Soya Chunk Dum Pulao
A Hyderabadi-inspired dum pulao in which curd-marinated soy chunks take the place of meat, layered with basmati rice, mint and fried onions.
- Region
- Telangana (Hyderabadi-inspired)
- Status
- Modern recipe — no traditional claim
- Diet label
- Strictly vegetarian, egg-free
- Time
- Marinate 30 min · Prep 20 min · Cook 35 min
- Serves
- 3 (about 380 g each)
- Difficulty
- Moderate
- Good for
- Weekend lunch, tiffin, guests
- Tags
- High protein · Whey-free · Gluten-free* · No added sugar · Meal-prep friendly
- Allergens
- Soy, milk
Nutrition (estimated)
- Calories
- 465 kcal
- Protein
- 25 g
- Carbs
- 64 g
- Fat
- 10 g
- Fibre
- 11 g
Headline values are for the full plate.
| kcal | Protein | Carbs | Fat | Sat fat | Fibre | Total sugars | Protein per 100 kcal | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Pulao (complete one-pot meal) | 400 | 22 g | 58 g | 7 g | 2 g | 9 g | 8 g | 5.5 g |
| With 150 g cucumber raita | 465 | 25 g | 64 g | 10 g | 4 g | 11 g | 12 g | 5.5 g |
High protein. Soy chunks use a typical label (about 52 g protein per 100 g dry) — verify against the brand used. Values checked against IFCT 2017 on 14 Oct 2026.
Ingredients
- 75 g soy chunks, dry · 150 g basmati rice
- Marinade: 150 g curd · 1 tbsp ginger-garlic paste · 1 tsp red chilli powder · ½ tsp turmeric · 5 g biryani masala · 3 g salt
- 150 g onion, thinly sliced · 80 g green peas · 60 g carrot, diced · 15 g mint and 15 g coriander, chopped · 2 green chillies, slit
- 15 g groundnut oil · whole spices: 1 bay leaf, 4 cloves, 4 green cardamoms, 1 cinnamon stick, 1 tsp shahi jeera
- 3 g salt for the rice · 300 ml water · a few saffron strands in 1 tbsp warm milk (optional)
- Raita: 240 g curd and 210 g grated cucumber for 3, with roasted cumin and salt
Method
- Boil soy chunks in 1 litre water for 5 minutes. Drain, rinse in cold water and squeeze hard to remove excess liquid; this removes the beany taste.
- Mix chunks with the marinade. Rest 30 minutes.
- Rinse basmati until the water runs clear; soak 20 minutes.
- Heat oil in a heavy pot. Fry half the onion on medium for 10 minutes until golden and crisp; remove for garnish.
- Add whole spices and the rest of the onion; cook 5 minutes. Add the marinated chunks, peas, carrot and chillies. Cook 6–8 minutes until the curd is absorbed and the masala coats the chunks.
- Add drained rice, mint, coriander, salt and 300 ml water. Bring to a boil.
- Cover tightly (seal with a foil layer under the lid). Cook on the lowest heat 15 minutes, then rest off the heat 10 minutes.
- Fluff gently; top with fried onion and saffron milk. Serve with raita.
Protein optimisation
- Soy chunks supply 13 g per serving; rice 3.5 g; curd 2 g; peas 2 g.
- Boost: increase soy chunks to 100 g dry (+4 g protein, +30 kcal per serving).
Variations, serving and storage
- Regional: Kolkata-style — add 1 boiled potato per person and a pinch of nutmeg and mace.
- Substitution: paneer cubes (150 g, added at step 6) for a soy-free version (about 4 g less protein and 4 g more fat per serving).
- Storage: 2 days refrigerated.
- Food safety: cooked rice should be cooled quickly and refrigerated within 1 hour; reheat until steaming hot. Do not reheat more than once.
- Meal prep: good.
Nutrition values are estimates calculated from the Indian Food Composition Tables 2017 (ICMR-NIN) and typical product labels. They have not been laboratory-analysed and will vary with your ingredients, brands and cooking. Recipes are for healthy adults and are general information only, not a substitute for advice from a doctor or qualified dietitian. If you are pregnant or breastfeeding, cooking for children, have food allergies, or live with kidney disease, diabetes or any other medical condition, please take professional advice about your diet. From the collection Protein-Rich India by Dr. Shantanu Deshpande · drshantanudeshpande.com