Soybean and mushroom curry recipe | soyabean ki sabzi recipe
This soybean and mushroom curry is an easy and delicious way to incorporate a complete source of plant-based protein, fiber and low GI carbs to your diet. Also rich in vitamins and essential minerals, both soybean and mushroom are a great addition to a healthy diet.
Dried soybeans/soya beans are a relatively new addition to our menu. I use tofu, soya nuggets and soya granules/textured vegetable protein (TVP) on a regular basis, but never got around to using dried soybeans. Always on the lookout to add new plant-based protein to our diet, I experimented and created this recipe.
This is the feedback that I received from my friend who tried this curry – “It was so yummy that we licked the bowl empty!“
How to make soybean & mushroom curry – Step-by-step instructions with pictures and video
- Presoaking the soybeans
To begin, we need soybeans that have been presoaked overnight. To presoak, in a big enough bowl, add water to the soybeans. Wash the soybeans and drain. Presoak overnight with 4 cups of water.
Whole dried soybeans are small and round in shape. After presoaking, they increase in size and look similar to black eyed peas/beans. 1 cup of dried soybeans yields approximately 2 ¾ cups of presoaked soybeans.
- Cooking the soybeans
While experimenting with this recipe, I observed that soybeans are not starchy like chickpeas or kidney beans and thus, do not thicken the water (and hence the gravy) in which they have been cooked. Although you could choose to discard the water in which the soybeans are cooked, since I prefer to reuse the water, I used as little water as possible to cook them.
To cook the soybeans, I’m using a pressure cooker but they can be cooked in a pot as well. However, the cooking time will increase greatly when using a pot.
Drain and rinse the presoaked soybeans. Put the soybeans in a pressure cooker along with the salt and water as detailed in the recipe.
On a medium burner, cook on high flame till the first whistle (some pressure cookers whistle while releasing steam. If you have one that doesn’t whistle, then cook as per the required settings). After the first whistle, immediately reduce the flame to low and switch off the gas after 6 minutes. Let the steam release on its own and then open the lid. To check the doneness, press a soybean between your thumb and finger, if it presses easily, it’s done. Soybean retains its shape and does not become mushy.
- Preparing the other ingredients
Make a paste of ginger, garlic and green chilli using a mortar & pestle or chopper/blender.
Next, halve the tomatoes and grate them in a bowl on the large holes of a grater, as close to the tomato skin as possible; discard the skins.
Clean and cut the mushrooms in quarter or half, depending on their size.
Chop enough coriander as required for using in the gravy and for the garnish.
- Cooking the subzi/curry
On a medium burner, heat oil on a medium flame in a big enough wok or pot. Add bay leaf and cumin seeds. Sizzle for 5-10 seconds, taking care not to burn the seeds.
Next, add the ginger-garlic-chilli paste and sauté it for 30-45 seconds, just enough to remove the raw smell of ginger and garlic. Reduce the flame to low if required.
Add the grated tomatoes, salt (be mindful of the salt that was added while cooking the soybeans), turmeric powder, chilli powder and coriander powder.
Mix, cover and cook on low-medium flame till the tomatoes are cooked and the oil separates and floats on the top (approximately 15 minutes). Keep stirring in between to make sure the tomatoes do not stick to the bottom of the pot and get burnt.
Once the tomatoes are cooked, add the amchoor powder (dry mango powder), garam masala, freshly chopped coriander and mix.
Next add in the cooked soybeans along with the water that remained after cooking.
If you cooked the soybeans in a pot, then add only the soybeans and just ¼ cup of water that was used to cook the soybeans. Discard the remaining water or use it to make a stock/soup or to knead dough. If the time permits, let the soybeans cool down a little before adding to the gravy.
Add the mushrooms, mix and cover. Continue cooking on low flame for another 15-20 minutes. Keep stirring in between. Initially, the curry will be relatively dry, but as the mushrooms cook, they will release water that will be sufficient for the gravy.
After the mushrooms have released their water, keep cooking till the oil separates and floats again on the top. Taste and add seasoning if required. Switch off the gas and remove from heat. Cover and let it rest for 5-10 minutes for the spices and the flavors to blend. Before serving, drizzle the lemon/lime juice and garnish with freshly chopped coriander.
Important- Do not add any extra water otherwise the gravy will become watery. We are only using the little water that was left over from cooking the soybeans in the pressure cooker.
