Soya Chunks

Soya chunks are textured soya protein, made by cooking and pressing defatted soya flour into dry nuggets. Soya mince is the same thing in fine granules. Neither has much flavour on its own, which is the point: they absorb the gravy they are cooked in, and hold their chew better than paneer or tofu in a long simmer. They sit within soya, alongside ready seasoned flavoured soya meat.

Chunks work in any dish where you would use pieces of chicken or lamb. Try a Kerala style soya roast with onion, pepper and coconut slices, a soya chunk and potato curry, a butter masala gravy with cream, or soya pulao with whole spices. Mince goes into keema matar, stuffed parathas, samosa filling and kofta, and it cooks through in five minutes once soaked.

Soak chunks in boiling water with a pinch of salt for about ten minutes, until they are soft right through. Drain, rinse in cold water and squeeze firmly, then repeat the rinse; well squeezed chunks taste cleaner and take in more masala. Mince needs only five minutes in hot water. Fold the top of an opened bag tightly and keep it in a cool cupboard. For a pulse that browns and holds a gravy in a similar way, try wadi or kala chana.