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    Home » Gravy » Vegetarian Salna | Soya Chunks Salna | Zero Oil Recipe

    Vegetarian Salna | Soya Chunks Salna | Zero Oil Recipe

    Posted on January 25, 2016 · Last Updated on September 8, 2021 · By Srividhya G · 28 Comments

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    veg salna served in gray casserole placed on yellow towel

    A delicious salna/gravy with soya chunks popularly known as veg salna that pairs well with parotta, biryani, and roti. You can prepare this gravy without any oil and check out how to make it with detailed step-wise pictures.

    slanting shot of veg salna with cilantro sprinkled on top
    Jump to:
    • What is salna
    • My version of veg salna without any oil
    • Prep-work
    • How to make soy chunks salna
    • Recipe Notes-
    • More soy chunks recipes from my archives-
    • 📖 Recipe

    What is salna

    Salna (not to confuse with Hyderabadi special salan) is a famous Tamil Nadu style gravy typically served with parotta or biryani. You can also relish it with roti or chapati.

    Salna is mostly meat-based, but nowadays, you can find vegetarian salna where meat is replaced with vegetables or plant-based protein like soya chunks. And my version today is with soya chunks or soy chunks. 

    You can make salna without meat or veggies, and that plain version is popularly known as plain salna or empty salna. You can use broth of your choice and make it flavorful. 

    Salna might not be on the menu of big restaurants, but it’s a popular streetside food. (thalluvandi (தள்ளுவண்டி) style salna) Order a parotta or biryani in the road-side food cart, and you will get a plate loaded with runny salna. And yes, that’s how the gravy should be, not too thick but runny.

    My version of veg salna without any oil

    The highlight of this recipe is that it’s a zero oil recipe. I got this recipe from our friend Srini, a chef and restauranter who got it from a streetside stall during his food exploration. 

    As always, I modified it according to our tastebuds and also made it slightly thick. I won’t call this authentic salna, but a delicious one for sure loaded with plant-protein soy chunks. 

    Usually, we start preparing the gravies by tempering or sauteing the onions in oil. But for this salna, we add all the ingredients to the boiling water and slow cook it. Interesting huh? When Srini shared the recipe, I was amazed by the procedure. I duly followed, and oh boy, slow cooking adds its own magic and intensifies the flavor for sure.

    overhead shot of soy chunks salna served in a casserole

    Chef Tip

    When you bring the water to boil, you can add cabbage or cauliflower stems. It adds a nice flavor, and you can discard them later. Alternatively, you can use vegetable broth also.

    VVK Tip

    Along with other dry masala ingredients, I included some Blackstone flower or kalpaasi, as we say in Tamil. In Hindi, we call it as dagad phool. 

    It is optional, but a small amount adds fantastic flavor to the recipe. You can either use the powder or the dry flower. I used the powder for this recipe. Here is how it looks,

    Kalpassi

    Now without any further ado, let’s see how to make this soy chunks salna, aka veg salna

    Prep-work

    • Rinse the soy chunks and soak in water for 20 to 30 minutes. I usually soak it when I start to prepare the gravy and let it sit till I need it.
    • Grind the coconut, shallots, garlic, and fennel seeds by adding ½ cup of water and set aside. Rinse the mixer jar with ½ more cup of water and reserve it.

    How to make soy chunks salna

    • Bring 3 cups of water to boil in a heavy-bottomed saucepan or kadai.
    • When the water starts to boil, add the green cardamom, cloves, cinnamon, bay leaf, and peppercorns. Let it simmer for 5 to 7 minutes. 
    water simmer with spices
    • Once the water changes its color, add the chopped onions, 5 cloves of garlic, tomato puree, and slit green chilies. Add the Blackstone flower powder, salt, red chili powder, and turmeric powder. Mix well 
    adding onion, tomato puree, spices
    • Let it simmer for 15 minutes over medium-low heat. After 15 minutes, mash the onion and garlic using a potato masher or using the back of the spoon/ladle.
    • At this stage, add the ground coconut paste and ½ cup of reserve water. Mix well. 
    adding coconut paste
    • Let the gravy simmer for 5 to 7 minutes. 
    • Now drain the soy chunks, squeeze the water as much as possible, and add it to the gravy. 
    adding soy chunks to the gravy
    • Let the gravy simmer for 5 to 7 more minutes. If needed, add more water and simmer. 
    • Garnish with cilantro and serve hot with parotta or biryani.
    garnish with cilantro

