Roti Canai

In a large bowl, combine the wheat flour, sugar and salt. Rub in 40 g of melted ghee until the mixture resembles moist crumbs. Add the egg and 160 ml of warm water, knead into a soft dough and continue kneading for 8–10 minutes until smooth and elastic. Cover and set aside for 20 minutes.

Divide the dough into 4 balls, coat each with ghee, arrange in a single layer on a greased plate or tray, cover and refrigerate for 6 hours.

For the dal, heat 20 g of ghee in a saucepan. Sauté the chopped garlic, ginger and green chilli for 2 minutes, stir in the garam masala, add the chopped tomatoes and simmer for 10 minutes. Add the rinsed chana dal and 1 litre of water, bring to a boil, reduce the heat and cook for 90 minutes, until the dal is tender.

Remove the dough balls and let them sit at room temperature for 30 minutes. Grease the work surface with ghee, flatten a ball into a disc about 15 cm across, then stretch it out from the edges into an almost transparent, paper-thin sheet. Roll the sheet in from the top and bottom edges, coil it into a spiral and tuck the tip on top. Let the spirals rest for another 15 minutes.

For the spiced oil, heat the vegetable oil. Add the yellow mustard seeds for 1 minute, then the red onion and fry for 5 minutes. Add the cumin and dried red chilli for 30 seconds, then the curry leaves for another 30 seconds. Stir this oil into the dal and add the remaining salt.

Grease the surface with ghee again and flatten each spiral by hand into a round about 15–20 cm in diameter, without pressing out the layers.

Heat a dry skillet over high heat, lightly grease it with ghee and fry each flatbread for about 5 minutes, turning frequently, until crisp, golden and lightly charred in places.

Transfer the hot roti onto a clean towel and gently clap it between your palms at the edges to separate the layers. Serve immediately with the spiced dal.