Tuesday 25 August 2009

Antara Menjala dan Mengaip/Menyekaip

The problem with having a lot of time before iftar is that I tend to contemplate menus and recipes in my head; things that are undoables. My culinary skills, if you can call it that, are limited to lamb/chicken curry, ayam masak merah (with peas), lamb masak kicap. Anything other than that, my children's eyes will light up and they'd be asking whether there are special guests for dinner.

And t doesnt help that I have a husband whose idea of a menu is: ikutlah and apa-apalah. Apa-apalah is not easy and even Google cant help me.

So, yesterday, I was entertaining thoughts of stretching that skill with the help of the internet, of course. I promptly googled "How to make Roti Jala" and in my head I could almost hear Mak say "Tu laa, masa orang masak, depa dok kat depan, hayun kaki ataih nduai (swing)!"

Bless Google for not nagging at me but it came up with several suggestions and I picked one. Scribbled the recipe into a notebook and was about to senteng lengan tangan to start with the task when I heard the familiar tone of the SMS. It was Lilah, asking for a family conference via skype. Looking at the time, I knew they've had their Iftar and must have just returned from terawikh from the nearby mosque.

"Jom skype. Semua ada," she said.

"Nanti sat, nak buat roti jala," I replied hoping to impress her.

So, it was with that that I started to make the adunan for roti jala. This recipe required me to whisk egg, santan and water together before sifting in the flour - even then, I managed to get them all lumpy and had to sieve it to make it look right. So I left it to stand for a while as it was still early to menjala and went on to Skype.

As expected the whole family was there, munching before the screen! That was the idea, to tease and show off to me from thousands of miles away! Well, that's what we used to do growing up. We have not changed. We teased and bantered around the table, and sometimes reduced each other to tears.


Yesterday, little Yaya fasted until 12 o'clock. She is only 5. But her 12 year old sister, Iman, couldn't fast as she was ill. So her mum made Iman hot milo and started feeding her in front of Yaya. Yaya turned away and said, "Jangan tunjuk kat Yaya, nanti Yaya tak tahan". At which point she put on her famous muka sedih drama minggu ini.

That provoked Wani to tease her and she cried. Well, I missed all that fun or else I'd tease her even more! I saw them milling around eating and eating. I wish I could have stayed for Ramadhan, but I couldn't.

Back to my Roti Jala as it was nearly six pm London time. There was a temporary snag as I couldn't locate the plastic container for Roti Jala that my friend had posted all the way from Salt Lake City, Utah. After hunting for it, I finally found it among numerous plastic take away containers evidents of numerous take aways, of course.

I remember Mak doing the cone-like thingy from banana leaves, for Roti Jala and that worked like magic. The plastic container is the best alternative that I have in the absence of banana leaves and after a few attempts, the Roti jala came out, errr, okay. They were not brilliant, with some coming out like lempeng, but they complement the lamb curry that I made earlier. Aaah, it was a good day. I can now join in the conversation with the ladies after terawikh and regale them with the story of my roti jala making feat!

Kak Teh's other culinary attempts:
Fishing my way to his heart
Of buah ulu or baulu and such likes
Ayam Golek
Sardine Rolls

50 comments:

NanaDJ said...

Bravo Kak Teh. For a first timer your roti jala look very good. And your lamb curry look delicious! AG is like my other half - apa apalah is the standard response leaving me trying to guess whats on his mind.

melayudilondon said...

lahhh... i made roti jala on 1st day puasa! should have posted it up as well. :)

Kak Teh said...

nanaDJ, I've tried roti jala many times but never could get the right consistency. Yesterday, i thought it was a bit watery and should have added more flour.
and yes, apa-apalah and ikutlah! Ours are the strong silent type without much fuss - but like you said we have a hard time guessing!

hey melayu dilondon, come la kita buka posa sekali and you can make your roti john! Oh on second thoughts, your roti john and your nasi ayam. I think Taufiq is already drooling.

MA said...

Kak Teh : Bila I am stuck tak tahu masak apa, I would just google resepi ayam/ikan/udang - depending on what I have in the fridge. Now I am teaching my Brood the same. Try google resipi and then try masak. So far diorang just google resipi and passed it for Bibik to masak!

