Roti Canai – Roti Paratha

June 18, 2024

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Roti canai, additionally known as roti paratha, is a crispy and buttery Indian flatbread with the softest, flakiest layers inside. Scrumptious with a aspect of curry, some sugar, and even simply by itself!

Roti canai or roti paratha (prata). — Picture Credit score: Phat Eatery Malaysian Road Meals

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Roti Canai Recipe

Roti canai holds a particular place in my coronary heart. My late father used to convey me a chunk or two for breakfast, scorching and freshly cooked from the native Mamak stalls close to our home.

If you wish to attempt recreating the crispy and buttery goodness of roti, right here’s one recipe you may simply make at dwelling! And don’t fear should you’ve by no means made flatbread earlier than. My Malaysian roti recipe is just about foolproof, and it tastes identical to those you get from avenue distributors!

In your subsequent flatbread making undertaking, make my home made Chapati and Pita Bread!

What’s Roti

Roti canai is a highly regarded flatbread in Malaysia, identical to naan.

Originating from southern India, it’s generally known as roti paratha or roti prata (Singaporean model). They’re made well-known in Malaysia by Mamak (Muslim-Indian) hawkers and avenue distributors who modified the Indian paratha recipe to go well with the native palate.

What I really like most about roti canai is how crispy and flaky the surface turns into whereas the within stays smooth and buttery. It’s normally served as a aspect dish with curry or daal. Nonetheless, some individuals wish to eat it by itself or with a sprinkle of sugar.

Is Roti Canai the Similar as Roti Paratha

Each roti canai and roti paratha originated from India, however they’ve slight variations when it comes to components.

The standard roti prata recipe has a less complicated dough—normally simply flour, salt, water, and ghee—giving it a barely denser, chewier texture than roti canai.

Roti canai, then again, is the Malaysian model of paratha, which frequently provides eggs, milk, and sugar for a richer dough. The dough is then folded and wrinkled a number of occasions to create air pockets, and it puffs up into the softest, lightest layers as soon as it hits the new pan!

Roti Canai Substances

All-purpose flour – the muse of our roti dough. It gives the right steadiness of construction and stretch for roti!
Ghee (clarified butter) – important to our roti canai recipe! It infuses the bread with buttery taste whereas serving to create these signature flaky layers because it melts between the folds of dough. Its excessive smoke level additionally permits us to crank up the warmth, leading to a crispy exterior with none burnt bits.
Complete milk – provides moisture and fats for a extra tender roti.
Egg – serves as a binding agent to make the dough simpler to work with. It additionally provides a lovely golden hue to the cooked roti.

See the recipe card for full info on components.

Which Flour Is Finest For Roti

All-purpose flour is the only option for a flaky roti recipe. It has a average protein content material (10-12%) which hits the candy spot for growing gluten. So that you get a roti dough that’s sturdy sufficient to stretch with out tearing however nonetheless cooks up into smooth, gentle layers with a crisp chew when pan-fried.

How To Make Roti Canai

For an genuine roti paratha recipe, I flip to my pal Chef Robert Danhi of Southeast Asian Flavors.

It takes a little bit of observe to nail the stretching approach, however you’ll finally get a really feel for it as you make it extra usually. And your roti will nonetheless style superb regardless!

Right here’s Chef Danhi’s detailed step-by-step directions to information you:

Making Roti Dough

Step 1. Mix flour, salt, sugar, and 1/4 cup of the ghee within the bowl of a stand mixer. Run on low pace with a dough hook till the combination clumps.

Step 2. Add egg, milk, and water. Proceed to combine till a clean, elastic dough is shaped. Knead right into a clean, smooth, elastic dough, about 8 to 10 minutes. The dough must be a bit sticky, however not moist.

Step 3. Switch the dough out and minimize into eight equal items, about 4 oz. every (113 g). Type into clean balls.

Step 4. Coat every ball with one teaspoon of ghee, slathering them nicely. Prepare in a single layer on a plate, cowl with a moist material, and permit them to relaxation at room temperature for not less than 6 hours.

Professional tip: The dough could be made a day forward and stored within the fridge.

Getting ready the Work Area

Step 1. If the dough was ready a day forward, let come to a heat room temperature. So in case your kitchen is chilly, place the dough in a heat space, or you may even microwave it for 10-second intervals. Heat dough is extra elastic and simpler to work with.

Step 2. Clear a 2-inch × 2-inch (5cm x 5cm) floor, and coat it with a 12-inch circle (30 cm) of ghee (about 2 tablespoons). Coat fingers liberally with ghee.

