Soya Chunks Biryani | Meal Maker Biryani
Updated: May 18, 2024, By Swasthi
Soya chunks biryani is a unique, nutritious take on the traditional biryani. This flavorful and delicious rich dish, also known as meal maker biryani is one of the easiest and quickest versions of biryani you can make. Soya biryani made with fragrant rice and either soya chunks or textured granules is perfect as a hearty meal or lunch box option. Biryani, the popular dish from Mughlai cuisine, is so versatile that you can serve as a weekday meal or turn into a gourmet creation for a special occasion.
What is Soya Chunks Biryani?
Fragrant basmati or seeraga samba rice is cooked in a bed of aromatic Indian spices and curd and enriched with soya chunks or granules. This is a creative take on vegetarian biryani which again is adapted from the traditional meat-based recipe. Soaked soya chunks or ready-to-use soya granules are cooked with spices, curd and long grain rice.
The resulting dish is bursting with bold flavors from the spices, the mild tanginess of the curd and the texture and feel of the rice and soya. Vegetarian biryani, especially South Indian varieties, feature prominently in family meals at my home. These recipes are less elaborate unlike the layered and dum style recipes from Mughlai cuisine.
Old-style biryani are slow cooked meals that require time and effort. These are best saved for leisure days or weekends. This vegetarian Soya Chunks Biryani meal is ready in less than an hour compared to the long marination time required for chicken or mutton biryani.
About This Recipe
Coming back to this dish, I am sharing two ways to make simple and fast soya biryani. The first recipe uses soya chunks marinated in a spice paste and then cooked with curd or coconut milk and rice. The second recipe is inspired by Hyderabadi chicken keema biryani. Here you’ll be making a meaty, protein-rich vegetarian version with soya keema (granules), spices, curd and green peas. The rice is cooked separately and added to the soya and spices.
This soya biryani recipe is gluten free. Turn this vegan by subbing curd with lemon juice or using plain vegan/coconut yogurt. A tasty and cooling raita complements both these soya biryanis. If you’re not a raita person, simply serve it with papads or papadums, sliced sweet onions, and lemon wedges.
You don’t need curries or stews as accompaniment as the biryani is wholesome and favorable on its own. Add a simple vegetable salad or side to make a richer and sumptuous dinner experience.
More Soya recipes
Soya chunks manchurian
Soya chunks curry
Meal maker fry
Photo Guide
How to make Soya Chunks Biryani (Stepwise photos)
Prepare the rice and soya chunks
1. Rinse and soak 1 heaped cup basmati rice or seeraga samba or South Indian kaima rice for 15 minutes or according to the packet instructions. You can use any long grain, non-sticky rice to make this biryani.
2. Add half cup soya chunks to 2 cups hot water and soak until they soften, for 10-15 minutes. In the meantime, prep the rest of the ingredients like getting herbs and spices ready.
3. Squeeze the frothy liquid out of the chunks or nuggets and rinse it well in cold water. Repeat this squeezing and rinsing process a couple of times and set aside the soya chunks.
4. Drain all the water from the rice using a colander and set the rice aside.
Make the marinade
5. Grind the following spice into a paste with some water to use as marination for soya chunks.
½ cup mint (pudina) leaves
¼ cup coriander leaves
1-2 green chilis
1-inch ginger peeled
3 garlic cloves
1 medium onion, roughly chopped
Salt to taste
6. Add the green paste to a bowl along with ¾ to 1 teaspoon garam masala or biryani masala. You add ¼-½ tsp of meat masala along with garam masala to get the authentic taste of regular meat biryanis.
7. Marinate ½ cup of soya chunks in it for 15 minutes.
Cook the biryani gravy
8. Heat 1-2 tablespoons neutral oil in a deep pan or pressure pan. You can use ghee instead for a flavorsome dish.
9. Lower the heat and add the following whole spices –
- 1 small bay leaf (tej patta)
- 1 star anise 2 green cardamoms
- 3 cloves
- 2-inch cinnamon
- ¼ teaspoon shahi jeera or cumin seeds. You can also add 1 strand of mace and 4 black pepper corns or skip these two spices. Fry the spices until fragrant for a minute.
9. Now add the marinated soya chunks along with remaining paste. Sauté the mixture for 2 to 3 minutes on medium heat until the raw smell of ginger and garlic begins to vanish.
10. Reduce the heat to low and add ¼ teaspoon of turmeric and 2 tablespoons of plain curd/yogurt. This prevents the curd from breaking down or curdling. You can sub curd with 3 tablespoons of thick coconut milk or coconut yogurt for a vegan version.
