Roti John Recipe: How to Make Delicious Roti John

Image credit: whattocooktoday

We Malaysians love our roti. Roti is love; roti is life. One particularly beloved treat is Roti John—an omelette sandwich often enjoyed as a sinful but oh-so-satisfying breakfast or quick snack. The omelette filling includes minced meat, like chicken, beef, mutton, or a vegetarian substitute. 

Roti John dates back to the British Colonial ruling years, during which the westerners were referred to as ‘John’ by locals. Combined with western influences of a baguette-style loaf and ketchup (a fancier term for tomato sauce), Roti John literally translates to ‘John Bread’. 

You can get this delicious sandwich from street vendors at night markets, but it’s not exactly a science to make it yourself! Preparation for Roti John is quick and easy, with simple ingredients accessible in stores all over.

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Roti John Recipe

Recipe by Sunny

Servings

3

servings

Prep time

10

minutes

Cooking time

15

minutes

Total time

25

minutes

Ingredients

• 4-6 hotdog buns/1 French baguette

• 3 eggs

• 250g minced meat (chicken, beef, mutton)

• 1 large onion

• 3 tsp minced garlic

• 2 tsp minced ginger

• 2 tsp minced green chilli

• 2-4 tbsp chopped cilantro

• 1/3 tsp salt

• 1/4 tsp pepper

• 2 tsp curry powder of your preferred brand

• Mayonnaise and tomato sauce for serving

• 2 tbsp vegetable oil for cooking

Directions

• Create slits in the hotdog buns or baguette slices (don’t cut through them, so they remain attached!)
• Lightly grease a non-stick frying pan or skillet and lightly toast the buns. Set them aside.
• Add more oil to the pan and set to medium heat.
• Add ginger, garlic and green chilli to the pan and let it soften, then sauté the diced onion.
• Add the minced meat of your choice and stir it with the ingredients. Cook for 5-8 minutes, until the meat is free of clumps and moisture starts to seep out.
• Add salt to taste and curry powder.
• When the meat is tender and the water evaporates (but not overly dry), add pepper and cilantro last. Set the meat aside.
• Lightly beat the eggs in a bowl until it is foamy.
• Add it to the meat mixture.
• Using the same pan, add more oil and bring to medium heat.
• Pour the mixture in and place the open side of the buns over the runny egg mixture. Cook on low heat for a few minutes until an omelette forms on the inner sides of the buns.
• Drizzle some mayonnaise and tomato sauce.
• Voilà! Roti John is served.

Some tips:

• If you’re using stale baguettes, you can soften them by wrapping a damp paper towel and microwaving it for about 15 seconds. 
• Make the sandwich in small batches according to your preferred serving size, and store the remaining meat mixture inside a tight container in the fridge. 
• You can add other ingredients like cheese, tomatoes or soy meat as a substitute. 

This tasty, greasy creation can be enjoyed at any time of the day. Just follow this simple recipe and experiment with toppings of your choice for interesting flavours. It also makes for a great hangover meal! 

For more Malaysian recipes, visit Lokataste!