So far since Bibik came back - I tak memasak sangat, but very soon I have to sinsing lengan jugak lah when she goes home for Raya.

Kak Elle said...

KT I thought I gave you the recipe...hehe
its ok first time trying don't expect perfection but it looks yummy with that curry...congrats.

Kak Teh said...

MA, I am glad google was invented. "How to..." is such a help! I will try another recipe for roti jala....alas i have no bibik and I missed bibik Atiq at my brother's house!

Kak Teh said...

kak elle, you probably did...but my recipes are all over the place. thanks - walaupun tak cantik dipandang mata - rasanya boleh tahanlah

Kak Ezza@makcik Blogger said...

KT
kalau tak da acuan roti jala tu kak, boleh pakai botol sos tu...yang mat burger pakai taruk sos tu..senang..apa apa pun yr roti jala nampak sedap sangat...

Selamat berbuka...

D said...

Hey, Kak Teh, we had roti jala too yesterday! My twin boys took over the menjala process, so I had time to sneak on the net for a few minutes. Hope come your roti jala container came all the way from Utah instead of malaysia? Wah... your mak made roti jala using daun pisang? I feel like such a cheat then! ;)

Kak Teh said...

ezza, masa balik dulu tak sempat nak cari! lagi satu yang nak ialah acuan pai tee. Lupa nak bawa balik.

D, I thnk the puasa has gone to your fingers, but understand what you are trying to say. Utah? well, a friend of mine - a cyber friend heard me lamenting abt roti jala and she sent it to me. baik, kan? Ya, kalau buat kelongsong dengan daun pisang lebih kemas.

Pi Bani said...

I was wondering what mengaip was... rupanya menyekaip... :)

So, what's the next special menu?

Kak Teh said...

pi bani ..mengaip laaa - imbuhan yang diguna dengan perkataan-perkataan yang bermula dengan s- mestilah meny..seperti sayang, menyayang, salin menyalin, betui dak cik gu?

anyway, menyekaip pun boleh jugak.

and menu malam ini belum difikirkan lagi. masih berdepan laptop, as you can see, hehe.
Lauk semalam banyak lagi - so, tambah sikit-sikit saja.

melayudilondon said...

kak, anytime you nak nasi ayam or roti john/roti boyan. i will masak! I wonder whether TD will let us use the upstairs room for buka puasa! incidentally R left the pasta i packed for you :(

Kak Teh said...

laaaaa, dia tertinggal pasta? Hmmm dia tak kata apa-apa pun. anyway, tak elok lah kalau buka posa di bilik atas TD hehehe! baik lah datang ke sini atau kami ke sana. apa kata?

mamasita said...

Wowwee!Success! Practise a few more times and you boleh terima tempahan from the Malay community in London!Why not??

Kak Teh said...

mamasita, the ladies here semuanya tera-tera masak. I tak berani laaa! I'd make jemput-jemput jagung and that's it.

siakap said...

Kak Teh,
Roti kerai/jala tu ok nampak gulai kambing sungguh selera.
I kurang pandai masak ayam golek tetapi itek golek., isyallah tiga ekor habis dalam sejam saja. Anak-anak I dan my wife lebih suka itek golek daripada ayam golek.
Itek golek goes well dengan nasi minyak, dalca atau salad telor dan acar buah-buahan. Raya kedua it is a must itek golek if not tak sah raya.
If nak cuba I turunkan rersepinya
1. sekor itek (ikg) dibersih dan layor bagi hilang baunya.
2, 150 gm serbuk jintan puteh
3. 50 gm serbuk jintan manis
4. dua biji santan kelapa (1 kg santan)
5. garma secukup rasa
6. bawang merah (lima biji (blend)
7. Daun ketumbar (ptional)
8. dua sudu besar air asam jawa/limau nipis/lemon.
9. tiga sudu besar minyak masak/ghee.

Caranya:
1. panaskan minyak dalam periok dalam.
2. tomeh bayang hinga naik baunya.
3. masukkan jintan manis dan jintan puteh hingga pecah minyak.
4. masukkan santan kelapa biar hingga menidih.
5. masukkan garam.
6 masukkan itek biar hingga kuah jadi pekat. (check hingga itek empuk cucuk dengan gerpu)
(kalau guna ayam korangkan jintan puteh to half and tambah double jintan manis. caranya sama but biar campuran masak lama baru masukkan ayam kalau tidak ia akan hancur)
Selamat Mencuba.

