Roti Canai

Roti canai (pronounced "chanai," not "kanai") is a type of flatbread found and also one of the traditional Indian dish  found in Malaysia. It is often sold in Mamak stalls. It is known as roti prata in Southern Malaysia and Singapore, and is similar to the Indian Kerala porotta.

One of the characteristics of roti canai and its derivatives is that it can be eaten with the hands, without the need for utensils. This makes it a convenient dish to consume, while being filling. This characteristic makes it a dish of choice as breakfast or as late night supper.
Traditionally, it is served with dal or 'dhal' (lentil) curry, which in North India is prepared with chana dal. It can sometimes be taken with sugar or condensed milk. More recently, various improvements on plain roti have been devised to suit Malaysians. Generally the newer forms of roti canai are denoted by prefixing roti to the additional ingredient used. Common variations include:

• roti telur, with fried eggs (telur being the Malay word for egg)
• roti tisu (tissue bread), a paper-thin and flaky roti. Also called roomali roti, from roomal (Hindi, meaning handkerchief).
• roti bawang (onion bread)
• roti boom (bomb bread), a smaller but thicker roti, usually round in shape.
• roti planta, stuffed with margarine (often Planta Margarine) and sugar.
• roti sardin, stuffed with sardine and sometimes mixed with ketchup or sambal, similar to murtabak
• roti pisang, banana bread

Some consumers may also order their own variation, such as:

• roti telur bawang, with eggs (telur) and onions (bawang)
• roti kaya, with kaya
• roti tampal, similar to roti telur but the eggs are sticked on the outside instead
• roti tuna, stuffed with tuna

There are also a lot of different curries used besides dhal, for example:

• kari ayam, chicken curry
• kari daging, beef curry
• kari kambing, mutton curry
• kari ikan, fish curry (mostly served with stingray)
• kari campur, mixed curry (consumers can select a mixture of dhals themselves)

Most plain roti are round, while those with fillings are square in shape due to the folding of the roti. Due to time saving concerns, the maker usually has a "stock-ready" bucket that keeps pre-made roti. These rotis are usually round in shape and will eventually become cold. Therefore, consumers might insist on a square roti to ensure they get a freshly prepared one.

Roti canai is affordable in Malaysia (the standard price is RM0.90 a piece in Malaysia), making it extremely popular there. It is also available in frozen form whereby pre-fried roti canai is processed through a blast-freezing technique to ensure a soft and fluffy texture upon defrosting and refrying.

Some hawkers serve fluffy and crispy roti canai by placing fried roti canai on a flat surface and giving them a soft clap with both hands. So enjoy having roti canai in Malaysia!

Source: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Roti_canai