Chocolate Roti Jala with Caramelised Bananas 焦糖香蕉巧克力网煎饼

I am going all artsy-fartsy today. It took me a long time to come out with this dish. I had this idea dancing in my head to reinvent our good old roti jala or lacy pancake into something sweet and upscale. If you are clueless about what roti jala is, you can click here to know a little more.

I was inspired to make a chocolate flavoured roti jala for a sweet dish instead. I then paired it with bananas that has been caramelised in sugar for that sugary glaze and bittersweet taste. Lastly, I topped the roti jala with some wholesome yogurt and a sprinkle of crushed nuts that are bursting in nutritional goodness. How is that for breakfast? Any takers?

Making roti jala would require a bit of tender loving care but it is definitely not a difficult task. For this purpose, I used a sauce bottle to squeeze the batter. Yes, I have since improvised on my previous technique, which is using a water bottle. It came out so neat I was almost afraid to eat it! I was truly thrilled with the results. Oh, if you think you couldn't be bothered with making nettings, just pour the batter onto the pan to make a crepe instead. Chocolate crepes are no stranger to all and are widely popular too. It is the easiest way (but lack novelty lah!). Here's another tip if you really don't like bananas, just swap it for a fruit salsa. It would make a really colourful healthy dish! I am not going to tell you how yummy this dish is. I think the picture speaks for itself.

Chocolate Roti Jala Caramelised Bananas 焦糖香蕉巧克力网煎饼

Ingredients

Roti Jala/Lacy Pancake
makes 10 pancakes

100 g plain flour (approx. 3/4 cup)
250 ml whole milk (approx. 1 cup)
30 g cocoa powder (approx. 1/4 cup)
1 egg
2 tbsp sugar
2 tbsp butter, melted
1 tsp vanilla extract
a pinch of salt

Caramelised Bananas

2-3 medium bananas
1/4 cup sugar
3 tbsp heavy cream


Cooking Instruction

1. Make roti jala. Measure out flour, cocoa powder and a pinch of salt into a mixing bowl. Add all other ingredients into a separate bowl and whisk until combine. Pour half of the liquid onto the flour and mix well. Pour the rest of the liquid and whisk until well combined. Strain the batter to get a smooth batter. Pour batter into a sauce bottle or roti jala mould.

2. In a preheated non-stick pan, wipe some oil with a kitchen towel. Squeeze batter out to make criss-cross patterns. Cook batter in slow fire until the batter changes colour (cooked). Remove and repeat with the remaining batter. Roll cooked lacy pancakes into logs.

3. Make caramelised bananas. Slice bananas and coat generously with sugar. Arrange bananas in one layer and cook on medium heat until the surface becomes brown. Turn banana to brown the other side. Remove bananas when both sides are caramelised. Meanwhile leave the remaining sugar on the pan until it melts and turns amber. Pour heavy cream and mix thoroughly to get a caramel sauce.

4. Plate chocolate roti jala on a plate and serve with caramelised bananas, yogurt and crushed nuts. Drizzle with some sauce and serve.