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Roti Canai

Gul_Dekar
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Gul_Dekar

Gul_Dekar

Posted
Posted

I'm trying to make my own roti canai, using the following recipe for the dough:

300g AP flour

1/2 cup ghee

1/2 cup water

~1 tsp salt

Knead & leave for 2-3 hours. Roll out as thinly as possible. Add bit more ghee. Fold, roll a bit more. Then fry on hot griddle/pan till brown on both sides.

It's not as soft as I like it to be, aslo seems a lot drier than it's supposed to be. Dough itself seems firmer than what I remember at mamak places too. Could I be:

1) using too little ghee or water for the dough, 2) not rolling it thin enough (my dough cant be be stretched out as much as what they do at mamak stalls with the pizza flipping-esque action) or 3) not enough ghee on frying surface?

Maybe anyone have a better recipe or tips as to what I could do to get it right? And while I'm at it, what's the difference between roti canai & parathas? Different flours (as in regular AP vs atta)?

All help would be appreciated by group of hungry Msian & Singaporean students craving roti canai, planta, bawang, telur etc... :raz:

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trillium

trillium

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Ahhh the elusive roti. We've never been brave enough to bother with making them at home, and just wait until we're somewhere you can buy them from vendors, so I have no personal tips for you, but you might check out this post where I've typed out recipes for roti canai, parata and murtaba from a Malaysian cookbook we bought in Singapore.

You might also check out Kasma's tips and recipe for roti. I haven't made it, but every other recipe of hers I've ever tried has come out just right.

Maybe someone else will chime in with first-hand experience. I know at our favorite roti place the guy seems to use an awful lot of oil while frying, more then you might imagine.

Good luck!

trillium

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PCL

PCL

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Can't help here much, tried it at home once and WOW... WHAT A MESS!!!... The requisite "poise and grace" never eventuated.

I'm suprised Teepee and Shiewie haven't chimed in yet!!

"Coffee and cigarettes... the breakfast of champions!"

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LT Wong

LT Wong

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A couple of pointers -

You need to add some sugar and egg. Maybe half an egg for your recipe. Condensed milk in place of the sugar will also result in a softer roti canai.

Knead and rest for an hour before kneading again briefly. Divide into smaller portions, cling wrap and rest overnight in the fridge.

Nothing beats the stretching technique of flipping the dough. If this is not possible, use a rolling pin and then use your hands to stretch it like they do for filo pastry. It should be thin enough to see your hands through the dough. And then you fold and fry.

Good luck.

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Tepee

Tepee

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Did someone call? :rolleyes:

Why should I make roti canai when I've never stayed anywhere beyond 100 paces to a good stall? With all that ghee, I shouldn't just walk to get my fix, though...I should hop, skip, jump and do a couple of cartwheels to boot.

Anywayz, being one to do anything at least once, I've tried making roti canai at home too...many years ago. Well, it was a failure...couldn't get the roti to be sexy see-through thin. To be fair to myself, I did it during my first baby steps in my cooking journey. Perhaps, one of these days, I'll try it again. This time, I'll use copious amount of ghee (used butter then) and give the dough a good rest.

Gul...I don't think the dough can be easily rolled out, rather one has to get a bit flipping crazy. Refresher.

Do tell us how it went.

Edited by Tepee (log)

TPcal!

Food Pix (plus others)

Please take pictures of all the food you get to try (and if you can, the food at the next tables)............................Dejah

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Pan

Pan

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TP, why don't you try making a simulacrum of the old-style non-translucent pancake-like roti canai that I used to love so much, the way the mamak guy with the griddle made it on the street near the Pasar Chow Kit back in the 70s? I still think the old way was better, and I'm sorry I can't get it anymore.

Michael aka "Pan"

 

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Tepee

Tepee

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Ahh...now that you describe it, Michael, I'm thinking the recipe I followed is IT, the old-style roti. Will share when I unearth the recipe... But, my preference is roti stretched thinly so that when you fry it, it gets flaky crispy on the outside, yet having some chew left inside. Texture, texture.

TPcal!

Food Pix (plus others)

Please take pictures of all the food you get to try (and if you can, the food at the next tables)............................Dejah

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Pan

Pan

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At least when I got it, the old-style roti canai was flaky when pulled apart and chewy, but closer to the thickness of a flatbread than to today's roti canai.

Edited by Pan (log)

Michael aka "Pan"

 

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Gul_Dekar

Gul_Dekar

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Ah, I don't think I've ever encountered any "old-school" roti because I wasn't even born then! :biggrin: The recipe I used was written in the 80s though, so could it be that it was a recipe for this kind of roti?

Anyway, haven't given it another try yet since I ran out of ghee (and I'm too lazy to clarify all that butter) so will maybe give it another try after I have time to go get some more of it from the store. Will try the egg, sugar and/or milk thing too. Thanks for all the tips!

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PCL

PCL

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Another bout of homesickness over here.

Thanks.

Thanks a lot.

Now I have to go to the Singaporean takeaway and beg, I say, beg them, to do roti this week.

"Coffee and cigarettes... the breakfast of champions!"

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PCL

PCL

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Dim Sim.... you're invited over to my place any time... did I say anytime? yeah i did, and I mean it...

"Coffee and cigarettes... the breakfast of champions!"

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Gul_Dekar

Gul_Dekar

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OMG, that looks gorgeous! Only thing missing from the picture would be a nice cup of teh tarik. :biggrin: Gonna give your recipe a try Dim Sim, as well as any other recipes that you guys provide me with. Thanks everyone (and I'm speaking on behalf of another 5 or 6 more people)!

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PCL

PCL

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Bloody hell... roti canai to be cooked in Toronto via recipes from Melbourne and feedback and recipes from KL... this is like, dude, so, uh, awesome.

"Coffee and cigarettes... the breakfast of champions!"

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PCL

PCL

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yes i do son, so when are you doing another round??? i am so serious, like, i'm sure shinboner would be in on it too...

"Coffee and cigarettes... the breakfast of champions!"

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