Soy Nuggets, Potato, & Peas Curry

Main Meals

By Dixya

As far as I can remember, soy nuggets has been my favorite. I did not even know they were called TVT (textured vegetable protein), a meat alternate..I simply ate them because I loved their taste & texture.

TVT, a food product made from soybeans after extracting the soybean oil then it is cooked under pressure, extruded, and dried. It cooks quickly, has a long shelf life, and inexpensive yet excellent source of protein and fiber.

I grew up eating soy nuggets in several forms : my mom often makes a curry that goes really well with rice or rotis (flat-bread), sometimes she fries them with spices. My grand mother, who is a vegetarian often uses it as a ground meat substitute and soy nugget fried rice was once a very popular pot-luck dish among my aunts and everyone including kids loved it.

It’s one of the most versatile ingredients that often goes unnoticed in my pantry. I bought them when my parents were here because my mom makes the best soy-potato curry. She knows when to add spices, how long to cook soy for so it stays succulent, and when to turn off the stove ensuring everything is perfectly cooked.

While I am no where close to mastering her skills but her guidance over the phone was very helpful in making this curry. If you have a pressure cooker, something like this everything will come together in a jiffy but no worries, heavy bottom saucepan works just fine.

If you are new to this TVT – I highly recommend trying it especially if you are looking for more plant-based protein and low fat options.

Although its used as a meat substitute, I don’t think it has quite the meaty texture, they are more on the spongy side. Soy granules might fit the ground meat bill better. The boyfriend and I both devoured this curry alongside Israeli couscous pilaf with cashew nuts, cranberries, and basil.

Soy Nuggets, Potato, & Peas Curry
3-4 servings or 2 hungry adults

Ingredients

about 2 cup soy chunks (already soaked, rinsed, and washed per instruction on box)

1 large onion, sliced

1 large tomato, chopped

2 medium potatoes, cubed

1/2-3/4 cup water

1 heaping tablespoon, garlic ginger paste

pinch of mustard seed, coriander seed, cumin seed

2-3 green chili, sliced

1 teaspoon garam masala

1/2 teaspoon turmeric powder

1 teaspoon meat masala

1/4 cup cilantro leaves, divided

1/2 cup fresh peeled, shelled

2 tablespoon oil

salt and pepper to taste

Directions

– In a pressure cooker over medium heat, add oil and fry spices: mustard, coriander, and cumin seed until fragrant and slightly brown.

– Add garlic+ginger paste followed by onion. Stir everything together and cook until onion browns.

– Add green chili, tomatoes, garam masala, turmeric, and meat masala to the cooker.

-Continue cooking until tomato and onion cooks down (~10 minutes).

– Remove from heat, let it cool then blend everything into a puree and return it back to the cooker.

– Add 1/2-3/4 cup water, potatoes, soy nuggets (rinse as much liquid as possible), peas and 1/2 of cilantro leaves to the puree and cook until potatoes and peas are soft which should take about 10-15 minutes in the pressure.

– Add more water if needed. But if you prefer thick texture, take the cover off the pressure cooker and allow the liquid to reduce more.

– Adjust spices and salt – stir in remaining cilantro and serve it hot.

Tips:

*If using sauce pan, boil potatoes ahead of time to save cooking time. When cooking, put the lid on and allow everything to simmer over medium heat. It increases the cooking time by little bit but everything else should be just fine.

* If you prefer texture-do not blend tomato-onion into a puree but continue cooking by adding potatoes, soy nuggets, water etc to the pressure cooker or sauce pan until everything cooks.

Have you tried soy nuggets before?

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