Roti Canai Authentic Malaysian Recipes

ROTI CANAI

Steps:

• 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.)
• If the dough was prepared the day ahead, let come to a warm room temperature. So if your kitchen is cold, place the dough inwarm area, or you can even microwave it for 10 secondintervals. Warm dough is more elastic and easier to workwith.
• Clean a 2-inch × 2-inch 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 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 disc, less than 1/4 inch thick, slightly thinner around edges.
• Pull and stretch it from the center outwards. Make sure most of dough is paper thin by moving around dough perimeter with your fingertips and thumbs, lifting thicker edges, pulling outwards to thin, and gently pressing against table to adhere.
• Systematically, slowly, work your way around theperimeter of dough circle, pulling outwards to thin thedough. For the first few rounds, pull 3 to 4 inches (about8 to 10 cm) each time, making it thinner and thinner. As itgets thinner, it will be obvious where the thicker parts ofthe dough are. Focus on those areas. Keep going until youachieve 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 top quarter of dough over itself, almost reaching middle of 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.
• Heat a griddle or large saute 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.

ROTI CANAI (AUTHENTIC MALAYSIAN RECIPE)

Steps:

• Mix the salt in the water.
• Put the flour in a mixing bowl. Add the salted water gradually.
• Mix the flour into a dough. kneed until smooth. Make sure the texture of the dough is not too sticky and gooey.
• Oil your hands with cooking oil and then make the dough into palm sized balls.
• In a bowl pour some oil so that the dough doesn't stick to the bowl. Put in the balls, coating it with oil as you put one on top of each other. After it is all in a bowl, totally immerse it in oil. Leave over night.
• Oil your kneading space. Take out one dough ball, flatten it out into with you palms until the size of a dinner plate.
• Flip it like a pizza (I put a link below to show you how to flip it).
• Flip the dough a couple of times and spread it out until paper thin.
• Take the one edge and fold it to the middle. Do this another three times so that it will turn into a square.
• Grease a flat pan or skillet with cooking oil and cook until golden brown.
• http://youtube.com/watch?v=3EucCu1zafk&feature=related.

ROTI CANAI (MALAYSIAN STYLE)

Steps:

• Dissolve sugar and salt in water. Add milk, egg and flour and blend well. Add the margarine.
• Knead the dough until smooth and no longer sticky. Divide dough into 70 g pieces.
• Shape the dough into balls and coat with margarine. Cover the dough and leave for about five hours or overnight.
• Gently press the dough with palm, stretching it slightly. Hold the dough and stretch to expand the dough piece. Repeat this step for about eight times. (Or you can toss it like a pizza maker, I've seen this done and it's awesome).
• Finally you should get a piece of thin sheet of dough. Fold up or coil into a lump.
• Leave the dough for ten minutes. Fry on both sides over medium heat until golden brown.
• Serve Roti Canai with Curry.

ROTI CANAI

Steps:

• Mix salt with flour and sieve into a bowl
• Add sugar if necessary
• Add water and knead into dough no longer sticks to hand
• Knead till it feels 'elastic'
• Divide into 8 portion, return to bowl, brush it with ghee and cover with damp cloth leaving for 1/2 hour
• Take 1 portion, spread a little ghee on top and flatten with hands
• Pick up flattened dough by the edges and swirl in circular motion until dough thins out
• Fold dough to form a square and flatten out again
• Repeat process to trap air in layers of dough
• Flatten once again and fry on heated flat pan or iron griddle till cooked
• Remove and serve hot with dhal or any curry of your choice (see also Chicken Curry, Mutton Kurma, Beef Rendang).

MALAYSIAN FLATBREAD (ROTI CANAI) WITH CURRIED LENTIL DIP

Steps:

• Combine bread flour, sugar, kosher salt, egg, melted butter, and water for roti canai in a mixing bowl. Mix with your hands until a shaggy dough forms. Transfer to a work surface and knead until a smooth, elastic dough forms, about 7 minutes.
• Divide dough into 8 equal pieces and form each one into a ball. Coat each ball with vegetable oil, transfer to a plate, and cover with plastic wrap. Refrigerate for 8 hours, to overnight.
• Melt butter for dip in a saucepan over medium-high heat. Add onion, ginger, garlic, kosher salt, curry powder, paprika, cumin, black pepper, and cayenne pepper; stir together and saute until onion has softened and spices are fragrant, 3 to 4 minutes. Stir in tomato paste and cook until it starts to toast and caramelize on the bottom of the pan, about 3 minutes.
• Stir in cold water and coconut milk. Add lentils; stir and bring to a simmer. Reduce heat to medium-low and simmer, stirring occasionally, until tender, about 40 minutes. Taste and adjust seasonings. Reduce heat to low and keep warm while you prepare the roti canai.
• Place 1/4 cup melted butter in a bowl. Transfer rested dough balls onto a lightly oiled work surface. Flatten each ball slightly and rub a little melted butter on top. Cover dough with plastic wrap and let it warm up slightly, about 10 minutes.
• Press on top of the plastic wrap to flatten warmed dough. Remove plastic wrap and add a bit more butter. Stretch each piece from the center out to get it as thin as possible (until almost see-through), adding more butter as needed. Don't worry if there are a few small tears.
• Sprinkle on more melted butter, then pull two sides in towards the center until touching and overlapping slightly. Pull the other two edges in the same way to form a square. Cover with plastic wrap and flatten roti canai one more time.
• Add some melted butter to a skillet set over medium or medium-low heat. Add roti canai and cook until browned, flaky, and crispy on the outside and fully cooked through on the inside, 3 to 4 minutes per side.
• Remove from the skillet and smush it with your hands to fluff it up and separate the layers of dough. Repeat to cook remaining roti canai.
• Sprinkle the curried red lentil dip with cilantro and sliced serrano peppers and serve alongside the roti canai.