the old-school guestbook archives
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she goes all rapturous about banana roti ~ February 20, 2003 - 7:18 p.m. I just had a banana roti that kicked my ass. at least, that's what I'm imagining it's called. roti is what they call it in malaysia and singapore, but they may well have another name for it here. I ordered by pointing, from one of the street vendors who sets up his cart in the backpacker quarter after dark. it starts with a ball of dough, which is tossed on the steel countertop in such a way that it becomes very thin and flat. then the vendor took a banana and cut it into paperthin rounds. the dough went onto the griddle-- which has an actual coal fire underneath-- and the bananas went onto the dough. he folded the edges over, so that it was a rectangular packet, and then fried it up good, brushing the sides with some kind of buttery shortening. by the way, and I hate to tell you this-- southeast asia has been the downfall of my vegan diet. I know that seems weird, it's not like asia is the dairy capital of the world or anything, but it's just too hard to be that strict about what you eat when you don't speak the language. and since it looks like I'm destined to do more of this world-traveling stuff, it just seems to make sense that I be able to eat a wider variety of foods. can't imagine ever going back to meat, though. so anyway, lovely and fried was my banana roti, and then he drizzled it with sweet condensed milk, sprinkled it with sugar, and cut it up into sqares. oh my, yes. greasy sweet wonderfulness. so glad I've learned to say very delicious in lao. sep lai! I told him when I brought back the plate, and he grinned. khop chai. apart from the odd craving for a reese's peanutbutter cup, I don't miss western food, not at all.
(((rings))) |