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Malaysian Roti Canai
by Hasni Ghazali, Bentara Restaurant, New Haven, CT
Directions
Serves 8
Serve with Curry Lentil Sauce
Mix the water, condensed milk and salt in a bowl.
In a different bowl, mix the flour and ghee and make a well in the center.
Pour the liquid ingredients in the well and knead outwardly until all the ingredients are incorporated.
Knead for about 5 minutes more to form a soft dough.
Drizzle the oil on the dough and knead for a couple more minutes.
Cover the dough with a damp cloth and let it rest for about 1 hour at room temperature.
Divide the dough into 8 portions and mound each into a ball. Coat the dough balls with a bit of ghee so they won't stick to each other. Let rest for 2 hours.
On a large, lightly floured surface, roll each ball until paper thin and between 24 and 30 inches in diameter. (Malaysian cooks achieve this thinness with a special technique called "tebar," by which the dough is flattened and tossed in the air several times.)
Fold four sides of the dough into the middle to form a square.
Melt a little bit of the ghee in a preheated cast-iron skillet (or a large griddle) over medium heat. Cook the roti one at a time, turning once or twice, until golden brown, 5 to 7 minutes. (If using a griddle you can put as many roti on the griddle as there is space for).
Put the cooked roti on a flat surface and give it a light whack with your hand, then turn it 90 degrees and give it another light whack (doing this separates the layers a bit and makes the roti fluffier).
Ingredients
- 1 cup water
- 2 Tbs. sweetened condensed milk
- 3/4 tsp. kosher salt
- 2 1/2 cups high-gluten flour, more for dusting
- 1 oz. ghee (or clarified butter), at room temperature; more for brushing and cooking
- 1 Tbs. vegetable oil
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