Murtabak

Ingredients

Dough

• 400 gplain flour
• 1 tspsalt
• 1 tbspcondensed milk or sugar
• 250 mlwarm water
• 1egg
• oil, for resting the balls

Filling

• 500 gminced mutton or beef
• 3onions, finely chopped
• 6spring onions, sliced
• 4 clovesgarlic
• 3cm ginger
• 2 tbspcurry powder for meat
• 1 tspground cumin
• 1 tspground fennel
• 1 tspturmeric
• salt

To bind

• 4eggs, beaten

To cook

• ghee and oil, for the griddle

To serve

• kuah kari or dhal
• acar bawang, pickled onion in vinegar
• sliced cucumber

Directions

1. Mix the flour, salt and condensed milk with the warm water and egg into a firm dough. Knead it hard for 12 minutes until it is very smooth and stretchy. Knead it far longer than feels necessary. The dough has to be pulled paper-thin later, and an under-worked one tears immediately.
2. Divide into 4 balls, submerge them completely in oil in a container, cover, and rest at least 3 hours. Cook the mince until it is completely dry, 15 to 20 minutes, and let it cool.
3. Cook it dry and cool it fully. Wet or warm filling starts to set the egg and makes the parcel impossible to seal. Beat the eggs and stir in the spring onions and some of the cooled mince just before cooking. Heat a flat griddle or a large pan with a good film of oil over a medium-high heat.
4. Take a dough ball, flatten it on a heavily oiled surface, and stretch it outward with oiled palms until it is a huge translucent sheet. A rolling pin cannot get this dough as thin as your hands, and thin is what makes the finished layers.
5. Lay the sheet on the hot griddle and pour a quarter of the egg and meat mixture into the middle. Spread the filling into a square, then fold the four sides of the sheet in over it, overlapping to seal.
6. Fold it quickly and press the seams down firmly, because a parcel that opens spills raw egg into the oil.
7. Cook 3 to 4 minutes a side, pressing it down with a spatula, adding ghee at the edges. It is ready when both sides are deep golden and crisp and the egg inside is set. Cut into squares with a spatula and serve hot with curry gravy and pickled onion.

Technique

• Mutton is the traditional meat and beef and chicken are both common now.
• The dough freezes well as oiled balls and thaws in a few hours.
• Sardine murtabak is a popular Malaysian variant.

Substitutions

• Frozen roti canai or paratha, thawed and used as the sheet.
• Any minced meat, or a vegetarian filling of egg and onion.

Variations

• Martabak telur, the Indonesian version.
• Mutabbaq, the Saudi version with leek.
• Murtabak with sardines or with chicken.

History

Griddled bread stuffed with spiced minced meat and egg, of Yemeni and Indian origin; the name comes from the Arabic for folded.

Frequently asked questions

What is Murtabak?

Murtabak is a street food from Malaysia: griddled roti parcel stuffed with spiced minced meat and egg. Griddled bread stuffed with spiced minced meat and egg, of Yemeni and Indian origin; the name comes from the Arabic for folded.

How long does Murtabak take to make?

Murtabak takes 40 min plus 3 hr resting of preparation and 25 min of cooking. The recipe makes 4 pieces. It is rated hard to make.

What can I substitute in Murtabak?

Yes, within limits. Frozen roti canai or paratha, thawed and used as the sheet. Any minced meat, or a vegetarian filling of egg and onion.