Photo: Allie Chanthorn Reinmann
I’ve been craving a plate of Thai banana roti, and yet my body, mind, and spirit do not want to mix or stretch any roti. Instead, I’ve made Thai banana faux-ti using phyllo dough, and it was a resounding success. If you like bananas even a little bit, you’re going to love this quick four-ingredient dish.
Thai banana roti, also called โ่รตีกล้วย and pronounced like “roti gluay,” is a common Thai snack food available from street vendors and in food courts. The roti dough is stretched until it becomes extremely thin and translucent and cooked on a hot, greased griddle. The middle section is filled with banana slices. The rest of the roti eventually gets folded over the bananas into a neat little package, sliced into squares and drizzled with sweetened condensed milk. The roti offers a mixture of chewy, soft, and crispy textures, and the inherent sweetness in the banana is intensified by the heat. It’s all finished with a malty condensed milk drizzle, and most vendors offer additional fillings, including a scrambled egg, and other toppings like a chocolate Ovaltine syrup.
Photo: Allie Chanthorn Reinmann
Cutting bananas and drizzling sweetened condensed milk are two things I can take care of. Getting the dough right, resting it, and stretching it—well, you can see why it’s convenient to just drop by a street stall where they’re already expertly slinging roti. Sadly, these stalls have yet to arrive in my end of Brooklyn. I chose phyllo dough as my roti stand-in, because it’s a pre-made dough that’s already as thin as I need it to be. No stretching or rolling necessary. It’s also neutral in flavor, and crisps well when fried in fat. All you need to do is slice one banana, put a teaspoon of butter in a frying pan, and fire up your burner while your fingertips to get folding.
Photo: Allie Chanthorn Reinmann
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The butter should be melting and the banana should be sliced before you remove any phyllo dough from its packaging. The phyllo is flexible when it’s removed from the package but it can dry out very quickly, and become brittle, so wait until you’re ready for it. I cut the banana slices no thicker than a half-inch and no thinner than a quarter-inch. This allows me to shingle them slightly, but keeps them from getting mushy when cooked.
Once the butter is mostly melted over medium heat, lay out a single sheet of phyllo dough. Lay the banana slices in a rectangle in the center of the sheet. You can shingle them to fit more banana inside. Make sure there is about a two-inch border at the top and bottom of the dough. Fold the top and bottom edges over the bananas, and follow with the left and right flaps to make a neat little parcel. Use a spatula or your hands to flip the package so the folds are on the bottom, and place it in the frying pan. Let it fry on this side for about two or three minutes. When you see the edges begin to brown, use a spatula to take a peek at the coloring on the bottom. It should be well toasted. Flip the banana faux-ti over to fry on the other side. If you need to add more butter, you can do so now. Fry this side for about a minute or two, until toasted.
Photo: Allie Chanthorn Reinmann
Plate this crispy bundle with a satisfying drizzle of sweetened condensed milk, a smear of Nutella, a dusting of Ovaltine powder, or just eat it plain. This quick version of Thai banana roti hits the spot, with comforting flavors and textures reminiscent of the “real thing.” Eat it for breakfast, enjoy it as a dessert, or anytime as a warm snack. If you want to try your hand at making real deal roti, try this recipe.
Thai Banana Faux-ti
Ingredients:
1 sheet of packaged phyllo dough, thawed1 ripe banana, sliced1 teaspoon butter Garnish (sweetened condensed milk, Nutella, chocolate syrup, or powdered sugar)Heat the butter in a frying pan over medium heat. Lay out a sheet of phyllo dough, and shingle the banana slices in the center to form a rectangle. Fold the top and bottom edges over the banana, and then fold the left and right side over the banana center to make a rectangular package. Carefully flip the parcel over and place it in the melted butter, fold-side down. Fry for 2-3 minutes until well toasted on the bottom. Flip and fry the other side for 1-2 minutes, until well toasted. Plate, drizzle or dust with your chosen finisher, and enjoy immediately. This dish doesn’t keep well, so it’s best to tuck right in.
