Roti Canai
INGREDIENTS
Paratha is a crispy South Indian Flatbread, that has become a famous Malaysian delicacy known as roti canai. The original paratha is a plain pastry (tasty nevertheless!), however in Malaysia, it's transformed to include several delicious, but optional fillings from bananas, butter, eggs, to other more exotic tastes.
Roti canai is usually served with several Indian curries; dhall (lentils) or sambar (mixed vegetable). Some people also have it with fish or chicken.
Use very flat pan or flat iron griddle.
HINT: Some Asian grocery stores sell these ready-to-cook roti canai which taste just as good if you're short for time.
You can look for them in the freezer section. Simply add oil to a flat pan and cook each sheet as instructed.
Roti Canai (Paratha)
By Val Pavlik
- Mix salt with flour and sieve into a bowl
- Add sugar if necessary
- Add water and knead into dough no longer sticks to hand
- Knead till it feels 'elastic'
- Divide into 8 portion, return to bowl, brush it with ghee and cover with damp cloth leaving for 1/2 hour
- Take 1 portion, spread a little ghee on top and flatten with hands
- Pick up flattened dough by the edges and swirl in circular motion until dough thins out
- Fold dough to form a square and flatten out again
- Repeat process to trap air in layers of dough
- Flatten once again and fry on heated flat pan or iron griddle till cooked
- Remove and serve hot with dhal or any curry of your choice (see also Chicken Curry, Mutton Kurma, Beef Rendang)
Some supermarkets will offer prathas that are already packaged. These come in 'dough format' so all you have to do is open the package, add oil to pan and fry the prathas until cooked. An easy and cheap way to impress your guests. Look for them in the freezer section.
FYI: Roti canai is usually eaten for breakfast or morning tea and is nearly always served with
curry.
See also roti jala