Makan Spotlight: Roti Prata

For a vegetarian alternative, look no further than Ananda Bhavan. The history of one of the city’s oldest restaurants stretches back to 1924, when a Brahmin family opened up a joint along Selegie Road serving traditional Indian vegetarian dishes. That original branch is still dishing out all manner of flatbreads and curries, but now, it has four sister outlets complete with its no-frills ethos. On the food front, the prata is a safe bet. But instead of your chicken or fish curry, it’s served with dal and chickpea curry.

A popular spot for night owls, Al-Azhar, located at both Bukit Timah and Tampines, has your back when it comes to a late-night supper fix. Open till 2am daily, the restaurant is affectionately known for its naan, but its classic prata is still as toasty and crisp on the outside and soft and fluffy on the inside. It’s served with the flavoursome chicken curry – you can even swap it with fish curry for the added kick. Otherwise, indulge in the popular calorie-laden prata and butter chicken set.

One of Singapore's best-kept secrets, this small stall is only open on weekdays and even so, their dishes tend to run out pretty early so it might take you a few tries before you finally get to try themt. It's all in the actual name of the shop, really – the prata kosong here is super crispy on the outside and much fluffier on the inside. It may sound and look so simple but there's a reason why people keep returning to this gem in Joo Chiat.

This is the spot for late-night prata cravings. The open-air 24/7 Indian joint at Tampines draws hungry crowds every night – a testament to its highly-raved prata. The star flatbread dish is a happy medium between fluffy and crispy, and comes with a flavoursome curry on the side. If you’re ordering up the crowd fave egg prata, we recommend having it with sambal for extra heat.

The 24/7 joint is the best-known supper gem in the Hougang vicinity. The no-frills coffee shop sells a medley of Indian rojak, biryani, murtabak and other goreng-style dishes. But it is the freshly made pratas that draw the crowds. Expect a shatteringly crispy outside while the inside remains soft, warm and fluffy. We reckon it eats well on its own but if you're picking a pairing, go with the tangy fish curry to help balance the fat. It also comes with a sweet and savoury sambal for extra kick. For the adventurous, consider ordering the tower-like tissue prata that spans almost up to a metre tall.

You can never go wrong with The Roti Prata House. It’s one of the longest-running supper spots in Singapore, and here’s one of the many reasons why it remains popular: there are over 80 varieties of prata to choose from, including ice cream, milo, durian, and even a bomb cheese kaya prata. With so many different styles and flavours, you will be spoilt for choice. But if you’d rather stick to the crispy classic, then order the coin prata set and wash it down with hot teh tarik.

Despite its name, this humble prata stall in Toa Payoh doesn’t just sell cheese prata. It also draws in new and loyal customers with crispy prata kosong and thick, fluffy egg prata, which is its bestseller. Everything is made fresh from when you order so it might take a while to dish out. Nonetheless, its daily snaking queues are enough to convince you that the prata dishes here are worth the wait – and calories.

This is a household spot for many. Although many flock here for a quick prata and teh tarik fix, the menu also includes family favourites like fish head curry, biryani, thosai and murtabak. Popular with the weekend crowd and weary hikers from nearby parks and nature reserves, this place gets crowded pretty quickly. The classic prata kosong is on the doughy side but when it comes hot and fresh, you get to enjoy that crunch from the crispy edges.

On any given night (or 4am in the morning) this coffee shop is packed to the rafters, a favourite spot to swing by for supper or post-clubbing/pre-dawn fuel. Happy and hungry punters tuck into favourite local dishes served, before finishing it all off with a super-sized Milo dinosaur or teh cino. But a main staple at this coffee shop? The roti prata stall of course. For prata purveyors, the prata kosong here is on the doughier side but still well-cooked. Another must-try is the fun-sized coin prata.