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Plain roti prata (left) and egg roti telur (centre), with a bowl of chicken curry on the side

Roti prata being prepared.

Roti prata is the Singaporean evolution of the Pakistani and Indian paratha, a pancake bread made of dough composed of fat, egg, flour and water. Roti means bread in Hindi, Urdu, most other North Indian languages and Malay, while Prata means flat. It is traditionally served with curry or, more rarely, with sugar or condensed milk. In addition, although consumed at any time of the day by some locals, the vast majority tend to consume it as a late night or early morning dish, particularly at 24-hour outlets.

There are two main types of the dish - the smaller but crispy version (made famous by the Jalan Kayu chains) and the flatter and more fluffy version common elsewhere. Both versions are prepared in similar fashion - by flipping the dough into a large thin layer, folding the outside edges inwards, before heating it on a hot plate.

The dish has evolved somewhat differently in Singapore and in Malaysia. In Singapore, economic affluence and cultural influences have created variations reflective of the cosmopolitan character of the city. For instance, it is common to find outlets serving roti prata with flavourings as varied as garlic, banana, chocolate, durian and cheese, which, while common in Singapore, is less so in Malaysia. Also, roti prata variations are more likely to be known by names such as cheese prata or onion prata rather than with a roti prefix, and mostly in the English language. More recently, the dish has also evolved to other sweeter and more crispy variants such as "tissue" and "paper" which are pan-fried with butter, rolled into a cone shape and spinkled with sugar.

Some of the most famous outlets in Singapore include those located at Jalan Kayu, Upper Thomson Road and Clementi Road near the National University of Singapore. The roti prata chain "The Best Prata Shop" has outlets all over Singapore. Interestingly, there are many prata shops that try to associate themselves as the "original" Jalan Kayu prata shop, of which the real one is unknown. Apparently, there is some prestige to roti prata stalls originating from Jalan Kayu, a 200 meter long stretch of road in north-eastern Singapore; two of the largest stalls along Jalan Kayu are fiercely territorial, as witnessed by late night customers.

Roti prata is known as roti canai in northern and central Malaysia, but "roti prata" in Southern Malaysia.

[edit] External links

• Roti Prata, Uniquely Singapore
• Roti Prata, Singapore Infopedia, National Library Board, Singapore