Also known as Nutrela pulao in India, this easy pulao recipe comes together in 30 minutes using a pressure cooker. You could serve it as a main meal or as a side dish. This delicious pulao is great to pack in lunchboxes as well. We are huge fan of soya and I cook it at least once a week. I am always looking for vegetarian pulao recipes that are rich in protein. Dont get me wrong, we love non vegetarian pulao like yakhni pulao and egg pulao however, weekdays often call for something lighter and fuss free.
What are Soya Chunks
Think of soya chunks as textured vegetable protein(TVP) or textured soy protein (TSP). They are made from the by product (soy flour) left behind during the extraction of oil from soybeans. They are chewy (similar to chicken breast) and have a mild flavor. Soya chunks are easy to cook and their neutral flavor makes them suitable for adding to anything from curries to pulao to making appetizers with them. They are a good vegan protein source. I grew up calling them nutrela because in India, Nutrela was the only brand that used to market soya products back then and it kind of became synonymous with the ingredient itself 🙂
About this recipe
Similar to how I talked in this post about my method of making any pulao, I didn’t overly spice this soya pulao. However here since both rice and soya chunks are pretty bland ingredients by themselves, I use mixed vegetables and garam masala/ or kitchen king masala to add tons of flavor.
This recipe is -
Super easy one pot meal. Quick to makes and comes together in about 30 minutes. Full of colorful vegetables and plant protein. Skip the ghee I add and it becomes a vegan friendly recipe. Tastes great at room temperature - perfect for lunch boxes and travel. Is a good meat free meal if you are looking to cut on meat.
How to Prepare or Cook Soya Chunks
You do need to prepare the soya chunks before cooking them. Think of them as dehydrated mushrooms, you need to soak them so that they are soft and squeezable before adding to your recipe. Soak the soya chunks in boiling salted water for 8-10 minutes. These chunks are little sponges, they will drink up the salted water (salt adds flavor). Once the water is cooled a bit and is okay to touch, squeeze the chunks, remove and discard the water. Now the soya chunks are ready to be used in your recipes. You can prepare the soy chunks this way and store refrigerated for 2-3 days in an air tight container.
Ingredients For Pulao (Notes & Substitutions)
Here are the ingredients you will need :- Tip :- Replace Pav bhaji Masala with Kitchen King Masala, your favorite biryani masala or add garam masala instead of ready made spice blends.
How To Make Soya Pulao (Step By Step Photos)
Use Pressure Cooker or Instant Pot
I am all about slow cooking however, this is one recipe where I insist that you use a pressure cooker or instant pot because the pressure cooking really makes the texture of soya chunks soft and they absorb flavors much quickly. I sometimes make this on stove top as well, however in that method, first it took 15-20 minutes of cooking to soften the soy chunks and then another 15-20 minutes of cooking after adding the rice. The whole process takes over 45 minutes to 1 hour. Using pressure cooker really cuts the time (and the texture of pulao is way better I feel).
Water Quantity is the Key
One of the key factor while cooking pulao is the water quantity. Whether you are cooking on stove top or pressure cooker, the right amount of water will make sure that the rice cooks softly and the pulao is not at all wet. Pulao is a basic dish and slowly figuring out ratio of water will help you master it.
Here are few things to note.
I use long grain basmati rice which needs 2:1 ratio of water to rice. Meaning, for every 1 cup of rice, I add 2 cups of water. Now keep in mind that this holds when the masala of pulao is not wet or runny. Decide water quantity depending on the ingredients that are going in. For example for an egg pulao- you know that eggs wont absorb will any moisture. However, soya chunks will certainly absorb water even though we rehydrated them. So I add ¼ to ⅓ cup extra water. Meaning if I am using 1 cup of rice, I will add 2 and ⅓ cups of water when making this pulao. Lastly, there are ingredients like chicken or mutton, that will continue to release their juices while the pulao cooks- so I will not add extra water. This particular topic needs a bit more elaboration, however I will talk about it in specific posts in future.
Serving Suggestion
This soya chunks pulao is a complete meal in itself and needs a quick salad and a bowl of plain yogurt or raita. You could also add some papaddams or spicy pickle.
Tips & Variations
Always always use soaked rice when making pulao. You don’t need to soak for long, 20-25 minutes is enough. You will be surprised by how soaked rice cook evenly and the texture is softer. Use salted water to soak the soya chunks, it really flavors them. Dont skimp on oil. Rice dishes like pulao or biryani need an optimum quantity of fat. This not only makes a difference in the taste but also helps in khila khila (fluffy) rice that we all associate with such dishes. If you use less oil, your pulao will cook like steamed rice. Always let the pulao rest for 20 minutes after its done cooking. If you touch it with spoon right away, the rice is very soft and will break. I know its tough to wait but please do. Add warm water - this maintains the temperature of the cooking pot/pressure cooker. If possible, always make pulao in a wide bottom pot. I prefer using a wide bottom pressure cooker - this makes sure that the pulao stays fluffy. Spicy- Add ½ teaspoon of red chilli powder or cayenne when cooking the pulao. You could add few slit green chillies too. Kid Friendly- Pav Bhaji Masala or Kitchen King masala is spicy! Use only ½ teaspoon when making for kids. Deluxe- Sprinkle birista(browned onions) on the pulao before serving.
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