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Soya nuggets in a brunch plate

Soya nuggets have long been a favourite of mine, even before I started thinking of nutrition and eating healthy. The very fact the the boiled nuggets turn spongy, all ready to absorb any flavours you dunk them in, make them a delight to cook with. Biting into one of the nuggets and letting the absorbed juices explode in your mouth is a foodies delight. They are odourless and tasteless by themself, presenting to every cook a blank canvas to paint on. I love using them as substitutes to eggs in egg curries, in stir fries, in pulaos and the different shapes available (such as granules, smaller nuggets) allow one to adapt them into a variety of recipes. Poha made with a mixture of beaten rice and soya granules is a favourite in our house.

Ruchi was one of the first companies to bring out and popularise these soya products in India under the brand name Nutrela. They claim to use exceptionally high quality, non-genetically modified soya beans - the nuggets have a protein concentration of 50-55%, the highest for any vegetarian source and negligible fat content. You will find a whole lot of recipes listed on their site.

These nuggets are made like our Indian vadis, using soy flour - dried out in the sun and used as per need. Heres a nice little breakfast / brunch recipe which goes wonderfully with lightly buttered and warmed pav (Mumbai special bread). You can also have this as a salad by itself, being high in protein it is extremely filling.

Note the increase in size after boiling

The dried nuggets have to be either soaked in salted boiling water for a few minutes or boiled in salted water for 3-4 minutes, until they have balooned out and become soft, before use. Follow the instructions on your pack for this. Idea is to soften them and yet keep their texture intact, or else you can end with a mushy mess.

Soya Nugget Salad with Pav
Category: Vegetarian protein, accompaniment with bread, Salad
Time taken: Under 20 minutes
Serves 2

Ingredients
14-15 larger size soya nuggets - boiled as per instructions above

1 medium onion - sliced

1 small carrot - diced

1 medium capsicum - deseeded and diced

1 tsp olive oil

1/4 cup thick yogurt

2 tbsp low fat mayonnaise ( I used Karen Anand brand Eggless mayo)

7-8 black pepper corns - roughly pounded

Dried herbs of your choice (I used parsley)

pinch of chilli flakes

1/2 tsp salt

Pav (1 slab of 6) or any other bread

Directions

Heat a tsp of oil in a wok. Add the vegetables and saute for 2-3 minutes, with a tiny pinch of salt. We want them to retain their crispness. Meanwhile, take the boiled nuggets in a colander and press down hard with a rounded bowl or so, to drain out all the water from them. Cut them into quarters or smaller pieces and add them to the wok.

Stir to mix it with the vegetables. Remove wok from flame and keep aside.

In a large bowl, take the mayo, yogurt, roughly pounded pepper, salt, herbs and beat with a fork to mix well. Once the contents of the wok are cooled, transfer them to the bowl. Mix to coat the dressing uniformly.

Garnish with chilli flakes.

To prepare the Pav, tear them into individual pieces. (They generally come in a slab of 6 or 8) Slice them into two horizontally, but not going all the way through. Apply a dot of butter on the inside and on both the outer sides, place on a hot skillet, until lightly golden and crispy on the outside.

If you do not get pav, where you live, try out this superb tried and tested recipe for home baked Mumbai-special Pav.

This is my entry to WBB - Soy hosted by Rajitha at Hunger Pangs.