Soya Pilaf / Pulav Recipe

Step 1: To begin making the Soya Pilaf recipe, wash, drain and soak rice in fresh water for minimum 30 minutes before cooking

Step 2: In a saucepan, boil water and add soya chunks in it and boil

Step 3: Drain and keep aside to cool

Step 4: Once cool, squeeze them to take off excess water and keep them separate in a plate/bowl

Step 5: Heat oil/ghee in a wok, add the potatoes, fry them and keep it aside

Step 6: In the same pan, add bay leaf, all the dry whole garam masala, shahi jeera in the reaming ghee/oil and allow it to splutter

Step 7: Add finely chopped onions and fry till light and translucent

Step 8: Add green chillies, ginger paste, garlic paste and fry for about a minute on low medium heat

Step 9: Add chopped tomato along with coriander powder, red chilli powder and fry well till the ghee starts leaving from the sides

Step 10: Add soya chunks and salt, mix all together, fry again for 1-2 minutes

Step 11: After 1-2 minutes, add a little water just to wet the masala and cook it with the lid closed on low flame

Step 12: Meanwhile in another large thick bottomed vessel, add lots of water with little salt, few drops of oil and lemon juice and allow it to boil

Step 13: Once the water is hot and starts boiling, add soaked rice and cook till the rice is 90% done

Step 14: Turn off the gas and strain the rice very carefully and spread it in a big flat tray so that the grains doesn't stick to each other

Step 15: Allow it to cool a bit

Step 16: Do not stir them as the grains may break

Step 17: The next step is to assemble and layer the Soya Pilaf

Step 18: Take a vessel in which you want to assemble the pilaf

Step 19: Spread rice at the bottom of the vessel and then layer it with the some soya gravy

Step 20: Spread some rice again and then pour the remaining soya gravy on it with fried potatoes

Step 21: Again, spread some rice and garnish it with fresh mint leaf, freshly chopped coriander, lemon juice, fried onions, some kewda water and fried dry fruits

Step 22: Close the lid and allow the pilaf to cook for another 10 mins on low flame

Step 23: For this take an iron tawa and place the pilaf vessel on it

Step 24: Once the pilaf is done, hold the vessel from both sides and shake it vigorously, this will mix the soya gravy and the rice evenly inside without breaking the grains

Step 25: Serve Soya Pilaf with Burani Raita, Beetroot Raita or any other Raita of your choice