yummy everyday meal: Soya Chunks Urundai Kulambhu / Soya Chunks Meatball Curry

Starting this week with Soya Chunks Quinoa and Mushrooms as key ingredients in Protein Rich Dishes.

Soya Chunks or meal maker is a meat like vegetarian protein made using defatted soy flour and its called as Textured Vegetable Protein.

Soy protein contains all the essential amino acids like animal protein,so its a complete protein.

As my kids love the meat like texture,I often make mild version of pulao or biriyani for their lunch box.

Coming to the recipe I mince the soya chunks and added to the lentil mixture and made the curry/kulambhu in a South Indian way.The recipe is almost similar to the authentic Paruppu Urundai Kulambu.

Also its a nice way to sneak the protein and feed the kids who doesn't like the taste of the soya chunks.Check out my list ofrecipes made with soya chunks.

Soya Chunks Urundai Kulambhu

Basic Information

Preparation time 20 minutes

Soaking time 2 hours
Cooking time 40-45 minutes

Serves 4

Ingredients

For the soya chunks meat ball

Ingredient	Quantity
Soya chunks	3/4 cup
Toor dhal/thuvaram paruppu	1/4 cup
Channa Dhal/kadala paruppu	1/4 cup
Red chilly/varamilagai	2-3
Ginger/inji	1/2 inch
Garlic/poondu	2 cloves
Coriander leaves	1 tbs(chopped)
Curry leaves/karivepillai	2 sprigs(chopped)
Asafoetida/perungayam	a pinch
Salt	1/2 tsp

For the gravy

Ingredient	Quantity
Onion(finely chopped)	1 cup
Tomato(pureed)	3 medium size
Garlic/poondu	3-4(finely chopped)
Red chilly powder/milagai podi	1- 1.5 tsp
Coriander powder/dhaniya podi	1 tbs
Garam masala powder	1/4 tsp(optional)
Turmeric powder/manjal podi	1/4 tsp
Tamarind/puli	a big gooseberry size
Curry leaves/karivepillai	1 sprig
Salt	1 tsp

Grind to a fine paste

Ingredient	Quantity
Coconut(grated)	4-5 tbs
Fennel seeds/sombu	2 tbs
Cashews/mundiri	2
Poppy seeds/kasakasaa	1/2 tsp

Method

Soak the dhals together for couple of hours.Grind the given ingredients to a fine paste and keep it aside.Soak the tamarind in water and extract it.

Boil the soya chunks in the water with a pinch of salt. Once it cooked completely it will double in size.Put off the flame and rinse it in the cold water and completely squeeze the water.Let it sit for 5 minutes.Now take the cooked soya chunks in a blender jar and pulse it to bit coarse paste without adding any water.Remove it and keep it aside.

Now drain the water completely in the dhal and keep it ready for grinding.Now in the same belnder jar,take the red chilly,garlic,ginger and salt.Pulse it for a minute.Now add the soaked dhal and grind it to a coarse paste.Do not add any water.

Take the ground dhal,soya chunks,chopped onion,curry leaves,coriander leaves,turmeric powder and asfoetida in a bowl.Mix it well and make small lemon size balls out of the mixture.Take the balls in a idly plate and steam it for 5 minutes.

Meanwhile heat a pan with oil and crackle the fennel seeds,add in the chopped onion and garlic.Fry it till transparent,add in the pureed tomato and fry it till the oil separates.

At this stage add in the spice powders and mix it well.Add in the tamarind water and let it boil for 3-4 minutes.Add in the ground paste and a cup of water.

Let it boil for 5 minutes or till the raw smell goes off.Now add the steamed balls and cook it covered in a low flame for 5-6 minutes.Sprinkle the chopped coriander leaves and put off the flame.

Serve it with rice along with some poriyal.

Squeeze the water completely in the soya chunks and grind it,otherwise it will be too watery.
The amount of green chillies and red chilly powder can be adjusted as per personal preference.
This curry needs to be slightly on the spicier side to mix it with rice.