    Recipe Notes-

    • Adjust the salt and spices according to your preference.
    • Instead of shallots, you can use 3 tbsps of chopped onion while making the coconut paste. 
    • This recipe is all about slow-simmering, patiently slow cook the gravy over medium-low heat for a fantastic flavor.
    • If you feel the salna is very thin, mix 1 tbsp of besan with ½ cup of water and add it to the salna and simmer it for 5 minutes.
    • If you are using the Blackstone flower, use a small piece while grinding the masala. 
    • I used my homemade tomato puree for this recipe. But you can use finely chopped tomatoes. In that case, cook for 20 minutes. 
    • Adjust the water according to your consistency preference.
    overhead shot of soy chunks salna served in a casserole

    PS – Follow me on Instagram or join my Facebook Group for more gardening and recipe updates. If you try this veg salna, please don’t forget to comment and rate this recipe. If you have any questions, please leave a comment, and I will get to it asap.  Make sure to follow me on my Pinterest for more healthy and delicious ideas!

    More soy chunks recipes from my archives-

    • Bhatkal Biryani | Vegetarian Bhatkali Biryani
    • Instant Pot Soya Thongba | A Manipuri Special Curry
    • Dindigul Thalappakatti Biryani With Mushrooms and Soy Chunks | Vegetarian Biryani

    📖 Recipe

    veg salna served in gray casserole placed on yellow towel
    Pin Recipe Print Recipe
    5 from 2 votes

    Vegetarian Salna | Soya Chunks Salna | Zero Oil Recipe

    A delicious salna/gravy with soya chunks popularly known as veg salna that pairs well with parotta, biryani, and roti.
    Prep Time15 mins
    Cook Time40 mins
    Total Time55 mins
    Course: Entree
    Cuisine: South Indian, Tamil Nadu
    Servings: 6
    Calories: 108kcal
    Author: Srividhya G

    Equipment

    • Saucepan or kadai
    • Mixer jar or coffee grinder

    Ingredients

    Measurement Details: 1 cup=240ml; 1tsp=5ml; 1tbsp=15ml

      To grind-

      • 1 tbsp fennel seeds
      • ½ cup coconut grated
      • 5 shallots peeled
      • 2 garlic cloves
      • 1 cup water

      For the Salna-

      • ½ cup soy chunks
      • 3 cups water
      • 2 green cardamom
      • 2 cloves
      • 2- inch cinnamon piece/stick
      • 1 bay leaf
      • 1 tsp peppercorns
      • ¾ cup onion chopped
      • 1 cup tomato puree or 3 medium-sized Roma tomatoes chopped
      • 5 garlic cloves
      • 2 green chilies slit into two
      • ½ tsp Blackstone flower powder
      • ¼ tsp turmeric powder
      • 2 tsp salt
      • 1.5 tsp red chili powder heaped, or to taste

      Instructions

      Prep-work:

      • Rinse the soy chunks and soak in water for 20 to 30 minutes. I usually soak it when I start to prepare the gravy and let it sit till I need it.
      • Grind the coconut, shallots, garlic, and fennel seeds by adding ½ cup of water and set aside. Rinse the mixer jar with ½ more cup of water and reserve it.

      How to make soy chunks salna-

      • Bring 3 cups of water to boil in a heavy-bottomed saucepan or kadai.
      • When the water starts to boil, add the green cardamom, cloves, cinnamon, bay leaf, and peppercorns. Let it simmer for 5 to 7 minutes. Once the water changes its color, add the chopped onions, 5 cloves of garlic, tomato puree, and slit green chilies.
      • Add the Blackstone flower powder, salt, red chili powder, and turmeric powder. Mix well
      • Let it simmer for 15 minutes over medium-low heat. After 15 minutes, mash the onion and garlic using a potato masher or using the back of the spoon/ladle.
      • At this stage, add the ground coconut paste and ½ cup of reserve water. Mix well.
      • Let the gravy simmer for 5 to 7 minutes.
      • Now drain the soy chunks, squeeze the water as much as possible, and add it to the gravy.
      • Let the gravy simmer for 5 to 7 more minutes. If needed, add more water and simmer.
      • Garnish with cilantro and serve hot with parotta or biryani.

      Notes

      • Adjust the salt and spices according to your preference.
      • Instead of shallots, you can use 3 tbsps of chopped onion while making the coconut paste.
      • This recipe is all about slow-simmering, patiently slow cook the gravy over medium-low heat for a fantastic flavor.
      • If you feel the salna is very thin, mix 1 tbsp of besan with ½ cup of water and add it to the salna and simmer it for 5 minutes.
      • If you are using the Blackstone flower, use a small piece while grinding the masala.
      • I used my homemade tomato puree for this recipe. But you can use finely chopped tomatoes. In that case, cook for 20 minutes.
      • Adjust the water according to your consistency preference.

