Savory soy chunks drenched in island gravy? Yes, please. This rich, peppery dish takes everything you love about a classic Caribbean stew - scallion, thyme, garlic, allspice - and lets it simmer into pure magic. The soy chunks soak up every drop. Pair it with rice, or whatever starchy side you’ve got. It's pure comfort, no compromise.
Ingredients
- 1¼ cups (120 g) dehydrated soy chunks
- ⅛ tsp ground turmeric
- 1½ tsp (4 g) paprika
- ½ tsp garlic powder
- 1 tsp onion powder
- ⅛ tsp ground cloves
- ¼ tsp dried thyme
- ½ tsp salt
- 4 tbsp (60 ml) high-heat cooking oil divided
- ½ onion diced
- 3 garlic cloves minced
- ½ Scotch bonnet pepper finely minced (optional for spice)
- ½ cup (100 g) mix of bell peppers diced
- 1½ cup (355 ml) hot water
- 1 beefless or vegetable bouillon cube
- 2½ tbsp (40 g) tomato paste
- 1 tbsp (15 ml) ketchup
- 1 tbsp (15 ml) browning sauce or molasses (optional for color)
- 1 tbsp 15 ml) soy sauce
- ½ tbsp (8 ml) white vinegar
- 4 sprigs fresh thyme
- ½ tsp ground cumin
- 1 tsp ground coriander
Instructions
- Add the dehydrated soy chunks to a large bowl and cover them with boiling hot water, then drain them after 10 minutes. Allow the soy chunks to cool until they are not too hot to touch, then squeeze the excess water out of them. Add them back to the large bowl and season them with turmeric, paprika, garlic powder, onion powder, ground cloves, dried thyme and salt.
- Add 3 tablespoons (45 ml) of the oil to a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Brown the soy chunks in the hot oil, stirring them around occasionally for 5 minutes, then remove the soy chunks from the skillet and set them aside.
- Add the remaining 1 tablespoon (15 ml) of oil to the same nonstick skillet over medium-heat heat. Sauté the onion, garlic cloves, Scotch bonnet pepper and bell peppers for 2 minutes, or until the onions are translucent.
- Mix in the soy chunks. Use the hot water to dissolve the bouillon cube, then pour the liquid into the skillet. Mix in the tomato paste, ketchup, browning sauce, soy sauce, white vinegar and fresh thyme.
- Cover the skillet, lower the heat to medium and let the soy chunks cook for 10 minutes. Uncover the pot, mix in the cumin and coriander, add a little more hot water if you prefer more gravy and cook for 5 more minutes.
- Enjoy these chunks in island gravy with white rice, rice and peas or with roti.