Malaysia's beloved flaky flatbread — stretched and folded until paper-thin, then pan-fried in ghee and served with golden lentil dhal.
Roti Canai (pronounced 'cha-nai', from the Tamil 'Chennai') is one of Malaysia's greatest culinary gifts — a flaky, layered flatbread introduced by South Indian Tamil immigrants and perfected over generations into something entirely Malaysian. The dough is mixed, rested, then stretched and folded repeatedly to build hundreds of paper-thin layers. When slapped onto a hot griddle with ghee, it puffs, browns and develops a shatteringly crispy exterior with a soft, pillowy interior. It is inseparable from mamak (Indian-Muslim) culture and is sold 24 hours at roadside stalls across Malaysia with dhal, sambal or curry for dipping.
Serves 4
Mix flour, salt and sugar. Add egg, condensed milk and water. Knead 10 minutes until smooth. Gradually incorporate melted ghee. Divide into 6 balls, coat in ghee, cover and rest 2 hours minimum (overnight is better).
Fry cumin seeds in oil until popping. Add garlic, turmeric and garam masala. Add lentils, tomatoes and 400ml water. Simmer 25 minutes until thick. Season.
On an oiled surface, flatten a dough ball and stretch it as thin as possible without tearing. Fold in thirds to form a rectangle, then fold again to form a square.
The more folds, the more layers. Professionals toss the dough in the air to thin it — practice on the counter first.
Heat a flat pan or griddle over medium-high. Add 1 tsp ghee. Cook roti 2 minutes per side until golden and flaky. While hot, clap between your palms to separate the layers.
Serve immediately with warm dhal curry for dipping.
The long rest is essential — it relaxes the gluten and allows the dough to be stretched paper-thin.
Clapping the cooked roti between your palms while hot separates the layers dramatically.
Roti telur: break an egg onto the stretched dough before folding and cooking.
Roti pisang: add sliced banana to the filling.
Roti bom: make a thick, buttery version without stretching.
Best eaten immediately. Dough keeps in the fridge for 3 days.
Roti canai was brought to Peninsular Malaysia by South Indian Tamil Muslim immigrants in the 19th century. The name 'canai' is believed to derive from 'Chennai' (formerly Madras). Over generations it evolved from the Indian parotta into a distinctly Malaysian flatbread, now considered as Malaysian as nasi lemak.
Indian paratha is typically thicker and less flaky. Malaysian roti canai uses condensed milk in the dough for sweetness and is stretched to extreme thinness for hundreds of layers — the result is lighter and crispier.
Butter works but has a lower smoke point and different flavour. Ghee is preferred for its nutty richness and ability to withstand higher cooking temperatures.
Per serving · 4 servings total
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