By Jehan Yusoof  |  Updated September 18, 2026  |  ★ 4.6 (8 reviews)  |  4 Comments.

If your soya curry has let you down without the rich curry flavour, this Sri Lankan version teaches you the correct spice mix and a coconut-milk gravy that coats the soya chunks.
With a tomato-based spice mix that includes onions, ginger-garlic, green chillies, curry powder, turmeric, and red chilli powder, this vegetarian curry is a favourite in our home

If you try this, I’d love to know how it turned out; a quick rating or comment really helps other readers decide what to cook.

What is soya meat?

Soya meat is also known as meal maker, veggie chunks, soy meat, soya chunks, soya nuggets, and TVP.
These soy meat nuggets are a textured vegetarian protein that is the closest you’ll come to a meat texture that is completely plant-based.
They make a healthy substitute for any meat dish or a thick curry-flavoured vegetarian dish.
You can learn how soya meat(meal maker)is produced in this linked article.

• Tips and cooking suggestions.
  • Keep in mind that soya chunks(meal maker) turn into sponges when they are soaked in hot water, and if you get the gravy thick gravy for the soy meat and the seasoning correct, you’ll have the tastiest soy meat curry of your preference.

Ingredients to cook the soya meat curry.

• The ingredients mentioned below use standard measuring cups and spoons.
  • Water
  • Vegetable oil and coconut oil
  • Red dry chillies(optional; substitute with red chilli powder.
  • Green chilli, sliced thin
  • Large onion, sliced fine.
  • A sprig of curry leaves(substitute with a bay leaf).
  • Ginger and garlic paste.
  • Tomato cut into wedges.
  • Turmeric powder
  • Curry powder(try making with Jaffna curry powder).
  • Red chilli powder.
  • Tomato ketchup or tomato sauce.
  • Coconut milk
  • A soya meat packet(an extra pack for a family)
  • Salt to season

What you will need in the kitchen.

• A Chopping board and a knife.
• A medium-sized bowl to boil the soya meat.
• Strainer.
• A large-sized bowl.
• A medium-sized bowl to hold ingredients.
• A medium-sized pan to cook the soya meat curry and a cooking spoon.
• Serving bowl and spoon.

Photo tutorial.

Sri Lankan soya meat curry.

Regarding how much soya you will need.
A packet of soya meat is sufficient for 3 individuals with single servings.
I usually have to make 2 packs for the family (5 individuals with multiple servings).
If you are cooking 2 packs of soya meat, double all ingredients on the ingredient list.

Preparing the dry soya meat for cooking.

Boil two cups of water in a pan.
Once the water is boiled, remove the pan from the stove(be careful here).
Add a teaspoon of salt, followed by the dry soya chunks.
Close the pan with a lid and leave the soya meat in for 5 minutes or until the chunks have expanded and taken the texture of tiny sponges.
Place the pan in a sink and drain the excess water until you are left with the soya chunks.
Run cold water for a few seconds through the veggie chunks to remove heat.
Take a handful of the soya, squeeze and squeeze until you remove the water from them.
Take care not to burn your hands while doing this with the remaining heat from the water you are squeezing out. Set aside.

How to cook the Soya meat curry.

In a separate pot, over medium heat, pour in the oil.
Add dry red or green chillies, sliced onions, curry leaves(substitute with a bay leaf), ginger-garlic paste and chopped tomato.
Cook the ingredients for 7-10 minutes or until the onions turn slightly golden and the tomato wedges become easy to crush with your wooden spoon.
Reduce the heat if you notice the ingredients sticking to the pan, but continue cooking over low heat.

Once the ingredients in the pan turn soft, add turmeric powder, curry powder, chilli powder, and salt to season and combine all ingredients well.
Finally, add the tomato sauce.

Mix all the ingredients in the pan well, and make sure the spices do not stick to the pan.
Check the taste and make the necessary adjustments to suit you.
You can add more curry powder if you find the curry taste is not coming through.
Pour in the coconut milk, gently stir and let the gravy thicken over low heat.