      Nutrition

      Calories: 108kcal | Carbohydrates: 17g | Protein: 6g | Fat: 3g | Saturated Fat: 2g | Sodium: 864mg | Potassium: 371mg | Fiber: 5g | Sugar: 7g | Vitamin A: 423IU | Vitamin C: 11mg | Calcium: 78mg | Iron: 3mg

      I am not a nutritionist. The nutritional information is provided as a courtesy and is an estimate only. It varies depending upon the product types or brands.

      Tried this recipe?Mention @vidhyasvegetariankitchen or tag #vidhyasvegkitchen
      For Video RecipesCheck out My YouTube Channel

      Update Notes – Recipe updated with new step-wise pictures and recipe cards.

      264 shares
      • Share252
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      Filed Under: Gravy Tagged With: madurai salna, thalluvandi style salna, Vegetarian salna for parotta, zero oil salna

      Reader Interactions

      Comments

      1. Dr.Ravichandran Natesan says

        May 07, 2021 at 12:10 am

        5 stars
        Excellent
        How to do with oil, if possible?

        Reply
        • Srividhya G says

          May 11, 2021 at 11:44 am

          I have never tried it. Probably you can start by sautéing onions with whole spices and then add tomatoes.

          Reply
      2. Surya Ramalingam says

        January 18, 2018 at 4:00 pm

        Hi, tried this salna today and it was great!! We loved it!

        Reply
        • Srividhya G says

          January 19, 2018 at 7:07 am

          Oh wow… Thanks for trying and letting me know. Glad it turned out great and you guys loved it. Thanks again! Your comment made my day. :-)

          Reply
      3. Mireille Roc (@ChefMireille) says

        February 09, 2016 at 6:38 pm

        great fat free recipe

        Reply
        • Vidhya@VVK says

          February 09, 2016 at 8:55 pm

          Thanks :-)

          Reply
      4. harini says

        February 04, 2016 at 6:40 pm

        Interesting version.

        Reply
        • Vidhya@VVK says

          February 05, 2016 at 8:11 am

          Thanks Harini

          Reply
      5. Nisha says

        January 29, 2016 at 7:37 am

        Wow very different… Will try it out soon. And it’s so god to have a chef friend. I envy you!! ?

        Reply
        • Vidhya@VVK says

          January 29, 2016 at 11:48 am

          Thanks Nisha.

          Reply
      6. sushma says

        January 28, 2016 at 3:35 pm

        NIce and healthy

        Reply
        • Vidhya@VVK says

          January 28, 2016 at 9:24 pm

          Thanks Sushma…

          Reply
      7. Rajani says

        January 26, 2016 at 2:10 pm

        This method is so different, looks very good

        Reply
        • Vidhya@VVK says

          January 26, 2016 at 5:40 pm

          Thanks Rajani

          Reply
      8. Pavani says

        January 26, 2016 at 1:59 pm

        What a flavorful and delicious looking Salna. Bookmarked to try sometime soon.

        Reply
        • Vidhya@VVK says

          January 26, 2016 at 5:42 pm

          Thanks a lot.

          Reply
      9. cookingwithsapana says

        January 26, 2016 at 8:01 am

        Vegetarian Salna looks wonderful and without oil a healthy recipe.

        Reply
        • Vidhya@VVK says

          January 26, 2016 at 5:45 pm

          Thanks Sapana

          Reply
      10. Priya says

        January 26, 2016 at 1:13 am

        Zero oil, then this salna goes directly to my bookmarked dishes list.Thanks for sharing.

        Reply
        • Vidhya@VVK says

          January 26, 2016 at 7:25 am

          Thanks a lot priya. Let me know how it turned out.

          Reply
      11. CHCooks says

        January 25, 2016 at 10:09 pm

        Lovely recipe! Thanks for the share Sri.. I am going to make this soon :)

        Reply
        • Vidhya@VVK says

          January 26, 2016 at 7:29 am

          Thanks GB. Glad you like it.

          Reply
      12. kushigalu says

        January 25, 2016 at 5:19 pm

        Love this flavorful, healthy and yummy recipe dear!

        Reply
        • Vidhya@VVK says

          January 25, 2016 at 8:11 pm

          Thanks dear..

          Reply
      13. Traditionally Modern Food says

        January 25, 2016 at 2:19 pm

        Salna looks so yum da:-)

        Reply
        • Vidhya@VVK says

          January 25, 2016 at 2:38 pm

          Thanks vidya.

          Reply
      14. Bikramjit says

        January 25, 2016 at 9:03 am

        That look delicious :)

        Reply
        • Vidhya@VVK says

          January 25, 2016 at 2:44 pm

          Thanks

          Reply

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