A Muslim-Indian import to Southern Thailand: South Asian Muslim traders and laborers brought the parotta-style flaky bread from Tamil Nadu and Kerala, which became roti gluay (banana roti) in Thai night markets through the 20th century, especially in tourist hubs like Phuket and Bangkok's Khao San Road. The savory Indian version still exists in Southern Thailand; the sweet street-cart version is the Thai-tourist evolution.
Tamil and Keralan parotta carried into Southern Thailand by Muslim traders, then turned sweet at Phuket and Khao San night carts in the 20th century. Dough is high-fat, low-water — kneaded with margarine or ghee, rested hours, then slapped on a 200°C oiled steel until layers blister.
A square of dough flipped and stretched paper-thin on a hot oiled griddle until layers blister and crisp at the edges, then folded around banana slices and finished with a snail of sweetened condensed milk and sometimes Nutella or sugar. Crackles on the outside, soft and stretchy in the middle. Cut into squares with a metal spatula, served on a paper plate, eaten with the fingers from the night-market stall.
The dough is high-fat, low-water — heavily kneaded with margarine or ghee, then rested several hours so gluten relaxes enough to stretch translucent. Pulling and slapping on an oiled steel surface laminates fat between layers; that's where the flake comes from. Frying in too little oil gives a soft pancake; too much oil and it deep-fries instead of crisping. Heat is around 200°C.
Variations
Roti gluay (banana with condensed milk) is the Khao San default; roti kai (egg) is the savory Phuket morning option; mataba — the stuffed Pattani Muslim version — folds in curried chicken or beef; Penang's roti canai is the closer Malaysian cousin without the sweetened-condensed-milk finish.
On the Palate
Where Roti sits in the Thai flavor cloud
Ingredients
How it's made
5 steps · 1 hour 30 min
- 13 min
Combine wheat flour, sugar, salt, egg, and water to form a dough.
- 230 min
Let the dough rest, then divide into small balls.
- 35 min
Roll each ball into a thin sheet on a greased surface.
Watch outRoll it out as thin as you can on the oiled surface — the thinner the sheet, the flakier the layers when the fat crisps up.
- 45 min
Cook on a hot pan until golden brown on both sides.
Watch outFry in a shallow film of oil until deep gold and crackly — too little oil makes it soft, too much and it deep-fries instead of crisping.
- 52 min
Top with banana slices and drizzle with sweetened condensed milk.
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