Step 3. Stretch the dough right into a sheet; put 1 teaspoon of ghee within the heart of the buttered work space.

Step 4. Prepare one dough ball within the heart. Press together with your buttered palm to flatten the dough right into a 6-inch (15cm) disc, lower than 1/4 inch (5mm) thick, barely thinner across the edges.

Step 5. Pull and stretch it from the middle outwards. Be sure a lot of the dough is paper skinny by transferring across the dough perimeter together with your fingertips and thumbs, lifting thicker edges, pulling outwards to skinny, and gently urgent towards the desk to stick.

Step 6. Systematically, slowly, work your manner across the perimeter of the dough circle, pulling outwards to skinny the dough. For the primary few rounds, pull 3 to 4 inches (about 8 to 10 cm) every time, making it thinner and thinner.

Step 7. Because it will get thinner, it is going to be apparent the place the thicker components of the dough are. Concentrate on these areas. Hold going till you obtain a paper-thin sheet. It ought to attain about 2 ft in diameter. Use the information of your fingers to clean the thicker half paper skinny.

Step 8. Utilizing two fingers, fold the highest quarter of the dough over itself, nearly reaching the center of the sheet. Fold the highest edge over once more to satisfy the highest edge. Then repeat with different sides to create a multi-layered sq. of dough about 6 to eight inches (about 16 to twenty cm). Every time you fold, attempt to seize some air in between layers.

Cooking the Bread

Step 1. Warmth a griddle or massive sauté pan over low warmth.

Step 2. Firmly flatten and unfold one disc of dough till it’s 7 inches to eight inches in diameter or (18 to twenty cm). The dough will likely be elastic and will pull again a little bit.

Step 3. Drizzle the griddle with a little bit ghee. Add one bread to the pan, and prepare dinner slowly, turning as soon as, 3 to 4 minutes per aspect, rotating sometimes to make sure even browning. Prepare dinner till either side is deep golden brown.

Step 4. Switch the bread to a piece floor, after which use a clapping movement (cautious, it is going to be scorching), slapping the bread collectively between your fingers to separate the layers.

Step 5. Repeat with the remaining roti, cooking as many as will match within the pan. Serve instantly with curry sauce or sugar.

Useful Ideas for House Cooks

For a barely chewier roti canai, make this recipe for roti prata with bread flour, which has a better protein content material than all-purpose flour. You might want so as to add a bit extra water, as bread flour absorbs extra liquid.
Hold the ghee at room temperature, liquid, at about 75°–80°F (23° to 26°C) for higher mixing with the dough.
When rolling out your roti, attempt to make it as skinny as doable with out tearing the dough. This creates the right steadiness of crispy, flaky, and smooth layers.
In the event you’re discovering it onerous to get paper-thin roti by hand, use a rolling pin to flatten the dough evenly and gently between stretching and folding.
Wait till your pan is ripping scorching earlier than frying the roti. In any other case, your dough will simply sit within the oil, leading to greasy and undercooked paratha. Your pan is prepared once you see wisps of smoke rising from the oiled floor or if a drop of water flicked onto the dry pan sizzles and evaporates immediately.

Continuously Requested Questions

Is Roti Canai Wholesome?

Roti canai is greatest eaten sparsely as a result of it’s loaded with carbs and energy. However it may nonetheless be a part of a wholesome way of life. Serve it with protein and veggies for an entire, nutritious meal.

Is Roti Canai Made With Egg?

Sure, an egg is normally included in Malaysian-style roti.

What To Eat Roti Canai With?

Go conventional by serving it with a light-weight daal, curries like Malaysia Hen Curry, or sambal dishes like Prawn Sambal. It’s additionally superb in candy combos like condensed milk and sugar or paired with bananas and Nutella like a Thai roti recipe. You will get artistic with it—use it as a pizza base, in a wrap, or in curry puffs!

Is Roti Canai Fried?

Sure, roti canai is pan-fried in a shallow pan or griddle frivolously brushed with ghee.

Why Is My Roti Rubbery?

A rubbery roti is normally brought on by overworking the dough or not resting it sufficient.

How Many Energy Per Serving?

This roti paratha recipe has solely 392 energy per serving.

What To Serve With Malaysian Roti Paratha

Serve roti with Malaysian curry sauce or plain sugar. For a straightforward Malaysian weeknight dinner, I like to recommend the next recipes:

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