Vegan Soya Keema Pav

About this recipe

Street food has a logic all its own, and keema pav—minced meat piled onto soft rolls and eaten with your hands—is the kind of dish that tastes better when made at home, where you control the spices and don't worry about what's actually in the 'meat'. Using soya granules instead achieves something remarkable: the texture becomes granular and loose, the flavour completely open to whatever spices you add, and the whole thing tastes satisfyingly savoury without any vegetable bitterness. This is vegan comfort food that doesn't announce itself, the kind of dish that makes people reach for seconds without thinking about what they're eating. The technique is borrowed from the meat version: deeply caramelised onions build the base, with their natural sweetness becoming the foundation for everything that follows. Tomatoes get cooked down until their acidity mellows into sweet-savoury depth, and warming spices—garam masala, pav bhaji masala, Kashmiri chilli powder—layer in warmth without harsh spice. The green peas add sweetness and a moment of brightness, while kasuri methi (dried fenugreek leaves) scattered over at the end provide an aromatic complexity that feels traditional. At 440 calories and 28g protein per serving, this is hearty enough to be a complete meal. The most important step is squeezing your rehydrated soya granules very dry; excess moisture will make the keema taste wet and steamed rather than rich and concentrated. Soak them in hot water, squeeze them with your hands multiple times until no more water comes out, and then begin cooking. The oil should visibly separate from the tomato masala before you add the soya—this is the sign that the base is cooked and flavourful. Let the keema cook down slowly until it looks like finely chopped, cooked meat: moist but never wet, glossy with oil. This takes patience, but it's worth it. Pile the keema onto toasted pav (check that they don't contain dairy), and eat with sliced onions and lemon wedges on the side—the sharp onion and sour lemon cut through the richness beautifully. This dish is best eaten fresh from the pan, but it keeps well in the fridge for up to three days and can be frozen for a month. Reheat gently in a pan with a splash of water if needed.