Roti Prata

- Makes 9 pieces

Call it Singapore Roti Prata or Malabar Parotha, who doesn’t like dunking layers of this crispy pastry into your favorite curry. If you’ve ever been to Singapore, Malaysia or the South of India, you’ve probably already seen local prata chefs throwing layers of stretchy dough into the air to make these golden-crispy beauties. The home chef may not be able to put on a show like that, but can easily achieve restaurant like results at home. The only trick is let the dough rest enough at regular intervals, so as to give the gluten a chance to relax, before stretching out the dough as thin as you can. The end result, I promise, will be as good as what you’d get at your favorite prata place.

Check out our students slapping pratas like ninjas in this short video on Instagram

Ingredients for Roti Prata

450g plain all-purpose flour
2 tablespoons or 24g semolina flour
1 tablespoon or 15g sugar
1 teaspoon salt
2 tablespoons or 30g ghee or coconut oil, plus more for brushing and frying
240g water
Vegetable or olive oil for coating the dough balls prior to rolling

Recipe

Place plain flour, semolina flour, sugar, salt and ghee in a large bowl. Mix everything together to achieve a crumb-like texture. Next add water and bring it together into a soft ball of dough. Knead until smooth, then shape into a smooth ball.
Add 2 tablespoons oil, cover the surface entirely. Cover the ball with cling wrap and let it rest in oil for at least 1 hour.
After an hour, knead the oil into the dough until smooth. Divide the ball into 9 equal portions and shape into smooth balls. Pour another 1/4 cup oil over the balls, cover and rest for another 1 hour. Resting the dough at every step gives the gluten in the dough time to relax, therefore making it easier to stretch.
When ready to shape, flatten each ball gently into a disc. Flip the dough by slamming it against the table to stretch the dough. Alternatively, roll the dough into a circle using a rolling pin, then stretch it thinner by pulling it outward using your fingers or using a rolling pin until very very thin.
When the dough is really thin and the edges are thin too, dab some ghee/coconut oil on the surface of the dough. Give it a light dusting of flour, then fold it like a Chinese fan. Lift one end of the fan, leaving the bottom tip on the counter and coil it into a circle tucking the tip under the coil.
Cover with cling wrap and let the spirals rest for another 30-60 minutes, until ready to use.
Pre-heat a heavy non-stick frying pan on medium heat. When ready to fry, roll the dough into 0.5mm thin discs.
Place prata on the pan and roast until lightly golden on both sides, flipping every 15-20 seconds. Spoon a teaspoon of ghee all over and spread it gently using a spatula. Continue to fry the prata until crispy golden on both sides - keep flipping every 15-20 seconds.
Place hot prata on the counter, then fluff the prata up by slamming your hands together in a cupping motion. Serve warm with your favorite curry.