MEAL MAKER OR SOYA NUGGETS FRY

I am back from my hibernation. It had been a month since I blogged. I was not feeling well with the change in weather and then my laptop was infected with virus. All my drafts including my project work had been deleted :( Now that everything has been restored, things are back to normal. I thank all my friends who were inquiring about me and also showering me with so many awards during the past one month. I’ll catch up with all your post soon :)

Coming to the recipe, this fry tastes almost similar to a chicken fry, a healthy dish for both vegetarians and meat-lovers. This dish is my hubby’s favorite. I make this as a side dish when I making briyani but this goes well with sambar, rasam, or curd. I have added some roasted peanuts at the end, even roasted cashews can also be added here.

INGREDIENTS

1. Soya nuggets around 1 cup.
2. Onions, medium-sized -2.
3. Ginger-garlic paste- 1 teaspoon.
4. Chili powder, 1 teaspoon.
5. Coriander powder, 2 teaspoons.
6. Turmeric powder, ¼ teaspoon.
7. Mustard seeds, ¼ teaspoon.
8. Green chilies, 1 (optional).
9. Cumin seeds-1 teaspoon.
10. Garam masala (optional, tastes good even without garam masala).
11. Salt, as per taste.
12. Roasted peanuts, ¼ cup.
13. Curry leaves and cilantro for garnishing.

METHOD

Take a cup of soy nuggets and put them in boiling water for 2 minutes until the nuggets are puffed up. Let them sit for 5 minutes, then rinse them well, drain them, and cut into small bite-size pieces. Dice the onion finely and slit the green chilies into two. Heat a kadai and add 1 tablespoon of oil. When the oil is hot, add the mustard seeds and let it splutter. Then add the cumin seeds and fry them for a few seconds. Now add the onions, chili, and a sprig of curry leaves and sauté well for a few minutes until the onions have caramelized, and then add the ginger-garlic paste and sauté for a minute. Add chili powder, coriander powder, turmeric powder, and salt, and fry everything for a few minutes until the spices lose their raw smell. If needed a tablespoon of water can also be added at this stage. Reduce the heat and add the chopped nuggets and peanuts and mix everything well. Cook closed under low flame for 5 minutes until everything is well blended and the soya granules absorb all the flavors. Turn off the heat, garnish the dish with cilantro on top and serve with rotis, idlis, and dosas.