Roti canai

Roti canai (pronounced "ch"anai," not "k"anai") is a type of flatbread found in Malaysia, often sold in Mamak stalls. It is identical to the Singaporean roti prata and a close descendant of Kerala porotta.

Origin of the word

"Roti" means bread in Hindi, Urdu, most other North Indian languages, and Malay. The term "canai" derives either from:

* Chennai, a city in India which is formerly known as Madras. Roti canai is presumed to have been introduced by immigrant labour from the Madras region where a similar combination of paratha and dalcha - the accompanying lentil curry - is served. [cite book
last = Jaffrey
first = Madhur
title = Madhur Jaffrey's Curry Bible
publisher = Ebury Press
date = 2003
location =
pages = 283-4
isbn = 0091874157]

* "Channa", a mixture of boiled chickpeas in a spicy gravy from Northern India which it was traditionally served with.

In English, roti canai is sometimes referred to as "flying bread," a term that evokes the process of tossing and spinning by which it is made.

The roti canai dish

Composition

The dish is composed of dough containing copious amounts of fat, egg, flour and water. The form of fat used is usually ghee (clarified butter). The entire mixture is kneaded thoroughly, flattened, oiled and folded repeatedly. It is then allowed to proof and rise, and the process is repeated. The final round of preparation consists of flattening the dough ball, coating it with oil and then cooking on a flat iron skillet with a lot of oil. The ideal roti is flat, fluffy on the inside but crispy and flaky on the outside.

Consumption

One of the characteristics of roti canai and its derivatives is that it can be eaten with the hands, without the need for utensils. This makes it a convenient dish to consume, while being filling. This characteristic makes it a dish of choice as breakfast or as late night supper.

Traditionally, it is served with "dal" or 'dhal' (lentil) curry, which in North India is prepared with chana dal. It can sometimes be taken with sugar or condensed milk. More recently, various improvements on plain roti have been devised to suit Malaysians. Generally the newer forms of roti canai are denoted by using a prefix of "roti" attached to the additional ingredient used. The common variations include:

* "roti telur", with fried eggs ("telur" being the Malay word for egg)
* "roti tisu" (tissue bread), a paper thin and flaky roti. Also called "roomali roti", from "roomal" ("Hindi", meaning handkerchief).
* "roti bawang" (onion bread)
* "roti boom" (bomb bread), a smaller but thicker roti
* "roti planta", stuffed with margarine and sugar.
* "roti sardin", stuffed with sardine and sometimes mixed with ketchup or "sambal", similar to murtabak

Some consumers may also order their own variation, such as :

* "roti telur bawang", with eggs ("telur") and onions ("bawang")
* "roti kaya", with kaya
* "roti tampal", similar to "roti telur" but the eggs are "sticked" on the outside instead
* "roti tuna", stuffed with tuna
* "roti cheese", with cheese added
* "roti milo", although not common, some consumer requested that the "roti" is sprinkled with milo powder

There are also a lot of different curries used besides dhal, for example :
* "kari ayam", chicken curry
* "kari daging", beef curry
* "kari kambing", mutton curry
* "kari ikan", fish curry (mostly served with "ikan pari", the deamon/pari fish)
* "kari campur", mixed curry (consumers can select a mixture of dhals themselves)

Most plain roti are round while those with fillings are square in shape due to the folding of the roti. Due to time saving concerns, the maker usually have a "stock-ready" bucket that keeps pre-made roti. These rotis are usually round and will eventually become cold. Therefore, consumers might insist on a square roti to prevent the seller gives the pre-made version.

Roti canai is affordable (standard price is RM0.80 a piece in Malaysia), making it extremely popular. Roti canai is also now available in frozen form whereby par fried roti canai is processed through blastfreezing technique to ensure soft and fluffy texture upon defrosting and refrying.

Some hawkers serve fluffy and crispy roti canais by placing fried roti canai on a flat surface and with both hands give a soft clap.

Preparation of roti canai in pictures

ee also

* Mamak stall
* Paratha
* Kerala Porotta
* Roti prata, the Singaporean variant.

References