roti jala
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Malay:
roti
+
jala
Detailed etymology
definitions
noun
- a traditional Malay pancake with a characteristic lace or net shape, which is made by letting the pancake batter stream onto a flattop griddle from holes in the bottom of a special cup, while moving the cup around in a circular pattern. It is usually eaten with curry and other traditional gravy-based dishes, or sometimes with sweet accompaniments as a dessert food.
It is believed to have originated in India, and bears several similarities to putu mayam or idiyappam.
Roti jala looks beautiful and tastes even better. This classic lacy pancake is every bit as tasty as it is festive-looking ... What makes for great roti jala is plenty of good chicken curry gravy. The better the curry, the better the roti jala. The lacy texture of the roti jala enhances further the flavour of the curry.
— 1999 June 11, Lee Geok Boi. Weekend East, "Lace to sink your teeth into". p.15
A must-try is the Durian Roti Jala, which was definitely one of our favourites at the tasting.
— 2011 June 24, Sarah Quek. Today, "Durian season". p.3
usage notes
Snacks with a similar concept of twice-baked bread with butter and sugar exist in many other cultures, and are known as toast biscuits, rusk, or various other names.