Roti canai


Roti canai, or roti prata, also known as roti chanai and roti cane, is an unleavened flatbread of Indian origin found in the cuisines of Southeast Asia, especially those of Brunei, Indonesia, Malaysia, Singapore, and Thailand. It is usually served with dal or other types of curry but can also be cooked in a range of sweet or savoury variations made with different ingredients, such as meat, eggs, or cheese.

Etymology

Roti canai is attested as a kind of bread in Malay since at least 1970. Roti is borrowed from Hindi 'bread'. Canai probably comes from Malay canai 'to roll dough thinly'. Less likely theories suggest that the name comes from the Indian city of Chennai or from Hindi 'chickpea, chickpea stew', which it often accompanies.
In Singapore, the dish is known as roti prata, from the Indian paratha or parotta.

History

Since being introduced around the 19th century, roti canai has become a popular breakfast and snack dish and is one of the most common South Indian foods in the region. It is said that Indians brought the dish during the era of British Malaya. It is served in street mamak stalls located in both rural and urban areas.
In Southeast Asia, roti canai can often be found in cities that have populations of Indian descent, especially in Malaysia and Singapore and in northern Sumatra in Indonesia. It has also been theorized that the dish had been introduced much earlier by Indian traders, in the 17th century, in Aceh and North Sumatra, under the name roti cane. In Indonesia, the dish is particularly found in Sumatra, where the Indian Indonesian community is concentrated.

Description

Roti canai is a flatbread made from unleavened dough that is composed of fat, flour, and water; some recipes also include sweetened condensed milk. The dough is repeatedly kneaded, flattened, oiled, and folded, creating layers. The dough ball is then flattened, spread out until paper-thin, and gathered into a long rope-like mass. This "rope" is then wound into a knot or spiral and flattened, so that it consists of thin flakes of dough when cooked.
When making varieties with fillings, the fillings are spread or sprinkled on the thin sheet of dough, which is then folded with the fillings inside.

Regional variations

Plain roti is often referred to as roti kosong.
Traditionally, roti canai is served with dal curry. It may also be served with the following curries:
  • Kari ayam – chicken curry
  • Kari daging – beef curry
  • Kari kambing – mutton curry
  • Kari ikan – fish curry
  • Kari campur – mixed curry
  • Kari kacang kuda – chickpea curry

    Brunei, Malaysia, and Singapore

Different varieties of roti canai served in Brunei and Malaysia are listed below:
  • Murtabak, a very thick roti filled with a mixture of egg, meat, onions, and spices. In Brunei, Malaysia, and Singapore, it is usually prepared on a griddle like roti canai, but in Indonesia, it is often deep-fried in a wok and very oily. In Thailand, it is called "mataba". In Malaysia, Singapore, and Thailand, murtabak is made using the same dough used for roti canai, and on the same equipment, in the same shops. Most murtabak in Malaysia tend to have less minced meat and more egg than Singaporean murtabak or Johorean murtabak. Murtabak cheese is a variation, with added mozzarella cheese.
  • Roti telur, with an egg stuffing
  • Roti jantan, roti telur with two-egg stuffing
  • Roti bawang, with onion stuffing
  • Roti telur bawang, with eggs and onions
  • Roti boom, a smaller but thicker roti, with the dough wound in a spiral; served with sugar and margarine, or with curry.
  • Roti planta, stuffed with margarine and sugar
  • Roti sardin, stuffed with canned sardine, with or without egg, and sometimes mixed with ketchup or sambal, similar to murtabak
  • Roti pisang, stuffed with sliced bananas
  • Roti sayur, stuffed with shredded or sliced vegetables
  • Roti salad, raw shredded vegetables rolled up with a piece of roti
  • Roti tissue/roti tisu, a tissue-paper-thin and flaky roti, usually with sprinkled sugar and condensed milk. Also called roomali roti, from roomal.
  • Roti kaya, with kaya spread
  • Roti maggi, stuffed with prepared instant noodles, usually Maggi brand
  • Roti cheese, stuffed with cheese
  • Roti milo, stuffed with Milo powder
  • Roti cobra, served with curry chicken and a piece of fried egg on top
  • Roti banjir, usually chopped into pieces, with curry poured over the top
  • Roti tsunami, roti banjir with added sambal and soft-boiled eggs
  • Roti Doll, roti banjir with added sambal and a fried egg on top. Most commonly found in northern Malaysia, especially in the town of Alor Setar; named after a customer.
  • Roti Sarang Burung, roti cooked in a doughnut shape with a fried egg in the hole, similar to egg in the basket and khachapuri.
Roti prata in Singapore and southern Malaysia is a fried flatbread that is cooked over a flat grilling pan. It is usually served with sugar or a vegetable- or meat-based curry and is also commonly cooked with cheese, onions, bananas, red beans, chocolate, mushrooms, or eggs.
Roti prata is prepared by flipping the dough into a large thin layer before folding the outside edges inwards. The dough is cooked on a flat, round iron pan measuring about three feet in diameter. The cooking process lasts two to five minutes.
  • Roti tampal or roti plaster : the roti is plastered on one side with egg, with the yolk left runny or totally cooked.

    Indonesia

Roti cane came to Indonesia via Muslim Indian migration to Aceh Sultanate, in the northern parts of Sumatra, around the 17th century, and later to the rest of the Dutch East Indies, in the early 19th century. It has since been adopted into the Malay, Acehnese, and Minangkabau cuisine of Sumatra. Consequently, there are Malay, Acehnese, and Minangkabau restaurants serving the dish with mutton curry that are operated by ethnic groups other than Indians. Two types of popular roti cane dishes include sweet roti cane, served with various toppings such as cheese, chocolate sprinkles, and chocolate syrup; and savoury roti cane, served with curry sauce. Today in Indonesia, roti canai is often associated with Acehnese cuisine, despite its Indian origin.
[File:Martabak Kubang 1.jpg|thumb|upright|Martabak kubang and roti cane preparation in a Minang foodstall in Indonesia]
In Ampel, an Arab quarter in Surabaya, the dish is known as roti maryam, while the Javanese call it roti konde, after its shape, which resembles a hairbun. Despite having different names, each variant is derivative of the Indian paratha and is similar in preparation. Indian-influenced roti is typically served with kari kambing.

Thailand

In Thailand, roti is commonly available from street carts, usually halal, sold by Thai Muslims. Roti thitchu is Thai roti canai that is fluffed up by clapping it between two hands inside a dry cloth after frying, served with a Thai Muslim-style beef curry.
In other parts of Thailand, roti is also commonly eaten with mango, banana, sugar, condensed milk, jam, peanut butter, or Nutella, although plain egg roti is also available.