Love makhni flavours? Bored of usual butter paneer or butter chicken? Or simply can not eat paneer or chicken due to dietary requirements? You have your grounds covered with this “makhni soya chaap“, great buttery flavours, however its vegan. This butter soya chaap contains butter, and cream, hence if you are vegan, swap with vegan butter and cream. This is a soya makhani chaap is a vegetarian recipe, with amazing north-indian flavours, and can be made at home with minimal expertise.
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What is Soya Chaap
Soya chaap is mock meat, suitable for vegans and vegetarians. It is made using soy beans and flour and has enormous protein content. In its raw form it is firm spongy texture and mild flavours. Heard of Edamame beans? These are young soy beans, and same soy beans are processed to make this chaap.
You will find raw soya chaap sold with it rolled on an ice-cream like stick, something like kebabs on skewers. Though soya is less common in UK and EU, it is gaining more presence in western markets gradually, as it offers meat like taste and still vegan friendly food. If you in UK, like me, you may not find it normal super stores yet, however, you can easily find it on Amazon, or Indian mega stores.
Soya chaap taste
It tastes is in a way like paneer, but vegan and extremely close to chicken in taste. Personally, being miles away from non-vegetarian food, I am relying on what other chaap eaters said, who also eat chicken. Handling of this chaap give a feel of raw chicken, may be more like chicken breast. Now this chaap is something which ticks the boxes for vegetarians and non-vegetarians, alike.
Food is my dopamine and I hope to share recipe of making soya chaap at home in future.
Since this chaap contains flour or flour based products, these are not gluten-free, however read the ingredients to be absolutely sure.
What is Makhni Chaap
Makhni = Buttery or creamy, hence makhni soya chaap is a gravy based vegetarian curry made using soya chaap. It has creamy texture to it, which comes from the addition of cream and butter in the gravy. The smooth silky gravy with chunks of soya chaap, gives a feel of butter chicken, except that there is no chicken and these juicy soya chunks in gravy offers amazing flavours.
Next time you got guests at home who like vegetarian food and also those who prefer chicken, this makhni soya chaap is your saviour! This makhni chaap is so good that Kapil is willing to ditch his butter chicken in favour of this.
Soya Chaap Nutrition
This in its raw form is mega protein rich. These chaaps contains a huge percentage of soybeans which are great source of antioxidants and phytonutrients. It is fibre rich and contain Vitamin A, Vitamin C, Iron, Calcium, Sodium, etc. This chaap also potentially increases estrogen level in female.
Ingredients
- Soya Chaap – You can make at home or buy from online stores in UK, US. In India you can get it from bigger hyper markets.
- Fresh Cream – To get the creamy texture, we would need fresh cream. Vegans must choose vegan cream here.
- Butter – Fresh cream makes the curry creamy, but the real butter taste comes from butter, so do not hesitate in adding butter. Vegans, please look out for vegan butter.
- Cashew – Cashew is a great way to make rich gravy / sauce. Some people use almonds too, I have used cashew, and in case you do not have cashews to hand, you may skip it.
- Onion and Tomatoes – These form the part of gravy.
- Spices – Coriander, turmeric, chilli and cardamom powder are required to give the right flavouring. I use kasuri methi too, not only does it adds to the taste, it offers amazing fragrance to the curry.
- Sugar – A ping of sugar is added to give very mild sweet taste to the curry. Makhni curries have this subtle sweet taste, as an alternative you can use honey too.
- Oil – To fry onions and spices. You may use butter or ghee too, I use olive oil for this makhni chaap.
Method of making Makhani Soya Chaap – Kind of chaap found in Delhi restaurants
- Heat 1 tablespoon oil in a pan and add chopped onion, tomatoes and cashews to it. Sauté for a minute and add 2 cup of water to it, subsequently cover the pan with lid and let it boil for 10 minutes.
- After 10 minutes, open the lid and stir and then transfer this to a grinding jar and add 2 ice cubes to it. Grind it to a fine smooth paste.
- Heat 1 tablespoon of oil in a pan / Kadhai. Add butter to it and once it melts, add red chilli powder and turmeric powder to it. Sauté for a minute and then add ginger garlic paste to it.
- Once the raw smell goes off, add onion-tomato paste to it. Sauté it till the paste starts leaving pan and comes together.
