4.28.2010

Roti Paratha, Yum!

This is a food find I've been holding off for months now.  I almost forgot about it until yesterday, while planning for our dinner.  I saw two packs sitting in the freezer (which I bought a few weeks ago) and got inspired so I thought I'd finally share this with you today.

Ever since I tried Spring Home's Roti Paratha late last year, purchased from Unimart (supermarket in Greenhills shopping center), I've been craving for it from time to time. Since it is not commonly served in our favorite Asian restos, I consider this a treat. And to my surprise, even my picky-eater of a son loved it too!

Among Asian breads, roti and naan breads are two I've tasted and really enjoyed eating.  Though I can't recall when and where I first had them, I've learned there are many variations to these Indian flatbreads, specifically roti, which is made from unleavened whole wheat.  It is usually cooked on a cast iron griddle and puffed up over a flame.  It is also popularly know as roti canai in Malaysia and Singapore. Paratha is a flaky version traditionally mixed with ghee (clarified butter), and is fried flat to a crisp.

Honestly, I became more confused with the names since this pack says ROTI PARATHA, and technically, these are two slightly different flatbreads. I'd be happy if anyone can enlighten me about these breads. For this post, let's just call it roti, plain and simple.

This frozen roti comes in Plain, Wholemeal, and Onion variants. I only had the chance to buy this Onion flavor and it's simply delicious!  I lost the receipt but as I recall, a pack costs a little below P100 (roughly $2), with 5 pancakes per pack that are ready to cook straight from the freezer, anytime of the day.


To cook:
Take out frozen roti disc (do not thaw), remove plastic sheets, and fry directly on a hot non-stick pan. No oil needed since the roti already contains vegetable margarine. The manufacturer replaced the ghee with margarine so it is cholesterol-free. Fry for a few minutes on each side until light brown. It may puff up while cooking, but will deflate once it's off the heat. Serve immediately.

Imagine a crunchy, flaky crust...soft and chewy inside, all the same time. And fragrant too! Munch, munch...yum-yum!

I'll get the the Plain or Wholemeal variants next time, and will add butter for more flavor and sprinkle with sugar before serving. Great for breakfast or snack. I once made chicken curry and it's a perfect match to our onion roti.

I have not seen any other brand, aside from Spring Home, that sells 'instant' roti, and I've only been able to buy this at Unimart, Savemore and SM supermarket. They are not always in stock.

If you love roti and similar flatbreads, you can now have this at home anytime, and I guarantee you will like this too!

Price update as of July 2011:
Unimart = P87.75 per pack

16 comments :

  1. i love instant roti! it's instant gratification. instant snack for me and the kids!

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  2. will definitely put this in my grocery list! thanks for sharing. :)

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  3. I love roti paratha and the Malaysian version. I don't go to the supermarkets that you've mentioned. It sounds like I would be force to make my own. As far as I know, they are called roti canai in Malaysia and roti paratha ni Singapore.

    Naan has a little bit of yeast added while roti doesn't. Naan is prepared almost the same way as pita bread while roti is prepared differently. They have a special technique for it.

    But then the names are quite confusing if you compare it with different countries. In India they have roti, naan, chapati, paratha that looks almost the same. To make things more confusing, there are also many different types of roti in India. I think it also depends on how they're called in each country. I hope I didn't confuse you. :)

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  4. Jen - love anything instant (and healthy) too! :D

    Tina - you're welcome, hope you'll enjoy it like we do

    Divina - I was expecting to learn something from you and you did not disappoint! :) thank you! They're really confusing especially when I come across them on a menu, but so far, the ones I tried at Banana Leaf and Tru Food in Bora, I really liked.

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  5. What can I say, never tried them but they certainly LOOK good. I'll definitely be searching high and wide for these here in my neck of the woods. Thanks for sharing.

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  6. Lalaine - Hope you do find a pack or at least something similar. I'm sure you will like it as much as we do. Thanks for visiting and do drop by more often :)

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  7. i eat prata for breakfast with curry and sugar! the best!

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  8. Chevy - same here, with curry OR sugar+butter for me :D

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  9. we love roti! i didn't know they have it in unimart. i swear that place should have the same tagline as SM -- we've got it all for you! thanks will buy some!

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  10. Jen - yeah, I'm a regular at Unimart :) but they don't have this all the time. My friend also got some at Landmark. Try the Plain too, great with butter and sugar!

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  11. i love roti!!! with quickmelt cheese on top!!! yum, yum! ^^

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  12. Jerose - wow cheese...that's something I have to try! thanks for sharing :)

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  13. bakit iba iba un profile pic mo dito sa comment form haha Napansin ko lang lol ANyway san section sa Unimart ito nakalagay?
    xoxo
    MrsM

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  14. That is my old profile pic :)))
    It's usually placed in the freezer section near the ready to eat frozen foods.

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  15. hi! im here in dubai and i love eating paratha, i just wanna ask if its really available at sm stores nationwide? so i can still eat paratha while in the philippines...thanks

    -gail

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  16. HI Gail:

    I am not sure if it is being carried in ALL SM supermarket branches, so better try in their bigger stores like Megamall and other SM Hypermart branches. Hope you get to buy for yourself :)

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