What comes full of protein, carbohydrates, micronutrients, plenty of vitamins and minerals, is low on starch, high on fiber, and contains all the nine essential amino acids? It's Whole soya beans!
Whole soya beans are a rich and nutritious food that offers an abundance of nutrition and a plethora of health benefits. These tiny little beans are grown almost all around the world and are considered a healthy source of protein for vegetarians and a preferred one for vegans. Whole soya beans are a truly wholesome food everyone should try.
If you have been missing out on the goodness of soya and want to add this amazing superfood to your diet, or even if you're already a fan of it, we have 4 tasty whole soya bean recipes for you to try!
So let's get right to it! But before that, some guidelines you should be aware of.
Basic prep
Before you start preparing these recipes, you need to prepare the beans for use. Since soya beans are seeds, you need to soak them to soften and make them edible, or you'll break your teeth trying to chew them. The soaking step is also essential to rid them of any antinutrients.
For this, put the beans in a large bowl. Soak them in enough water to cover at least 2-3 inches and leave them overnight or for about 6-8 hours. In the morning, you should find them nearly doubled in size and ready for use. Skim the layer that forms on the top, and drain the water.
The soaked beans are ready for any dish you want to make. Although, you might want to give them a whistle in your pressure cooker or boil them in water as per the recipe's requirement.
Soya Beans and Cabbage Salad
To start with, we have a quick and easy salad recipe to start your day that you can prepare in 5 minutes flat!
Ingredients you'll need:
- ½ to 1 cup soya beans cooked
- 1 cup chopped spring onions
- 2 cup shredded white cabbage
- 2 cup shredded red cabbage
- 2 tbsp light soya sauce
- 1 tbsp dark soya sauce
- ½ tsp red chili sauce
- 2 tbsp lemon juice
- Salt
- Pepper
- Sugar
- Coriander
How to cook:
- Mix the pre-cooked beans with cabbage, onions, and coriander leaves.
- Combine the rest of the ingredients with a little water. You can use the water used to boil the beans for nutrition and flavor. And don't worry if you have only one kind of soya sauce; you can use whichever one you have.
- Pour the mixture over the beans and vegetables.
- Toss to give it a gentle mix.
- And it's ready! Serve immediately.
Masala Soya Beans
The tangy flavor of tomatoes with the delectable taste of masala makes whole soya beans awesome! Enjoy this wholesome breakfast with a toast or by itself.
Ingredients you'll need:
- 150 grams Whole Soya Beans
- 1 Onion, chopped
- 1 Tomato, chopped
- 2 tbsp chopped Ginger
- 2 tbsp chopped Garlic
- Few green chilies, chopped
- Spices: Turmeric powder, chili powder, salt, chat masala
- Cooking oil
How to cook:
- Heat oil in a pan and add the chopped ginger and Garlic; saute till golden brown.
- Next, add the chopped onions and saute them.
- Now, add chopped tomato to the mixture and cook until soft. This will give a nice gravy for your dish and a rich base for all the masalas.
- Toss the green chilies and all the masalas along with some chat masala, as well as the cooked soya beans. Stir over medium flame for 2 minutes.
- Add two cups of water and allow it to simmer for 10 minutes on low flame, and wait until the water is completely drained. Stir occasionally.
- Remove from the pan into a plate or bowl, sprinkle the chat masala, garnish with fresh coriander or parsley and enjoy your masala soya!
Soya Bean Chilla/Pancake
This recipe is packed with the power of two unique ingredients— first, whole soya beans, and second, flax seeds! Flax seeds are super rich in Omega 3 fatty acids, which are essential to keep our body going. Omega 3 is primarily found in fish and less in vegetarian sources, but flaxseed is an excellent vegetarian source.
If you are a vegetarian or a vegan, soya bean chilla/pancake with flax seeds are perfect for a daily dose of protein and Omega 3.
Ingredients you'll need:
- 200 grams Soya beans (soaked)
- 2 tbsp Flax seeds (soaked)
- 3 tbsp rice flour
- Half an inch chopped Ginger
- One green chili
- Salt to taste
How to cook:
- Take the soaked soya beans and flax seeds that would have softened by now.
- Drain the water, put them in a blender along with green chili and ginger. Add ½ to 1 cup water and grind them into a smooth paste/ batter. Add more water if the batter is too thick, but do not make the batter too runny.
- In a bowl, add rice flour and salt to the batter and give it a mix. You will get a thick batter.
- Heat a Tava or pan. Add a ladle full of the batter and press it down in a thick layer to form a little circle the size of a pancake. Don't try to spread the batter too much.
- Drizzle some desi ghee on top and sides. Let it cook over low flame.
- When the chilla begins to fluff a bit and leave edges, gently check underneath from the sides and flip over carefully to cook the other side.
- Drizzle some more ghee, and let it cook evenly till it turns brown and crispy.
- Flip once or twice to cook, and then remove.
Serve the pancakes with tomato chutney, idli podi, or any chutney of your choice.
Soya Bean Chilli
If you like hot and spicy meals, soya bean chili is the dish for you. Get all things healthy along with great taste in this simple recipe.
Ingredients you'll need:
- 3 cups ground soya beans
- 2 cups tomato puree
- 1 chopped Onion
- 1 chopped green pepper
- Few cloves of Garlic, chopped fine
- Chilli powder
- Salt
- Basil
- Oil
How to cook:
- Heat oil in a pan. Add onion, Garlic, and Green peppers to saute until the onions turn golden brown.
- Now add the cooked and ground Soya and tomato puree. Sprinkle in all the spices as per taste and cook over low flame.
- Let the mixture come to a boil. Then cover the pan with a lid and let it simmer while the flavors blend.
- You can add some more chilly to suit your taste buds!
- And your soya bean chilly is ready!
Serve it with brown rice and enjoy a nutritious meal for lunch or dinner.
Now, what are you waiting for? Go and make yourself a healthy plate of whole soya full of protein with one of these recipes!
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