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 Singapore, and is a close descendant of Kerala porotta.

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

1. 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. 

2. "Channa", a mixture of boiled chickpeas in a spicy gravy from Northern India which was traditionally served with this dish. The roti in Northern India is different from that served in Malaysia. It is more similar to the South Indian parotta, a later variant of the Singaporean roti paratha. In addition, roti canai is served with dhal or lentils curry rather than chickpeas. Hence this is also moot. 

3. 'canai' the Malay word for 'spreading out', which refers to the act of preparing the dough.
Roti canai is circular and flat. To make the proper flattened circle, the dough can be twirled into a very thin sheet and then folded into a circular shape or spread 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 mean 'plate bread'.

In English, roti canai is sometimes referred to as "flying bread," a term that evokes the process of tossing and spinning by which it is made.