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Roti jala
Lacy net crêpes
Roti jala: lacy turmeric net crêpes for chicken or vegetable curry
MalaysianDuring Ramadan, bazaar stalls in Kuala Lumpur and Shah Alam sell roti jala in folded stacks beside pots of chicken curry, and Malay families make it at home for Hari Raya open houses. A thin egg and coconut-milk batter tinted with turmeric is trickled from a five-spouted cup in loops, so each crêpe becomes a soft, yellow net that soaks up curry gravy. A squeeze bottle with a fine nozzle does the job if you have no roti jala cup. Serve with any curry; it is lovely with a potato or chickpea kari for a vegetarian meal. Chef's tip: a lumpy batter clogs the spouts, so always strain it and let it rest before you start.
- Total time
- 45 min
- Difficulty
- medium
- Serves
- 4
Ingredients
- 7 oz plain flour
- ½ tsp ground turmeric
- ½ tsp salt
- 2 eggs
- ¾ cup coconut milk
- 1 cup water
- 2 tbsp neutral oil1 tbsp for the batter, 1 for the pan
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What you'll need
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Method
0/6 doneStep 1: Whisk 7 oz plain flour, ½ tsp ground turmeric and ½ tsp salt in a bowl. Beat 2 eggs with ¾ cup coconut milk and 1 cup water, then whisk into the flour until smooth and as thin as single cream. Stir in half of 1 tbsp neutral oil.
Step 2: Strain the batter through a sieve and rest it for 10 minutes.
10 minStep 3: Heat a non-stick pan over a medium-low heat and wipe it with a little of 1 tbsp neutral oil on kitchen paper.
2 minStep 4: Fill the roti jala cup or squeeze bottle and move it quickly in overlapping circles over the pan to make a lacy net about 20 cm across.
Step 5: Cook for about 1 minute, until the net is set and no longer shiny on top; don't let it brown, and don't turn it.
1 minStep 6: Lift it out onto a plate, fold in half twice into a triangle or roll it up. Repeat with the rest of the batter, wiping the pan every few crêpes. Keep covered so they stay soft, and serve with curry.
Nutrition per serving
- Calories
- 300 kcal
- Protein
- 8 g
- Carbs
- 39 g
- Fat
- 13 g
- Fibre
- 2 g
Nutrition values are estimates.
KrazyBadal
Good to know
- How long does roti jala take?
- About 45 minutes in total: 15 minutes to prepare and 30 minutes to cook.
- How many people does it serve?
- 4 as written. Change the servings above the ingredients and every amount scales to match.
- Is it vegetarian?
- Yes. It has no meat or fish.
- What can I use instead of plain flour?
- Self-raising flour, same amount (then leave out the baking powder).
- What can I use instead of ground turmeric?
- Leave it out (it mostly adds colour).
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