Kak Teh said...

siakap, terima kasih banyakkkk! Arwah Pak kak teh dulu suka sangat itek golek.setiap raya mesti ada. Baru kak teh dok pikiark nak cuba buat ayam goleh sekali lagi. nak cari itik susah. thanks for the recipe. akan kak teh cuba.

resipi kak teh bubuh ubi kentang sama, carrot and telur rebus. hidang sekali dengan ayam/itik golek tu. Makan dengan roti perancis pun sedap.

DrSam said...

I don't care Kak Teh. First timer or not - I just belasah aje roti jala tu kalau depan mata :)

Selamat berbuka puasa Kak Teh!

Naz in Norway said...

Oh! I also get a lot of those *apa apa lah* and *up to you lah* here. If only they could say exactly what it is they want! Agghhhh! :D

That roti jala of yours is seriously causing me trouble at the moment. Maybe I'll make some for sahur. Larat ka, Kak Teh? ;P

I can imagine Yaya's drama minggu ini face. She's cute!

Kak Teh said...

Dr Sam , i've got 4 hrs to go and i havent a clue what to cook for iftar. masih googling. ya, i too love roti jala - kalau orang lain yang buat. hehe, have yet to perfect mine.


Naz, i think apa-apalah and up to you memang male vocab. Kita more straight forward.

Pi lah menjala untuk sahur and then write and tell us abt it. you mght have better luck.

Justiffa said...

KT - kira ok le tu, mcm dh biasa buat je.. me, langsung xde kepakaran ber'jala' ;)

Kak Teh said...

justiffa, kak teh setakat tu sajalah yangboleh. Kalau nak berkerawang atau berenda, susahlah sikit. tapi asalkan boleh telan, kan?

ummisara said...

Kak Teh...

wahhhhh kira hebattt dahh tuhhhh. I yang dok mesia nih pun sekali saja tried pun...that was last year...

alamak..petang nih nak beli roti jala lah... :)

Kak Teh said...

edelweiss, at least you boleh jugak pi beli.

kay_leeda said...

Good job Kak Teh!! Satu percubaan yang berjaya :) Yes, I know that feeling upon getting that "apa-apa lah" response. But it's kinda good coz it makes you creative in the kitchen. Kalu menjadi ader lah ayam percik or ayam golek on the table. Kalu tak menjadi....hah...ambik ayam goreng je :D

Selamat meng-Google recipes.

Kak Teh said...

Kay, am up for sahur and lots of left overs so tomorrow the apa-apalah will translate into yang lebih2 semalam.

nadya.s said...

cayalah kakteh!, nampak sedaaappp tu :) dah berjaya 1st attemp, lepas nih kena masak selalu2 la kot?

slamat menjalani ibadah berpuasa, berbuka n all in between :)

Kak Teh said...

nadya - bukan first attempt, tapi first attempt once in a blue moon. sebab tu lah tak menjadi. selamat berpuasa to you too.

Adliff said...

Salam,
Kak Teh,

Roti jala kalau ada depan mata biarpun kali pertama Kak Teh mencuba saya makan sahaja. Hmm ....lapar ni :)

Practice makes perfect Kak Teh. Keep trying, next time your roti jala will be "purrfect" (kalaulah si Kissinger mampu bercakap sambil jilat-jilat kaki dia). Hope Tabby will come back Kak Teh.

Mulan said...

Ramadhan Kareem Kak Teh..

i didnt put santan but sedikit oil instead.. sebab nak kasi tahan lama... can keep in fridge and reheat je nanti.. dah setahun tak buat roti jalan ni.. he he, sini boleh order je..

Unknown said...

Well done, kak Teh! Your roti jala and accompaniment look absolutely yummy! I attended a cookery class to learn how to make it and you are right - it is not easy because we have to be careful about the consistency of the batter. Take care and may you and your family have a blessed Ramadhan season.

Selamat berpuasa.

Mama Rock said...

kak teh, my attempt of making roti jala was when we were in dubai and i kesian budak-budak deprived of the yummylicious food for buka puasa. mula2 bersemangat, then after a while it become lempeng-like sebab tak larat nak jala lagi :)

Zendra-Maria said...