11. Stir frequently as the soya chunks release moisture. Cook until spice mixture turns thick and starts to leave the sides of the pan.
12. Add 2 cups of water and bring to a boil. If you’re using a pressure pan, reduce the amount of water to 1 ¾ cups.
13. Add drained rice and salt (start with ½ teaspoon). Taste and adjust seasonings.
14. Cover with lid and cook the biryani on low heat until all the water has been absorbed and the rice grains are tender and fluffy. If the pan lid isn’t tight, cover the lid with a damp kitchen towel to prevent the steam from escaping.
Cooking in pressure cooker
15. To fully cook biryani in a pressure pan, cover with the lid and add the whistle. Cook on low heat for 5-7 minutes and switch off before you hear the first whistle. Alternately you may cook on a medium heat, till you hear one whistle.
Remove from heat and let the soya chunks biryani remain covered for 15 minutes. Fluff the rice with a fork and serve warm or hot with raita or onion slices and lemon wedges.
Ingredients and substitutes
Keep soya chunks and spices handy and you can cook the biryani in a jiffy.
Basmati rice: Biryani and pulao require fragrant basmati rice to bring out the flavor and texture of the dish. Use samba seeraga rice or other long grain rice.
Soya chunks: This is the heart of this biryani variant. The soya chunks nuggets provide the meaty texture and necessary proteins to the dish.
Coriander leaves and Mint leaves: Fresh mint and coriander leaves are needed for the green marinade. They enhance the taste of the dish along with spices.
Garam and biryani masala: The bold flavors of this biryani come from the warm masala. Use homemade or store bought. Add a dash of meat masala to give your dish that something extra.
Whole spices: Shahi jeera, mace, cardamon, cinnamon, cloves, bay leaf and star anise are signature flavoring elements of every biryani dish.
Plain Curd/ yogurt: While curd is used in biryani to steep the meat or vegetables, I use it here to provide that mild tanginess.
Photo Guide
How to make Soya Keema Biryani (stepwise photos)
Prepare the rice
1. Rinse 1½ cups of basmati rice or seeraga samba rice and drain in a colander.
Boil 6-8 cups of water in a large saucepan or soup pot. Add 1 teaspoon of oil or ghee along with ¼-½ teaspoon of salt. Then add 1 small bay leaf, ½ teaspoon shahi jeera, 4 cloves, 1 small cinnamon stick and 2 green cardamoms to the boiling water.
2. Now add the rinsed rice, reduce the heat to medium and cook the rice until al dente (tender but crunchy). The rice must have a bite to it.
3. Drain water from the rice using a colander set over a bowl. Save the water and set aside the rice.
Prepare the soya keema
4. Add textured soya granules (keema) to this hot water and soak for 10-15 minutes. If you don’t have granules, soak chunks. To save time, boil fresh water separately and soak the granules while the rice is cooking.
In the meantime, prep the rest of the ingredients like slicing the onions and getting curds, peas, lemon juice, herbs and spices ready.
5. Squeeze the frothy liquid out of the chunks or nuggets and rinse it well using cold water. Repeat this squeezing and rinsing process a couple of times and set aside the soya keema.
Prepare the soya biryani gravy
6. Heat 2 tablespoons of oil or ghee in a deep saucepan or soup pot. Reduce heat to medium and add ¼ teaspoon shahi jeera or cumin seeds, 1 small bay leaf (tej patta), 1 anise, 4 cloves, 1 small cinnamon stick and 2 green cardamoms. Pan fry spices for 30-60 seconds until fragrant.
7. Add ½ cup of sliced onions and 1 slit green chili. Mix and sauté until onions turns golden brown, around 3-4 minutes. Add 1 tablespoon of ginger garlic paste. Stir well and sauté for 2 minutes.
8. Now add ¾ cup of soya granules (keema) and ½ cup of fresh green peas and sauté well for 3 minutes. You can use thawed frozen peas or soaked cashews if you don’t have fresh peas. If you’re using soaked chunks, coarsely grind them in a mixer or food processor to resemble keema or granules. Add this to the pan and cook.
9. Add 1 teaspoon of red chili powder, 1 teaspoon of garam masala, 1 tsp of meat masala and salt as required. Sauté for 2 minutes more. You can sub garam and meat masala with 1½-2 teaspoon of biryani masala.
10. Lower the heat to low and add ¼ cup of plain curd/yogurt and 2 tablespoons of. Substitute curd with ½ cup of thin coconut milk for a vegan version.
11. Cover and cook until the mixture thickens to a gravy. Taste for seasonings and add more as needed. Chop a handful of fresh mint (pudina) leaves and coriander leaves.
