Roti Canai — Southern Thai Flatbread / โรตีกะหรี่

Southern Thai-Muslim — brought directly from Malaysia and ultimately from Indian roti prata/canai through the Muslim culinary corridor

Roti (roti canai in Malay, simply 'roti' in Southern Thailand) is the leavened, layered flatbread served at Thai-Muslim breakfast stalls, primarily in Southern Thailand and at a growing number of Bangkok specialty restaurants. The dough is wheat flour, ghee, egg, and water — rested overnight, then the roti-maker stretches a golf-ball-sized piece into a paper-thin sheet through a skilled tossing and spinning technique, folds it into layers, and fries it on a flat iron griddle with ghee until golden and crispy-layered. The flaky, buttery layers are achieved through the ghee lamination created by the folding. It is served with gaeng kari (yellow curry) or sweetened condensed milk for breakfast.

Roti's crispy, buttery layers are the perfect vehicle for yellow curry — the curry soaks into the layered structure while the outer crust maintains its crunch, creating a combination of textures in each piece that makes roti-with-curry one of the most satisfying combinations in all of Thai eating.