Name: Best roti canai recipe
Total time: 1 h 40 min
Yield: Serves 4
Cuisine: Malaysian
Ingredients: 400g plain flour; 1 tsp fine sea salt; 1/2 tsp caster sugar; vegetable oil; 1 tbsp mustard seeds; 2 onions finely chopped; 5 cloves garlic crushed; 2 thumb-sized pieces ginger finely grated; 2 tsp ground cumin; 2 tsp ground coriander; 2 tsp chilli powder; 1 tsp ground tumeric; 400g tin chickpeas drained and rinsed; 6 tomatoes chopped; 350ml veg stock; 200g peas; a small bunch coriander chopped; 1/2 lemon juiced

ROTI

400g plain flour
1 tsp fine sea salt
1/2 tsp caster sugar
vegetable oil

VEGETABLE CURRY

1 tbsp mustard seeds
2 onions
finely chopped
5 cloves garlic
crushed
2 thumb-sized pieces ginger
finely grated
2 tsp ground cumin
2 tsp ground coriander
2 tsp chilli powder
1 tsp ground tumeric
400g tin chickpeas
drained and rinsed
6 tomatoes
chopped
350ml veg stock
200g peas
a small bunch coriander
chopped
1/2 lemon
juiced

Method

step 1
Mix the flour, salt and sugar in a large bowl and add 200ml of lukewarm water gradually, to form a dough. Knead until elastic and shiny. Wrap in clingfilm and leave to rest for 20 minutes. Divide into 8 balls, roll each in vegetable oil and put on an oiled plate. Cover and chill overnight.
step 2
The next day, start with the curry. Heat 1 tbsp of vegetable oil in a pan over a medium heat and add the mustard seeds. When they begin to pop, add the onion and fry for 5-10 minutes, until soft. Add the garlic and ginger and fry for a further 2 minutes. Stir in the spices and fry for another minute.Add the chickpeas and fry for a minute, then add the tomatoes and stock. Simmer for 20 minutes until the chickpeas are tender. Stir through the peas and cook for 2 minutes. Reheat to serve.
step 3
Oil the worksurface really well and take one of the dough balls. Flatten the ball using the palm of your hand, making a square that is 15cm x 15cm. Take one side of the square and slowly pull outwards, stretching the dough. The oil on the worksurface will grip the dough while you stretch it. Continue to do this with each side until the dough is very thin and roughly 40cm x 40cm, don’t worry if it rips.
step 4
Take the bottom ¹/3 of the dough and fold it up to ²/3 of the way up. Take the top ¹/3 and fold this down over the folded section. You should now have a wide rectangle. Take the left hand ¹/3 of dough and fold this in, ²/3 of the way along and then fold the right hand ¹/3 over this so that you have a square. Oil lightly and set aside. Repeat with the remaining dough, keeping them well oiled.
step 5
Heat a frying pan over a medium heat and fry the roti for 2-3 minutes on each side until golden. Keep warm in a low oven. Remove from the oven and rough the roti up by bringing your hands together forcibly as if clapping with the roti in the middle a few times. Reheat the curry and add the chopped coriander and lemon juice and season. Serve with the roti.