Serves 4 people
250 g soya chunks (textured soy protein)
700 ml water for boiling the soya chunks
400 g paneer
1 tsp oil for grilling the cottage cheese
120 g curd (whisked to ensure it is smooth and free of lumps)
1 tsp salt
1/4 tsp ground black pepper
1 tsp red chili powder
1 tsp amchoor (dried mango powder)
1 english breakfast tea bag
1 tbsp sugar
gravy:

2 tbsp ghee
2 tsp vegetable oil
1 tsp cumin seeds
2 bay leaves
2-3 cloves
2 green cardamom pods
1 inch cinnamon stick
550 g red onions (chopped)
1 tsp turmeric powder
10 g or 3 - 4 green chilies, slit into half, do not remove the seeds
2 tbsp kashmiri red chili powder
1 tsp red chili powder
500 g tomatoes (pureed)
2 tsp salt
1 tsp coriander powder
1 tsp cumin powder
½ tsp garam masala
1 tsp dried fenugreek leaves
10 – 12 cashew nuts (fried)

Recipe Courtesy of
Tanya Bhatia

Paneer & Soya Chunks Masala

After going meat free, you might think that your protein sources are limited, but don’t worry - this Paneer & Soya Chunks Masala is a delicious way to incorporate proteins into your vegetarian diet. Packed with protein, soya chunks and paneer are served in a rich and creamy masala gravy that is made with a fragrant mix of Indian spices. Topped with fried cashew nuts for an extra crunch, this wholesome dish is best enjoyed with rice or flatbreads.

Difficulty: Easy

Preparation: 20 min
Cook: 30 min
Clean up: 15 min

Steps: 4 steps
31 Ingredients

Difficulty: Easy
Steps: 4 steps
31 Ingredients

Preparation: 20 min
Cook: 30 min
Clean up: 15 min

Instructions

Preparing the soya chunks
- In a pot, add 700ml water and bring to a boil.
- Once it begins to boil, add the salt, sugar, and the tea bag.
- Add the soya chunks and let it simmer for 7 – 8 minutes. Doing this imparts some color to the soya chunks and adds a mild sweetness.
- Strain or sieve the soya chunks and save the water for making the masala gravy later.
- Wash the soya chunks in cold water to stop them from cooking further.
- Press the soya chunks to remove excess water.

Marinating the soya chunks
- In a bowl, add the whisked curd, red chili powder, Amchoor, and black pepper.
- Add the soya chunks to the bowl and mix well. Marinate them for 30 minutes at room temperature.

Preparing the Paneer
- Using a heart shaped cookie cutter, cut the Paneer into shapes. The cookie cutter I’m using measures 6cm by 6cm, and the thickness of the Paneer pieces is about 1.5cm each.
- In a pan, add 1 tsp of oil and grill the heart-shaped Paneer on both sides, till they are golden brown.
- Once browned, remove them from the pan and place the paneer pieces onto a piece of parchment paper or kitchen towel to absorb excess oil.

Preparing the masala gravy
- Set a pan on medium heat. Add ghee and vegetable oil. You can use the same pan that was used to cook the Paneer.
- Add cumin seeds, bay leaves, cloves, green cardamom pods and cinnamon stick, sauté for 1 minute.
- Add the chopped onions and cook on medium heat until they turn golden brown.
- Add turmeric powder, green chilies, and Kashmiri red chili powder. Stir and cook until the ghee separates or about 7 – 8 minutes. When the ghee separates, it means the gravy has been cooked thoroughly.
- Add the tomatoes, salt, red chili powder, coriander powder and cumin powder. Cook for 15 – 20 minutes on medium low heat.
- As the gravy will look quite thick now, add about 240g of the leftover water that was used to prepare the soya chunks. a little at a time.
- Lower the heat and add the marinated soya chunks. Stir to mix gently. Cook for about 4 – 5 minutes.
- Adding the soya chunks will make the gravy thicken. If you wish, add more leftover water to adjust the consistency of the gravy, or about 100g of water. Cook for another 4 – 5 minutes.
- Add garam masala and dried fenugreek LEAVES OR POWDER? And continue to cook for 2 – 3 minutes.

Plate and Serve!

Garnish with the fried cashew nuts and grilled Paneer, and it is ready to serve!

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Name: Paneer & Soya Chunks Masala
Prep time: P0Y0M0D0H20M0S
Cook time: P0Y0M0D0H30M0S
Total time: P0Y0M0D0H50M0S
Yield: Serves 4 people
Cuisine: Asian
Ingredients: 250 g soya chunks (textured soy protein); 700 ml water for boiling the soya chunks; 400 g paneer; 1 tsp oil for grilling the cottage cheese; 120 g curd (whisked to ensure it is smooth and free of lumps); 1 tsp salt; 1/4 tsp ground black pepper; 1 tsp red chili powder; 1 tsp amchoor (dried mango powder); 1 english breakfast tea bag; 1 tbsp sugar; gravy: 2 tbsp ghee; 2 tsp vegetable oil; 1 tsp cumin seeds; 2 bay leaves; 2-3 cloves; 2 green cardamom pods; 1 inch cinnamon stick; 550 g red onions (chopped); 1 tsp turmeric powder; 10 g or 3 - 4 green chilies, slit into half, do not remove the seeds; 2 tbsp kashmiri red chili powder; 1 tsp red chili powder; 500 g tomatoes (pureed); 2 tsp salt; 1 tsp coriander powder; 1 tsp cumin powder; ½ tsp garam masala; 1 tsp dried fenugreek leaves; 10 – 12 cashew nuts (fried)