Soya Pilaf / Pulav Recipe

Total Time: 70 minutes

Cuisine: Indian

Ingredients:

  • tomato
  • basmati rice
  • ajwain (carom seeds)
  • black peppercorns
  • onion
  • soy (nuggets)
  • green chillies
  • mint leaves (pudina)
  • salt
  • coriander (dhania)
  • cardamom (elaichi) podsseeds
  • kewra water
  • raisins
  • lemon
  • star anise
  • red chilli powder
  • cashew nuts
  • bay leaves (tej patta)
  • ghee
  • ginger garlic paste
  • cinnamon stick (dalchini)
  • coriander powder
  • potato (aloo)
  • cloves (laung)

Instructions:

  • To begin making the Soya Pilaf recipe, wash, drain and soak rice in fresh water for minimum 30 minutes before cooking
  • In a saucepan, boil water and add soya chunks in it and boil
  • Drain and keep aside to cool
  • Once cool, squeeze them to take off excess water and keep them separate in a plate/bowl
  • Heat oil/ghee in a wok, add the potatoes, fry them and keep it aside
  • In the same pan, add bay leaf, all the dry whole garam masala, shahi jeera in the reaming ghee/oil and allow it to splutter
  • Add finely chopped onions and fry till light and translucent
  • Add green chillies, ginger paste, garlic paste and fry for about a minute on low medium heat
  • Add chopped tomato along with coriander powder, red chilli powder and fry well till the ghee starts leaving from the sides
  • Add soya chunks and salt, mix all together, fry again for 1-2 minutes
  • After 1-2 minutes, add a little water just to wet the masala and cook it with the lid closed on low flame
  • Meanwhile in another large thick bottomed vessel, add lots of water with little salt, few drops of oil and lemon juice and allow it to boil
  • Once the water is hot and starts boiling, add soaked rice and cook till the rice is 90% done
  • Turn off the gas and strain the rice very carefully and spread it in a big flat tray so that the grains doesn't stick to each other
  • Allow it to cool a bit
  • Do not stir them as the grains may break
  • The next step is to assemble and layer the Soya Pilaf
  • Take a vessel in which you want to assemble the pilaf
  • Spread rice at the bottom of the vessel and then layer it with the some soya gravy
  • Spread some rice again and then pour the remaining soya gravy on it with fried potatoes
  • Again, spread some rice and garnish it with fresh mint leaf, freshly chopped coriander, lemon juice, fried onions, some kewda water and fried dry fruits
  • Close the lid and allow the pilaf to cook for another 10 mins on low flame
  • For this take an iron tawa and place the pilaf vessel on it
  • Once the pilaf is done, hold the vessel from both sides and shake it vigorously, this will mix the soya gravy and the rice evenly inside without breaking the grains
  • Serve Soya Pilaf with Burani Raita, Beetroot Raita or any other Raita of your choice