Veggie beef fry ??
During a trip to Kerala, at a wedding sadhya, I found a strange item served on the leaf, right at the center. Looked identical to the famous Kerala beef fry. Hmmm, that didn't make any sense. Beef fry at a wedding sadhya??
Asked one of the servers.."Sir, that is sausage" he said. Now I was thoroughly confused. In checking with some buddies, the secret concoction turned out to be a special soy nugget fry that mimicked the extremely kerala beef fry to appease the hardcore non-veg patrons. Apparently this item has been added to the Sadhya menu in the past few years and has become a staple.
So I took it upon myself to try it out. And believe me, it was pretty close to the beef fry (although I wouldn't say it is exactly like the original 😄).
Recipe
Boil the soy nuggets for 15 minutes (add two tablespoons of vinegar to remove some of the artificial flavor).
Then drain and allow to cool for a few minutes. Squeeze out excess water, and give the nuggets a rough chop.
Marinate for half hour with 1-2 tsp. chilli powder, 2 tsp. coriander powder, 1 tsp. fennel powder, 1 tsp. ginger/garlic paste, 1/2 tsp. garam masala, 1 tsp. ground black pepper, salt to taste and a tablespoon of yogurt. Mix well and set aside.
In the meantime heat 2 tbsp. of coconut oil in a skillet. Any oil will work, but coconut oil gives a more authentic flavor. Sauté 1 whole onion sliced thin, 1-2 slit green chili peppers, 1 tsp. minced ginger/garlic and a lot of curry leaves until onion starts to brown. You can also add some slivers of fresh coconut if available.
Then add the marinated soy pieces and saute on low heat for about 15 minutes until the soy pieces are well coated and starts to crisp up. Add more spice powders if needed during the sauteing process to increase the flavor profile ro your liking. Serve hot.
I even made "beef" Koththu Porotta with this soy fry (tip: add a tablespoon of ketchup to provide some moisture).
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