Once the gravy cooks for 5 minutes, add the soya chunks.

Mix well, cover halfway with a lid and let the curry slow-simmer for another 15-20 minutes or until the gravy thickens and changes colour.
Cook until the gravy slightly coats the soya chunks.
Season with salt if necessary, remove from the heat and remove from the stove.
Serve with your favourite rice and curry dishes.

FAQ: Sri Lankan Soya meat curry.

• What is TVP?
  • TVP stands for textured vegetable protein. It is a high-protein, plant-based food derived from soybeans.
• Where can I buy soya meat curry if I don’t live in Sri Lanka?
  • Check the Asian aisle or Indian grocery stores close to you. If there’s a Sri Lankan community close to you, just ask them.
• How many flavours are there in soya meat?
  • If you head on to the aisle where you’ll find these packs, you’ll notice there are many varieties of flavours, from jackfruit, prawn, and chicken to ambulthiyal.
  • Because of the sponge-like texture of the meal maker, soya meat(meal maker)can be turned into one of your favourite seafood, meat or vegetarian dishes.
  • Knowing how to use the spice powders in the soya curry is what’s going to make the difference in the dish becoming a favourite or not with your family. 
• Can I use the sachets in the soy meat(meal maker) pack?
  • Choosing to use these sachets is your decision. 
  • But the soya meat curry recipe given here can be made with or without the sachets.
  • To those of you who want to use the sachet, I will mention in the recipe instructions at which stage you should add the flavoured sachets.
  • Do I use the sachets?
    • Sometimes.
      As much as I would like to say “NO”, there have been times I have used the sachets just so that I can finish up with the cooking.
      For this recipe, I’m going to make the spice mix from scratch.

What to serve with soya meat curry

• Rice dishes to serve with soya meat curry.
  • Sri Lankan Yellow Rice(turmeric rice)
  • Regular white rice cooked over a stovetop.
  • Indian fragrant ghee rice(nei choru).

• Vegetarian curries and other Sri Lankan dishes to serve with soy meat curry.
  • Spicy green beans stir-fry(bonchi thel dala).
  • Sri Lankan spicy Dry Potato curry(ala theldala)
  • Sri Lankan Potato Curry (ala kiri hodi).
  • Cabbage curry with coconut milk.
• Salads to serve with soya meat curry.
  • Bitter gourd fry(Sri Lankan karawila sambol)
  • gotu kola(pennywort salad)sambol.
  • coconut and beetroot salad(mallum)

Storage, Freezing and Reheating guide.

• Storing in the refrigerator
  • Leftovers can be stored in an airtight glass container. Avoid using your new plastic containers as they may stain.
  • Refrigerate the curry once it is cold.
• Freezing
  • You can freeze the curry for 2 to 3 weeks. Let the curry cool completely, then freeze in an airtight container.
• Reheating
  • Leave the curry on your counter and let it reach room temperature.
  • Gently reheat over a stovetop while stirring with a wooden spoon for 5 minutes. If the curry is thick, add a few tablespoons of water or thin coconut milk to loosen up the soya curry.

More Sri Lankan vegetarian curries to try.

Sri Lankan devilled soya meat curry.
Tofu curry(vegetarian and vegan curry).
Paneer curry(cottage cheese curry).

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Sri Lankan Soya Meat Curry (Meal maker curry)

Yield: 4

Prep Time: 15 minutes

Cook Time: 30 minutes

Total Time: 45 minutes

If your soya curry has let you down without the rich curry flavour, this Sri Lankan version teaches you the correct spice mix and a coconut-milk gravy that coats the soya chunks.

