[9] It is usually served with dal or other types of curry but can also be cooked in a range of sweet or savoury variations made with different ingredients, such as meat, eggs, or cheese.

[10] There are different suggestions for the origin of canai: it has been claimed that the word refers to channa, a North Indian dish made with boiled chickpeas in a spicy gravy, with which this type of bread was traditionally served.

[12][13] Since being introduced around the 19th century, roti canai has become a popular breakfast and snack dish and is one of the most common examples of South Indian cuisine in the region.

[15][16][17] In Southeast Asia, roti canai can often be found in cities that have populations of Indian descent, especially in Malaysia and Singapore and in northern Sumatra in Indonesia.

[18] It has also been theorized that the dish had been introduced much earlier by Indian traders, in the 17th century, in Aceh and North Sumatra, under the name roti cane.

[22] Roti canai is a flatbread made from dough that is composed of fat (usually ghee), flour, and water; some recipes also include sweetened condensed milk.

It is usually served with sugar or a vegetable- or meat-based curry and is also commonly cooked with cheese, onions, bananas, red beans, chocolate, mushrooms, or eggs.