12. Now add a layer of cooked rice and mix to combine. Sprinkle over the biryani. Drizzle 1½ tablespoon of melted ghee over the biryani.
13. Cover with a tight lid. Cover this with aluminum foil or place a heavy object over the lid. Continue to cook the biryani on low heat for 5-7 minutes.
14. Remove from heat and let the biryani rest for 10-15 minutes. Drizzle 1 tablespoon of lemon juice and fluff the rice with a fork. Your soya biryani should have no excess moisture at the bottom. If you see more moisture simply cook for a few more minutes.
Serve warm or hot with raita or onion slices and lemon wedges.
Ingredients and substitutes
Make the soya keema in advance and you have a dish that come together in less than 30 minutes.
Basmati rice: Biryani and pulao require fragrant basmati rice to bring out the flavor and texture of the dish. Use samba seeraga rice or other long grain rice.
Soya chunks: This is the heart of this biryani variant. The soya chunks nuggets provide the meaty texture and necessary proteins to the dish.
Coriander leaves and Mint leaves: Fresh mint and coriander leaves are used as toppings. They enhance the taste of the dish along with spices.
Garam and biryani masala: The bold flavors of this biryani come from the warm masala. Use homemade or store bought. Add a dash of meat masala to give your dish that something extra.
Whole spices: Shahi jeera, mace, cardamon, cinnamon, cloves, bay leaf and star anise are signature flavoring elements of every biryani dish.
Plain curd/ yogurt: While curd is used in biryani to steep the meat or vegetables, I use it her to provide that mild tanginess.
Other ingredients: To make a spicy and zesty keema, I am adding both red chili powder and green chili, and ginger garlic paste while cooking the biryani
Expert Tips
- Cook the rice and soya on low heat to ensure the spices and masala flavors are infused into the dish.
- Use ghee or clarified butter to add a richness to the biryani.
- Ensure the biryani pan is covered tightly to ensure the steam doesn’t escape.
- Add thick coconut milk for a vegan version.
- Add peas or carrots to make a healthier and tastier soya biryani
Related Recipes
Recipe Card
Soya Chunks Biryani | Meal Maker Biryani Recipe
For best results follow the step-by-step photos above the recipe card
Ingredients (US cup = 240ml )
- 1 cup basmati rice
- ½ cup soya chunks (meal maker)
- 2 tablespoons curd (yogurt or 3 tbsp. thick coconut milk)
- 2 tablespoons oil
- ⅓ teaspoon salt (adjust to taste)
- ¾ to 1 teaspoon garam masala or biryani masala (adjust to taste)
- ¼ teaspoon turmeric
- 2 cups water to cook in pot (1¾ cups for cooker)
Whole spices
- 1 bay leaf
- 1 star anise
- 2 to 3 green cardamom
- 3 cloves
- 2 Inch cinnamon piece
- 1 strand mace (optional)
- ¼ teaspoon shahi jeera or cumin seeds
- 4 black pepper corn (optional)
To grind
- ½ cup mint leaves pudina
- ¼ cup coriander leaves (updated)
- 1 to 2 green chilies
- 1 Inch ginger pieces (Peeled)
- 3 garlic cloves
- 1 onion (medium )
- ¼ teaspoon salt (adjust to taste)
Instructions
Prepare Meal Maker
- Soak soya chunks in warm water till they soften, squeeze off the excess water,
- Wash with cold water and squeeze to remove excess water, repeat this twice. Make sure there is no water left in the chunks.
- Add mint leaves, coriander leaves, onion, ginger, garlic, green chilies to a grinder. Grind to a smooth paste.
- Marinate the soya chunks with this paste and garam masala. Set aside for at least 15 mins.
- Soak rice for 15 mins and drain off the water and set aside.
How to Make Soya Chunks Biryani
- Heat oil in a pot or cooker. Add whole spices and sauté till you get an aroma for about a minute.
- Add the marinated soya chunks along with the ground paste. Saute on a low heat until the raw flavor in ginger garlic goes away.
- Add curd or coconut milk and turmeric. Mix well. Cook till the mixture leaves the sides of the pan. The moisture evaporates and the masala turns thick.
- Pour water and add salt. Taste test and more if required. Bring water to a rolling boil in a high heat.
- Reduce the heat and add rice. Mix well.
- Cover the pot or cooker. If cooking in a pot, cook covered on a low heat until the rice is fully cooked. If cooking in a pressure cooker, Regulate the flame to medium. Turn off the heat when you hear one whistle. Rest soya chunks biryani for 15 minutes and then fluff up with a fork.