- Now add coriander powder, garam masala and sauté again for a minute. Add 1.5 cup water to it and let the gravy boil. Once boiling, simmer the heat and add sugar, salt and cream to it and cook again for few minutes.
- In an another pan, heat 1 tablespoon oil over low medium heat. Take off all the soya chaap from sticks and cut into pieces. Wash them and dry a little, add them to the pan and saute till they are lightly golden on all sides.
- Once done, take them out and add into gravy. Now add Kasuri Methi and cardamom powder to it. Mix well and switch off the heat and finally garnish with fresh coriander leaves before serving.
Pro Tips for best soya chaap makhni
- Shallow fry the chaap pieces to give them nice colour and to fade away any raw taste.
- I have used tinned soya chaap in my recipe, however you can use fresh ones or frozen ones (after thawing them completely) too.
- I have used kashmiri red chilli powder in my recipe to give the gravy a nice colour. However, you can use normal red chilli powder or paprika powder.
- If your ground paste is not finely ground, then you can sieve it through a strainer to get fine creamy paste. This makhni paste or sauce or gravy is multi-purpose and can be used with paneer or chicken too. You can make this sauce in advance and keep it refrigerated and then making makhni soya chaap gets even more quicker and easier.
This Makhani masala soya chaap
- Is fully vegetarian and can be made vegan too by couple of ingredient swaps.
- Tastes heavenly (Try it!)
- Is loved by vegetarians and non-vegetarians, thanks to the soya chaap texture and taste!
- Can be “hero” food item on the dinning table, it is so good.
Serving suggestion
Serve this makhni chaap with butter naan or enjoy with veg pulao.
You can keep it refrigerated for 2 days, simply re-heat and serve.
If you love soya chaap, you may like to try this malai chaap too, which is an amazing starter.
Recipe Card
Makhni Soya Chaap – Soya Chaap Butter Masala
Ingredients
- 500 Grams Soya chaap On sticks
- 2 Onion medium size,finely chopped
- 3 Tomatoes medium, finely chopped
- 10-12 Cashews
- 1 tbsp Ginger Garlic Paste
- 1 tsp Kashmiri Red Chilli Powder
- 1 tsp Coriander Powder
- 1/2 tsp Turmeric Powder
- 1/4 tsp Cardamom Powder
- 1 tsp Salt
- 1/2 tsp Garam masala
- 1/2 tsp Sugar
- 1 tsp Dried Fenugreek Leaves / Kasuri Methi
- 2 tbsp Butter
- 4 tbsp Fresh Cream
- 3 tbsp Oil
- 2 tbsp Fresh Coriander Leaves finely chopped
Instructions
- Heat 1 tablespoon oil in a pan and add chopped onion, tomatoes and cashews to it. Sauté for a minute and add 2 cup of water to it. Cover the pan with lid and let it boil for 10 minutes.
- After 10 minutes, open the lid and stir. Transfer this to a grinding jar and add 2 ice cubes to it. Grind it to a fine smooth paste.
- Heat 1 tablespoon of oil in a pan/Kadhai. Add butter to it and once it melts, add red chilli powder and turmeric powder to it. Sauté for a minute and then add ginger garlic paste to it.
- Once the raw smell goes off, add onion-tomato paste to it. Sauté it till the paste starts leaving pan and comes together.
- Now add coriander powder, garam masala and sauté again for a minute. Add 1.5 cup water to it and let the gravy boil. Once boiling, simmer the heat and add sugar, salt and cream to it and cook again for few minutes.
- In an another pan, heat 1 tablespoon oil over low medium heat. Take off all the soya chaap from sticks and cut into pieces. Wash them and dry a little, add them to the pan and saute till they are lightly golden on all sides.
- Once done, take them out and add into gravy. Now add Kasuri Methi and cardamom powder to it. Mix well and switch off the heat.
- Garnish with coriander leaves and serve hot with lachha parantha or Butter naan.
Notes
- I have shallow fried the chaap pieces to give them nice colour and to fade away any raw taste.
- i have used tinned soya chaap in my recipe, you can use fresh ones or frozen ones(after thawing them completely) too.
- I have used Kashmiri Red chilli powder in my recipe to give the gravy a nice colour. However, you can use normal red chilli powder or paprika powder.
- If your ground paste is not finely ground, then you can sieve it through a strainer to get fine creamy paste.