Roti canai
Unleavened flatbread of Indian origin in Southeast Asia.
Roti canai is an unleavened flatbread of Indian origin found in the cuisines of Southeast Asia, particularly in Brunei, Indonesia, Malaysia, Singapore, and Thailand. It is typically served with dal or various curries, and can also be prepared in sweet or savory adaptations. In 2024, Malaysia successfully nominated it to the UNESCO Intangible Cultural Heritage List.
Quick Facts
- National cuisine
- Brunei
- Indonesia
- Malaysia
- Singapore
- and Thailand
- Region
- Southeast Asia
- Creator
- South Indian diaspora in Southeast Asia
- Course
- Main course, usually for breakfast
- Served
- Hot
- Main ingredients
- Flour
- Variations
- Roti tissue, murtabak
- Calories
- 302
Facts from the source article.
Etymology
The word roti is borrowed from Sanskrit 'रोटिका', meaning 'bread'. Canai likely derives from the Malay word 'canai', meaning 'to roll dough thinly'. Less likely theories connect the name to the Indian city of Chennai or to a Hindi word for chickpea or chickpea stew. In Singapore it is called roti prata, from Indian paratha or parotta.
History and background
Introduced to Southeast Asia around the 19th century, roti canai became a popular breakfast and snack, especially in street mamak stalls during the era of British Malaya. Another theory places its introduction by Indian traders to Aceh, Indonesia, in the 17th century, under the name roti cane, spreading through the Dutch East Indies by the early 19th century.
Regional variations
Plain roti is called roti kosong. It is traditionally served with dal curry, but also with chicken, beef, mutton, fish (often stingray), mixed, or chickpea curry. In Brunei and Malaysia, varieties include murtabak (thick, filled with egg, meat, onions, and spices; in Indonesia often deep-fried); roti telur (with egg); roti jantan (two eggs); roti bawang (onion); roti telur bawang (eggs and onions); roti boom (smaller, thicker, spiral-shaped, with sugar and margarine or curry); roti planta (margarine and sugar); roti sardin (canned sardine, sometimes with egg, ketchup, or sambal); roti pisang (banana); roti sayur (shredded vegetables); roti salad (raw shredded vegetables rolled up); roti tisu (paper-thin, with sugar and condensed milk, also called roomali roti); roti kaya (with kaya spread); roti maggi (instant noodles); roti cheese; roti milo (Milo powder); roti cobra (chicken curry and fried egg, common in East Malaysia, especially Sabah); roti banjir (chopped, with curry poured over); roti tsunami (roti banjir with sambal and soft-boiled eggs); and roti Doll (roti banjir with sambal and fried egg, common in northern Malaysia, especially Alor Setar, Kedah).
Preparation
The dough is made from fat (usually ghee), flour, and water, sometimes with sweetened condensed milk. It is repeatedly kneaded, flattened, oiled, and folded to create layers, then flattened paper-thin by tossing on a flat surface, gathered into a rope, wound into a knot or spiral, and flattened again. Fillings are spread on the thin sheet before folding.
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