- Serve soya chunks biryani with any raita of your choice.
NUTRITION INFO (estimation only)
© Swasthi’s Recipes
About Swasthi
I’m Swasthi Shreekanth, the recipe developer, food photographer & food writer behind Swasthi’s Recipes. My aim is to help you cook great Indian food with my time-tested recipes. After 2 decades of experience in practical Indian cooking I started this blog to help people cook better & more often at home. Whether you are a novice or an experienced cook I am sure Swasthi’s Recipes will assist you to enhance your cooking skills. More about me
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Comments
Excellent recepies I’m biggest fan follower of your recipe
Altamash Azhar Sayed
From food industry
Thank you so much
The briyani is very delicious.. My son loves it .
Thank you so much Abi
As always, amazing! Your recipes are always my go to place even when I am trying something completely new. You make the restaurant come home with some added cleanliness and love, ofcourse since it is homemade.
Thank you so much Vasudha! So happy to read this!
I use your recipes very often and they turn out really good, along with this one. Thank you for sharing ☺️ !!
Glad to know the food turns out good. Thank you so much
This one was a huge hit with kids and an easy one.
Glad to know Preetha
Thank you
Hi Swasthi,
Like all your other recipes this is also perfect. Just wanted to ask what salt you use? I use both regular powder salt and rock salt but have to adjust quite a bit. Recipes like sweets etc come out perfectly for me. Hence I wanted to ask if you use any specific type of salt.
Hi Seema,
Thank you. I use powdered pink salt or sea salt. Every salt is different. All pink salt is not same and again all sea salt is not same. The saltiness differs in each brand and type of salt. Probably because the salt I use is not from Indian brands. Adding salt right at the initial stages of cooking will require you to add a lot. Add only a little when you saute the tomatoes. Add the rest at the last stage, when you are about to finish the dish. This will require lesser salt. I hope this helps
Oh ok ok. Thanks a lot ?
Hey can i serve this dish to my 2 and half years boy
Yes! If you skip the chilli you can
Best dish
Thank you
Hi, I. tried this recipe today. It turned our really well and my little one loved it too. Keep sharing. Thank you ?
Welcome Amruta
That’s awesome! Thank you!
All your recipes are super good and I as a Punjabi get that authentic taste in all your recipes.♥️. Thanks for adding taste in my kitchen and my kids now love home made more than restaurant made.
Hello Leena,
So glad to know! Thank you so much!
🙂
Hi for some reason the marinade was extremely bitter especially after cooking. It was bitter even after i made it and became more bitter when cooking. I simply don’t understand why as there aren’t any bitter foods in it. Would you know why?
Hi Helena
It should be the ginger or the onion. Hope you peeled the ginger. Ginger skin can leave a bitter taste. Also try skipping the onion next time & follow the recipe. Some kind of onions when pureed impart a bitter taste. Hope this helps
Thank you for the tips
The recipe mentions to use turmeric (step 6), but it doesn’t explain in what form ie grated, chopped etc.
Please can you help –
Many thanks!
Hi Claire
It is ground turmeric.
Very flavourful recipe … Swasthi… you are the best . All your recipes are so perfect ?
Thank you so much Rupa!
🙂
I tried the several youtube briyani receipes but this one it turned out well and happy about that.. thanks swathi.
Welcome Madhu
Glad to know
Thank you
How much water shall I use to cook rice???…
Hi Soumya,
Use 1 & 3/4 cups water if making in pressure cooker & 2 cups if making in pot. I will update in the post.
Thank you… Definitely I ll try this recipe….
Can you suggest any ingredient other than coconut milk or curd
Hi Nisha,
You can blend 10 to 12 cashews with half cup water and use.
Too good, Swasthi. Delectable! Thank you. 🙂
Welcome Sushmita
Thanks for trying
Being a southindian, i dont like the flavour of too much mint and corriander. So wat else can be added to marinate soya???? Still the receipe looks so promising…. ?
Hi Meghana,
Just skip marinating in the mint paste. Use 1 tbsp curd, with some turmeric, red chili powder, ginger garlic paste and garam masala. You can just slice the onions and fry with the spices until golden. Hope this helps
it was awesome!
Thanks minu
I tried it today…..it was awesome same like mutton biryani.Thanku we love your recipes
Welcome Sarayu
happy to know the biryani turned out good.
thanks a lot
As I promised u, for posting my comments. Here I’m.
The taste of this biryani is very nice. I prepared this all my friends liked it.
Thanku for posting this floavour full biryani recipe.
Welcome Jayshree
So glad to see you back here sharing the outcome.
Thanks for trying
🙂