everyday experiments with food
We learned about Roti Jala on our recent trip to Malaysia, although we didn’t see it or eat it there. It’s a lacy crepe made with flour, egg and coconut milk. A cup with several holes in the bottom or side is used to pour the mixture into a pan. The roti is then folded in half twice.
Roti Jala is usually eaten with curry. We used it as a kind of tortilla with chicken teriyaki and salad fillings.
Here’s the first recipe that we’ve tried….
Here’s a simple vegetarian pasta that I made up the other night.
Slice half a large leek thinly. Saute it gently in butter until soft. Add 1/3 cup of white wine and reduce. When half of the liquid has evaporated, add halved cherry tomatoes and continue to simmer until the liquid reduces some more. Add 3-4 tbsp good quality pesto.
Meanwhile cook the spaghetti. Drain and reserve a little of the cooking liquid. Add a 3-4 tbsp of this to the pesto sauce.
Pan fry some sliced haloumi over high heat until brown. Mix the spaghetti, pesto sauce and haloumi together. Top with fresh basil leaves and some shaved parmesan or grana padano. Squeeze some fresh lemon juice on top and add cracked black pepper.
Very fresh and fine indeed.