Skip to content
FriendsPantry

Indian · Punjabi

Soya chunk and chickpea curry

Vegetarian

Rehydrated soya chunks and chickpeas simmered in a spiced tomato-onion gravy with spinach. A high-protein, plant-based dinner built on everyday Indian flavours.

Soya chunk and chickpea curry is an Indian curry, ready in about 50 minutes and made with soya chunks and chickpeas. It serves 4 and is rated easy to cook.

Start cooking

No licensed photograph of this dish yet.

Prep
15 min
Cook
35 min
Total
50 min
Serves
4
Level
Easy
Calories
342

Ingredients

4 servings

Equipment

Method

  1. Step 1

    Boil the soya chunks (opens in a new tab) in plenty of salted water for 5 minutes until soft and doubled in size. Drain, rinse in cold water, and squeeze out as much water as you can. Cut any large pieces in half.

    Squeezing well removes the raw soy taste and lets the chunks soak up the gravy.

  2. Step 2

    Heat the oil in a heavy pot, add the cumin (opens in a new tab), then the onion (opens in a new tab), and fry until golden.

    Onions frying golden in a pan
    How it looks · Photo: Magda Ehlers on Pexels

  3. Step 3

    Add the garlic (opens in a new tab), ginger and green chilli (opens in a new tab) for a minute, then the tomatoes, ground coriander (opens in a new tab), chilli powder and turmeric (opens in a new tab). Cook until thick and the oil separates.

    • 8 min
    • medium heat

  4. Step 4

    Add the soya chunks (opens in a new tab), chickpeas (opens in a new tab), water and salt. Simmer, covered, so the soya absorbs the sauce.

    • 10 min
    • medium-low heat
    A curry simmering in a pot
    How it looks · Photo: Bachir Mamud on Pexels

  5. Step 5

    Stir in the spinach (opens in a new tab) until wilted, then the garam masala (opens in a new tab) and lemon juice (opens in a new tab). Garnish with coriander.

    • 2 min

About this dish

Origin
India · Commonly attributedSoya chunk curries became common in Indian home cooking as an affordable protein; combining them with chickpeas is a modern home-style approach.More food from India
Dish
Dinner · Lunch · Curries · Main courses
Cooking method
Boiled, Sautéed, Simmered
Taste
savoury, spicy (chilli heat), tangy, aromatic / warmly spiced
Diet
Vegan · No gluten ingredients · Dairy-free · No nut ingredients · High-protein · High-fibre
All labelsVegan · Plant-based · Vegetarian (lacto-ovo) · Eggetarian · Lacto-vegetarian · Ovo-vegetarian · Pescatarian · Flexitarian-friendly · No gluten ingredients · Dairy-free · Egg-free · No nut ingredients · No added sugar · Alcohol-free · Pork-free · Beef-free · High-protein · High-fibre · Low-fat · Carb-conscious · Calorie-conscious
Worked out from the ingredients. How labels work
Good for
Meal-prep friendly · Freezer-friendly · Budget-friendly · Everyday
Cook more with
Soya chunks · Chickpeas · Cumin · Onion · Garlic · Fresh ginger
Techniques
Sautéing · Boiling · Simmering · Bhunao

Allergens

  • Contains: Soyfrom soya chunks

Based on typical versions of these ingredients and not verified allergen-free. Brands differ and cross-contact happens, so always check labels. For severe allergies, follow your clinician’s advice.

Nutrition

342 kcal per serving

Estimated

1 serving ≈ 394 g · recipe makes 4

Where the energy comes from

  • Protein 31%
  • Carbohydrate 45%
  • Fat 24%
Nutrition per serving and per 100 g
NutrientPer servingPer 100 g*
Energy342 kcal87 kcal
Protein28.1 g7.1 g
Carbohydrate41.3 g10.5 g
Net carbohydrate25.5 g6.5 g
Sugars14.5 g3.7 g
Added sugars0 g0 g
Fibre15.8 g4 g
Fat10 g2.5 g
Saturated fat0.8 g0.2 g
Trans fat0 g0 g
Cholesterol0 mg0 mg
Sodium1181 mg300 mg
Salt equivalent3 g0.7 g
Vitamins & minerals per serving
Potassium
1604 mg
Calcium
240 mg
Iron
7.1 mg
Magnesium
190 mg
Vitamin A (RAE)
209 µg
Vitamin C
38 mg
Vitamin D
0 µg
Vitamin B12
0 µg
Folate (DFE)
245 µg

How these numbers were made

  • Calculated from USDA FoodData Central (SR Legacy) per-100 g values and the listed quantities.
  • *Per 100 g of combined raw ingredients; the cooked dish may weigh more or less.
  • Optional ingredients are not included: coriander leaves.
  • Soya chunks: Defatted soy flour (FDC 174275) used as a stand-in: soya chunks are extruded textured protein made from defatted soy flour; values are for the dry product.
  • Garam masala: Curry powder (FDC 170924) used as a stand-in; both are ground blends of similar dried spices used in teaspoon amounts.
  • “—” means the value isn’t known for enough of the ingredients; it is never zero by default.
  • Values are estimates for guidance, not for medical dosing. U.S. Department of Agriculture, Agricultural Research Service. FoodData Central, 2019. fdc.nal.usda.gov.

Good to know

Tips

  • Soya chunks are sold as 'soya chunks', 'meal maker' or 'TVP chunks' in Indian grocers.

Common mistakes

  • Not squeezing the boiled soya chunks, which leaves them spongy and bland.

Serve with

  • Serve with brown rice, roti or quinoa.

Storage

  • Keeps 4 days refrigerated or 3 months frozen.

Reheating

  • Reheat with a splash of water until bubbling.

Original editorial recipe · FriendsPantry editorial · Not yet independently reviewed · Added · Updated

Recipe DNA

How this dish is built

Grouped by each ingredient’s role in the dish. Each band’s width is its share of the dish by weight. Choose a component to see what it does.

What the dish is built around

Main ingredient

Used in steps 1, 3, 4, 5

Masalas in this recipe

Make the masala first, then come back to finish the dish.

Reviews & corrections

Reviews come from signed-in cooks and appear after a moderator checks them. We never show made-up ratings.

You might also like