Image credit: bonappetit.com
Roti Jala, also known as ‘lace pancake’ in English, is an all-time favourite Malay tea-time snack served with curry dishes. This tasty crepe dish can be found commonly in Indonesia, Malaysia and Singapore. Roti Jala’s name is translated as ‘Net Bread’ because of its lacy and net-like appearance due to how it was made.
Roti Jala is a traditional Malay snack that is usually homemade and served at events and festivals such as weddings and the Hari Raya celebration. Locals love pairing this dish with different kinds of curries, especially chicken curry.
Origin of Roti Jala
The origin of Roti Jala can be traced back to the Malay community. As they were originally fishermen and living by the sea, they took inspiration from the nets that they were using for fishing; and incorporated it into this snack.
Roti Jala was also called Roti Renjis or ‘Rinsed Bread’ because of the original method of which it was made; which was by hand and the ingredients would be ‘rinsed’ onto the pan to be cooked.
Roti Jala Recipe
8
servings10
minutes25
minutes190
kcal
The key to a great Roti Jala is how tender and delicate it is. In this recipe, you will need a special cup with five nozzles to make this crepe snack. However, it is alright if you don’t have these cups. You can go for other Do-It-Yourself alternatives such as using an empty milk can or plastic bottle with punctured holes on the lids.
Ingredients
1 cup/150 g of all-purpose flour
¼ tsp of ground turmeric
¼ tsp of salt
1 egg (beaten)
¾ cup of coconut milk mixed with ¾ cup (180ml) of water
Vegetable oil
Directions
- First, sift the flour and the ground turmeric into a bowl. Then, add the salt into the mixture.
- Next, stir in the beaten egg and coconut milk until a smooth batter is formed.
- Then, strain the batter to remove any lumps.
- Brush a little of the vegetable oil onto a non-stick pan with medium heat.
- Then, pour the batter into the special five-nozzle cup until about half full.
- After that, move the cup over the pan in a circular motion to create a lacy and tnet-like pattern. Cook for about 2 minutes.
- When it is cooked, slide the crepe out of the pan and onto a plate. Repeat the process until all the batter is used up.
- When the finished crepe is cool enough to handle, fold in both sides of the crepe and roll it to form a neat shape.
- Your Roti Jala is ready to serve with your curry.
Notes
- The key to making a perfect Roti Jala is to move the cup constantly so that you will not end up with a big blob of batter on your pan, thus resembling a regular pancake as the outcome. You may also use other alternatives if you do not have a special five-nozzle cup.
Ways to Enjoy Roti Jala
Roti Jala is best enjoyed with a side of curry. You can choose whichever curries to go for from chicken curry or even fish curry! Roti Jala also goes great with Beef Rendang or spicy beef floss, otherwise known as Serunding Daging.
Explore more local favourite delights at Lokataste Recipe and more!
