[Roti Canai: Malaysia's National Dish]

One of the most iconic national dishes of Malaysia is roti canai. This flatbread originated from the Indian “paratha,” brought by Indian Muslim (Mamak) immigrants, and has undergone its own unique evolution in Malaysia.

Crispy on the outside and chewy with layered textures on the inside, it is an extremely popular everyday food primarily eaten for breakfast or from the evening onwards. roti canai is typically served with dhal (lentil curry), chicken curry, or fish curry, and the standard way to enjoy it is to tear it by hand and dip it into the sauce. At the 2025 World Expo in Osaka, Kansai, it drew significant attention as a popular menu item at the Malaysia Pavilion.

The process of making roti canai is a series of true artisanal skills. First, flour, salt, and water are combined with margarine or ghee and kneaded thoroughly, then left to rest in the warm, humid air. Once the dough has sufficiently matured, it is stretched until it is so thin you can see through it. This large, thin sheet of dough is then folded over and over to trap air inside and grilled quickly on a hot iron plate. This creates the unique texture of roti canai—crispy and fragrant on the outside, with soft, overlapping layers on the inside.

The menu is also diverse; besides the simple plain version, there are many variations such as egg roti, banana roti, and sardine roti made with canned sardines, ketchup, and minced onions. There are even unique versions like “roti banjir” (flooded roti), where the bread is literally flooded with curry. When we were in Malaysia, we ate a fragrant roti canai filled with red onions. The compatibility with curry was outstanding, and we finished it in no time, captivated by its simple yet deep flavor.

Now, can roti canai be easily made at home? I wanted to try searching for a recipe online, but the more I looked, the more difficult it seemed. This is because the process of “stretching the dough so thin you can see through it without tearing it” condenses highly advanced techniques of a craftsman that cannot be acquired overnight. I felt I understood why even the locals mostly eat it at restaurants. So, I looked for commercially available roti canai that is easy to obtain and found “paratha” imported directly from Singapore at a nearby Gyomu Supermarket. In Singapore, it is called “roti prata,” but the content is exactly the roti canai I was looking for. I was able to find the authentic taste in a familiar place.

To prepare the frozen paratha, just grill both sides in a frying pan for one and a half minutes each. As it cooks, it puffs up and emits a wonderful, savory aroma. I enjoyed the Malaysian atmosphere at home with dhal and Malaysian-style chicken curry prepared for the occasion. Needless to say, the crispy and chewy roti canai and curry were a perfect match. If you serve it on a Glocal Standard Products's Cafe Tray, it will look even more authentic. Please enjoy it at your home.

Glocal Standard Products's Cafe Tray
https://www.shokunin.com/en/glocal/cafetray.html
Yoshita Handi-Design Studio's Renge Spoon
https://www.shokunin.com/en/yoshita/cutlery.html

References
https://www.hankyu-travel.com/guide/malaysia/gourmet.php
https://malaysianfood.org/guide-roticanai/
https://ja.wikipedia.org/wiki/ロティチャナイ
https://aruru.co.jp/trip/roti-canai-recipe-malaysia/