Roti Canai with Dhal (Malaysian Flaky Flatbread Breakfast)

About This Recipe

Roti canai reflects Malaysia's significant Indian influence, a laminated flatbread stretched paper-thin and folded repeatedly before being griddled, resulting in dozens of flaky, buttery layers unlike any other bread. The technique of stretching the dough is genuinely difficult to master, requiring the cook to work the dough thin enough to see through it before folding it into a compact square that puffs and separates into layers when cooked. Served with dhal, a mild, warmly spiced lentil curry, roti canai is a beloved breakfast found at mamak (Malaysian-Indian Muslim) stalls open late into the night across the country, torn and dipped rather than eaten with utensils.

Ingredients

Serves 4

• 3 cupsall-purpose flour
• 1 tspsalt
• 1egg
• 1 cupwarm water
• 1/2 cupghee or vegetable oil(for laminating)
• 1 cupred lentils(for dhal)
• 3 cupswater(for dhal)
• 1onion(diced, for dhal)
• 3 clovesgarlic(minced, for dhal)
• 1 tspturmeric(for dhal)
• 1 tspground cumin(for dhal)
• 2 tbspvegetable oil(for dhal)
• 1.5 tspsalt(for dhal)

Instructions

1. 1

   Make the dough

   Mix flour and salt, then work in egg and warm water until a soft, smooth dough forms; knead 10 minutes.

2. 2

   Rest and oil

   Divide the dough into balls, coat each generously in ghee or oil, and let rest at least 2 hours, ideally overnight.

3. 3

   Stretch and fold

   Stretch each ball of dough as thin as possible on an oiled surface, then fold it into a compact square, layer by layer.

   Stretch the dough until it's nearly translucent — thin enough to see through — before folding, since this thinness is what creates the many distinct layers when cooked.

4. 4

   Cook the roti

   Cook each folded square on a hot, lightly oiled griddle, pressing gently, 3-4 minutes per side until golden and crisp, then scrunch it slightly with your hands to separate the layers.

5. 5

   Make the dhal

   Cook onion in oil until soft, add garlic, turmeric and cumin, then add lentils, water and salt; simmer 25-30 minutes until the lentils break down.

6. 6

   Serve

   Serve the warm roti torn into pieces alongside the dhal for dipping.

Variations

• •

  Roti telur adds a beaten egg to the dough while cooking for a richer version.

• •

  Serving with curry chicken or fish instead of dhal is equally traditional.

• •

  A sweet version served with condensed milk is a popular dessert variation.

Storage

Roti is best eaten fresh and warm; the shaped, unfried dough balls can be frozen and thawed before stretching and cooking. Dhal keeps refrigerated up to 4 days.

Frequently Asked Questions