A quick and easy recipe for soft Roti Jala (Malaysian Net Crepes) by only using 5 ingredients. Traditionally eaten with chicken or beef curry.
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Welcome to Day 11 of my Ramadan Series! It’s already the final week for this series, so today I’m sharing a recipe for one of my favorite Malaysian dishes — Roti Jala. It literally translates from Malay as “bread net”, alluding to the net-like shape it takes on. It’s also a dish that’s enjoyed in Singapore and Indonesia.
Soft & Delicious Roti Jala
Even though there is ‘roti’ in its name, roti jala actually has a crepe texture that’s soft and tender. It only requires a simple batter of flour, eggs, and water, with some turmeric powder sprinkled in to give it that signature yellow color. Some people even put a couple drops of yellow food coloring for a more vibrant look, but I find that sticking with turmeric powder works for me.
This dish is not only popular during Ramadan in Malaysia, but also during Eid celebrations, aka Hari Raya. It’s often eaten together with chicken curry (kari ayam), and I honestly think that it’s the best pairing!
However, I have also seen some people take the sweet rather than savory route by serving roti jala with some custard sauce, or even maple syrup. I’ve never tried it before, but it does sound tempting!
Notes for Roti Jala (Net Crepes)
- Sift flour/blender: Sift the flour to prevent clumps or use a blender to mix the batter.
- Roti jala mould/dispenser: I use a squeeze bottle to easily dispense the batter onto the pan. If you’re in Malaysia, it’s pretty easy to get a roti jala mould (cup with multiple nozzles) from baking stores or online.
- Fill squeeze bottle fully: If you are using a squeeze bottle, pour half or all the batter into the bottle. A fuller bottle will give you a smoother squeeze/flow of the batter.
- Don’t cook the crepes for too long: Otherwise it will start to brown and break off when you try to fold it into the rolled shape.
More Malaysian Recipes
- Malaysian Potato Meat Cakes (Bergedil)
- Malaysian Fried Butter Shrimp/Prawn
- Apam Balik (Malaysian Pancake Turnover)
- Crispy Air Fried Crab Stick Crackers
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Recipe
Roti Jala (Net Crepes)
Ingredients
- 2 eggs
- 6 tbsp all purpose flour see notes
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 1/2 tsp turmeric powder
- 1 cup water
Instructions
- Mix all the ingredients for the batter until well combined and there are no lumps.
- Pour the batter into a squeeze bottle (see notes).
- In a non-stick pan/a frying pan that's coated with oil over medium heat, start squeezing the batter in a circular motion starting from the middle.
- Keep going in circular motion towards the outside, making sure the circles overlap to create a net/lace effect.
- Leave for 2-3 minutes or until the crepe is cooked. You'll know it's done when the crepe does not stick to the pan.
- Remove from pan and place on a plate/clean surface.
- Start folding by bringing the edges of the top and bottom sides to the center until it overlaps.
- Then start rolling the right side tightly all the way till the end.
- Repeat until you've used up all the batter. Serve with curry and enjoy!
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