4.7 Stars (9 Reviews)

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Ingredients

• 2 cups of water
• 1 soya meat packet(2 packs for a family of five)
• 4 tablespoons of oil
• A sprig of curry leaves(substitute with a bay leaf)
• 1 tablespoon ginger and garlic paste
• 1 large onion sliced thin
• 1 green chilli sliced thin
• 1 large tomato cut into wedges
• 3 red dry chillies(optional, substitute with 1 teaspoon of red chilli flakes)
• 1/2 teaspoon turmeric powder
• 1 and 1/2 tablespoons of curry powder(increas for a more intense flavour)
• 1/2 teaspoon chilli powder(increase to 1 teaspoon or more as per your need)
• 1 tablespoon of tomato ketchup(add 1 more tablespoon to give more flavor)
• 1/2 cup of coconut milk
• Salt to season

Instructions

Regarding quantity.

1. A packet of soya meat is sufficient for 3 individuals with single servings.
2. I usually have to make 2 packs for the family (5 individuals with multiple servings).
3. If you are cooking 2 packs of soya meat, double all ingredients on the ingredient list.

How to prepare the dry soya meat for cooking.

1. Boil two cups of water in a pan.
2. Once the water is boiled, remove the pan from the stove(be careful here). add a teaspoon of salt followed by the dry soya chunks.
3. Close the pan with a lid and leave the soya meat in for 5 minutes or until the chunks have expanded and taken the texture of tiny sponges.
4. Place the pan in a sink and drain the excess water until you are left with the soya chunks.
5. Run cold water for a few seconds through the veggie chunks to remove heat. 
6. Take a handful of the soya, squeeze and squeeze until you remove water from them.
7. Take care not to burn your hands while doing this with the remaining heat from the water you are squeezing out. set aside.

How to make soya meat (soy meat) curry.

1. In a separate pot, over medium heat, pour in the oil, followed by dry red or green chillies, onions, curry leaves(a sprig), ginger-garlic paste and tomato.
2. Cook the ingredients for 7-10 minutes or until the onions turn slightly golden and the tomato wedges become easy to crush with your wooden spoon.
3. Reduce heat if you notice the ingredients sticking to the pan but continue cooking over low heat.
4. Once the ingredients in the pan turn soft, add turmeric powder, curry powder, red chilli powder, and salt to season and combine all ingredients well, finally add the tomato sauce.
5. Mix all the ingredients in the pan well and make sure the spices are not sticking to the pan.
6. Check the taste and make the necessary adjustments to suit you.
7. You can add more curry powder if you find the curry taste is not coming through.
8. Pour in the coconut milk and gently stir and let the gravy thicken over low heat.
9. Once the gravy cooks for 5 minutes, add the soya chunks.
10. Mix well, cover halfway with a lid and let the curry slow simmer for another 15-20 minutes until gravy thickens and you notice they cover the soya chunks as well.
11. Season with salt if necessary, and remove from heat.
12. Serve with your favourite rice and curry dishes.
    I'd love to know how it turned out.
    Leave a ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ rating and a comment; I read every one — it helps other visitors trust the recipe and helps them find me too.

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Nutrition Information:

Yield: 4 Serving Size: 1
Amount Per Serving: Calories: 378Total Fat: 29gSaturated Fat: 8gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 19gCholesterol: 26mgSodium: 291mgCarbohydrates: 16gFiber: 5gSugar: 7gProtein: 18g

Nutritional information on islandsmile is provided as a courtesy. We cannot guarantee the accuracy of the nutritional information given for any recipe on the site. these figures should only be considered as estimates.

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ABOUT THE AUTHOR
JEHAN
Recipe creator. Food Blogger. Video creator
I’ve been cooking and sharing Sri Lankan recipes, along with other dishes I love making at home on Island Smile since 2015. I’ve tested every recipe on this site more than once in my own kitchen before it goes on the blog.
I grew up eating this food, and I still cook it the way my family taught me, just written down clearly enough for you to follow.
If a recipe doesn’t work the way I say it will, tell me in the comments; I read every one, and I’ll help you fix it.