Chili Garlic Tofu

Chili Garlic Tofu in Marathi

Time: 25 minutes
Serves: 2 persons

Ingredients:
5 oz firm tofu
1 tbsp Corn starch
4 tsp Oil
1 tsp Garlic paste
1 tsp Ginger paste
2 tsp chili garlic Sauce
1/4 cup Green part of spring onions
1/4 cups onion, medium cubes (Separate each layer of onion and then cut)
1/4 cup bell pepper, medium cubes
1 tsp soy sauce
1/2 tsp vinegar
Salt to taste

Method:
1) Gently press the tofu to remove excessive water. It shouldn't get crumbled. Cut into 1 inch cubes. Sprinkle corn starch on tofu cubes.
2) Take a medium pan. Add 1 tbsp oil and shallow fry tofu over medium-high heat. Turn tofu cubes with a tong to brown all the sides. Remove shallow-fried tofu cubes into a plate.
3) In the same pan add a tsp of oil. Saute ginger-garlic sauce. Add soy sauce, onion and bell pepper. Sprinkle salt. Saute for a minute. Onion and bell pepper should stay crispy.
4) Mix 1 tsp corn starch and 3 to 4 tbsp water. Add it to the pan. Add chili garlic paste and vinegar. Mix well.
5) Add shallow fried tofu cubes. Mix gently. Cook for a minute, serve hot.

Tip:
1) The above recipe can be prepared as a gravy dish. In step 4, mix 1 tbsp corn starch in 1/2 cup water and add it along with chili garlic sauce. This gravy can be eaten with white rice.

Tofu Paratha

Tofu Paratha in Marathi

Time: (25 to 30 minutes) 10 minutes for dough + 15 minutes to make parathas
Yield: 6 to 7 big parathas (each around 10 inches)

Ingredients:
150 gram Tofu (I used Firm tofu) (Tip 1)
1 Carrots, grated
1 and 1/2 cup Whole wheat flour (Tip 2)
Plain Yogurt (Tip 3)
3 to 4 green chilies, finely chopped
1/2 cup Cilantro, finely chopped
1 tsp Coriander-cumin powder
1/4 tsp turmeric
Pinch of Asafoetida
Salt to taste
Oil to roast the Parathas (approx 1/4 cup)

Method:
1) Squeeze the tofu gently to remove the excess water. Crumble in a mixing bowl.
2) Add wheat flour and mix lightly. Then introduce grated carrot, green chilies, coriander-cumin powder, turmeric powder, asafoetida, cilantro and salt to taste. Mix nicely and use the yogurt as much as required to knead a medium consistency dough. Do not make a stiff dough, it will make parathas little dry.
3) Cover the dough for 10 minutes. Grease your palms and divide the dough equally into 2 and half inches balls. Heat the griddle (Tawa). Roll the parathas by using dry wheat flour and roast over medium heat. Drizzle little oil while roasting parathas.
Serve hot with yogurt, tomato ketchup, or green chutney

Tips:
1) To make these parathas, any tofu (Silken or Firm) will work nicely. I used firm tofu because it was available at home. However, Silken tofu has very soft and smooth texture. So if you are going to buy tofu specifically to make parathas, go for silken tofu.
2) You may need little extra wheat flour to adjust the dough consistency.
3) Quantity of yogurt depends on the texture and moisture content of the tofu. For the above quantity of the ingredients, I used around 3 tbsp yogurt.
4) Paneer can be used instead of Tofu.

Tofu Basil Fried Rice

Tofu basil Fried Rice in Marathi

Time: 35 minutes
Serves: 2 to 3 persons

Ingredients:
1 cup Jasmine Rice
3 tbsp Oil
3 to 4 Garlic cloves
2 Green chilies
1 tsp Soy sauce
1 tsp Tamarind Pulp
1 tsp Sugar
1/4 cup Bell pepper (sliced lengthwise)
1/4 cup Onion (sliced lengthwise)
1/2 to 3/4 cup Tofu (1 inch pieces)
3/4 cup Basil leaves
1 small Carrot (small cubes)
Salt to taste

Directions:
1) Wash Jasmine rice and drain the water. Bring 1 and 1/2 cups of water to boil. Add a dash of salt. Once water starts boiling, turn the heat to medium low and add washed rice. Cover and cook.
2) Squeeze the tofu slightly. Shallow fry over medium heat until light brown.
3) Crush garlic and green chilies together and make a coarse paste. Heat oil in a wok. Add crushed chili and saute for few seconds. Add carrot cubes and stir for around 30 seconds.
4) After 30 seconds, add bell pepper and Onion. Saute for only 10 seconds as we want onion and bell pepper nice and crisp. Add cooked rice, tamarind juice, sugar, soy sauce and little salt (if required). Mix nicely so that all the ingredients mingle together.
5) Once rice is mixed nicely, add basil leaves and shallow-fried tofu. Mix gently for few seconds and serve.

Tips:
1) We are adding tofu at the end to prevent it from crumbling.
2) Do not heat the rice for longer after adding basil leaves as they will become mushy.
3) To give a different flavor I have added tamarind juice. However, you can add half a teaspoon of white vinegar instead.
4) In Thai fried rice, fish sauce is used to give little tangy-sour taste. Non-vegetarian people can use fish-sauce instead of tamarind juice or vinegar.