Roti Canai with Dhal Curry

About This Recipe

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.

Ingredients

Serves 4

• 300 gplain flour
• 1 tspsalt
• 1 tspsugar
• 1egg
• 150 mlwater(warm)
• 60 mlcondensed milk(or 2 tbsp sugar + 2 tbsp milk)
• 80 gghee or butter(melted, plus extra for cooking)
• 200 gred lentils(for dhal)
• 1 tinchopped tomatoes(for dhal)
• 1 tspcumin seeds(for dhal)
• 1 tspturmeric(for dhal)
• 1 tspgaram masala(for dhal)
• 2 clovesgarlic(for dhal, minced)

Instructions

1. 1

   Make the dough

   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).

2. 2

   Make dhal

   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.

3. 3

   Stretch the roti

   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.

4. 4

   Cook

   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.

5. 5

   Serve

   Serve immediately with warm dhal curry for dipping.

Variations

• •

  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.

• •

  Vegetarian: swap the protein for roasted king oyster mushrooms, smoked tofu or cooked chickpeas — adjust seasoning slightly upward to compensate.

Storage

Best eaten immediately. Dough keeps in the fridge for 3 days.

Frequently Asked Questions