ROTI PRATA
One of the most popular breakfast and late supper dishes in Singapore but eaten at any time of the day , Roti Prata is a delightful versatile Indian pancake-like flat bread that can be eaten both as a savoury item and as a dessert .
Roti prata evolved from the original pancake recipes from Pakistan and India , Roti means “bread”, and prata means “flat”, but it is actually closer to a pancake with a lightly flavoured and subtle sweet dough that makes for a gratifying meal, especially in the morning. It has its roots in southern India, possibly the city of Chennai (formerly Madras), where it is called parata or paratha. In Malaysia, this dish is in fact named Roti Canai (also spelled Roti Chanai or Roti Chennai) after the city.
While commonly served plain with dhal or curry, local menus now feature a variety of eccentric variations such as durian, ice-cream, cheese, chocolate and banana, all worth a try for the adventurous diner. It is also not unusual to see Prata - as it’s commonly known to the locals - being eaten with a sprinkle of sugar, as this brings out its natural taste.
The sight of the Prata maker making the dish is a sight to behold. Look out for quick finger and hand movements; a toss in the air; and vigorous slaps and smacks just before serving to make it light yet doughy.
And forget about eating this with a fork and spoon; the best way to sample the magic of the Prata is by dunking it in the complementary curry (usually mutton or fish-based but also chicken or vegetable) with your fingers. Only then will you fully understand the phrase, “Finger licking good!”
Between the many Prata stalls, you’ll also find that the texture of the dough differs, ranging from soft and chewy to super crispy, with most being somewhere in the middle.
Made from wheat flour and water, the Prata dough has an elastic texture and is flipped repeatedly until it becomes wafer thin, tearing if badly handled. The thinned-out dough is then stretched onto a flat surface and the ends are folded in to create a roughly square shape. This is then thrown onto the griddle, basted with oil and fried. The cook will flip it with a spatula repeatedly so the dough turns a golden brown but does not burn.
At some places, the cook with "crush" the fried prata, a few times, between the palms of his hands before serving it to you. This is supposed to help the Prata stay fluffy.
Prata is normally eaten with a curry gravy, although some people opt for sugar. As you tear off a piece, it should separate easily. When eaten, the texture of the Prata should not be too heavy, clumpy or taste like it is full of flour , the fragrant taste should be brought forth by the curry which should not be so spicy that it overpowers the taste of everything else.
Plain Prata, what the locals call Prata Kosong (prata empty), is as popular as Prata Telur (prata egg), where an egg is cracked onto the thin sheet when it is placed on the griddle. Nowadays, vendors have started adding other ingredients such as cheese , onions and even chocolate sauce , and some people even treat it as a basic crepe and eat it with ice-cream or sugar and honey. The 'tissue' and 'paper' variants are pan-fried with butter, rolled into a cone shape and sprinkled with sugar. Tissue Prata or Roti Tissue is a much thinner version of traditional Roti Prata , almost as thin as a piece of 40-50cm round-shaped tissue. The finishing touches to (the making of) Roti Tissue require skill, and they depend on the creativity of the person who makes it.Roti tissue is sometimes coated with sweet substances, like sugar and Kaya (jam) so becomes a delicious dessert.
Prata is close cousin to Naan bread , although with different origins and different way of cooking (naan being baked in a tandoor oven) they are similar in terms of texture and ingredients .
thanks to all the sources : Wikipedia ; SingaporeLifestyle ; YourSingapore ; MakanTime ; and all the other sites and blogs
Roti prata evolved from the original pancake recipes from Pakistan and India , Roti means “bread”, and prata means “flat”, but it is actually closer to a pancake with a lightly flavoured and subtle sweet dough that makes for a gratifying meal, especially in the morning. It has its roots in southern India, possibly the city of Chennai (formerly Madras), where it is called parata or paratha. In Malaysia, this dish is in fact named Roti Canai (also spelled Roti Chanai or Roti Chennai) after the city.
While commonly served plain with dhal or curry, local menus now feature a variety of eccentric variations such as durian, ice-cream, cheese, chocolate and banana, all worth a try for the adventurous diner. It is also not unusual to see Prata - as it’s commonly known to the locals - being eaten with a sprinkle of sugar, as this brings out its natural taste.
The sight of the Prata maker making the dish is a sight to behold. Look out for quick finger and hand movements; a toss in the air; and vigorous slaps and smacks just before serving to make it light yet doughy.
And forget about eating this with a fork and spoon; the best way to sample the magic of the Prata is by dunking it in the complementary curry (usually mutton or fish-based but also chicken or vegetable) with your fingers. Only then will you fully understand the phrase, “Finger licking good!”
Between the many Prata stalls, you’ll also find that the texture of the dough differs, ranging from soft and chewy to super crispy, with most being somewhere in the middle.
Made from wheat flour and water, the Prata dough has an elastic texture and is flipped repeatedly until it becomes wafer thin, tearing if badly handled. The thinned-out dough is then stretched onto a flat surface and the ends are folded in to create a roughly square shape. This is then thrown onto the griddle, basted with oil and fried. The cook will flip it with a spatula repeatedly so the dough turns a golden brown but does not burn.
At some places, the cook with "crush" the fried prata, a few times, between the palms of his hands before serving it to you. This is supposed to help the Prata stay fluffy.
Prata is normally eaten with a curry gravy, although some people opt for sugar. As you tear off a piece, it should separate easily. When eaten, the texture of the Prata should not be too heavy, clumpy or taste like it is full of flour , the fragrant taste should be brought forth by the curry which should not be so spicy that it overpowers the taste of everything else.
Plain Prata, what the locals call Prata Kosong (prata empty), is as popular as Prata Telur (prata egg), where an egg is cracked onto the thin sheet when it is placed on the griddle. Nowadays, vendors have started adding other ingredients such as cheese , onions and even chocolate sauce , and some people even treat it as a basic crepe and eat it with ice-cream or sugar and honey. The 'tissue' and 'paper' variants are pan-fried with butter, rolled into a cone shape and sprinkled with sugar. Tissue Prata or Roti Tissue is a much thinner version of traditional Roti Prata , almost as thin as a piece of 40-50cm round-shaped tissue. The finishing touches to (the making of) Roti Tissue require skill, and they depend on the creativity of the person who makes it.Roti tissue is sometimes coated with sweet substances, like sugar and Kaya (jam) so becomes a delicious dessert.
Prata is close cousin to Naan bread , although with different origins and different way of cooking (naan being baked in a tandoor oven) they are similar in terms of texture and ingredients .
thanks to all the sources : Wikipedia ; SingaporeLifestyle ; YourSingapore ; MakanTime ; and all the other sites and blogs