Food Safari's roti canai

Ingredients

• 3 cups plain flour 
• ½ cup milk 
• ¼ cup water 
• pinch of salt 
• pinch of sugar
• butter 
• peanut oil

Resting time at least 2 hours or overnight

Standing time 2–3 hours

Instructions

Place flour into a large bowl and gradually add milk and water, working the mixture with your hands. Add salt and sugar and keep kneading for 6–8 minutes until dough leaves the side of the bowl and is soft, smooth and elastic, like play dough. Set aside to rest in a warm place, covered with plastic wrap for at least 2 hours or overnight.

Simply pull off a bread roll-sized piece of dough, roll it and shape it into a ball in floured hands. Continue until you have 6 balls. Rub a little butter in the palms of your hands to melt it, then pick up each ball and rub it to seal it with butter. Replace on tray and let balls stand for 2–3 hours.

Tip a little oil onto a clean working surface and moisten your hands with it. Place a ball in the centre and flatten it with your hands, pressing and pushing constantly until it is a fine sheet, forming a rough rectangle about the size of a big plate.

Add a little oil and continue to flatten the dough, using an oiled rolling pin if you like. Don’t worry if it looks like a mess, it’s meant to. To get it really thin, pick up the flattened sheet and flop it back onto the bench 2 or 3 times. Repeat process with each ball. Now, fold each side in, to form a neater rectangle and then fold each corner in, to form an envelope shape.

Heat an oiled baking tray over a gas flame until hot, and fry each side until golden.

Remove quickly and crush roti in your hands, letting shreds fall onto serving plate. Serve hot. Each ball will make enough for 2 people.