Puffy Phulkas

This past weekend was my husband's birthday. While I am not the biggest fan of Indian food and hardly ever make it, he loves and craves it. I figured that his birthday is the one time of year that I should cater to his wishes, and attempted to cook a full Indian meal. I have made various Indian vegetable dishes and lentils a bunch of times before, but this was my first time making rotis or phulkas on my own. Growing up, I watched my mom make them almost everyday, and I have helped her make them a few times, but this was my first time busting out my own rolling pin and attempting to make rotis without her coaching. (Of course, she did email me the day before and remind me to pre-knead the dough...) The process includes making the dough (1 cup whole wheat flour to 1/3 cup water), rolling it out, lightly cooking it on a pan as you would a tortilla, letting it puff up directly on a gas stove, and smothering it with ghee or butter. I was literally crossing my fingers while cooking my first one, praying that it would rise, and it did! Attempt #1 successful, even though making just 8 rotis exhausted me! 

To go along with the rotis, I also made aloo matar (potatoes and peas), mushroom bhaji (mushrooms, kale, and red bell peppers), rajma (kidney beans), and a mango raita (yogurt). Happy Birthday A!