Roti Canai (Roti Paratha)

4.55 from 147 votes

Roti Canai (Roti Paratha)

Roti canai, also known as roti paratha, is a crispy, buttery Indian flatbread with the softest, flakiest layers inside. It’s delicious on its own, with some sugar, or served alongside curry! Learn how to make this at home with my step-by-step picture guide.

Prep Time30

Cook Time20

Total Time50

Course: Bread

Cuisine: Malaysian Recipes

Keyword: roti canai

Servings: Pieces

Author: Bee Yinn Low

Ingredients

3 1/2 cups all purpose flour (1 1/4 lb. / 580 g)
1 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
1 teaspoon granulated sugar
3/4 cup ghee room temperature
1 large egg beaten
3/4 cup whole milk
1/2 cup water

Instructions

Roti Canai Dough

Combine flour, salt, sugar and 1/4 cup of the ghee in the bowl of a stand mixer. Run on low speed with a dough hook until mixture clumps.
Add egg, milk and water. Continue to mix until a smooth, elastic dough is formed. Knead into a smooth, soft, elastic dough, about 8 to 10 minutes. The dough should be a bit sticky, but not wet.
Transfer the dough out and cut into eight equal pieces, about 4 oz. each (113 g). Form into smooth balls.
Coat each ball with one teaspoon of ghee, slathering them well. Arrange in a single layer on a plate, cover with a damn cloth and allow them to rest at room temperature for at least 6 hours. (The dough can be made a day ahead and kept in the refrigerator.)

Prepare the Work Space

If the dough was prepared the day ahead, let come to a warm room temperature. So if your kitchen is cold, place the dough in a warm area, or you can even microwave it for 10 second intervals. Warm dough is more elastic and easier to work with.
Clean a 2-inch × 2-inch (5cm x 5cm) surface, and coat it with a 12-inch circle (30 cm) of ghee (about 2 tablespoons). Coat hands liberally with ghee.
Stretch the dough into a sheet; put 1 teaspoon of ghee in the center of the buttered work area.
Arrange one dough ball in the center. Press with your buttered palm to flatten dough into a 6-inch (15cm) disc, less than 1/4 inch (5mm) thick, slightly thinner around edges.
Pull and stretch it from the center outwards. Make sure most of the dough is paper thin by moving around the dough perimeter with your fingertips and thumbs, lifting thicker edges, pulling outwards to thin, and gently pressing against the table to adhere.
Systematically, slowly, work your way around the perimeter of the dough circle, pulling outwards to thin the dough. For the first few rounds, pull 3 to 4 inches (about8 to 10 cm) each time, making it thinner and thinner.
As it gets thinner, it will be obvious where the thicker parts of the dough are. Focus on those areas. Keep going until you achieve a paper thin sheet. It should reach about 2 feet in diameter. Use the tips of your fingers to smooth the thicker part paper thin.
Using two hands, fold the top quarter of dough over itself, almost reaching the middle of the sheet. Fold top edge over again to meet the top edge. Then repeat with other sides to create a square multi-layered square of dough about 6 to 8 inches (about 16 to 20 cm). Each time you fold, try to capture some air in-between layers.

Cook the Bread

Heat a griddle or large sauté pan over low heat.
Firmly flatten and spread one disc of dough until it is 7 inches to 8 inches in diameter or (18 to 20 cm). The dough will be elastic, and may pull back a little.
Drizzle the griddle with a little ghee. Add one bread to the pan, and cook slowly, turning once, 3 to 4 minutes per side, rotating occasionally to ensure even browning. Cook until each side is deep golden brown.
Transfer the breads to a work surface, and then use a clapping motion (careful, it will be hot), slapping the bread together between your hands to separate the layers.
Repeat with remaining roti, cooking as many as will fit in the pan at one time. Serve immediately with curry sauce or sugar.

Notes

For a chewier roti canai, I prefer using bread flour, which has more protein than all-purpose flour. It helps with the texture. Just keep in mind, you might need to add a little extra water since bread flour tends to absorb more liquid.
I always keep the ghee at room temperature—liquid but not too warm, around 75°–80°F (23°–26°C). It mixes much better with the dough this way.
When I roll out the dough, I aim to make it as thin as I can without tearing it. This step is essential to getting those perfectly crispy, flaky, and soft layers.
If I’m struggling to stretch the dough thin by hand, I use a rolling pin to flatten it between stretches and folds. It’s a total game-changer!
When it’s time to fry, I make sure the pan is really hot. If the pan’s not hot enough, the dough ends up soaking up too much oil, making it greasy and undercooked. I know it’s the right temperature when I see wisps of smoke or when a drop of water sizzles and evaporates instantly on the surface.

Recipe Source: Robert Danhi, Southeast Asian Flavors

For the detailed PDF of the recipe, please click here.

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