TOFU BHURJI STUFFED PARATHA

It is heavy downpour here which is not a big news either.... It rains here throughout the year... more between October and February.... The good news is that my Boris / Dal Vadi / Sun Dried Lentil Balls sustained the rain and did not dampen to die. India cannot think of making bori except for winters. I remember the now 90 year old veteran used to make them in bulk and store for the entire year.... Her terrace was filled with bori, pickle and what? "sheyoi".... it is made from a special variety of rice paste which she strained through a "jali" .... a special kind of strainer and dried under the sun.... once dried it was stored and fried to be served alongside the evening tea.... No shops in Kolkata sold it.... since we lived for 19 years in a rented home, our mother did not have the liberty to use the terrace! Now, what did I discover last month? A lady named Shalini Vyas, who is the owner of a Youtube Channel shared the recipe of it! I got excited &  commented... Shalini... I saw my grandma doing it! This girl is among the very few strangers whose friend's request I accepted.... I like her channel which has recipes with very simple ingredients...... Its ShalinisKitchen.... We do not stop by each other, neither did she like my page but I subscribed to her Channel... I am no Shylock so do not calculate at all times... I do not accept all requests, I am not a people pleaser either that I will go and respond to posts I dislike or do not find necessary just to prove how  generous and nice I am!... I love my near blind eyes way bit and most of the time it is "what meets my eyes".... one thing I severely oppose to is any attempt to drag me into any kind of groups.... 

What did I start with? Well the weather here... it is dry and hence my "boris" saw themselves blooming in the wok! The senior of the two morons did not even appraise, the junior too is not bothered... all appraisal comes from Ipsita-Soumya... off course the maximum number of food containers will visit their home, they definitely travel back filled.... I always say skip the later part... I find pleasure cooking for the mass. Appraisal comes from one Sanak Chottopadhay too ... the excellent cook and human being I often talk about ... he occupies a major part of the heart.... an extremely honest gentleman... whose life is dedicated to his office, home and his only daughter's education and career.... he does not even think of his own pleasure... anyway more of him on a salmon and mutton post! Coming to my men.... given their indifference to my cooking spree and my blog.... I should not have sweated on TOFU BHURJI STUFFED PARATHA yesterday night .... you know I am miserable with stuffed parathas. Someone came home at 10:30 pm at night, yet I did! One cannot expect the best of both the worlds... the wife does not wish to see him stagnate at one place, she told you all earlier that her demands are different.... the reason why she is extremely unhappy with her brother.... who is the reason for her stress-free life though ... the very responsible son loves paratha... but tofu? His mother will serve some chicken or aloor dum as sides. I have a different agenda today.... saying Hi to an unknown gentleman as an "Indian" feeling very safe, hale and hearty in a foreign land!

Tofu is an acquired taste for an Indian, specially for a Bengali! I used all available spices and made it as per our taste... the locals will love it too ... they eat those murtabak and I see them often in the Parathawala chain... in Southern Indian restaurants having rasam or in all of the Northern Indian ones. Who will represent Eastern India?... We will but not at all times.... specially not when attempts are there to limit you within a particular region or city! I am a Kolkatan but more of a Mumbai maniac may be because some dear people live there and for its vibrance. On a Tofu post, I can talk about a Partha & Madhuchanda Dey but not at all about a Shailen & Suparna Rudra... the latter will stab me! Shailen is a master mariner, brother like to the husband who migrated from Bangladesh in 1986... We used to live within  a radius of 500 mt. in Kolkata and we bond over Ilish and "nodir tatka maach". Sailen's only request to me was not to feed him paneer and soybean.... I always conformed to that because he is the one who considers a Mac meal as "shondhyar jolkhabar".... and says "aguli khaiya ghumaitey parum na".... He has travelled the world with that accent as the master of 35-40 crew members belonging to a number of nationalities! His wife... who happens to be a little sister... migrated from Barisal some 15 years back once married ...  literally struggles with her two young boys in Mumbai... driving them to school, driving with them to the wet market... everywhere... in Mumbai she cannot afford four helps as was the case in Kolkata! So, you know there is nothing called "I do not know".... I do not know science because I did not wish to learn... 

