Murtabak’s recipe is made with spicy ground lamb, eggs, and onions that are encased in a sealed flour envelope. The stuffed crepe or paratha is then pan-fried to give it a crispy outer shell. This appetizer is cut into squares or halves and usually served with curry or eaten on its own as a main course.
Origin:
Usually, when we talk about Southeast Asian cuisine, we talk about the fusion of Indian and Chinese influences onto 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 Murtabak’s recipe is an incredibly transformational, 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 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 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 point some dishes that are truly authentic to Singapore. There are always several iterations for the same dish which is the result of each ethnicity’s interpretation using certain ingredients and having their own story behind it.
The Murtabak recipe below is the result of years of trial and error. My husband who is a stickler when it comes to his native Southeast Asian cuisine is an invaluable critic. So, without much ado, here is my rendition of the Murtabak made with ground lamb.
How to make Murtabak using my recipe:
- 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 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.
3. How to assemble the Murtabak using 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 in the center and top with onions and cilantro.
- Spoon a quarter 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 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 by itself.
1. It is crucial to roll the dough thin. Please ensure that it is not too thin lest the filling will ooze out of the crepe.
2. The filling must be smooth; the onions must be chopped or minced fine to have a mess-free rolling experience.
3. Traditionally, more oil or ghee is added at every step of the rolling process for a softer and slightly crispy exterior of the Murtabak. I have omitted adding more oil /ghee except the amount that I have used in the dough. Murtabak turns out just fine without the addition of excess oil. This is my personal preference.
Storing:
The filling can be frozen for three months in an airtight container. The dough can be made 2-3 days ahead of time. Cooked Murtabak can be refrigerated for a couple of days. You could also try my Singapore Popiah for another Southeast Asian appetizer.
Murtabak Recipe
Equipment
- pan, stovetop
Ingredients
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 small, 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. Knead and stretch it for 3-4 minutes. Roll each ball into a thin crepe. Spoon some of the ground lamb filling in the center and top with onions and cilantro.
- Spoon a quarter 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 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 by itself.
Notes
- The traditional method of making Murtabak is to drizzle oil over the crepe while rolling it and then place the filling in the center. This step is optional if you would like to cut back on the amount of fat used.
- While pan-frying the Murtabak, oil is usually drizzled on top. I omitted the addition of oil, making this an optional step. The outer shell or envelope turns out a little crispy without the addition of extra oil or ghee.
Nutrition
Hello,
I have not come across a meat stuffed bread like this one. I tried it for the first time – my friends liked the texture of the meat and the flour encasing.
Thanks,
Ram
Awesome! 🙂
Thanks, Lakshmi!
Just made this, and it’s incredible, thank you!
Thanks, Lakshmi!