Soya Pulao

A spicy, delicious Soya Pulao is an Indian weeknight dinner table favorite, and it comes together quickly with pantry ingredients. Kids love it too! Gluten-free and nut-free recipe.

Long before soy products like tofu and soy milk made an appearance in India, there were soya nuggets or soya chunks.

I remember they were marketed as a meat alternative for vegetarians and they were quite popular, despite the fact that soy, until then, had been alien to the Indian diet, not even featuring in Indo-Chinese cuisine.

The reason for their popularity was partly the unfounded insecurity Indian vegetarians have always felt about the amount of protein in their diet (despite a cuisine rich in legumes and grains that contribute more than enough--and heart-healthy--protein). Misconceptions and politically incorrect jokes about vegetarian Indians (usually south Indians) being physically weaker than Indians who ate meat were common, and the sellers must've been only too thrilled to find a vast population eager to lap up their product.

But it wasn't just vegetarians who took to it. Most omnivore Indians, at least in those days, ate meat only occasionally, and the soy nuggets offered a frugal alternative.

I remember cooking with them once or twice in those days, mostly using them in spicy curries. After moving here to the United States, I occasionally used soy chunks or TVP chunks in dishes like stews but not so much in my Indian recipes.

That changed when Jay, my son, came home to us five years ago.

Certain foods would trigger memories for him and he'd tell me about this favorite dish or that so I could recreate them for him, usually by describing it because--understandably for a kid--he had no idea what these dishes were called nor what any of the specific ingredients were.

On a trip to an Indian store, he grabbed a packet of soya chunks and began telling me about this rice dish studded with them that he had eaten occasionally at the government-run school he'd attended in Bombay. And while he remembered the school version as being bland, he was rather fond of it because, he said, he had loved sucking on the nuggets to draw out the "salty" juices inside.

Realizing that what he was describing was a soy pilaf, or a soya pulao as it would be known in India, I came up with my own version of this rice dish for him.

I did make one big change: my soya pulao is anything but bland. It is bright with spices and layers of flavors from onions, tomatoes and green peppers. And the soy nuggets add texture and protein, making this both a healthy and delicious dish.

This dish always gets a thumbs-up from Jay, so if you have little ones of your own, you might want to try it on them. It's easy to make and it's nutritious (unless you absolutely won't consume soy, in which case you can look for alternatives in the section below).

How to make the best soya pulao:

• A pulao is a word that describes a special rice dish, so you need a good rice for this, like basmati. Soak the basmati rice in cold, salted water for 30 minutes and drain before adding to the pot to get more flavor and long, separate grains of rice in your finished dish.
• You will also need to soak the soy chunks for at least 15 minutes before using. This time use hot, boiling salted water. Make sure you drain the chunks in a colander before using and press down on the chunks to get rid of any excess water the chunks have absorbed.
• Once you've soaked your rice and your soy chunks, you can get to work prepping your veggies and getting them started in the pot. I soak the rice first because it needs the longest, then soak the soy chunks, and then move on to prepping the veggies to get this done as quickly as possible.
• Because you want your soy chunks to absorb as much flavor as possible, you will first cook them with the spices and onions and tomatoes and ginger and garlic for a bit, before adding the rice.
• I use Maggi Masala Magic seasoning (which I earlier used in my Masala Pasta recipe) in this pulao and it adds some great flavor. You can skip it and use more garam masala instead.
• Once the rice goes in the pot, you want to bring it to a boil and cook for no more than 20 minutes with the lid on. Use a tight-fitting lid, and resist the urge to peek during cooking. After the 20 minutes are up, leave the rice alone for 10 minutes because it will continue to steam and cook.
• The soy nuggets are a key part of this recipe, because it is a Soya Pulao, but that said, you can replace it with tofu or even tempeh if you like. Or you can use a meat substitute. You can also just skip all of these and use more veggies (although it would be missing the added texture of the soy protein or meat substitute). I usually buy soy chunks at the Adventist store in my area, but take care if possible to buy organic, non-GMO soy. I tried finding a similar product on Amazon that I could link for you but couldn't, so I am linking instead to a brand most Indians would use. You can also find soy chunks at an Indian grocery store.

What to serve with the soya pulao:

A raita like my cucumber raita goes best with this pulao. Serve with poppadum on the side for a delightful meal.

Looking for more vegan rice recipes?

• Vegan Dirty Rice
• Jeera Rice
• Ven Pongal, a south Indian khichdi
• Vegetable Biryani in 30 minutes
• Navratan Pulao

Soya Pulao Recipe