Soya Chunks Biriyani / Rice cooker Soya Chunks Biriyani / Vegetarian Biriyani

If u are a pure vegetarian  or even better if u are a pure non vegetarian abstaining from meat due to religious or other reasons  please take off ur shoes and stand on the side of the pot. Take a whiff  of the wafting aroma and you will automatically dive in.. don't blame me because this biriyani is to die for! :) . 

Also a handy recipe to keep for the days when ur refrigerator tells u sorry veggie stock over !

The yogurt masala does magic to the soya chunks it makes every bite  a delight. No kidding.

Recipe adapted from here.

PRINTABLE RECIPE
Ingredients:
Basmathi rice - 1 cup
Soya chunks - 30 -35 pieces
Yogurt / plain curd - 3 tbsp
Red onion - 1
Tomato - 1
 Ginger garlic paste -2 tsp
Green chili - 1 or 2 (as per tolerance)
Red chili powder- 1 tsp
Kashmiri chili powder - 1 tsp
Turmeric powder - 1 tsp
Salt to taste
Mint leaves- 6-7
Coriander leaves chopped - 3 tbsp
Ghee / butter -1 tbsp+ 1tbsp for cooking rice

Whole spices:
Cinnamon- small piece
Cardamom - 2
Cloves- 3- 4
Bay leaf -1
Jeera -1 tsp (I did not use)


Method 1:
1.Soak rice for at least half an hour. Meanwhile boil water in a large pot adding 1 tsp salt and add soya chunks when they have expanded well remove from flame drain the water wash again in cold water. Squeeze off all the excess water with ur hand and cut into small pieces then keep it aside.
*Note :Cook soya adding a few tbsps of milk while boiling and also squeezing the excess water entirely gets rid of strong taste and smell.

Boil 5 cups of water and add rice to it cook it for 5 minutes on high or until 80 % cooked then strain and keep aside and dd the 1 cardamom, 2 cloves ,cinnamon and 1 tbsp ghee/butter.

2.Heat oil/Ghee  in a pressure cooker and add 1 cardamom 2 cloves and bay leaf saute until a nice aroma comes.Then add the onion sliced saute add ginger garlic paste and the green chilies saute well and add the cut pieces of soya chunks saute well.
Add tomato chopped, red chili powder,kashmiri red chili powder ,turmeric powder, salt saute until tomato becomes soft.
Add curd and mint leaves saute this until it becomes thick then add 1/4 cup water bring it to boil and switch off stove. Put the 1/2 to 3/4 the cooked rice on top and gently mix until combined. Keep the flame to lowest possible and cook for another 10 minutes(depending on the basmathi rice). without weight. If u think the masala will burn at the bottom put a tawa under the pressure cooker so it will get indirect heat only. Switch off and let it stand for another 5 minutes.

Method 2: If u are cooking in rice cooker.:
When the masala preparation (step 2 ) is half way through switch on the rice cooker add the 1 cardamom, 2 cloves ,cinnamon and 1 tbsp ghee/butter. Add 2 cups of water or enough  to cook it When the water in the rice cooker is 3/4 th dried u should be ready to add the masala and finish off cooking.

2.Heat oil/Ghee  in a pan and add 1 cardamom 2 cloves and bay leaf saute until a nice aroma comes.Then add the onion sliced saute add ginger garlic paste and the green chilies saute well and add the cut pieces of soya chunks saute well.
Add tomato chopped, red chili powder,kashmiri red chili powder ,turmeric powder, salt saute until tomato becomes soft.
Add curd and mint leaves saute this until it becomes thick then add 1/4 cup water bring it to boil and switch off stove. Now transfer the ingredients to rice cooker give a gently stir so everything is combined evenly.
Cook until done.

Finally:
3.Season with chopped coriander leaves.

Serve soya chunks biriyani warm with  raita, instant mango pickle and pappadam.

Note:
 You may prepare masala in the rice cooker itself then remove it then cook rice when rice is half cooked add masala and continue cooking. Preparing masala  in pan while rice is heating up saves a lot of time.

Hope you like it.

Meena