Foolproof Phulkas - Puffed wheat rotis

Phulkas are a popular form of unleavened wheat flatbreads from India. They are roasted directly on an open flame and are therefore harder to master than other Indian wheat breads like parathas and puris. With my 4-step method and some practice you will become an expert at making these. I have also included some troubleshooting & tips to solve common issues that you may encounter while you are learning to make Phulkas. This video is the first in my series of unleavened wheat breads.

Phulkas are lighter than other rotis and work very well for everyday meals. They puff up beautifully when roasted, hence the name phulka (the puffed one). They are best eaten hot, with a light layer of ghee - straight from the tawa to the plate. However, given the lifestyles of today, most of us do not have the luxury of being able to eat phulkas in this way on a regular basis. Do indulge yourselves occasionally though. It is worth the effort! A simple snack for kids and adults (sometimes) is a warm phulka lined with a liberal coating of ghee and powdered sugar or jaggery and rolled up.

The procedure for making phulkas may seem a bit cumbersome since you need to coordinate taking the tawa off the stove and roasting the phulka directly on the flame. Once you get the hang of it, however, making phulkas will be a breeze! Start with smaller & thicker phulkas, they are easier to roll & roast.

Related Links
Tandoori Roti - These are more forgiving & keep for days!
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Ingredients - Makes 16
The same dough can be used to make parathas or folded chapatis.
Atta (whole wheat flour) ... 2 cups
Salt (optional) ... 1/4 tsp
Ghee or oil ... 1 tsp (ghee), 1½ tsp (oil)
Hot water ... 1+ cups
Atta + rice flour ... 1/4 - 1/2 cup as needed
Ghee (optional) ... for applying

Process steps
1. Make a soft pliable dough
2. Heat the tawa (griddle)
The 4-step method
Step 1: roll a thin roti of even thickness
Step 2: Partially cook side 1 on tawa on low heat
Step 3: Increase heat, flip, and fully cook side 2, dark brown spots all over.
Step 4: Med-high/ high flame, side 1 roasted on the tawa, puffs immediately, small, dark (almost black spots). There should be no need to put side2 on the flame unless it did not roast properly in step 3.

Troubleshooting & Tips
1. If your phulkas do not puff:
• The tawa is not hot enough or it is too hot. The phulka has to stay on the heat for too long because the tawa is not sufficiently hot.
• The tawa is too hot when you dropped the roti on and it stuck to it and/or browned too quickly..
• Side 2 has not been roasted until it is fully cooked.
• There is a tear or fold in your roti
• Roti may be rolled too thin.
• The dough has too much ghee.
2. If your phulkas have black patches on side 1 as opposed to dark brown dots.
• Roti was on the flame for too long. (Possibly because it did not puff)
• Phulka puffed but it still has black patches on side 1, probably because side 2 was not fully roasted, so side 1 needed to stay on the flame for longer to puff.
3. Once you get the hang of the whole process, you will have enough time to roll the next roti while the previous one is roasting.
4. You can make phulkas without roasting on an open flame. i.e. both sides are roasted on the tawa. The procedure is the same. The first side must be partially roasted. Flip over and increase the flame to high. Cook the second side fully. Then instead of flipping over and dropping the first side on the open flame, drop it on the hot tawa. Gently press down with a spatula or a piece of cloth and allow the roti to puff.
5. If you have an electric stove, you will need a rack to roast the phulka. Use two burners. One to keep the tawa and the other for the rack. In step 9 above, transfer the roti from the tawa onto the hot rack with side1 touching the rack.

Chapters:
0:00 Intro
0:44 Make dough
2:37 Make balls
4:12 Fours-step process step 1
5:20 Step 2
6:25 Step 3
7:05 Step 4
7:58 texture check & conclusion

Music attribution
Sea of Memory by Aakash Gandhi, YouTube Audio library
Twinkle in the Night by Aakash Gandhi, YouTube Audio library
The Beauty of Love by Aakash Gandhi, YouTube Audio library

#indianrotis, #indianbreads, #phulka

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