yummy everyday meal: Soya Chunks Vellai Kurma /Meal Maker Vellai Kurma

Vellai Kurma is a popular Chettinadu delicacy made with mixed vegetable,potato or chicken and mutton.Its a rich creamy white colored kurma relished with chappathi and parottos,even with rice.

As green chillies are used to spice up the kurma and the color is pale,hence the name Vellai Kurma.Vellai means White in Tamil.

This kurma is truly an easy to cook dish and can be made in minimum time.Its a great substitute for non veg lovers as the soya chunks resembles and tastes meat.Also I added some fresh green peas along with soya chunks as my kids love it.Let's move on to the recipe......................

Soya Chunks Vellai Kurma

Basic Information

Preparation time 15 minutes
Cooking time 30 minutes

Serves 4(generously)

Ingredients

Ingredient	Quantity
Soya Chunks/meal maker	3/4 - 1 cup
Green peas/pachai pattani	1/2 cup
Onion(thinly sliced)	1 medium size
Tomato(finely chopped)	1 medium size
Green chilly/pachamilagai	2(slit lengthy)
Coriander powder/dhaniya podi	1 tsp
Curry leaves/karivepillai	1 -2 sprigs
Garam masala powder	1/2 tsp
Lemon juice	2 tsp
Salt	1 tsp
Oil	2 tbs
Coriander leaves(chopped)	2 tbs

For the tempering

Ingredient	Quantity
Clove/lavangam	4-5
Cinnamon/pattai	2 inch piece
Bay leaf	1
Star anise	2 petals
Green cardamom/ellakai	1
Black stone flower/kalpaasi	a small piece

Fry and grind it to fine paste

Ingredient	Quantity
Coconut(grated)	6 tbs
Green chilly/pachamilagai	7-8
Ginger/inji	1 inch
Garlic/poondu	4-5 cloves
Fennel seeds/sombu	1.5 tsp
Poppy seeds/kasakasa	1/2 tsp
Cashews/mundiri	5-6(whole)
Roasted gram dhal/pottukadalai	1 tsp

Method

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.Keep it aside.

Meanwhile heat a pan with 2 tsp of oil and fry green chilly,fennel and poppy seeds.Then add the grated coconut,cashews and pottukadalai,fry it for a minute without changing the color.Put off the flame and after cooling grind it to a smooth,fine paste along with water and keep it aside.

Now in a pan heat the rest of the oil and do the tempering with the given ingredients.Add the sliced onion,green chilly and curry leaves.Saute it with a pinch of salt till transparent.Now add the green peas and saute it for couple of minutes.Add in the chopped tomato and cook it until mushy.

Now add the ground paste and fry it well for 2 minutes without changing the color.Add the salt and coriander powder to it.Rinse the blender jar with a cup of water and cook it in a medium flame for 5 minutes.

At this stage add in the cooked soya chunks and let it cook for 5 minutes in a slow flame.Finally sprinkle the coriander leaves.Put off the flame and add the lemon juice and mix it well.

Serve it with roti or rice.

The color of the kurma needs to be in the lighter shade so don't use too much tomato.
A tsp of ghee can be used along with oil for an extra rich flavor and taste.
The amount of green chillies give is for a medium spice level,can be adjusted as per preference.