Roti canai (Malaysian flaky flatbread)
Paper-thin stretched dough folded into flaky, buttery layers and fried on a hot pan. Malaysia’s favourite breakfast, dipped in dhal or curry.
- 290 min270 prep · 20 cook
- HardDifficulty
- 520 kcalper serving
Ingredients
- Plain flour500 g
- Salt1 tsp
- Sugar1 tbsp
- Egg1
- Sweetened condensed milk2 tbsp
- Lukewarm water250 ml
- Ghee or melted butter150 g
- Dhal or curry, to serveto taste
Missing something? Ingredients with × can be left out.
Steps
- 1
Mix the flour, salt and sugar. Add the egg, condensed milk and water and knead into a very smooth, soft dough.
- 2
Divide into 10 balls, coat them generously in ghee, cover and rest (overnight is even better).
- 3
On an oiled worktop, flatten a ball and stretch it outwards with your fingers until paper-thin.
- 4
Fold the edges into the middle to make a layered square about 15 cm wide.
- 5
Cook on a hot pan with a little ghee until golden and crisp on both sides.
- 6
Scrunch the hot roti between your hands to separate the layers and serve with dhal or curry.
Tips and questions
- Why does my dough tear when I stretch it?
- It has not rested long enough. The gluten needs several hours, ideally overnight, to relax so it stretches paper-thin.
- Can I freeze roti canai?
- Yes. Freeze the folded, uncooked squares between sheets of baking paper and cook them straight from frozen.
Enjoy your meal!
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