andrejthechef
SingaporeBreadBreakfastVegetarian

Roti Prata with Curry

A flaky, hand-stretched flatbread with a crisp edge and soft center, griddled in ghee and served with curry for dipping.

prep
40 min
cook
20 min
total
1 h
serves
4
level
hard
Roti Prata with Curry, a Singapore hawker classic

Watching someone make roti prata is half the reason to order it: the dough gets slapped and stretched paper-thin on an oiled counter before it is folded and griddled into crisp, flaky layers. It is a genuine skill, and most hawkers trained for years to get it right.

Your first few attempts at home will probably tear. That is normal and fixable; just patch the hole with a bit of extra dough and keep stretching. The payoff is a bread with a texture you cannot get any other way.

Part of our 20 best Singapore recipes list.

method

  1. Mix the flour, egg, condensed milk, warm water and salt into a soft, slightly sticky dough. Knead for 10 minutes by hand, or 5 minutes in a stand mixer, until smooth and elastic.

  2. Rub the dough all over with a thin layer of ghee, cover, and rest at room temperature for at least 2 hours, or overnight in the fridge.

  3. Divide the dough into 8 balls, coat each lightly in ghee, and let them rest for a further 15 minutes.

  4. On an oiled surface, flatten each ball with your fingers, then stretch and slap it out as thin as you can without tearing it, into a rough square. This takes practice, so go slowly the first few times.

  5. Drizzle a little more ghee over the stretched dough, fold the edges in toward the center to form a smaller square or round, trapping air pockets that make the layers.

  6. Heat a flat griddle or large skillet over medium heat with a little ghee. Cook each folded prata for 2 to 3 minutes per side, pressing gently at the edges, until golden and flaky.

  7. Crush the cooked prata gently between your hands to separate the layers, and serve hot with curry for dipping.

chef's tips

  • The stretching is the real skill here, and it takes a few tries to get right. A torn dough is not ruined; just patch it and keep stretching.
  • A long rest, several hours at minimum, relaxes the gluten and is what makes the dough stretchable at all. Skipping the rest means a dough that fights you and tears.
  • Use plenty of ghee, both in the dough and on the griddle. It is what gives the finished prata its flaky layers and crisp edges.
  • Buy pre-made frozen prata if you want the result without the technique practice. It is a common shortcut even in Singapore.