Once cooked each crepe is folded into four like in the photograph above, or sometimes, it is rolled, like the photograph below.

It is called “roti” in Malay I guess because it is never eaten alone. Like bread, it is always eaten with something, either a sweet dish or for us usually, a curry. When I serve Roti Jala, its always with my chicken curry!

I recipised the dish because I just had to try and make it. It’s fine in Malaysia – if you don’t know how to make it, you can order it, or you will find it in a Malay stall at a night market. During the month of Ramadhan, roti jala can be found at almost every Bazaar Ramadhan.

When I lived in Dubai of course, if you can’t make it then you don’t get to eat it! So when Mum and my late Dad came to visit us in Dubai, I watched her make it and forced her to measure everything. And this is her recipe.

INGREDIENTS
3 cups flour
3 1/3 cups water
1 egg (or 2 for a richer taste)
Salt to taste
Yellow food colouring

Vegetable oil for the pan
Kitchen paper for applying the oil to the pan
Pandanus leaves for patting the crepes with oil

DIRECTIONS

Mix all the ingredients in a mixing bowl using a hand blender. Make sure there are no lumps. Pour the mixture through a sieve to remove any little lumps.

Shred a couple of pandanus leaves lengthwise, fold into to and tie the end with a rubber band or twine to hold it together.

Heat a heavy-based pan and using a piece of kitchen paper, dab in a bit of oil and rub the pan with it. When it starts to smoke a little the pan is ready.

Make one crepe at a time. Pour a little of the mixture into the roti jala tool sitting on a plate, bring it to the pan and swirl in small circular motions making sure they overlap to create the lacey effect. If the mixture does not make a “smooth” lace but instead comes out in drips and drops, the mixture is too thick. Add a bit of water, mix well and try again.

When the surface gets shiny, it is almost ready. Dip the pandanus leaf into some oil and pat the crepe with it. Lift the crepe off the pan onto a plate and fold it or roll it. Refill the tool and make the next crepe.

Anyway, my pancakes were always too dry and sometimes quite tasteless to be honest. Once I tried this recipe from Delia’s book, I never looked back. My pancakes are always consistently good, flavourful, light and never dry!

Can you spot the secret?

INGREDIENTS
110 gms plain flour
A pinch of salt
2 large eggs
200 ml milk mixed with 75 ml water
50 gms butter, melted and cooled

DIRECTIONS
First of all sift the flour and salt into a large mixing bowl with the sieve held high above the bowl so the flour gets an airing. Now make a well in the centre of the flour and break the eggs into it. Then begin whisking the eggs – any sort of whisk or even a fork will do – incorporating any bits of flour from around the edge of the bowl as you do so.

Next, gradually add small quantities of the milk and water mixture, still whisking (don’t worry about any lumps as they will eventually disappear as you whisk). When all the liquid has been added, use a rubber spatula to scrape any elusive bits of flour from around the edge into the centre, then whisk once more until the batter is smooth, with the consistency of thin cream. Now melt the butter in the pan. Spoon 2 tablespoons of it into the batter and whisk it in, then pour the rest into a bowl and use it when needed to lubricate the pan, using a wodge of kitchen paper to smear it round.

Now get the pan really hot, then turn the heat down to medium and, to start with, do a test pancake to see if you’re using the correct amount of batter. I find 2 tablespoons about right for a 7 inch (18 cm) pan and 3 tablespoons for an 8 inch (20 cm) pan. It’s also helpful if you spoon the batter into a ladle so it can be poured into the hot pan in one go. As soon as the batter hits the hot pan, tip it around from side to side to get the base evenly coated with batter. It should take only half a minute or so to cook; you can lift the edge with a palette knife to see if it’s tinged gold as it should be. Flip the pancake over with a pan slice or palette knife – the other side will need a few seconds only – then simply slide it out of the pan on to a plate.

Stack the pancakes as you make them between sheets of greaseproof paper on a plate fitted over simmering water, to keep them warm while you make the rest.

To serve, sprinkle each pancake with freshly squeezed lemon juice and caster sugar, fold in half, then in half again to form triangles, or else simply roll them up. Serve sprinkled with a little more sugar and lemon juice and extra sections of lemon.