Soya Chaap Recipe | Soya Chaap Masala

soya chaap masala in a white bowl with a mint sprig.

5 from 5 votes

Soya Chaap Recipe | Soya Chaap Masala

A delicious Soya Chaap Recipe that’s tangy, hearty, and bursting with flavors and aroma. This Soya Chaap Masala features tender, chewy, and meaty soya chaap. The gravy is made with a rich onion-tomato masala base, cooked with yogurt & spices marinated soya chaap chunks, fresh herbs like coriander, mint, and a medley of spices. Best served with steamed rice or roti or paratha.

Prep Time10

Cook Time20

Marinating Time20

Total Time50

Course: Main Course

Cuisine: North Indian

Diet: Vegetarian

Difficulty Level: Moderate

Servings:

Calories: 265kcal

Author: Dassana Amit

Ingredients

For Marination

275 grams soy chaap sticks - or 5 sticks, chopped
½ teaspoon turmeric powder
1 teaspoon red chilli powder
1 teaspoon cumin powder
2 teaspoons coriander powder
¼ teaspoon garam masala
2 teaspoons ginger garlic paste
1 teaspoon salt or add according to taste
½ cup or (125 grams) curd (yogurt) - whisked or beaten until smooth

For Curry

3 tablespoons oil - can also use 2 tablespoons oil
1 inch cinnamon
3 cloves
2 green cardamoms - lightly crushed
1 tej patta - halved
5 black peppercorns
1 cup or (110 grams) onions - finely chopped
½ cup or (80 grams) tomatoes - finely chopped
1 cup water
1 tablespoon coriander leaves - chopped
1 tablespoon mint leaves - chopped

For Garnish

1 to 2 tablespoons mint leaves or 2 tablespoons chopped coriander leaves

US Customary - Metric

Instructions

Marinating Soya Chaap

Remove the sticks from each chaap and discard them. Squeeze each chaap lightly to get rid of the brine.
Place them in a bowl and rinse thoroughly in fresh water a few times. Press lightly to remove any extra water. Drain all of the water and set aside.
The rinsing helps to remove the brine flavor if any. Additionally, make sure to follow the package instructions to prep them.
Chop the chaap into bite-sized pieces or chunks. Do not chop them small as they disintegrate while cooking.
Take the chopped soya chaap in a mixing bowl.
Add turmeric powder, red chilli powder, cumin powder, coriander power, garam masala powder, ginger garlic paste, salt and beaten curd to the soy chaap pieces.
Gently mix and marinate for 20 to 30 minutes.
Meanwhile prep further by chopping onions and tomatoes.

Making Soya Chaap Masala

Heat oil in a pan or pot. When the oil becomes moderately hot, add the whole spices - cinnamon, cloves, green cardamom (lightly crushed), tej patta and black peppercorns.
Fry these spices in oil lightly until fragrant. Make sure you do not brown or burn them.
Next add finely chopped onions and sauté until golden.
Add finely chopped tomatoes. Mix well and sauté the tomatoes until they soften.
Sprinkle water if the tomatoes stick on to the pan and deglaze.
Turn off heat and add marinated soy chaap.
Mix thoroughly.
Switch on the heat and sauté on a low to medium-low heat, stirring often for 5 to 6 minutes or until you see oil specks on the sides or top of the masala.
Add the chopped mint, coriander leaves and mix.
Add water and stir to combine.
Cover pan with a lid and simmer the Soya Chaap Curry for 10 minutes on low to medium-low heat.
Once the cooking is done, turn off the heat. Do ensure that the chaap is cooked properly and must not taste raw or undercooked.
Check the taste and add a few pinches of salt if needed. Remember that salt rounds up the flavors of the spices and yogurt in this recipe.
If the salt is less the flavors would feel lacking. So it is important that correct amount of salt is added.
Garnish Soya Chaap Masala with chopped mint or coriander leaves. Serve the Soya Chaap Curry with steamed basmati rice, roti, paratha, naan or bread.

Notes

You could use fresh soya chaap. If using canned soya chaap it should be within its shelf period. Also lightly press, squeeze and then rinse it in fresh water very well to get rid of the brine and its flavor.
For frozen chaap, thaw it before prepping.
To make a plant based version, add ½ cup of thick coconut milk. However do not marinate the chaap with the coconut milk. Instead, marinate it with ground spice powders and ginger-garlic paste. Once the curry is fully cooked, add coconut milk. Simmer gently for a couple of minutes until lightly heated. You can easily adjust the consistency as needed when you add coconut milk.
Instead of adding finely chopped onions, choose to add ⅔ cup of onion paste. Make sure to use fresh yogurt and not sour one. The yogurt should be made from whole milk. Yogurt made from toned milk or low fat milk can separate in the gravy.
You could use ghee instead of oil.
Be sure to add mint leaves, as it gives a lovely taste and flavor to the curry.
Adjust spices according to your taste buds.
For a richer restaurant style curry, consider adding cream or cashew paste.
If you like the nutty aroma of kasuri methi (dry fenugreek leaves), crush and sprinkle it over the curry.
Remember that overcooking the curry will lead to the chaap becoming too tender and falling apart in the gravy. Hence avoid overcooking.
I have not grilled, air-fried, or pan-fried the marinated soya chaap, but you could choose to do so. If pre-cooking the chaap, add it to the curry once it is ready.

Nutrition