Murtabak Recipe features a flaky outer dough that encases a spicy ground lamb filling. All-purpose flour is enriched with ghee and eggs, yielding a soft, buttery dough that is rolled or hand-stretched into a thin sheet. Ground lamb is cooked with aromatic spices, ginger, and garlic, then wrapped in beaten egg and pan-fried until crisp, keeping the filling tender on the inside. Cut them into halves and share them with friends and family!

Origin:

Usually, when we talk about Southeast Asian cuisine, we focus on the fusion of Indian and Chinese influences in native Southeast Asian dishes. With Murtabak, we get yet another twist, the influence of the Middle Eastern cuisine through Indian trade ventures in the Malay Archipelago. It’s easy to forget that Asia, from the Middle East to Japan, was already well-connected centuries before European exploration. The unassuming recipe for Murtabak is an incredibly transformative, tangible, and tasty manifestation of that heritage.

Colloquially, the Malaysian murtabak is a portmanteau of 2 Tamil words:

• Mutta – eggs
• Parotta – the unleavened bread

Historically, it is likely that this is also a variation of the Arabic muttabaq, which means “folded,” and was brought to India with the Moguls and through trade. It was then brought to Southeast Asia through the Indian traders and thus assumed the moniker ‘Mamak’ murtabak. Mamak, by the way, is the transliteration of the Tamil word – Mama, meaning uncle.

I recollected my introduction to Rujak when I first visited my friend in Malaysia. It was during this same trip that I was introduced to this glorious dish at a local restaurant. I still recall sitting in that crowded restaurant, the fan barely cooling us from the sweltering, humid heat. Thankful for an ice-cold Fanta, I watched as a middle-aged Indian man whirled the parotta dough (like a pizza) in the air, and then took the wonderful, crunchy first bite of eggs and chicken folded into an airy, flaky pastry. As I’ve traveled, I’ve come across similar renditions of this dish, but there was a certain quality to my first bite that I’ve chased ever since.

Malaysian-Singaporean cuisine is, in fact, a mélange of cultures: Chinese, Indian, Malay, Eurasian, and Peranakan. It is indeed hard to pinpoint dishes that are truly authentic to Singapore. There are always several iterations of the same dish, each the result of an ethnicity’s interpretation using certain ingredients and its own story behind it.

The Murtabak recipe below is the result of years of trial and error. My husband, who is a stickler for his native Southeast Asian cuisine, is an invaluable critic. So, without much ado, here is my rendition of the Murtabak made with ground lamb.

This post may contain affiliate links. As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases at no extra cost to you.

How to make Murtabak with my recipe:

1. How to prepare the dough:

• Melt the ghee and add to the flour sifted with salt. Rub the shortening into the flour.

• Beat the egg and add to the flour-ghee mixture.

• Mix soda bicarbonate with water. Gradually add to the flour mixture and knead to a dough. Grease the dough with a teaspoon of melted ghee and let it rest for 45 minutes in a bowl covered with a damp towel.

2. How to make the filling:

• Heat a pan with peanut oil and add the onion. Sauté for 2 minutes. Add the ground lamb, minced ginger, and garlic and sauté for another minute. Add the spices and salt, then cook with ¼ cup of water over medium heat for 25 minutes, or until the water has evaporated. Stir occasionally while cooking the ground lamb.

3. How to assemble the Murtabak with my recipe:

• Divide the dough into four balls. Knead and stretch it for 3-4 minutes. Roll each ball into a thin crepe. Spoon some of the ground lamb filling into the center, then top with onions and cilantro.

• Spoon some of the beaten egg on top.

• Fold the edges of the crepe over the filling and seal it like an envelope by overlapping each end over the other. Seal the edges by pressing down at the ends.

• On low to medium heat, place each murtabak on a griddle and cook for 2-3 minutes per side, or until golden brown on both sides.

• Cut the murtabak into squares or halves and garnish with cilantro and chopped shallot. Serve hot with curry or on its own.

Serving suggestions:

This recipe for the Murtabak pairs well with chicken curry or any gravy.

