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Roti Prata
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Roti Prata (Indian Griddled Bread)
Roti Prata was most likely brought to Singapore by early Indian traders. Instead of using atta or whole wheat flour, local cooks used the plain flour available to them to make a multi-layer flaky pastry bread.
The prata man, as he is called by the locals, is usually Indian. He skilfully flips the dough into the air (almost like pizza dough) stretching it until it is paper-thin, then folds it into several layers and fries it on a hot, oiled griddle. The roti prata comes out as a wonderful chewy and flaky texture.
In Singapore, it is served for breakfast; diners tear them into pieces rnd dip them in mild chicken curry. Eggs can also be added to form a nutritious breakfast.
Ingredients:
3½ cups flour, plus more for rolling
1 teaspoon salt
½ cup plus 5 tablespoons melted ghee or margarine
1¼ cups warm milk
3 to 6 tablespoons vegetable oil
Procedure:
- Sift the flour and salt into a large bowl.
- Add 5 tablespoons of ghee and stir until the mixture looks crumbly.
- Slowly pour in the milk and mix with your hands.
- The dough will feel soft, spongy, and almost too sticky.
- Knead the dough without adding extra flour until it pulls away from the bowl and forms a smooth ball.
- Continue kneading until the dough feels just slightly sticky, about 10 minutes.
- Cut the dough into 8 pieces.
- Roll each piece into a ball, flatten it slightly, and rub it with ghee.
- Place the flattened balls on a tray.
- Cover the tray with a damp cloth and let the dough rest for at least for at least 5 hours. (If you make the dough the night before, cover the tray with plastic wrap and refrigerate overnight.)
- Lightly oil a rolling pin and work surface with ghee.
- Roll out one ball, stretching the dough into a paper-thin circle, about 9 inches in diameter.
- Lightly brush the dough with ghee and lightly sprinkle it with flour.
- Starting at the bottom edge, roll up the circle jelly-roll style until you have a long rope.
- Gently pull the ends to stretch it an inch longer.
- Take one end and roll it clockwise into a coil until it reaches the center of the rope.
- Roll the opposite end clockwise until the two coils meet in the middle.
- Fold one coil over on top of the other.
- Press the two coils gently together into one thick round.
- Wrap it with plastic wrap and set it aside for 1 hour.
- Repeat with the remaining balls.
- On a lightly floured surface, roll out one round into a 6 to 7 inch circle. (It is best to roll out only rotis you will be serving immediately; keep the rest individually wrapped in plastic.)
- Heat a griddle or skillet over medium heat; grease it with about 1 teaspoon each of a vegetable oil and ghee. Fry the roti gently for about 2 minutes or until the bottom is nicely browned.
- Turn it over, add a teaspoon more oil or ghee, and fry a minute longer. When the bottom is golden brown and speckled and the roti is puffy, remove it and drain it on a paper towel.
- Fry as many rotis as you want one at a time.
- Serve hot with curry, preferably chicken curry. To eat, tear the roti into pieces and dip it into the chicken curry.
Note
To mix the dough in a food processor:
- Put the flour and salt into the workbowl and pulse to mix.
- Dribble the melted ghee over the flour and pulse until the mixture is crumbly, about 10 seconds.
- While the machine is running, pour 1 cup plus 2 tablespoons of the warm milk down the feed tube; process until a ball of dough forms and pulls away from the sides of the workbowl.
- Remove the dough and knead it on a flat surface for 5 to 10 minutes or until it feels spongy, elastic, just a bit sticky to the touch.
- Try to refrain from dusting with flour; if needed, use only enough to keep the dough from sticking to your hands and the work surface.
- Continue with step 7.
 
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