How to Make Roti Canai?
John
I would like to know the recipe for making the Roti Canai?
Thanks.
Sammy's Human
t r i l l i u m
~ I would like to know the recipe for making the Roti Canai?
Here is a copy of a post I wrote on 1998/05/20 in rec.food.cooking, you will
find recipes for roti canai, roti prata and murtabak.
begin paste
ge...@life.cc.sunysb.edu (Geeta Bharathan) wrote:
>What is the difference between roti canai and roti prata?
I think to some people, there isn't any, but I think that to the people that
do differentiate between the two, roti canai has egg in the dough, and isn't
supposed to be flakey, and is made from white flour. Roti prata doesn't have
egg in the dough and is supposed to be flakey, and can be made with either
white or whole meal flour. Murtaba is usually made out of dough that doesn't
have egg in it, but can, and is made with white flour. Besides the egg, the
differences, as Geeta said before, seem to be in the way they are
rolled/flipped out before frying. The murtaba should be so thin as to be
transparant. The parata should have many layers and be flakey. The canai,
ok, here is where there is a lot a variance...I've read recipes and seen pics
that show a pretty basic, circular, thick roti. I've eaten roti canai in
Malaysian restaurants that was flipped until very, very thin and big (over 1
foot square in diameter) which made me think of roomali <sp?> that Bharati
described.
I've typed out the recipes for all three of these breads from "Traditional
Malaysian Cuisine" put out by Berita Publishin Sdn. Bhd. Balai Berita, 31,
Jalan Riong, 59100 Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. ISBN: 967-969-139-X. I've
included the discussion of the recipes in a blatent disregard for copyright,
but encourage the purchase of this book if one enjoys SE Asian food. I don't
think it's available in the US.
Victor has posted the murtaba recipe he found that is from this book. In
going to go ahead and keep it in my post in for comparative reasons.
Roti Canai
Ingredients:
600 g flour
1 c warm water
1 tsp. salt, mixed into the water
3 Tbs. ghee
1 egg
sugar to taste
Method:
1. Mix together flour, water, sugar and egg. Knead until a soft dough is
formed.
2. Form into small balls and keep overnight.
3. When you are ready to make the roti canai, spread the ghee on the balls
and flatten.
4. Heat an iron griddle and fry the rotis individually until cooked.
5. Serve hot with curry or dhall.
Murtaba
Anyone who has seen murtaba being made will find it almost impossible to
believe that it can be made at home as the "mamak roti" men who have spent a
lifetime making these parchment thin rotis achieve this by flinging a handful
of dough in ever-widening curves.
An egg-sized lump becomes a large, smooth sheet in about the space of a
minute. It is then cooked on a griddle and filled with savoury meat and
seasoned beaten egg.
At home, you may not be able to put on such a spectacular display, but it is
possible to get the required thinness by soaking the balls of well-kneaded
dough in oil for an hour or more and then spreading them with the hands much
as though you were smoothing down a bed sheet.
Work on a smooth surface, then carry the thin pastry to the hot griddle over a
rolling pin as fingers may easily make hoes. The edges will be somewhat
thicker than the centre but this does not matter.
The problem encountered in a domestic kitchen is getting a griddle large
enough to cook murtaba on but there’s no law that murtaba must be of a
specific size and smaller ones taste just as well.
Ingredients
2 cups plain white flour
1 tsp. salt
1 Tbs. ghee
1 cup lukewarm water
½ c oil
For the filling:
500 g minced meat
2 Tsp. ghee
1 large red onion-sliced fine
2 cloves garlic - crushed
½ tsp. fresh ginger - grated
1 tsp. tumeric powder
1 tsp. garam masala
1 ½ tsp. salt
2 Tbs. fresh coriander leaves - finely chopped
1 fresh red chilli - finely sliced
2 eggs- beaten
Salt and pepper
1 onion - sliced
Method:
For the roti:
1. Place the flour and salt in a large bowl and rub in the ghee.
2. Add the water and mix to a fairly soft dough.
3. Knead the dough for ten minutes or longer.
4. Divide the dough into equal-sized balls and place them in a small bowl
containing the oil.
5. Leave for at least 1 hour.
To make the filling:
1. Heat the ghee and fry the onion until it is soft.
2. Add the garlic and fresh ginger and continue to fry until the onion is
golden brown.
3. Add the tumeric and chilli powder and sit for a few seconds.
4. Put in the meat and carry on frying, stirring constantly, until it is
well-cooked.
To cook the murtaba:
1. Season the beaten eggs with salt and pepper and set aside in a small bowl.
2. On a smooth surface, spread a little oil from the bowl and flatten one of
the dough balls with a rolling pin.
3. Gently press with the finger, spreading the dough until it is almost as
thin as strudel pastry.
4. Heat the griddle and grease it lightly with ghee.
5. Drape the roti over a rolling pin and transfer it on to the griddle.
6. It will cook very quickly so spoon on some beaten egg and spread it over
the middle portion of the roti with the underside of the spoon.
7. Sprinkle some meat over and just before folding, add a few slices of
onion.
8. Fold over the sides of the roti, in an envelope-like fashion to enclose
the filling completely.
9. Turn it over and cook the other side, spreading a little more ghee or oil
on the griddle before putting it down.
10. Cook until crisp and golden on both sides.
11. Serve hot either on its own or with a bowl of curry gravy or dhall.
Paratha
This is probably the most popular of Indian breads - rich, layered, flaky and
deliciously flavoured with ghee, it makes up a complete meal when served with
curry or dhall but may also be eaten as an in-between snack with butter and
sugar.
The secret behind the perfect paratha lies in the rolling and folding
technique in order to achieve the light, layered effect.
Ingredients:
225 g wholemeal flour
225 g plain flour
200 g ghee
1 ½ tsp. salt
220 ml lukewarm water
Ghee for cooking.
Method:
1. In a large mixing bowl, put in the wholemeal flour, plain flour, salt and
a knob of the ghee.
2. Add a little water at a time and knead to form a soft dough which is wet
to the touch.
3. Turn out onto a lightly floured board and knead for ten minutes or longer.
4. Put the dough back into the mixing bowl, cover with a tea towel and set
aside for at least an hour.
5. Turn the dough out again on the board and divide into 12 portions.
6. Roll each portion into a ball.
7. Melt the ghee over a low heat and put it in a bowl.
8. Knead lightly and then roll each ball of dough as thinly as possible into
a circular shape.
9. Dip a small brush in the melted ghee and brush each round lightly.
10 With a knife, make a cut from the centre of each circle to the outer edge.
11. Starting at the cut edge, roll the dough tightly into a conical shape.
12. Press the apex of the cone and the base towards each other and flatten
slightly. The roll will now be a small, approximately round lump of dough
again.
13. Lightly flour the board once more and roll out the dough as gently as
possible, taking care not to press too hard and let the air out at the edges.
14. Grease liberally an iron griddle or heavyweight frying pan and heat over
moderate heat.
15. Cook each paratha individually, turning it over occasionally and
spreading more ghee until both sides are a golden brown.
16. Serve hot with a curry or dhall or butter and sugar.
end paste
regards,
trillium