Roti Canai with Curry Dip
Flaky Malaysian flatbread fried until golden and crispy, served with a fragrant curry dipping sauce. A showstopping breakfast or snack that looks complex but comes together in under 30 minutes.
- Total time
- 25 min
- Servings
- 2
- Calories
- 520
- Protein
- 8g
Ingredients
- 2 cups all-purpose flour
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ¾ cup warm water
- ½ cup vegetable oil, divided
- 2 tablespoons curry powder
- ½ cup coconut milk
Instructions
- 1
Pour 2 cups flour and 0.5 teaspoon salt into a large mixing bowl.
- 2
Add 0.75 cup warm water to the flour, stirring with a wooden spoon until a shaggy dough forms with no dry flour visible.
- 3
Knead the dough in the bowl for 3 minutes by pushing it away from you with the heel of your hand, folding it back over itself, rotating the bowl a quarter turn, and repeating until smooth and elastic.
- 4
Cover the bowl with a damp kitchen towel and let the dough rest for 10 minutes so it becomes easier to stretch.
- 5
Heat 1 tablespoon vegetable oil in a small saucepan over medium heat until it shimmers and slides quickly when you tilt the pan, about 45 seconds.
- 6
Add 2 tablespoons curry powder to the hot oil and stir constantly for 30 seconds until the spices smell strongly fragrant and toasted.
- 7
Pour in 0.5 cup coconut milk and stir until completely blended with no curry powder streaks visible, about 20 seconds.
- 8
Remove from heat and let cool while you cook the roti.
- 9
Divide the rested dough into 2 equal portions by cutting it in half with a bench scraper or knife.
- 10
Place one dough ball on a lightly oiled work surface and flatten it with your palms into a very thin rectangle about 12 inches long and 6 inches wide—it should be thin enough to see light through it.
- 11
Drizzle 0.5 teaspoon oil across the surface of the stretched dough rectangle.
- 12
Starting at one long edge, roll the dough tightly toward you like rolling a towel, creating one long rope.
- 13
Coil that rope into a flat spiral by curling one end inward in circles, then flatten the coil gently with your palm into a disc about 5 inches across.
- 14
Repeat steps 10–13 with the second dough ball.
- 15
Heat 3 tablespoons vegetable oil in a 12-inch skillet over medium-high heat until it shimmers and a small piece of dough sizzles immediately when dropped in, about 90 seconds.
- 16
Place one dough disc into the hot oil and fry for 2 minutes without moving it, until the bottom turns deep golden brown.
- 17
Flip the roti with a wide spatula and fry the other side for 1.5 minutes until it also turns deep golden brown and you see steam escaping at the edges.
- 18
Transfer the cooked roti to a plate lined with paper towels to drain excess oil.
- 19
Repeat steps 16–18 with the second roti disc.
- 20
Place one roti on each serving plate and pour 0.25 cup curry dip into a small bowl next to it for dipping.
Tools you’ll need
- large mixing bowl
- wooden spoon
- kitchen towel
- small saucepan
- bench scraper or knife
- lightly oiled work surface or cutting board
- 12-inch skillet
- wide spatula
- paper towels
- small dipping bowls
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