Malay Food: Roti Jala

 by: Nur Syairah

What is Roti Jala ?

“Roti” is the Urdu Malaysian and Indonesian word for bread, while the word “Jala” literally means “mesh bread”. For your information, Roti Jala is the classic Malaysian pancake, looking like a small lace doily and tinted with turmeric or, more rarely, food coloring. Next, Pandan leaves are also sometimes used to obtain green roti jala or beet juice for roti jala ranging from rosé to purple depending on the amount incorporated.

Last but not least, Roti Jala are often compared to string hoppers which are extremely popular in South India and Sri Lanka. These string hoppers are also called idiyappam and are a Sri Lankan and South Indian specialty prepared with rice (or millet) flour that is pressed in a machine to form fine noodles.