Soya Chunks Masala

Ingredients:

1. Soya chunks - 1.5 cups
2. cinnamon - 1 inch piece
3. Cloves - 1
4. Black pepper - 1
5. Cashew nut - 8
6. Coriander seeds - 2 tbs
7. Garlic, crushed - 4 cloves
8. Dry red chilli - 2
9. Coconut shredded - 1/2 cup
10. Onion - 1 medium size
11. Tomato, chopped  - 1 cup
12. Cooked Green peas - 1/2 cup (optional)
13. Coriander leaves, chopped - 1 tbs
14. Salt to taste
15. Oil - 2 tbs

Method:

1. Soak the soy chunks in hot salt water for 15 minutes
2. Heat a tbs of oil in hot pan
3. Fry ingredients from 2 to 8 for 2 minutes in medium flame and keep aside the mixture for cooling
4. In same hot pan, add coconut and roast for 2 more minutes and switch off the flame and move the pan from stove.
5. Using a fork or skewer, grill onion as a whole on stove top till outer layer is blackened
6. Remove the blackened outer layer of onion
7. Make a smooth paste of fried mixture, coconut and onion in a blender and keep aside.
8. Cook tomato in half a cup of water and make a puree out of it.
9. Strain the puree to get clear tomato liquid out of it
10. Squeeze out water from the soaked soy chunks and roughly cut them into small pieces
11. Heat a tbs of oil in a pan, fry soy chunks until it is lightly browned
12. Add the coconut-spice paste and clear tomato puree liquid with salt to taste and cook for 10 more minutes
13. Garnish with chopped coriander leaves!

This recipe is adapted from Tarla Dalal Recipes with minor changes to suit our taste and availability of ingredients.