Mild spicy soya pilau

Pilau would be incomplete without meat, wouldn’t it? Wrong. If you did not know it, you can also make this delicious dish using soya chunks, which are a wholesome alternative to animal proteins.

Preparation Time:  15 minutes

Cooking Time: 25 minutes

Serves: 5

Ingredients

 1 cup long grain rice

 1 cup soya chunks (dried)

 5 cloves of garlic

 1 tablespoons cooking oil

 2 tablespoons finely chopped coriander leaves, for garnishing

 1/2 cup finely chopped carrots

 1/2 cup green peas

 1/2 teaspoon turmeric powder (optional)

 1 teaspoon cumin seeds

 2 small pieces of cinnamon Stick

 2 medium red onions, thinly sliced

 2 green chilies, finely chopped (optional)2 1/2cups water

 Salt

Preparation

1. Rinse and soak rice in water for 15-20 minutes

2. Rinse and soak soya chunks in hot water for 15 minutes

3. The chunks will almost double in size. Drain water and rinse again

4. Heat oil in a non-stick pan and add cumin seeds, cinnamon and cloves. When they start sizzling, add sliced onion, garlic, and green chili and sauté

5. Add chopped carrot and green peas and sauté for 2 to 3 minutes

6. Drain water from rice and add to the pan. Add soya chunks and turmeric powder. Mix and and sauté for a couple of minutes over medium flame

7. Add 2 1/2 cups water and salt to taste and boil over medium heat.

8. Once boiling, reduce heat to low and cover the pan with a lid. Cook for about 10 minutes

9. Turn off heat and keep the pilau covered for at least 7 to 8 minutes. Uncover and fluff the rice with a fork.

The result is a mild spicy dish. Garnish with fresh coriander leaves, and serve.

Why soya is good for you

 It is a good source of fibre.

 Omega-3 fats

 Calcium, iron, magnesium, protein and selenium

 Contains Isoflavones

 Contains all eight essential amino acids.

 Low in fat with zero cholesterol

Try this velvety pumpkin soup

 4 tbsp cooking oil

 1kg pumpkins (peeled, deseeded and cut into chunks)

 2 onions, finely chopped

 3 cups vegetable or chicken broth

 1 cup water

 4 slices wholemeal bread

 Handful pumpkin seeds (optional)

 ½ teaspoon salt

Pumpkin soup:

 Heat the cooking oil in a large pan, fry the onions for 5 minutes, until soft

 Add pumpkin to the pan and cook for 8-10 minutes, stirring occasionally until it starts to soften and turn golden

 Pour the vegetable or chicken broth into the pan, add salt to taste. Boil, then simmer for 10 minutes until the pumpkin is soft

 Pour in 1 cup water and boil

 Puree the pumpkin in blender. For an extra-velvety consistency, sieve mixture into another pan.

Serving suggestion:

Reheat the soup if need be and check seasoning. Serve with crisp toasted whole meal bread or simply take it on its own.

Chef’s tip

•  To slice onions without shedding tears, chill the onions in the freezer for about 10 minutes before chopping.

•  The second step involves removing the entire onion shoot before chopping. The easiest way to do this is to make a deep round cut at the rear.

•  Once through, slice the onion near an open flame: fire sucks the air around it, and will therefore also consume the stinging fumes produced by the onion.