons Aria Kitchen All Purpose Masala
1 cup Uncooked Basmati Rice
1 1/2 cup leftover stock/water
1 Teaspoon Garam Masala
Coriander leaves for garnishing
INSTRUCTIONS 1) Marinate your soaked and strained soya chunks with the ingredients listed in the marinade section for 20 minutes.
2) Heat up some oil in a deep pot and tamper your cardamom and cloves.
3) Once the spices begin to brown lightly, add in your diced onion and slit green chillies until they become soft and caramelise.
4) Add your ginger and garlic paste and allow it to cook for a couple minutes.
5) You can then add in your diced tomatoes and stir until the mixture resembles a paste-like texture.
6) You can now add any of your vegetables, we used green peas but you can also add peppers if you like.
7) When the vegetables have softened up, it can be seasoned with chilli powder, turmeric powder, salt and the Aria Kitchen All Purpose Masala.
9) Once you begin to smell the aroma of the masalas, throw in your marinated soya chunks and stir well until they are well coated.
10) Pour in your rinsed rice followed by your leftover stock/water.
11) Add in your garam masala and mix everything together.
12) Bring to a light simmer and cover for 20 minutes (depending on your rice).
13) Serve with garnished coriander and raita.