by Lokemun Magar

Created on: September 01, 2008   Last Updated: April 07, 2011

Mention roti prata to my son and I and we will suggest the family-run The Prata Place in Singapore which sells the most crispy roti prata in town. You will also see us transform into salivating salesmen pushing our favorite sinfully healthy prata meals at the Prata Place.

Roti prata is a flat pan fried wheat flour pancake. It is common to Indian and Malay cuisine. At The Prata Place where the humble food is sold by the hundreds per day, ingredients to make the dough are usually machine-whipped into a fluid consistency before the workers squeeze the dough into palm-sized portions to further knead and coat in ghee, the sinful butter made from the fats of the goat. Ghee is once again smeared over the massaged dough before the dough is left overnight to rise.

What makes The Prata Place so outstanding and its food so addictive? Its roti prata, so-named crispy prata for its thin and crisp version, are freshly made by the order - there are no pre-fried pieces waiting to be picked up from the shelves as one would expect from cakes and bread.

Every lump of dough is sufficient for a crispy prata and is tenderly kneaded once more and skillfully flipped in the air with both hands, as a Chinese acrobat would twirl a kerchief, until the dough is stretched and you can see through its translucency in bright light. The thin spread of dough is then laid onto a piping hot rectangular and flat metallic pan which is similar to a Japanese Teppanyaki cooking pan.

The rectangular piece of prata dough turns from translucent white to paper thin brown in a matter of minutes and when ready, is placed on a rectangular silver serving tray. The tray of prata is passed through a rectangular window in the glass wall and served piping hot at your table.

As the cooking area of the restaurant is separated from the dining area by a transparent glass wall, you get to see your order in the making and yet spare your hair and clothes from the grease and smell of fried ghee.

At slightly less than an American dollar apiece, the plain crispy prata is indeed an affordable meal for many. The prata is usually accompanied by a small dish of thick and spicy vegetarian, meat or fish curry gravy. When the prata soaks in the curry gravy, it becomes a morsel anyone will cry for. The prata simply melts in your mouth while your tongue goes into a dance of its own while it is intoxicated by the ingredients in the curry!

If curry does not delight your taste buds, go for one of these home-grown creations which delight

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