Tofu stuffed paratha

Here's to a healthy, fabulous, protein-packed, tastier version of stuffed paratha - Tofu Stuffed Paratha! If you 'd read my post on Tofu Tikka Masala, you would know how much I dislike tofu and how intrigued I could get when used in place of paneer. Surprisingly, I found tofu stuffed parathas to be downright delicious especially with channa masala on the side. I wasn't bothered, not even a bit about tofu in the stuffing. Parathas were also soft, tasty & really very filling. A must try recipe!

Tofu haters - Try & see how this recipe changes your perspective on tofu, in a good way ofcourse!!!

Tofu lovers - Try & see how versatile tofu could get and your love for tofu is gonna grow more & more, without a doubt!!!

Basic Info:
Complexity - difficult
Prep time - 1 - 2 hrs (includes draining tofu & mixing dough for paratha)
Cook time - 1 - 1.5 hrs
Serves - 12 - 15 parathas

Ingredients:
For dough:
Whole wheat flour - 3 cups
Salt - 1 tsp
Oil - 2-3 tsp
Buttermilk - 2-3 tbsp
Warm water - 1 cup or as needed

For Stuffing:
Extra Firm tofu - 1 block (about 15 oz)
Red chilli powder - 1/2 tsp
Salt - 1/2 tsp
Turmeric - 1/2 tsp
Coriander powder - 1/2 tsp
Fresh Cilantro - handful (finely chopped)
Onion - 1/2 cup (finely chopped)

Method:
How to prepare dough

Mix all the dry ingredients under 'For dough' in a big bowl. Add buttermilk and mix it well. Now sprinkle warm water little by little and keep mixing the dough until everything comes together. Sprinkle little water and knead the dough until it becomes soft & pliable. Cover it with a wet kitchen towel/cloth and let it rest for about an hour.

Now, let's prepare the stuffing. The secret to good & effective stuffing is to drain as much water as possible from the tofu block. If you miss this step, it will be very difficult to roll the paratha.

How to drain water out of tofu
Lay 3-4 paper towels (one on top of another) on kitchen countertop. Place tofu in the center of the topmost paper towel. Now wrap the paper towels firmly and gently over the tofu. On top of this, place a flat object like a wide plate. Now place some heavy objects (upto 3 lbs) on top of the plate. Adjust their positioning so that the weight of the objects are well balanced over the tofu. (I used couple of 2 lbs packets of lentils from my pantry). Let it sit for about an hour or so (longer won't hurt).

How to prepare stuffing

Scramble tofu using hands, and mix all the other ingredients under 'For stuffing'.

Make small balls out of this tofu mixture.

Also, make equal number of (slightly bigger) balls from the kneaded dough.

Now, take a ball (of wheat dough) and press it with your palm for about 2-3 inches wide. Brush it with little oil and place a tofu ball in the centre.

Now, cover the tofu ball from all the sides.

Carefully roll out this stuffed ball to desired thickness.

Make sure that the griddle is hot enough and place the paratha in the centre of the pan. When the color of the paratha is slightly changed, flip it to the other side and brush it with a dash of ghee on top. When it starts to bubble up, flip it to the other side and brush it with a dash of ghee. Wait until the paratha bubbles up completely and remove from heat.

Enjoy this healthy & delicious tofu stuffed paratha with your favorite curry.