Super Simple Soya

Honestly, there is no Sri Lankan I know who hasn't loved soya from the day they were introduced to it. I can genuinely say that it's one of the few dishes I can happily replace meat with.

I honestly feel that vegans are missing out by not paying attention to Sri Lankan food. The fact that Sri Lankans have a standard diet that includes an array of delicious vegetables and fruits and the fact that these veggies are cooked in coconut milk since the time the recipes came to be and the diet also includes rice and rice flours as a major form of starch not only means that Sri Lankan food is the absolute perfect type of cuisine for vegans, it’s also suited for those with various other intolerances and allergies such as gluten intolerances, lactose intolerances and so on. It also means that as a vegan or a vegetarian, you’ll never run out of options because there are so many delicious ways to get your veg in you!

This recipe is for soya (or soya meat, aka soya chunks) which is a common meat substitute in Sri Lanka. Essentially they are soy bean chunks that are dried and can be re-hydrated and used as a protein component for meals. The reason that I am sharing this recipe today is owing to the fact that this is almost stupidly simple and it’s very quick and easy to put together. Soya chunks can be found at Indian grocers and for those of my friends and readers who have the Sri Lankan hookup, Sri Lankan grocery stores will have the flavoured soya packets. This version is a super quick 15 minute version that does not involved any coconut milk, however if you are so inclined to add coconut milk, go right ahead!

And with that on our minds, let us begin!

Ingredients

• 200g soya meat chunks or one packet of soya meat

• 1 small red onion chopped finely

• 3 cloves of garlic chopped finely

• 2 cm piece of pandan leaf

• 3-4 curry leaves

• 1 tsp of curry powder (unroasted)

• 3 tsp dark roasted curry powder

• 2 tsp of chilli powder

• 1 tsp pepper

• 1/2 tsp turmeric

• 1 tbs of tomato sauce or ketchup dissolved in 1/2 a cup of water (trust me on this)

• Salt to taste

Method

Soak the soya chunks in warm water with salt until they are soft. If you are using one of the packets with the instructions, follow those instructions. Once the chunks have hydrated, squeeze out the excess water. Then, add in the spices and toss through to ensure the soya meat is completely covered in the spices.

Next, ensure that all of your other ingredients are prepped and add in about 1-2 tsp of cooking oil into a frying pan. When the oil is hot, add in onion, garlic, pandan and curry leaves. Fry until fragrant.

Then add in the soya meat and fry off until all the onions have softened.

At the point, add in the tomato sauce/water mixture. Believe me when I say that this elevated everything to the next level. If you want something creamy you can opt in for coconut milk instead but I wanted this to be spicy.

Keep cooking this until most of the water is absorbed. At this point you can opt to add in other flavourings as you wish, but it’s optional. I do sometimes add in a small bit of Sri Lankan roasted curry powder just for an extra bit of depth. Once this has cooked down enough, you can basically start eating! I liked to eat mine with rice, paired with some creamy dhal and other accompaniments but you do you boo.

Serve on hot rice, just as it is, or with whatever other curries you fancy!

Sav x