Throughout the country, Thailand’s streets are constantly alive with the smells and sounds of street food being cooked up on a daily basis. It is a characteristic of most Asian countries that is not prevalent in the western world and one of the favorite draws for tourists from all over the world. Here in Chiangmai, both locals and tourists love stopping by one of the numerous roti stands for a quick, delicious snack as they tour the markets or are just out for a stroll.
Historically, roti is an unleavened, Indian bread, made from stoneground wholemeal flour, traditionally known as atta flour. Roti is sometimes referred to as kolcha in Indian cuisine, albeit this term is seldom used outside of South Asia. Roti and its thinner variant, known as chapatti, are integral to Indian and Pakistani cuisine. In Thailand, most roti is rolled up and eaten as a hot snack. Generally, they are filled with banana and drizzled with chocolate and condensed milk. They are still one of our favorite street snacks when we are walking around the local markets in Chiangmai.
Watching the skillful vendors at work making roti is almost worth the price of the snack! They quickly grab a small prepared ball of dough, spread it out into a small circle and then begin the process of grabbing it and repeatedly turning and slamming it onto the table to stretch it into a large, very thin pastry. By the time they are finished, the dough is so thin that it is almost transparent. It is then placed on a hot griddle and fried with a small dab of butter. Bananas or other fillings are spread across the frying dough, and then the four sides are lifted and folded into the center. Finally, chocolate and condensed milk over drizzled over the top, it is sliced into several squares and handed over to the drooling customer.As with any street food, the whole process only takes minutes to complete. Read More