Serving suggestion
This curry will go well with roti, paratha, naan, flatbread, rice or even toast.
If you tried this recipe, let me know by leaving a comment below and rating it. Please share the link on Facebook or Pinterest. For Instagram, mention @vegbyswati or tag #vegbyswati
Soybean and mushroom subzi/curry
Equipment
- Pressure cooker
- Wok/pot
- Grater
- Mortar & pestle/chopper/blender
Ingredients
To cook soybeans (using a pressure cooker)
- 1 cup dried whole soybeans washed, presoaked overnight in 4 cups of water
- 1 tsp salt
- 1 cup water
Other ingredients
- 5 tbsp oil
- 1 bayleaf
- 1 tsp cumin seeds (jeera)
- 3-4 big cloves garlic
- 2 cm thick ginger
- 1 green chilli
- 400 gms soft, ripe tomatoes
- 1 ½ tsp salt or as per taste
- ¾ tsp turmeric powder
- ½ tsp red chilli powder or as per taste
- 1 tbsp coriander powder
- ¾ tsp amchoor powder (dry mango powder)
- 1 tsp garam masala or as per taste
- 2 tbsp finely chopped coriander leaves
- 350 gms button mushrooms
Garnish
- 1-2 tsp lemon/lime juice
- 2 tbsp freshly chopped coriander leaves
Instructions
To presoak the soybeans
- Wash the soybeans and presoak overnight in a big enough bowl with 4 cups of water.
To cook the soybeans
- Drain and rinse the presoaked soybeans. Put the soybeans in a pressure cooker along with the salt and water as detailed in the recipe.
- On a medium burner, cook on high flame till the first whistle.
- After the first whistle, immediately reduce the flame to low and switch off the gas after 6 minutes.
- Let the steam release on its own and then open the lid. To check the doneness, press a soybean between your thumb and finger, if it presses easily, it’s done. Adjust the cooking time if required.
Preparing the other ingredients
- Make a paste of ginger, garlic and green chilli using a mortar & pestle or a chopper/blender.
- Next, halve the tomatoes and grate them in a bowl using the large holes of a grater, until only the skin remains; discard the skins.
- Clean and cut the mushrooms in quarter or half, depending on their size.
- Chop enough coriander as required for using in the gravy and for the garnish.
Cooking the subzi/curry
- On a medium burner, heat oil on a medium flame in a big enough wok or pot. Add the bay leaf and cumin seeds. Sizzle for 5-10 seconds, taking care not to burn the seeds.
- Next, add the ginger-garlic-chilli paste and sauté for 30-45 seconds, just enough to remove the raw smell of ginger and garlic. Reduce the flame to low if required.
- Add the grated tomatoes, salt (be mindful of the salt that was added while cooking the soybeans), turmeric powder, chilli powder and coriander powder.
- Mix, cover and cook on low-medium flame till the tomatoes are cooked and the oil separates and floats on the top (approximately 15 minutes).
- Keep stirring in between to make sure the tomatoes do not stick to the bottom of the pot and get burnt.
- Once the tomatoes are cooked, add the amchoor powder, garam masala, finely chopped coriander and mix.
- Next add in the cooked soybeans along with the water that remained after cooking them. If you cooked the soybeans in a pot, then add only the soybeans and just ¼ cup of water that was used to cook the soybeans. Discard the remaining water.
- Add the mushrooms, mix and cover. Continue cooking on low flame for another 15-20 minutes.
- Keep mixing in between. Initially, the curry will be relatively dry, but as the mushrooms cook, they will release water that will be sufficient for the gravy.
- After the mushrooms have released their water, keep cooking till the oil separates and floats again on the top.
- Taste and add seasoning if required.
- Switch off the gas and remove from heat. Cover and let it rest for 5-10 minutes for the spices and the flavors to blend properly.
- Before serving, drizzle the lemon/lime juice and garnish with freshly chopped coriander.
- Serve with roti, paratha, naan, flatbread, rice or even toast.
Video
Notes
- 1 cup=250ml
- If the time permits, let the soybeans cool down a little before adding to the gravy.
- Do not add any extra water otherwise the gravy will become watery. We are only using the little water that is left over from cooking the soybeans.
- Calories information is approximate, calculated using online Recipe Calorie & Nutrition Calculator.
High on proteins! A must try!
Thank you Nishi!