Food for the Soul

I think that making things with your own two hands is good for the soul. We are all consumers, but to be able to also become a producer for yourself, and for others, gives more satisfaction than buying something off the shelf. Now, I'm *definitely* not saying we should all just go live off the land, go back to nature, make everything ourselves from scratch... I'm just saying that when you do that in small ways, when time permits, it's a good thing. Tonight we're having a pre-made dinner of brown lentils flavored with garlic, cumin and cardamom, and a veggie- tofu mix in spiced coconut milk. Yum! Instead of just opening the packets and heating them up with say, some rice, for dinner, I decided to make some homemade Indian flatbreads to have with it, called parathas. My friend Rupali showed me how to make them a few weeks ago, and I've been wanting to make them for myself. They're easy to make.

All you do it mix flour, a little salt, and enough water to make it into dough. Knead it well. Divide into about golf ball sized pieces. Roll out into a thin, flat round. Brush on a little bit of vegetable oil. Fold it in half, then fold in half again. Now, roll it out again into a thin, flat round. Brush on a little more oil. Place in a hot (over medium heat) frying pan, oil side down. Brush on a little oil on the dry side. Once it starts to puff up nicely, flip it. Let it puff up and cook for maybe another minute. It's done. Yummy! The oil will keep it from drying out before you eat it.