6 Ways To Use Frozen Roti Canai (Paratha)
Watching a Malaysian mamak flip roti canai never gets old, but many have tried and failed to master the art of the perfect roti canai in their own kitchen. Thankfully, you can buy frozen roti canai easily here in Australia – the caveat is that it’s marketed as “roti paratha”, which can be a source of confusion for Australians.
Having said that, not all “roti paratha” bear as close a resemblance to Malaysian roti canai as the ones that are from Malaysia, so just make sure the label does say “Made in Malaysia” next time you check out what can be a bewildering variety of “roti paratha” at your local Asian and especially Indian grocery store.
Once you get your hands on frozen roti canai/paratha/prata, you’ll start to appreciate how versatile it is – apart from serving it with curries and simply on its own, there are myriad ways you can use it in your meal preparation.
Here are six ways to use frozen roti canai/prata/paratha to get you started –
Watch on YouTube – https://youtu.be/lxwWaK1u2cg
- Roti + Dhal Dip
This is the most common way to serve roti in Malaysia. The lentil or dhal dip I used in my restaurant called for toor dhal and a bunch of spices, which seems complicated at first glance but with my shortcuts it’s actually pretty easy (I’ll email the recipe out to my subscribers soon, along with other tips from this series, so make sure you sign up at MalaysianChefs.com/Recipes ).
2. Roti Curry Puff
First up, you need to make the curry puff filling – again, I have a simple but effective recipe I use for my business. Just make sure you let it cool down before you use it.
Bake the puffs at 200’C for 15 minutes, brush one side with egg wash, then finish baking for another 5 minutes and your roti canai curry puffs are ready to enjoy.
3. Roti Pizza
Roti canai makes a great impromptu pizza base; to do so, cook up the roti per packet instructions, then just add your favourite toppings to it – in my case here, I spread the base with a spicy tomato-based paste, added some smoked trout and ricotta cheese, then finished off with grated cheese. It then went under the grill for 5 minutes and that’s it – a quick and easy homemade pizza thanks to frozen roti canai.
4. Roti Tuna Egg Roll
This is a super convenient way to eat roti because you can hold it in your hand like a burrito and munch while you walk. You can skip the tuna or replace it with any other protein of choice; the key is to make sure the egg is still runny when you place the roti in the pan, so that it sets on the roti itself.
5. Roti & Jam
I used to sell my roti canai with homemade kaya when I first started running market stalls in Sydney 20 years ago, and to this day, many Australians who were first introduced to either roti or kaya courtesy of yours truly still think that’s the best way to eat it. While roti with kaya is delicious, you could also use any kind of jam.
Since I’d just gotten my hands on some AgroMas Malaysian Pineapple Jam (courtesy of the Malaysian Agriculture Counsellor Office, Sydney), I decided to use that instead, and it worked brilliantly.
6. Roti Rendang Wrap
Roti and Rendang are a match made in heaven; I happened to have some beef rendang in my fridge though of course, you can use any kind of curry or even leftover barbecued chicken with this, along with your favourite salad ingredients and sauces or dressings if required.
I hope these suggestions will inspire you to experiment with roti canai at home; let me know your ideas for how to use frozen roti canai and I would love to add that to my list.
This is part of my Malaysian Ingredients Made Easy 2.0 series produced in partnership with the Malaysian Agriculture Counsellor Office, Sydney . Don’t miss out on the rest of the series – sign up at MalaysianChefs.com/Recipes.
