Fragrant, comforting, and easy to serve as a complete meal, Soya Chunks Biryani | Meal Maker Biryani Recipe is a gluten-free, vegetarian Indian main made with simple everyday ingredients in about 45 minutes. The recipe lays out the ingredients and each cooking step clearly, so you can adjust seasoning, texture, and serving size for your own kitchen.

Recipe Snapshot

  • Prep time: 15 minutes
  • Cook time: 30 minutes
  • Total time: 45 minutes
  • Yield: 2
  • Category: Main Course
  • Cuisine: Indian

Ingredients

  • 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 (1x - 1¾ cups for cooker, increase when scaling up the recipe))
  • 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))
  • 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))

Method

Prepare Meal Maker

  1. Soak soya chunks in warm water till they soften, squeeze off the excess water,
  2. Wash with cold water and squeeze to remove excess water, repeat this twice. Make sure there is no water left in the chunks.
  3. Add mint leaves, coriander leaves, onion, ginger, garlic, green chilies to a grinder. Grind to a smooth paste.
  4. Marinate the soya chunks with this paste and garam masala. Set aside for at least 15 mins.
  5. Soak rice for 15 mins and drain off the water and set aside.

How to Make Soya Chunks Biryani

  1. Heat oil in a pot or cooker. Add whole spices and sauté till you get an aroma for about a minute.
  2. Add the marinated soya chunks along with the ground paste. Saute on a low heat until the raw flavor in ginger garlic goes away.
  3. 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.
  4. Pour water and add salt. Taste test and more if required. Bring water to a rolling boil in a high heat.
  5. Reduce the heat and add rice. Mix well.
  6. 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.
  7. Serve soya chunks biryani with any raita of your choice.

Kiyaan Singh’s Kitchen Note

Keep this recipe as a working base: cook once as written, then adjust spice, texture, and serving style for your own table.