Sheldo's Very Best Roti Canai with Easy Curry Dip

Step 1: Prepare the Dough Base

To a large mixing bowl, add 300ml lukewarm water, 60g condensed milk, 35g melted butter or ghee, 12g fine sea salt, and 20g granulated sugar. Stir it all together until well combined.

Step 2: Mix in Flour

Add 600g all-purpose flour. Stir as much as possible with a whisk or spoon, then switch to your hands to bring the dough together.

Step 3: Adjust Hydration and Initial Knead

If there's lots of dry flour left at the bottom of the bowl, add up to 3 teaspoons of water to help the dough come together (the chef added about 2 tsp). Knead only until all the dry flour is incorporated and the dough is lump-free. The dough should still be shaggy, soft in texture, and slightly tacky.

Step 4: First Rest and Final Knead

Cover the bowl and let the dough rest for 15 minutes. After resting, the dough will be noticeably more elastic. Knead it until smooth, which should only take about 30 seconds.

Step 5: Divide and Shape Dough Balls

Divide the dough into 10 equal parts (each portion should be around 100g). Form the dough into smooth balls by gathering everything in the center and pinching it together. Then, flip it around and roll with a lightly cupped hand until smooth and round.

Step 6: Oil and Rest Dough Balls

Spread a generous amount of neutral oil all over a sheet tray. Liberally coat each dough ball with oil to prevent it from sticking and drying. Cover the tray tightly with plastic wrap. Let the dough rest for at least 1 hour at room temperature. For best results, let it rest for 3 hours at room temperature or chill overnight in the fridge. If chilled, take it out of the fridge 1 hour ahead so the dough can warm up again before proceeding.

Step 7: Prepare the Curry Dip - Reduce Coconut Milk

Add 1/2 cup (120ml) full-fat coconut milk to a small pan over medium heat. Cook the coconut milk for about 5 minutes until it's reduced, thick, and bubbling. This will concentrate the coconut flavor.

Step 8: Fry Curry Paste and Spices

Add 2 tablespoons of Thai red curry paste. Fry the curry paste for a few minutes until a vibrant red oil separates out. Once that happens, add 1/4 teaspoon turmeric and 1/2 teaspoon garam masala. Briefly stir and cook for about 20 seconds to extract fat-soluble flavors from the spices. Do not cook longer than this to avoid burning the powdered spices.

Step 9: Simmer Curry Dip

Immediately add another 1/2 cup (120ml) coconut milk, 1/4 cup (60ml) water, and a few dashes of fish sauce. Let it bubble away for 5 minutes for the flavors to meld together, stirring occasionally so that nothing sticks. You should see a beautiful red oil floating on the curry. Finish with 1/4 teaspoon sugar. Taste to see if it needs any more salt (the chef's was perfect, but it may need more depending on the curry paste).

Step 10: Prepare Work Surface for Stretching

Work on the smoothest surface possible with at least 3ft by 3ft of working area. Have ready a small bowl filled with about 1/3 cup of neutral oil. Spread a thin layer of oil all over the entire work surface.

Step 11: Initial Dough Stretch (Smearing)

Place down a ball of rested dough and add some more oil over top. Use a smooth, smearing motion with the heel of your hand to thin out the dough. Work from the center out. Aim for a circle about the size of a dinner plate with even thickness throughout.

Step 12: Tossing Technique (Advanced)

Start with hands together, dominant hand face up and non-dominant hand face down. The hand facing up will go under the dough and the other hand on top. Gently grip with the thumbs, keeping the other fingers flat to evenly distribute pressure. Imagine you're holding a large plate so that the hands stay parallel to each other. The toss will go in the direction of the non-dominant hand. Bring both hands towards that shoulder, then briskly swing them down back towards the counter, keeping the hands parallel throughout the entire motion. Go fast on the way down, as it's momentum that stretches the dough. The goal is to have the dough land evenly without creasing or folding over. If the dough does fold, smooth it out before moving on to the next toss. With each subsequent toss, rotate the dough slightly so that you're stretching all the way around the perimeter. Continue until the center of the dough is thin and translucent.

Step 13: Final Stretching of Edges

Now, stretch the edges of the dough and any other parts that remained thick so that the whole surface is thin and translucent. Any thick portions left will interfere with the final texture. Lightly pull with the fingertips, barely even gripping. Be patient here, go gently but firmly, and stretch as thin as possible. There will still be a tiny portion of thick dough left around the edges. Go around with the heel of the hand and smudge out this border to thin it out. Alternatively, you can tug on only the border and it will naturally rip off.

