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I’d been meaning to post this for awhile but before I had the chance I was asked by SBS Broadcasting last week if they could come round and take pictures of me flipping roti in my kitchen. This happened in a flash and before I knew it they wanted the recipe to post on their website along with a step-by-step slideshow of the process, so I had to quickly crunch some numbers to make about 8 roti (in hindsight my figures may have been a little off, lol).
Anyhow, here are my (correct) bulk measurements; feel free to convert them yourself in the meantime, unless I get to update this post before you get to attempt making it in your kitchen. (Sorry, if this post seems rushed, it is – I have a big catering gig first thing in the morning and I’m doing it alone.) This, for the record, is enough for about 70 pcs of roti.
Also, go ahead and check out the slideshow on SBS’s website; I’ll post my own roti-flipping video hopefully in the near future; in the meantime I managed to drag out some clips done a few weeks back of the roti dough being cut up and worked, then coated with ghee (I’ve stitched 2 clips into one as evidenced by my different hair lengths – yes, scruffy hair but I work alone in my kitchen so, whatever)
[youtube http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iJ02qGAuHB0?rel=0]
Jackie M’s Roti Canai
5kg plain flour
1 cup gluten flour
1/2 cup salt
1 cup sugar
2 cans condensed milk
500ml vegetable oil
500ml egg whites
2.25-2.5L water
(for coating the dough) about 3 cups ghee
1. Throw all the ingredients except the ghee in a dough mixer.
2. Using a dough-hook attachment, work the dough for about 20mins (less if smaller portion)
3. Cut dough into even pieces.
4. Work each piece so that it’s a smooth round ball (this is important; there should be no folds and as much as possible, no creases in each portion).
5. Coat with ghee and arrange on grease-lined tray. And yeah, even though they shouldn’t stick together thanks to the ghee, I prefer to set them apart since sometimes, they do, and once you have to pull them apart, they get out of shape, which makes them tricky to work with.
6. Cover and allow to rest for about 8 hours.
7. The dough really works best at room temperature. In colder months, I usually pop the tray into an oven that’s been heated at the lowest setting for a couple of minutes, then turned off. I’d leave the tray in there for about 2 hours before I flip the dough.
8. Flatten a piece of dough with the palm of your hand.
9. Assuming you’re right-handed,position your left hand facing downwards on the flattened dough, and your right hand a few inches apart and under it, facing upwards.
10. Lift with your right hand and ‘throw’ the dough away from you to your right, creating a figure 8 with your elbows in the air as you do.
11. Keep flipping until paper thin, then stretch the edges without tearing it. Dab a little ghee in the middle of the dough sheet.
12. Fold in the sides envelope-style; if the dough wants to shrink back in, leave it to rest for a couple of minutes before cooking.
13. Cook on medium heat on a griddle for a minute or so each side.