All recipes › Roti prata

How to cook Roti prata

Roti prata is a flaky, crisp-edged griddle flatbread made by stretching a soft, well-rested dough very thin, folding it into a layered square and frying it in ghee. In Singapore it is usually eaten at breakfast or supper, torn into pieces and dipped in a thin, spiced dhal or fish curry.

Ingredients

For the prata dough (makes 8 balls, plus 8 hours resting time)

• 500 g plain flour (all-purpose), plus extra for dusting
• 1 tsp fine salt
• 1 tsp caster sugar
• 1 egg
• 2 tbsp (30 g) melted ghee or butter, cooled, plus 1 tbsp for kneading
• 3 tbsp (45 ml) sweetened condensed milk or full cream milk
• about 200 ml lukewarm water, added gradually
• about 100 ml neutral cooking oil, for coating the dough balls

For frying and shaping

• 4-6 tbsp (60-90 g) ghee or cooking oil, for the pan
• 1 extra egg, beaten (optional, for egg prata)

For the dhal curry dip

• 150 g red lentils (masoor dhal), rinsed until the water runs clear
• 1 tbsp cooking oil
• 1 tsp cumin seeds
• 1 tsp black mustard seeds
• 1 large onion, finely diced
• 3 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 tbsp grated fresh ginger
• 1 tomato, chopped
• 2 tbsp meat curry powder (or fish curry powder if preferred)
• 1/2 tsp ground turmeric
• 10 fresh curry leaves
• 600 ml water
• 100 ml coconut milk
• 1 tsp salt, adjusted to taste
• to taste fresh chopped coriander for garnish

Steps

1. Mix the dough5 min
   In a large bowl, combine the flour, salt and sugar. Add the egg, 2 tbsp melted ghee and the condensed milk. Pour in about 150 ml of the lukewarm water and stir with your hand until a shaggy dough forms. Add more water a spoonful at a time only if there are dry patches; the dough should be soft and slightly tacky, not sticky.
2. Knead until smooth10 min
   Turn the dough onto a lightly floured surface and knead firmly for about 10 minutes, adding the extra 1 tbsp ghee halfway through. It is ready when it feels smooth and elastic and springs back slowly when poked.
3. Divide and oil the dough balls5 min
   Cut the dough into 8 equal pieces and roll each into a smooth ball. Pour the cooking oil into a shallow container, then add the balls and turn them so each is thoroughly coated. Space them so they do not touch.
4. Rest the dough1 hr
   Cover the container tightly with cling film and rest the balls at room temperature for at least 1 hour, or refrigerate for 8 hours or overnight for the most pliable dough. If refrigerated, bring the balls back to room temperature for 30 minutes before stretching. The dough is ready when a ball flattens and stretches easily without snapping back.
5. Make the dhal base8 min
   While the dough rests, heat 1 tbsp oil in a medium pot over medium heat. Add the cumin and mustard seeds and fry for about 30 seconds until they sizzle and pop. Add the onion and fry for 5 minutes until soft and golden at the edges, then stir in the garlic, ginger and curry leaves and cook for 1 minute until fragrant.
6. Simmer the dhal30 min
   Stir in the curry powder, turmeric and tomato and cook for 2 minutes until the tomato breaks down and the oil begins to separate. Add the rinsed lentils and 600 ml water, bring to a boil, then lower to a gentle simmer. Cook uncovered for 25 to 30 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the lentils have collapsed into a loose, soupy curry.
7. Finish the curry3 min
   Stir in the coconut milk and salt and simmer for 3 more minutes without boiling hard. Taste and adjust the salt. Keep warm over the lowest heat and thin with a splash of hot water if it thickens, as it should stay pourable.
8. Stretch the first ball3 min
   Generously oil a clean work surface (a large chopping board or counter works) and your hands. Flatten one ball with your palm into a disc, then press and pull outwards from the centre, working around the edge, until it is paper-thin and almost see-through. Small holes are fine. Alternative: if you struggle to stretch by hand, roll the ball out thinly with an oiled rolling pin first, then finish by hand.
9. Fold into a layered square3 min
   Fold the stretched sheet like an envelope: fold the two long sides inwards to overlap in the middle, then fold the two short ends in to form a thick, layered square. For a more traditional coiled prata, gather one long edge and roll the sheet up into a rope, then coil the rope into a snail shape and tuck the end underneath. Rest the folded dough 2 to 3 minutes, which makes it easier to flatten.
10. Fry the prata5 min
    Heat a flat griddle, non-stick frying pan or cast-iron pan over medium heat and brush with 1 tbsp ghee. Place the folded dough in the pan and gently press it flat with a spatula. Cook for 2 to 3 minutes until the underside is golden with brown spots, then flip and cook another 2 minutes, adding a little more ghee around the edges as needed.
11. Optional egg prata2 min
    For egg prata, after folding in step 9, open the envelope slightly, pour in about 2 tbsp of beaten egg and quickly refold before frying as above. Cook an extra minute per side so the egg is fully set, with no runny egg inside.
12. Crisp and fluff1 min
    Remove the cooked prata to a board. While still hot, hold it between your palms and clap or crush it a few times so the layers separate and fluff out. The edges should be crisp and the inside soft and flaky.
13. Repeat and serve30 min
    Repeat stretching, folding and frying with the remaining balls, keeping finished prata warm on a plate loosely covered with a clean cloth. Serve straight away, torn into pieces, with the hot dhal curry ladled into small bowls and garnished with coriander.

Tips

• Wet or oily hands and a well-oiled surface are essential for stretching; a dry surface makes the dough tear.
• Longer resting, ideally overnight in the fridge, makes the dough far more elastic and is the single biggest factor in getting thin, flaky layers.
• Do not worry about holes while stretching; they close up as the layers are folded and fried.
• Fry on medium heat: too hot and the outside browns before the layers cook through, too cool and the prata turns greasy and tough.
• Unfried, oiled dough balls can be frozen in an airtight bag for up to 1 month; thaw fully at room temperature before stretching.

Food safety and allergens

If making egg prata, cook until the egg is completely set with no liquid egg remaining. Cool leftover curry quickly, refrigerate in a covered container and eat within 2 days, reheating until steaming hot all the way through; cooked prata is best eaten fresh but keeps 1 day refrigerated.

Contains: dairy, egg, wheat

Watch it being made

• How to Make Roti Prata at Home | RecipeButtermilk Pantry · 343,071 views · YouTube
• How To Make Roti Canai Dough (Pratha/Paratha)Flavours Of Asia · 238,793 views · YouTube
• Roti Prata | Plain, Egg, Coin PrataSingapore Noodles · 19,524 views · YouTube

Videos are made by their YouTube creators and open on YouTube. asklor! is not affiliated with them or with YouTube.

Ask asklor!

• Where to eat famous roti prata

More recipes: Hainanese chicken rice · Laksa · Char kway teow · Bak chor mee · Nasi lemak · Satay · Chilli crab · Black pepper crab · all recipes