🥔 SIDE
Roti Jala (Malaysian Lacy Net Crepes)
Soft, golden, lace-like crepes of flour, egg, coconut milk and turmeric, drizzled in a net pattern onto a hot pan, folded and served with chicken curry.
Malaysian · medium · serves 6
prep 15 min · cook 30 min · plus 20 min hands-off time
~351 cal · 8g protein · 36g carbs · 20g fat · 2g fiber · 2g sugars · 12g sat fat (estimated, per serving)
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AI-generated illustration
Roti jala means net bread. A thin, golden batter of flour, eggs, and a little turmeric is trickled onto a hot pan in overlapping loops, so it sets into a soft lattice with more holes than crepe. Each one cooks in about a minute, on one side only, and is then folded into a triangle or rolled up like a spring roll.
The pattern was once made by dipping the fingers in batter and flicking it over the pan, and some still call the dish roti renjis, splash bread. Today there is a special cup with three or four spouts, the roti jala mould, and a squeeze bottle works just as well.
Roti jala is a Malay dish eaten across Malaysia and in Singapore and Indonesia. It belongs to Ramadan and Hari Raya, when stacks of it are made to go with kari ayam, chicken curry, or rendang, and the lace soaks up the gravy.
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Make it yours
✓ Naturally vegetarian and dairy- and pork-free. No swaps needed.
Toggle a diet and the ingredients rewrite themselves with regional substitutes.
🥕 Vegetarian
🌱 Vegan
🌾 Gluten-Free
🥛 Dairy-Free
🥜 Nut-Free
🥚 Egg-Free
🐖 Pork-Free
Dietary labels are a cooking guide, not allergen-safety advice. We track dairy, egg, gluten, tree nuts and peanuts (we count coconut as a tree nut, following FDA labeling), fish, and shellfish; we do not screen for sesame, soy, mustard, celery, or sulphites. If you have a food allergy, read the label on every product you use, and note that a kitchen can cross-contaminate in ways a recipe cannot control.
Ingredients
US
Metric
Serves 6
- 260 g plain (all-purpose) flour
- 1/2 tsp ground turmeric
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 2 eggs
- 300 ml
- 400 ml water
- 2 tsp (for the batter)
- 2 tbsp , for the pan
Instructions
- 1Whisk the flour, turmeric and salt in a bowl. In another bowl whisk the eggs, coconut milk, water and oil.
- 2Pour the wet mixture into the flour gradually, whisking until smooth. The batter should be thin, like single cream. Leave it to rest for 20 minutes, then whisk again and strain it through a sieve into a jug.✎ Chef’s noteStraining matters: a single lump will block the nozzle of the bottle.
- 3Fill a squeeze bottle or a roti jala mould with batter. Heat a non-stick frying pan over medium heat and wipe it with a little oil.
- 4Drizzle the batter over the pan in quick, overlapping circles and loops to make a lacy net about 20 cm across. Cook for 45 to 60 seconds, without flipping, until the top is set and the edges lift slightly.
- 5Slide the crepe onto a plate and, when cool enough to handle, fold it into quarters or roll it up. Repeat with the remaining batter, oiling the pan now and then, and serve with chicken curry (kari ayam) or rendang.
Malay home and festive tradition.
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🌏 While it simmers, know your destination
📍
Penang. Nasi kandar really did begin here, sold by Tamil Muslim vendors who carried rice and curries slung from a shoulder pole, which is what kandar describes. Penang assam laksa is the other local signature and contains no coconut milk at all, being a sour broth of mackerel and tamarind rather than a curry.
🗺️
Malaysia. Malaysian food is a delicious crossroads of Malay, Chinese, and Indian cuisines, from coconut nasi lemak to laksa noodle soups and char kway teow. Sambal, pandan, and rich curries define its multicultural, hawker-driven table.
🌍
Asia. Fermentation is the thread that runs the whole way across: soy sauce and miso, Korean doenjang and kimchi, Southeast Asian fish sauces, the soured batter behind an idli. Chilli is the newcomer among them, arriving only after 1500 with Portuguese and Spanish traders, which makes the heat in Sichuan, Thai and Korean cooking far younger than the fermenting underneath it.
The story behind this dish is up top, worth a read while the pot works.
More from Malaysia
Char Kway TeowFlat rice noodles seared in a screaming wok with prawns, egg, chives, and dark soy, Penang’s hawker crown.
Nasi LemakFragrant coconut rice with spicy sambal, fried anchovies, peanuts, cucumber, and egg, Malaysia's national breakfast.
Penang Asam LaksaA tart, spicy mackerel-and-tamarind noodle soup topped with pineapple, mint, and ginger flower, Penang's iconic bowl.
Browse all Malaysia recipes →
Good to know
You’ll need: Skillet or frying pan, Mould or tin, Whisk.
Storing it: Best the day it is made. Wrap well and refresh in a warm oven, or freeze and reheat straight from frozen.
Make it a Malaysia meal
Teh TarikDrink
Kuih Seri MukaDessert
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Frequently asked questions
What is Roti Jala (Malaysian Lacy Net Crepes)?
Soft, golden, lace-like crepes of flour, egg, coconut milk and turmeric, drizzled in a net pattern onto a hot pan, folded and served with chicken curry.
Where does Roti Jala (Malaysian Lacy Net Crepes) come from?
Roti Jala (Malaysian Lacy Net Crepes) is a Malaysian dish from Penang, Malaysia.
Can Roti Jala (Malaysian Lacy Net Crepes) be made vegan, gluten-free, or dairy-free?
This Roti Jala (Malaysian Lacy Net Crepes) recipe includes substitution suggestions for vegetarian, vegan, gluten-free, dairy-free, nut-free, egg-free, and pork-free versions. Treat the substitutions as a starting guide rather than a guarantee, and see the allergen note below.
Is Roti Jala (Malaysian Lacy Net Crepes) safe for people with food allergies?
Our dietary labels and substitutions are a cooking guide, not medical or allergen-safety advice. We track dairy, egg, gluten, tree nuts and peanuts (we still count coconut as a tree nut to be cautious, although the FDA stopped listing it as one in 2025), fish, and shellfish, but we do not screen for sesame, soy, mustard, celery, or sulphites. If you have a food allergy, always read the label on every product you use, and remember a home or commercial kitchen can cross-contaminate ingredients in ways a recipe cannot control.
How long does Roti Jala (Malaysian Lacy Net Crepes) take to make?
About 1 h 5 min in all: 15 minutes prep and 30 minutes cooking, plus 20 min of hands-off waiting the method needs, serving 6.
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