RAGI FLOUR BEETROOT ROTI JALA

What you see above is our island's favourite Roti Jala, a spider webbed / laced pancake or crepe with it's origin in Malaysia. It is also called Roti Renjis or Roti Kirai. A brief brush up with the WIKI gives some interesting fact about it's history. Originally, the Malaysians were mostly fishermen who discovered this net like pancakes to be served as a teatime snack. Roti Renjis refers to "rinsed bread." Can you imagine originally the batter was made and rinsed onto the pan with hand? Roti Kirai is it's another name because 'kirai' means circular motion in which way it was done making holes in an used condensed milk can. Then what you see below was discovered. These containers are of various shapes and sizes, I had bought this one.

I am feeling happy about myself; since yesterday till this morning I am having health food that is tasty. I did a long walk in the old neighbourhood park, had "yong tao foo", then I had watched a good movie.  Thereafter preparing a batter with coconut milk, beetroot juice and finger millet / ragi flour was a five minutes job. Cristine obviously did the juice while I was still watching the movie. What was I eating while watching? I will make a public post about it. Below is what I ate this morning. I have to have breakfast with my morning tea. I so loved the healthy vegetarian cob webbed pancake or crepe whatever RAGI FLOUR BEETROOT ROTI JALA that I had them this morning too with my favourite 'peyazkolir chocchori' and me made 'jolpai er achar.'

This is the reason why I had started of a bit late with the post; I was enjoying my food. What you see at far is the junior most's PTC list, the creature does it all alone, booking date and time for PTC, selecting the colleges it had already applied for admission in two different countries, keeping in touch with them through emails; everything without any help from us. Wish our mother was this strict with us. However, our family had sent a goodie bag for the junior most. December is a special month for this family.

Who can send an Avengers written t-shirt except for "nono" that is his "mamujaan", B Aunty is fond of all sheds of maroon; hence, Dimma sends black because it's favourite colour is black; Piya that is the husband's sister had always been very aesthetic and hence buys and wraps gifts too, I did not see what is inside, and it's favourite Hajmola always comes from Thamma. Our siblings have not gifted it cousins to bond with, it will remain alone in this world, so they have to keep gifting it. What came for me should be made into a public post. I have told it that "we be there or not or wherever you are, you will keep in touch with the rest in the family always, take care of them; you need not worry; the maximum of our belongings will be co-owned by your spouse if only the later loves our's with all it's being & vice-versa." Whatever you call me, I am very clear about it! One cannot stay within my family frame and do whatever it wishes; it can do so only after securing a formal divorce. Anyway, we in the family had this vegetarian, laced crepes RAGI FLOUR BEETROOT ROTI JALA for dinner yesterday with "egg drop curry, garlic pickle and cucumber+tomato+onion salad." I loved it so much that I had it in the morning too you can see above. The family can have it everyday if only I prepare the batter with refined flour, else it will be an occasional affair for them. I continue to love millet. By the way, had my mother or grandmother be here this morning, they would have cleaned my system with cotton and dettol if not wash it; I had kept the food plate on it. Its for the picture, I was holding it while eating.

In case your place does not have the supply of those specialised bottles, make holes on a plastic bottle cap and use.

INGREDIENTS :

FINGER MILLET / RAGI FLOUR : 2 COFFEE MUG
BEETROOT JUICE : OF ONE STANDARD SIZED
COCONUT MILK : 200ML
WATER : AS REQUIRED
SALT : AS REQUIRED
OIL : 2 DROPS FOR GREASING AFTER COMPLETION OF 3-4 CREPES

PROCEDURE :

We will be using these few ingredients.

Take the Ragi Flour and Salt in a wide mouthed bowl and mix well.

Then we discarded the two ends of a standard sized beetroot, peeled, washed and chopped smaller. We used a blender to get the juice.

We will pour the beetroot juice and coconut milk to the finger millet flour.

We will mix it well before adding water. I prefer half and half water and coconut milk, because the smell of the very healthy coconut milk is a bit strong to us.

We will add water little by little for a thin consistency of a batter.

We have used a washed funnel to pour the batter to the container.

We will close the lid tight.

We will switch on the gas oven, place a pan atop it. It needs to be heated well. 

Thereafter, brush it well with few drops of oil.

Shake the bottle well and pour the content into the pan in quick, circular motion.

Do not worry if the tip of the bottle gets blocked and disturbs a free flow. Just tap on the kitchen top and shake well; it will work.

Let it cook for about 1/2 a minute. We do not need to turn over and cook again. Just transfer to a plate.

After every 3-4 crepes, grease the pan with a little of oil.

I did not fold them as they are done before serving. I served them with "egg drop curry, salad and garlic pickle."