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Roti john
Roti john: baguette fried with a spiced minced meat, egg and onion omelette, with chilli sauce
Credited to a Malay hawker in 1970s Singapore, roti john is now sold at Ramadan bazaars, night markets and supper spots: a split baguette pressed face down into a sizzling spiced omelette of minced meat, onion and egg, so the two fuse into one crisp, golden layer. Flipped and cut into fingers, it is zig-zagged with chilli sauce and mayonnaise and eaten with your hands, often with a cold teh tarik. The bread should be crisp at the edges and soft inside, the topping juicy and fragrant with curry powder. The usual stumble is pouring all the egg mixture into the pan at once, so it spreads too far and runs off the bread; pour only as much as the bread will cover. Chef's tip: cook the mince first, then mix it with the eggs; it browns better, is cooked through, and the omelette layer sets in a couple of minutes.
- Total time
- 30 min
- Difficulty
- easy
- Serves
- 2
Ingredients
For the topping
- 2 tbsp neutral oil
- 1 onionfinely chopped
- 2 tsp meat curry powder
- ½ tsp salt
- 4 eggs
- 1 red chilli (optional)finely chopped
- 2 spring onionsliced
For the bread
- 1 baguetteabout 40 cm, halved crossways and split open lengthways
- 1 oz butter or margarinesoftened
To serve
- 3 tbsp sweet chilli sauce
- 2 tbsp mayonnaise
- 2 tbsp tomato ketchup (optional)
- ½ cucumber (optional)sliced
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Method
0/8 doneStep 1: Heat 1 tbsp neutral oil in a frying pan over a medium-high heat and fry 1 onion for 3 minutes, until soft.
3 minStep 2: Add 7 oz minced beef or mutton, 2 tsp meat curry powder and ½ tsp salt and fry, breaking the meat up, for 5–6 minutes, until browned with no pink left (160°F). Spoon into a bowl and leave to cool for a few minutes.
6 minStep 3: Beat 4 eggs into the cooled mince with 1 red chilli and 2 spring onion.
Step 4: Spread the cut sides and crust of 1 baguette with 1 oz butter or margarine.
Step 5: Wipe the pan, add the rest of 1 tbsp neutral oil and set it over a medium heat. Pour in half of the egg mixture, shaping it into a rectangle roughly the size of one piece of bread.
1 minStep 6: Straight away, press one piece of bread cut side down onto the egg and push firmly with a spatula for 2–3 minutes, until the egg has set and glued itself to the bread.
3 minStep 7: Flip and toast the crust side for 1–2 minutes, until crisp and golden. Repeat with the second piece of bread and the rest of the egg.
2 minStep 8: Cut each piece into 4 fingers, zig-zag with 3 tbsp sweet chilli sauce, 2 tbsp mayonnaise and 2 tbsp tomato ketchup, and serve hot with ½ cucumber.
Nutrition per serving
- Calories
- 780 kcal
- Protein
- 40 g
- Carbs
- 66 g
- Fat
- 39 g
- Fibre
- 4 g
Nutrition values are estimates.
KrazyBadal
Good to know
- How long does roti john take?
- About 30 minutes in total: 10 minutes to prepare and 20 minutes to cook.
- How many people does it serve?
- 2 as written. Change the servings above the ingredients and every amount scales to match.
- What can I use instead of onion?
- 2 shallots per onion.
- What can I use instead of eggs?
- 1 tbsp ground flaxseed + 3 tbsp water per egg, left for 5 minutes (baking only; vegan).
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