Roti Prata
Last Saturday, some friends and I headed to Lucky Bamboo for their first day serving dim sum off their carts. I won't get too deep into the experience except that we enjoyed the meal, and it won't be the last time I go back. More on dim sum another day.
The owner of Lucky Bamboo, Jack Ting, is from Malaysia and he recently added a couple of Malaysian/Singaporean dishes to the menu like curry puffs, roti canai and bubur cha cha, a type of Nonya dessert. We ordered the roti canai (chah-nye) or as it's known in Singapore, roti prata (rhymes with Prada). In Indian cuisine, it's called paratha.
I was trying to explain how it's made to everybody, then I remembered I had a video from one of my trips back home that I took of the local prata guy at a gathering my parents had.
The dough is really really flaky, there's lots of egg and flour and oil involved, and a lot of flipping and slapping onto oiled surfaces, and lots of air being introduced. It really is a skill. Enjoy, sorry about the shaky camera work.
You use your hand to eat this delicious, flaky, doughy pancake (I guess that's what you would call it) and you dip it in curry. At the party we also had samosas, nasi bryani, and other awesome Indian treats. The prata can come with various fillings; some people like an egg in it, some people like onions added, or both. I personally like it plain. Some people also like sugar in it (not for me) and cheese. There's also paper prata which I've only had once and it's more like a crepe texture than doughy and they serve it to you in a cone.
Homesick. SO homesick.
Bottom corner left, somosas. Right, bryani. Plus curry galore.
Paper prata at a food court. I liked it.
If you'd like to try it, they sell it frozen at K&S Market on Charlotte. The frozen stuff is pretty decent, you just have to warm it up in an oven or a toaster oven. The microwave oven makes it really rubbery. Or you could go to Lucky Bamboo.
As for the curry, Rasa Malaysia (my go-to blog for all recipes Singaporean/Malaysian) has the recipe up on how to make it. here. Another great way to eat this curry is to get a fresh baguette and dip it in the gravy. Or eat it with rice - it's all very very good.
