Ingredients
Martabak telur, the savoury dough
- 300 gplain flour
- ½ tspsalt
- 180 mlwarm water
- 3 tbspoil, plus more for resting
Telur filling
- 300 gminced beef or chicken
- 6eggs
- 6spring onions, sliced
- 1onion, chopped
- 3 clovesgarlic
- 1 tspground coriander
- 1 tspground cumin
- 1 tspcurry powder
- salt and pepper
Martabak manis, the sweet batter
- 300 gplain flour
- 50 gsugar
- 1 tspinstant yeast
- ½ tspbicarbonate of soda
- 2eggs
- 450 mlwater or milk
- ½ tspsalt
Manis toppings
- 150 gbutter, softened
- chocolate sprinkles
- grated cheddar
- crushed peanuts
- condensed milk
To serve with telur
- acar, pickled cucumber and shallot
- sliced chillies in soy sauce
Directions
- Divide it into four balls, submerge them in oil in a bowl, cover, and rest at least 2 hours. The oil softens the surface and lets the dough be pulled paper-thin without tearing. Fry the onion, garlic and mince with the coriander, cumin and curry powder until dry and browned, then cool it completely. The filling must be cold before it meets the egg.
- Warm mince starts to set the egg in the bowl and the mixture goes lumpy. Beat the eggs and stir in the cooled mince and the spring onions, seasoning well. Stretch, do not roll. Heat a flat pan with a generous film of oil over a medium heat.
- Lay the sheet in the pan, pour a quarter of the egg mixture into the centre, and spread it out a little. Fold the four sides of the sheet in over the filling to make a square parcel, overlapping the edges. Fold quickly and press the seams down. Fry 3 to 4 minutes a side until deep golden and crisp, pressing it down with a spatula.
- Cut into squares and serve hot with acar and sliced chillies in soy sauce. For the sweet manis, whisk the flour, sugar, yeast, bicarbonate and salt, then beat in the eggs and liquid to a smooth thin batter.
- Rest the batter 1 hour, until the surface is covered in bubbles. Heat a small deep heavy pan or a proper martabak pan over a medium heat and grease it lightly.
- Pour in enough batter to fill the pan a third deep and cook uncovered until the surface is covered in open holes. Watch for the holes to open right across the surface before doing anything else, because they only form once and they will not come back.
- Sprinkle sugar over the open surface, then cover the pan and cook a further 5 minutes on a low heat until set through. Lift it out, brush the whole surface generously with softened butter, and pile on chocolate sprinkles, grated cheese and crushed peanuts.
Technique
- Martabak manis also goes by terang bulan, meaning bright moon, in eastern Java.
- The savoury dough freezes well after resting, wrapped individually in oil.
- A proper martabak manis pan is small, deep and heavy, and a good cast iron pan is the closest substitute.
Substitutions
- Spring roll or popiah pastry in place of the stretched dough, which is much easier and less good.
- Any minced meat, or a vegetarian filling of egg and spring onion alone.
Variations
- Murtabak, the Malaysian and Gulf savoury version.
- Martabak manis with Nutella, matcha or red velvet, all now common.
- Made with duck egg, which is richer.
History
A dish that exists in two very different forms across Indonesia, a savory stuffed pancake filled with egg, minced meat and spring onion, and a separate sweet version made from a thick, fluffy pancake batter folded around chocolate, cheese or condensed milk, both documented across the country with roots tracing to Indian and Yemeni immigrant culinary influence carried to the Indonesian archipelago through historic Indian Ocean trade routes. Its two starkly different sweet and savory versions, sharing only their folded, griddle-cooked preparation, reflect how a single imported culinary technique developed into two entirely distinct dishes as it was adapted independently across Indonesia’s diverse regions and communities. Martabak remains one of Indonesia’s most popular street foods in both its sweet and savory forms.
Frequently asked questions
What is Martabak?
Martabak is a street food from Indonesia: thick stuffed pancake, sweet with chocolate or savory with egg. A dish that exists in two very different forms across Indonesia, a savory stuffed pancake filled with egg, minced meat and spring onion, and a separate sweet version made from a thick, fluffy pancake batter folded around chocolate, cheese or condensed milk, both documented across the country with roots tracing to Indian and Yemeni immigrant culinary influence carried to the Indonesian archipelago through historic Indian Ocean trade routes. Its two starkly different sweet and savory versions, sharing only their folded, griddle-cooked preparation, reflect how a single imported culinary technique developed into two entirely distinct dishes as it was adapted independently across Indonesia’s diverse regions and communities. Martabak remains one of Indonesia’s most popular street foods in both its sweet and savory forms.
How long does Martabak take to make?
Martabak takes 40 min plus 2 hr resting for the savoury dough of preparation and 30 min of cooking. The recipe makes 4 servings of each. It is rated hard to make.
What can I substitute in Martabak?
Yes, within limits. Spring roll or popiah pastry in place of the stretched dough, which is much easier and less good. Any minced meat, or a vegetarian filling of egg and spring onion alone.
What is the most important thing to get right in Martabak?
Divide it into four balls, submerge them in oil in a bowl, cover, and rest at least 2 hours. The oil softens the surface and lets the dough be pulled paper-thin without tearing. Fry the onion, garlic and mince with the coriander, cumin and curry powder until dry and browned, then cool it completely. The filling must be cold before it meets the egg.