Congratulations Kak Teh. You did it! I shy away from making roti jala because of the kerumitan, but eating them is always a pleasure :Dfisme

Kak Teh said...

Aliff, I miss Tabby hovering around the kitchen whenever I cook. Kalau tidak, dia lah yang jadi busy body. susah nak masak kalau dia ada, sebab mengacau. But I'd rather dia kacau daripada tak ada langsung.
Yes, I will certainly practice the art of menjalaing!

Kak Teh said...

Mulan, that's what I heard too. Oil! I remember putting one or two spoonful of oil. Perhaps I should try this next time. Thanks for the reminder. and selamat berpuasa to you too, Mulan. Seronoknya kalau semua boleh order. Di sini pun boleh order tapi mahal!!!!

Paula, perhaps that is what I should do - take a cookery class. Haiya, I am so hopeless. But it is too late and my cooking has not done much damage to the children..heeh!

Kak Teh said...

Mama Rock, i think it is best to call it lempeng. Rasanya sama juga, kan?

Zendra,makan apa pun memang a pleasure - itulah yang mak selalu marah. masa dia buat apa-apa dok di depan hayun kaki!

3yearshousewife said...

My Mak will also say the same - tu lah, dulu tak nak tolong Mak masak, bla bla bla- everytime I asked how to cook the family's menu.
I agree with 'Apa2 lah' is much tricky than you think. My hubby do that too...later asked why don't I do this or that. Letih.
Roti jala is my children's favourite. always got to do 2 bancuhan for them.
Enjoyed reading your blog.

Kak Teh said...

3yearshousewife, thanks for the visit and kind words. Ya, I agree, apa-apalah tu yang susah. nak kena pikir. kalau bagi tau terang2 apa nak makan, kan senang? Masa masak selalu teringat mak...macam mana agaknya mak masak dulu tak bersuara langsung..tak merungut. Dan sekejap saja mak masak.

[danial][ma] said...

hej! Kak Teh...bravo! your roti jala attempt...you can come over ncl to let me make some for you...;-)

mekyam said...

daily ramadan reminder to self:

- do not read blogs!
- do not check fb or twitter!
- do not layan skype!

NOT until after 8:30PM EDT.


kt dear,
imagine if i were to read this and see that picture earlier. *phew!* and this goes for my other regular netstops, all posting in similar wicked vein like a huge conspiracy to entice. ;D

Kak Teh said...

danial, is that an invite?


mekyam, how's that for temptation? did you pass? this is nothing compared to other blogs. my roti jala is so pale. kalau mak twngok mesti dia kata roti nampak pucat, tak berselera.

Ordinary Superhero said...

Kak Teh, selamat berpuasa dan selamat berbuka puasa! I remember watching my late mum using conned daun pisang to prepare roti jala. Hah ha..it was long before they invented that yellow plastic thingy.

Kak Teh said...

OSH, kalau kak teh ada daun pisang pun kak teh akan guna sebab tu lebih effective. dan roti jala pun lebih cantik. Thanks for finding your way back here...:)

Fiona1 said...

HI kak teh! Good to hear you're back in London.Thanks for your blog post:)
OH roti jala...yum yum.. How nice to buka puasa together - I don't mind joining but i'd be the odd one out :P Can't wait till raya is here:)

Kak Teh said...

Fiona, you are up early!! Wait till after puasa and I will take you to a scrumptious place for dinner. Make that a date.

anak si-hamid said...

So you did it - your first roti jala. My first attempt at making chapati was a dismal failure. The spouse said I could use it for demolishing the walls of buildings at a construction site!!
So I refuse to make him his favourite sambal pedas ikan bilis for weeks.

Anonymous said...

Now, by looking at your header, I KNOW I have not been here for a gazillion decades.

=D

Kak Teh said...

Ms Hamid, trust Abang Ian to come up with something like that! And he deserves to go without the sambal ikan bilis. For your information, we ae coming to the end of the ndian summer, I think. It was a tad cooler yesterday. When are you coming back?

Kak Teh said...

Ailin in stockholm. aaaah, those delightful strawberries have just graced my blog. Ir was one of those moments when i had nothing better to do.