This punjabi style soya chaap recipe has a velvety tomato-based sauce that’s buttery & fragrant with a delightful harmony of textures. Serve makhani soya chaap with naan, poori or jeera rice at your next get together and wow your guests! We love all things soybean in our house and while this soya chunks pulao is a weeknight favorite, makhani soya chaap recipe is my go to when we are craving comfort food.
What is Soya Chaap
Soya = Textured Soy Protein. In Hindi, chaap refers to ribs or chops of meat (lamb chaap or mutton chaap). Soy chaap, Soya Sticks or Soya chaap sticks is a product made using soya beans as the main ingredient. It is a popular vegan meat or mock meat in India, particularly in northern india. While manufacturing it, the textured soya meat is threaded on to flat wooden sticks (similar to popsicle stick) in such a way that it resembles a meat chop. These chaap are a delicious vegan protein option and they have a chicken-like texture. In north indian cuisine, soya chaap is incorporated into various dishes by grilling or shallow-frying. These chaaps are quite bland on their own, they absorb flavors beautifully. They beautifully absorb any flavor and while roasting develop a delicious charred and smoky flavor while maintaining a soft, chewy texture. Soya chaap taste alomst the same as soya chunks/nutrela. However, I find that they have a unique texture, much softer than soy nuggets. In indian stores here in US, I have seen two varieties of soya chaap. One is the canned soya sticks in brine (I buy these) and the other one is is dry soya sticks. You could hydrate the latter by soaking in hot water and then use.
Makhani Gravy
Makhani gravy doesn’t need an introduction. Safe to say that it is one of the most popular indian sauce globally! It is made by frying tomatoes in butter together with few fragrant spices and finished with lashings of heavy cream. Addition of nuts is very common becasue those add creaminess and richness however its not mandatory. Traditionally, a vegetarian or non vegetarian tikka is added to makhani gravy for smokiness. On the same lines, in this easy recipe , I make a quick tandoori style marinade for the soy chunks and then fry them before adding to gravy.
Ingredients
Soya Chaap - Are easily available in indian grocery stores. You could also find them on amazon (non-affiliate link). For Marination - yogurt, ginger & garlic paste, garam masala powder, lemon juice, kasuri methi and salt
For Makhani Gravy
Whole Spices - bay leaf, cinnamon, whole red chillies, cumin seeds, clove, green cardamom Spice Powders - red chilli powder, corainder powder, salt Roughly Chopped Vegetables - onion, tomatoes (or use canned diced tomatoes), ginger, garlic Other Ingredients - raw cashew nuts, butter, oil, salt, sugar
How To Prep Soya Chaap
I use the canned soya chaap. Open the tin and discard all the liquid. Carefully (they are quite soft), pick out the soya chaaps from the can and place in a large bowl. Cover with fresh cold water and let soak for 5-10 minutes. Drain over a colander and place in a single layer on a paper or kitchen towel. I usually let them air dry for 20-30 minutes(image 1). Make sure that the chaap are fully dry before you use them in your recipes. If you are using them for a tikka or dry version, you may use full length sticks. However, for gravy based dishes, we will cut the soya chaap into pieces. Gently, pull the stick out of the chaap (image 2 & 3). Place the chaap on a cutting board and using a sharp knife, cut into small pieces (image 4). They are ready for marination.
How To Make Makhani Soya Chaap
Preparation
Marination
Stir Fry the Marinated Chaap
Make Makhani Gravy
Tip - You may de seed the red chilies if you wish. These whole red chillies give substantial heat to the sauce. You could skip for a mild tasting sauce.
Recipe Tips
Vegan Version - For marination, use cashew yogurt. And either you can skip the heavy cream or use cashew yogurt or coconut cream at the end for a rich finish. Gluten Free - Check the lable of the soya chaap to make sure that they are GF. Sometimes flour is added to the soybeans as a binder. Quality of Soya Chaap - Make sure that the soya chaap taste good before using it. Since these are the hero Ingredient in this recipe, if the quality of soya chaap isnt good, the dish will not taste good. You could grill or roast the marinated soy chaap for a slightly crispy texture and smokier flavor before adding it to the sauce.
Serving & Storing
Serve makhani soya chaap for main course with indian flatbreads like rotis, paratha or naan. Or pair with jeera rice. Add a crunchy salad like kachumber for a fresh bite. You could store the curry for 2-3 days refrigerated. Reheat in a pot or in microwave.
