Recipe
🍳 BREAKFAST
Roti Canai
A flaky, stretched-thin griddle flatbread from the mamak stall, crisp outside and soft in layers within, served with a bowl of dhal to dip.
Malaysian · medium · serves 4
prep 30 min · cook 20 min
~822 cal · 24g protein · 119g carbs · 27g fat · 9g fiber · 4g sugars · 12g sat fat (estimated, per serving)
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Roti canai is Malaysia's great everyday flatbread, served at every mamak stall in the country from before dawn to well past midnight. Its roots are in the paratha of southern India, brought over by Tamil Muslim migrants around the turn of the last century and first sold in Penang and Singapore, then adapted so thoroughly to local tables that it became Malaysian in its own right. The word canai is Malay for the kneading and stretching that shape it.
The technique is the whole art. An enriched dough is rested for hours until it turns supple, then a ball is pressed and flung and stretched on an oiled surface until it is nearly see-through, brushed with , and folded back on itself so it bakes into dozens of gossamer layers. Cooked on a flat griddle and then clapped between the hands while hot, it puffs into something shatteringly crisp outside and soft and flaky within.
It is eaten any time of day by anyone, most classically for breakfast with a lentil dhal and a glass of pulled tea. This is the plain everyday version; mamak cooks also fold an egg through it for roti telur, or wrap it round banana or sardine.
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Make it yours
✓ Naturally vegetarian and egg-, nut- and pork-free. No swaps needed.
Toggle a diet and the ingredients rewrite themselves with regional substitutes.
🥕 Vegetarian
🌱 Vegan
🌾 Gluten-Free
🥛 Dairy-Free
🥜 Nut-Free
🥚 Egg-Free
🐖 Pork-Free
Dietary labels are a cooking guide, not allergen-safety advice. We track dairy, egg, gluten, tree nuts and peanuts (we count coconut as a tree nut, following FDA labeling), fish, and shellfish; we do not screen for sesame, soy, mustard, celery, or sulphites. If you have a food allergy, read the label on every product you use, and note that a kitchen can cross-contaminate in ways a recipe cannot control.
Ingredients
US
Metric
Serves 4
3.5 cups plain (all-purpose) flour
1/3 cup , melted, plus more for the surface
about 1 cup warm water
1 tsp fine salt
1 tsp sugar
1 cup red lentils, for the dhal
1 tsp ground turmeric
1 onion, finely chopped
3 cloves garlic, minced
1 tsp cumin seeds
1 sprig
2 tbsp , for the dhal
Instructions
1
Rub a little of the ghee into the flour with the salt and sugar, add the warm water, and knead into a soft, elastic dough, 8 to 10 minutes.
✎ Chef’s note
The dough should be soft and just slightly tacky, not wet; add water a little at a time.
2
Divide into balls, coat each generously with ghee, cover, and rest at least 4 hours or overnight so the gluten relaxes.
✎ Chef’s note
The long oil rest is what lets the dough stretch paper-thin later without tearing.
3
On a well-oiled surface, press and stretch one ball until it is almost translucent, brush with ghee, then fold the edges in to make a square parcel.
✎ Chef’s note
Tears are fine; just overlap the torn edges and carry on stretching.
4
Cook on a hot greased griddle 2 to 3 minutes a side until golden and blistered, then clap the hot roti between your hands to loosen the flaky layers.
5
For the dhal, simmer the red lentils with the turmeric and a little salt until soft, then fry the cumin seeds, onion, garlic, and curry leaves in oil and stir the tempering through.
6
Serve the roti hot, torn and dipped into the warm dhal.
Malaysian mamak tradition.
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🌏 While it simmers, know your destination
📍
Penang. A Penang hawker centre works by specialisation rather than by menu. A stall cooks one thing, often for decades, and a table orders across several of them at once, which is why char kway teow here gets judged on particulars: duck egg, cockles, and how hard the wok was driven.
🗺️
Malaysia. The hawker centre and the mamak stall are the country's two great equalisers, open late, run by families, and serving three culinary traditions within a few metres. Roti canai is stretched, slapped and folded to order, laksa changes completely depending on which state you are in, and everything comes with a saucer of sambal on the side.
🌍
Asia. Fermentation is the thread that runs the whole way across: soy sauce and miso, Korean doenjang and kimchi, Southeast Asian fish sauces, the soured batter behind an idli. Chilli is the newcomer among them, arriving only after 1500 with Portuguese and Spanish traders, which makes the heat in Sichuan, Thai and Korean cooking far younger than the fermenting underneath it.
The story behind this dish is up top, worth a read while the pot works.
More from Malaysia
Char Kway TeowFlat rice noodles seared in a screaming wok with prawns, egg, chives, and dark soy, Penang’s hawker crown.
Nasi LemakFragrant coconut rice with spicy sambal, fried anchovies, peanuts, cucumber, and egg, Malaysia's national breakfast.
Penang Asam LaksaA tart, spicy mackerel-and-tamarind noodle soup topped with pineapple, mint, and ginger flower, Penang's iconic bowl.
Browse all Malaysia recipes →
Good to know
You’ll need: Griddle or flat pan.
Storing it: Best the day it is made. Wrap well and refresh in a warm oven, or freeze and reheat straight from frozen.
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Frequently asked questions
What is Roti Canai?
A flaky, stretched-thin griddle flatbread from the mamak stall, crisp outside and soft in layers within, served with a bowl of dhal to dip.
Where does Roti Canai come from?
Roti Canai is a Malaysian dish from Penang, Malaysia.
Can Roti Canai be made vegan, gluten-free, or dairy-free?
This Roti Canai recipe includes substitution suggestions for vegetarian, vegan, gluten-free, dairy-free, nut-free, egg-free, and pork-free versions, including several at once such as gluten-free and dairy-free together. Treat them as a starting guide rather than a guarantee, and see the allergen note below.
Is Roti Canai safe for people with food allergies?
Our dietary labels and substitutions are a cooking guide, not medical or allergen-safety advice. We track dairy, egg, gluten, tree nuts and peanuts (we count coconut as a tree nut, following FDA labeling), fish, and shellfish, but we do not screen for sesame, soy, mustard, celery, or sulphites. If you have a food allergy, always read the label on every product you use, and remember a home or commercial kitchen can cross-contaminate ingredients in ways a recipe cannot control.
How long does Roti Canai take to make?
About 50 minutes total (30 minutes prep, 20 minutes cooking), serving 4.
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