Storage:

The filling can be frozen for three months in an airtight container. The dough can be made 2-3 days in advance. Cooked Murtabak can be refrigerated for a couple of days.

Other recipes that you might like:

• Baked Chicken Empanadas
• Baked Samosa Recipe

Murtabak Recipe

Kanchan Dilip

Murtabak Recipe features a flaky outer dough that encases a spicy ground lamb filling. All-purpose flour is enriched with ghee and eggs, yielding a soft, buttery dough that is rolled or hand-stretched into a thin sheet. Ground lamb is cooked with aromatic spices, ginger, and garlic, then wrapped in beaten egg and pan-fried until crisp, keeping the filling tender on the inside. Cut them into halves and share them with friends and family!

5 from 2 votes

Print Recipe Pin Recipe

Prep Time 10 minutes mins

Cook Time 25 minutes mins

Resting 45 minutes mins

Total Time 1 hour hr 20 minutes mins

Course Appetizers

Cuisine Malaysian-Singaporean

Servings 6

Calories 517 kcal

Equipment

• pan, stovetop

Ingredients

 

US CustomaryMetric

 

1x2x3x

For the dough:

• ▢ 4 cup all-purpose flour
• ▢ ¼ tsp salt
• ▢ 4 tbsp clarified butter/ ghee
• ▢ 1 egg
• ▢ 1 cup water
• ▢ ¼ tsp soda bicarbonate

For the filling:

• ▢ ½ tbsp peanut oil
• ▢ ¾ lb ground lamb
• ▢ 1 onion chopped
• ▢ ½ tsp minced ginger
• ▢ ½ tsp minced garlic
• ▢ ¼ tsp turmeric ground
• ▢ ¾ tsp chili powder
• ▢ ¾ tsp coriander ground
• ▢ ½ tsp cumin ground
• ▢ ½ tsp garam masala powder
• ▢ 1 egg beaten

For garnish:

• ▢ 3 shallot chopped
• ▢ 6 sprig cilantro chopped

Instructions

 

How to prepare the dough:

• Melt the ghee and add to the flour sifted with salt. Rub the shortening into the flour.
  
• Beat the egg and add to the flour-ghee mixture.
  
• Mix soda bicarbonate with water. Gradually add to the flour mixture and knead to a dough. Grease the dough with a teaspoon of melted ghee and let it rest for 45 minutes in a bowl covered with a damp towel.
  

How to prepare the filling:

• Heat a pan with peanut oil and add the onion. Sauté for 2 minutes. Add the ground lamb, minced ginger and garlic and saute for another minute. Add the spices and salt and cook with ¼ cup of water on medium heat for 25 minutes or until the water has evaporated. Stir occasionally while cooking the ground lamb.
  

How to assemble the Murtabak:

• Divide the dough into four balls. Roll each ball into a thin crepe. Spoon some of the ground lamb filling into the center, then top with onions and cilantro.
  
• Spoon a quarter of the beaten egg on top.
  
• Fold the edges of the sheet over the filling and seal it like an envelope by overlapping each end over the other. Seal the edges by pressing down at the ends.
  
• On low to medium heat, place each murtabak on a griddle and cook for 2-3 minutes on each side or until golden brown on both sides.
  
• Cut the murtabak into squares or halves and garnish with cilantro and chopped shallot. Serve hot with curry or on its own.
  

Notes

1. While pan-frying the Murtabak, oil is usually drizzled on top. I omitted adding oil, making this an optional step. The outer shell or envelope turns out a little crispy without adding extra oil or ghee.
2. It is crucial to roll the dough thin. Please ensure that it is not too thin, or the filling will ooze out of the crepe.
3. The filling must be smooth without large chunks.

Nutrition

Calories: 517kcalCarbohydrates: 68gProtein: 20gFat: 17gSaturated Fat: 7gPolyunsaturated Fat: 2gMonounsaturated Fat: 7gCholesterol: 88mgSodium: 196mgPotassium: 319mgFiber: 3gSugar: 2gVitamin A: 218IUVitamin C: 3mgCalcium: 43mgIron: 5mg

Keyword murtabak

Rate the RecipeLet us know how the recipe turned out by giving a star rating or leaving a comment