ROTI CANAI

Roti canai (pronounced "chanai," not "kanai") is a type of flatbread found in Malaysia, often sold in Mamak stalls. It is known as roti prata in Southern Malaysia and Singapore, and is similar to the Indian Kerala porotta.

Origin of the word

Roti means bread in Hindi, Urdu, most other North Indian languages, and Malay. The term "canai" derives either from:

• Chennai, a city in India which is formerly known as Madras. Roti canai is presumed to have been introduced by immigrant labour from the Madras region where a similar combination of parotta and dalcha - the accompanying lentil curry - is served.
• Channa, a dish made with boiled chickpeas in a spicy gravy from Northern India which this type of bread was traditionally served. However, the roti in Northern India is different from that served in Malaysia. The latter is more similar to the South Indian parotta, and roti canai is often served with dhal or lentils curry rather than chickpeas.
• The word 'canai' in Malay means 'to knead'.

Roti canai is circular and flat. There are two ways to make roti canai that is either to twirl it until the dough becomes a very thin sheet and then folded into a circular shape or to spread out the dough as thinly as possible before being folded. Then the folded dough is grilled with oil. The first method is more popular and faster than the second. The term 'roti paratha' in Malay means 'plate bread'.
In English and in Chinese, roti canai is sometimes referred to as "flying bread" (飞饼 fēibǐng), a term that evokes the process of tossing and spinning by which it is made. In Chinese, Roti Canai is originally called 印度煎饼 "yin du jian bing", which means Indian Fried Biscuit (Bread).

The roti canai dish

Composition

The dish is composed of dough containing copious amounts of fat, egg, flour and water (although eggless vegan versions do exist). The form of fat used is usually ghee (clarified butter). Some people add sweetened condensed milk to the mix. The entire mixture is kneaded thoroughly, flattened, oiled and folded repeatedly. It is then allowed to proof and rise, and the process is repeated. The final round of preparation consists of flattening the dough ball, coating it with oil and then cooking on a flat iron skillet with a lot of oil. The ideal roti is flat, fluffy on the inside but crispy and flaky on the outside.

Source : Wikipedia

ROTI TISU

Roti Tissue, or Tissue Prata is one of the most creative looking Mamak food, sometimes known as Roti Helikopter (Helicopter bread). Roti Tissue is a much thinner version of traditional Roti canai, 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 available at most local Mamak stalls in Malaysia and Singapore.
Roti tissue is sometimes coated with sweet substances, like milk, milo and cheese. It is now a delicious dessert.

Source : Wikipedia

Location

TEH TARIK

Teh tarik (literally "pulled tea" or 拉茶 in Chinese) is a hot Malaysian tea beverage which can be commonly found in restaurants, outdoor stalls and kopi tiams in Malaysia, Singapore and Brunei. Its name is derived from the pouring process of "pulling" the drink during preparation. It is made from black tea and condensed milk.

Preparation

The mixture is poured back and forth repeatedly between two vessels from a height, giving it a thick frothy top. This process cools the process fluid (tea) to optimal drinking temperatures, and helps to thoroughly mix the tea with the condensed milk. It is also done to give the tea a better flavor. This is often compared to the decantering of toddy to improve the flavor function. If a Malaysian customer wanted to order a high-quality teh tarik, they would say "Teh tarik satu!" which translates as "One teh tarik!".

Culture

An element of showmanship exists in the preparation of teh tarik. The ability to drag a long stream of tea above the heads of the patrons without giving them a shower is an amusing novelty for the locals and tourists alike.
In Malaysia, there are occasions where teh tarik brewers gather for competitions and performances to show their skills. Teh tarik has become recognised along with nasi lemak as part of the food and beverage heritage of Malaysia by the Malaysian government ministry.

Source : Wikipedia