Flaky, multi-layered flatbread — crisp outside, pillowy inside — served hot with a light curry dipping sauce.

المقادير

3 cups flour

1 tsp salt

1 tbsp sugar

1 egg

About 1 cup warm water

1/4 cup ghee or melted butter (for folding and frying)

For the dip: 1 chopped onion, 2 tbsp curry powder, 1 cup coconut milk, diced boiled potato

خطوات التحضير

Knead the flour with salt, sugar, egg, and warm water until a very soft dough forms; knead well for 10 minutes until smooth and elastic.

Coat dough balls in ghee, cover, and let rest in the fridge for at least 2 hours (overnight is best).

Stretch each ball on an oiled surface with light pulling and tossing motions until paper-thin and nearly translucent.

Fold the stretched dough over itself several times to form a multi-layered square or round shape.

Fry the roti on a hot, ghee-greased griddle until golden and crispy on both sides, then lightly clap it between your hands to separate the layers.

Make the curry dip by sautéing onion with curry powder, then adding coconut milk and potato and simmering until thickened; serve alongside the hot roti.

نصيحة

Coating the dough well in ghee and letting it rest long in the fridge makes it much easier to stretch paper-thin later without tearing.

Roti canai is one of Malaysia's most famous street foods, tracing back to Indian Muslim immigrants who settled in Malaysia and Singapore. The traditional Indian paratha evolved into a distinct Malaysian version sold at open-air stalls throughout the day, especially at breakfast.

The secret to its crispy, flaky layers is a technique of stretching and tossing the dough in the air with a circular motion until it becomes paper-thin, then folding it over itself repeatedly to create fine layers that separate apart when pan-fried in ghee on a hot griddle.