‘Roti Jala‘ refers to netted crepes. It is actually a traditional Indian Muslim dish and is served mostly at home with spicy chicken or mutton curry. Personally, I love my mother’s version the best. She does them so perfectly and I can gobble all the crepes up at one go without even eating them with the curry. It is relatively easy to make the mixture BUT to create the lacy netted pattern, one definitely needs perserverance. We usually use a yellow funnel that has five pointy holes toward the bottom end, pour the batter in it and quickly move it in circles on the pan to create the net. I have had mine sleeping in the drawer for years and so today I took it out bravely, ready to give it a go. This was my first ever attempt and so I did fumble badly with it. Hasan felt bad watching me almost in tears so he watched some videos on Youtube and showed me the best way to do it. So I apologise if mine does not look as beautiful as the ones that you may find on other sites. However, I can assure you that the taste has not been compromised in any way. I promise I will try it again and post a better picture of roti jala next time.
Roti Jala
Ingredients:
- Plain Flour - 2 cups
- Eggs - 2, lightly beaten
- Coconut Milk - 1 cup
- Evaporated Milk - 1 cup
- Water - 1/2 cup (add more if batter thickens)
- Salt - 1/2 tsp
- Turmeric Powder - 1/2 tsp
Instructions:
- In a bowl, whisk coconut milk, evaporated milk, eggs, water, salt and turmeric powder together.
- Sift the plain flour into the mixture and stir till you get a thin batter. It should not be too thick. Otherwise, the batter will not flow through the holes in the 'jala' funnel.
- Strain the batter through a sieve to ensure that there are no clumps.
- Switch the stove on, heat the non-stick pan and grease it with oil.
- Put a ladleful of the batter into the 'jala' funnel and starting from the outer corner of the non-stick pan, move the funnel in circles to create a netted lacy pattern. You can view the video taken by food blogger Auria Abraham at a hotel buffet in Penang for guidance.
- Once you see the crepe colour changing, you know its cooked. Fold the crepe into a quarter and remove it. Alternatively, I have seen several food bloggers roll it neatly like you would with a spring roll.
- Repeat the process with rest of the batter and stack each crepe one of another. Remember to oil the pan as you go.
- Roti Jala ready to be served with any curry of your choice. I served mine with lamb curry. :-)
