Roti Jala

Roti jala are tender, lacy net crepes associated by Linda Ooi with gatherings in Malaysia. Her recipe colours a flour, egg and coconut-milk batter with turmeric and pours it through a special cup to create overlapping strands in a pan.

Flour and ground turmeric are sifted into a large bowl, then salt is added. The supplied beaten egg and coconut-milk mixture are stirred in until the batter is smooth. The batter is strained to remove lumps.

A little vegetable oil is brushed onto a nonstick pan. Batter is poured into the roti jala cup and the cup is moved in overlapping circles over the pan, forming a net pattern. Each crepe cooks until set and is slid onto a plate.

When a crepe is cool enough to handle, both sides are folded inward and it is rolled into a neat package. The same process is repeated with the remaining batter, and the crepes are served with a selected curry.

Turmeric gives the crepes a yellow colour and mild fragrance. Linda describes a soft, tender result that keeps the delicate net structure rather than becoming brown or crisp.