Leave them... today I wished to convey a Thank You note to the people of this island for their sense of decency! I was caught in the rain yesterday morning while at walk, I met a man in a deserted road who offered help and not anything else.... All wet, I was looking nonsensical, no one passed lewd remarks.... no one made me feel awkward! I cannot risk this in Kolkata, not anywhere in my motherland! I am thankful.... but I cannot prepare and share a seaweed-cabbage soup with tofu.... I love it but I have the responsibility of feeding my hungry men, I have to get people close to my heart who may have felt left out the previous day.... I do not have a brain that works at jet speed... so I do not know how much of justice did I do in this TOFU BHURJI STUFFED PARATHA that was served with some salad and chilli pickle, sauce! I made some silly clicks even in the rain, iPhones are truly great... mine was totally wet yesterday and its still working... see those "jamrul" have grown big and I tasted one as well.... in another week or two they will be full grown.... Waiting for some drumsticks hanging at my arm's length!

You are not me, so you will not have a "til-badamer takti" and a cookie with teh-o-kosong after your walk and before entering the gym for some free hands... then one big paratha at night does not help! Be wise and stop being my friend... for your own benefit! I will still share this breakfast / lunch / dinner platter for you all.... What does the grape bunch say... nothing special.... we, as a family love grapes.... each one denotes one of my readers.... because a plate can hold a maximum of two TOFU BHURJI STUFFED PARATHA and I consciously avoid the count of 3 and 4.... In social media we deal with many people... it is not the place to flaunt personal relationships.... as of me I do what I think is right.... which may be wrong.... but you know..... in a sense I am headstrong! We prefer our parathas little overdone... I feel too worked up with stuffed parathas!

INGREDIENTS : [for the filling]

Tofu : 350gm
Potato : 1medium [washed, boiled, peeled]
Green Chilli : 2-3medium [chopped]
Onion : 1medium [sliced]
Fresh Coriander Leaves : 2-3tbsp [chopped]
Cumin Seed : 1/4tsp
Cumin Powder : 1tsp
Coriander Powder : 1tsp
Red Chilli Powder : 1tsp
Turmeric Powder : 1/2tsp
Salt : As Required
Oil : 2tbsp

INGREDIENTS : [for the flour dough]

Refined Flour : 1coffee mug
Whole Wheat Flour : 11/2coffee mug
Ghee : 1tbsp [clarified butter]
Salt : As Required

INGREDIENTS : [Final Step]
The Dough
The Tofu Filling
Oil or Ghee : 2tsp for each paratha [I used oil]
Tawa / Griddle, Rolling Pin & Base, Ladle / khunti😀

You can try the stuffed flatbreads with the following fresh chutney too!

INGREDIENTS : [for the coconut-green chilli-lemon juice chutney]

Shredded Coconut : 1medium cup
Green Chilli : 1medium
Lemon Juice : 2-3tbsp
Sugar : 1/2tsp
Black Salt : 1/4tsp


PROCEDURE :

Let us prepare the chutney first. Take all the ingredients mentioned together in a blender.

Blend at high for two minutes pausing every 1 minute. We are done. Transfer to a bowl and refrigerate until we are serving it! Coconut spoils quick in my kitchen!

Let us prepare the tofu bhurji / scramble.

Scramble the tofu, slice the onion, chop the coriander leaves and green chillies. Nonetheless to say, they should be washed! Mash the boiled potato well!

Heat the oil in a wok, temper with the cumin seeds and add the sliced onion.

Once the onion turns golden brown; add the washed & chopped green chillies, turmeric powder, salt.

Fold in well and keep stirring for 2 minutes or so. Now add the rest of the spice powders!

Fold in well and cook for 2-3 minutes. Add the chopped coriander and stir for a minute. Our filling is ready, we will transfer it to a bowl to cool.

Let us prepare the dough now which is nothing but our normal paratha dough. 

Take both the flours, salt in a bowl and rub for 2 minutes. I did not use oil or ghee, but 1or 2 tbsp is recommended!

Add water little by little... warm or cold to form a dough... moderately soft. The kneading requires 5-8 minutes of our effort!

Remove the cover from the dough. Knead again for 2 minutes. 

Tear off tennis ball sized portions and smoothen between your palm. As I said that I am poor with stuffed parathas. So, I rolled out a round chapati, spread filling on it. Then covered it with another chapati / round paratha and sealed the corners pressing a bit! Thereafter, I rolled each a bit lightly pressing!

Heat your griddle / tawa. Place one stuffed paratha at a time. Cook both sides well.

Now, add the oil and cook again both sides well, specially the sides.

Enjoy with your favourite chutney, sauce and salads....