Which Southeast Asian lace pancake has a name meaning "net bread"?

Which Southeast Asian lace pancake has a name meaning “net bread”? Roti jala is the answer.

The name combines roti, a South Asian-style flatbread, with jala, a Sanskrit-derived word meaning “net” or “web.” Its lacy appearance comes from drizzling thin strands of batter in overlapping circles across a hot pan.

Roti jala is associated especially with Malay cuisine and is found in Malaysia, Indonesia, and Singapore. The batter commonly contains wheat flour, egg, milk or coconut milk, water, and sometimes turmeric, which gives it a yellow hue. It is usually folded or rolled and served with curry rather than syrup.

A common mix-up is to treat roti jala as an ordinary flatbread. It is a pancake-like accompaniment whose net pattern is central to both its name and identity. It is also called roti kirai or roti renjis in different contexts.