Rebecca R. Norris is a full-time writer living in the DC metro area. She writes for InStyle covering everything from beauty and wellness to style and celebrity news.

Prepared by Chef Marina Balakrishnan, the grand thali included freshly cooked rice, appam (a type of thin rice cake made with fermented rice batter and coconut milk), sambar dal, and vegetable sabzi.

An evenly rolled roti cooks properly and puffs up well. If it is too thick in some spots and too thin in others, it will cook unevenly. Use a rolling pin to flatten it evenly, keeping the same ...