Step 14: Stretching Technique (Beginner-Friendly)

To stretch the dough without tossing, start with a rolling pin. Roll it as thin as it will go. Since you didn't toss, the center of the dough isn't thin yet. Stretch the center by placing a flat palm underneath the dough. Hold the opposing side on top with the other hand. Slowly pull away with the hand underneath. Instead of gripping, let the friction of the dough weigh itself down. Be patient and go slowly. Keep repeating this motion in different directions until the dough is translucent all over and evenly stretched. This method is slower but makes for a dough sheet that's just as thin as tossing.

Step 15: Shape the Roti

Scatter some oil onto the stretched-out dough. Gently lift up one side of the dough and fold it towards the center. Fold the opposite side towards the center as well. The two sides should meet in the middle, overlapping slightly. If the edges of the dough roll back or bunch up, unroll it and smooth it out to avoid dense sections. Fold the left and right sides towards the center as well, overlapping slightly. What you're left with should be a neat square or rectangle. Flip it over so the bottom is face up. Smooth a bit more oil all over. Set the roti aside to rest while you shape the other dough balls.

Step 16: Cook the Roti

Preheat a non-stick skillet over medium-low heat for about 2 minutes. Cook the roti in the order that you shaped them. Right before cooking, give each roti one final stretch out by smushing and stretching from the center out, focusing on any thicker sections. Try to make the roti evenly translucent all over. Add about 2 to 3 tablespoons of oil or ghee to the skillet. Once the oil is lightly shimmering, place in the stretched roti. If the roti puffs up, use a spatula to gently press it down so that it cooks evenly. Cook on the first side until it's golden brown, then flip over. The second side won't take as long to cook. If cooking with oil and not ghee, when the second side is just starting to color, add a small knob of butter and swirl it around to melt. Make sure that both sides of the roti get to soak up some butter. Once golden on both sides, transfer the roti out of the pan. Wipe out the skillet with a paper towel and add fresh oil before cooking another roti.

Step 17: Fluff the Roti

Once the roti comes out of the pan, let it rest for a few moments to cool a bit. Then, vigorously and firmly clap the roti between two hands. Be careful because it may still be hot (you can use a tea towel to protect your hands). This process transforms the roti into its final form, breaking up the crisp exterior and fluffing up all of the layers inside. Really go for it, clap and fluff to your heart's content. There's no overdoing it.

Step 18: Serve and Enjoy

Roti Canai is best when it's hot and fresh. There's no elegant way to do this: tear off a piece of roti, dunk it into the curry sauce, then slam the whole thing into your face. The flavor is lightly sweet, that of wholesome simple starch, imbued with deep butteriness. The curry dip is so vibrant, spicy, fragrant, pungent, and complex, rich with coconut. The curry soaks into each bite of roti, enhancing yet not overshadowing.

Step 19: Freeze for Later

After the roti has been shaped and rested, give each one a final stretch out as if about to cook it. Stack them on a tray, placing parchment paper between each roti to prevent sticking. Cover the tray tightly and freeze for several hours until all the rotis are hardened. Finally, transfer all of it to a freezer bag and seal it up tight. They'll be good for at least 3 months in the freezer. The roti can be cooked straight from frozen; because it's so thin, it thaws almost instantly in the pan.

• Use King Arthur all-purpose flour or regular bread flour in the US for similar results to Canadian all-purpose flour. In Canada, do not use bread flour as it will make the roti too tough.

• The dough needs at least 1 hour rest at room temperature for malleability. For best results, rest for 3 hours at room temperature, or even better, overnight in the fridge. If chilled overnight, warm up for 1 hour at room temperature before stretching.

• Work on the smoothest surface possible with at least 3ft x 3ft of working area.

• When stretching, aim for a circle about the size of a dinner plate with even thickness throughout.

• If any holes appear during stretching, don't worry, that's totally normal.

• To stretch without tossing, place a flat palm underneath the dough and hold the opposing side on top with the other hand. Slowly pull away with the hand underneath, letting the friction of the dough weigh itself down. Be patient and go slowly.

• The final stretch before cooking is key to getting the thinnest layers possible.

• For a crispier, flakier roti, use more oil and brown it more. For a softer roti, use less oil and brown it less.

• Roti can be frozen for up to 3 months and cooked straight from frozen.

• Clap the cooked roti vigorously and firmly between your hands to break up the crisp exterior and fluff up the layers inside.

• Vegan / Dairy-Free Roti: The video mentions a vegan/dairy-free recipe in the description for condensed milk and butter substitutes.

• Roti texture: Adjust oil and browning during cooking for crispier/flakier or softer roti.