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Murtabak
Murtabak — paper-thin griddled bread stuffed with spiced minced beef and egg
Mamak shops stay open late across Malaysia, and the man at the big flat griddle swinging dough into a translucent sheet is half the show. Murtabak is that dough wrapped around a filling of curried minced meat, onion and beaten egg, folded into a fat square parcel and fried until blistered and crisp outside, soft and steamy within. Ramadan bazaars sell piles of it at dusk for breaking the fast. Cut into squares and serve with a ladle of dhal or curry gravy and pickled red onion. Chef's tip: oil your hands and the work surface generously; murtabak dough wants to be stretched, never rolled, and the oil lets it glide.
- Total time
- 60 min
- Difficulty
- medium
- Serves
- 4
Ingredients
For the dough
For the filling
To serve
Method
0/10 doneStep 1: Mix 10 ½ oz plain flour, half the ½ tsp salt, 1 tsp sugar and ¾ cup warm water into a soft, slightly sticky dough. Knead for 8 minutes until smooth and stretchy. Divide into 4 balls.
10 minStep 2: Coat each ball well in 3 ½ tbsp vegetable oil and set in an oiled dish. Cover and rest for at least 30 minutes; the gluten has to relax or the dough will tear when stretched.
30 minStep 3: Meanwhile heat 1 tablespoon of the 1 tbsp ghee in a pan over a medium heat. Fry 1 chopped onion of the 1 onions with 2 cloves garlic for 4 minutes until soft, then add 2 tbsp meat curry powder with a splash of water and fry for 1 minute.
5 minStep 4: Add 10 ½ oz minced beef or lamb and the rest of the ½ tsp salt. Cook, breaking it up, for 6–8 minutes until browned and dry and cooked through to 160°F (160 °F) with no pink. Spread on a plate to cool. Don't use it hot or wet: steamy filling softens the thin dough and tears it in the pan.
8 minStep 5: Beat the 4 eggs in a bowl with the remaining raw 1 onions and 3 spring onions. Add the cooled meat just before you need it, one quarter at a time.
Step 6: Oil the worktop and your hands. Flatten a dough ball, then press and pull it outwards from the centre into a very thin sheet about 40 cm across. Small holes are fine; thick patches are not.
Step 7: Heat a large flat frying pan or griddle over a medium heat with 1 tablespoon of 1 tbsp ghee. Lift the dough sheet onto the pan, quickly pour a quarter of the egg and meat filling into the middle and spread it into a 15 cm square.
Step 8: Fold the four sides of the dough over the filling to make a square parcel. Cook for 3 minutes, pressing gently with a spatula, until golden and crisp underneath.
3 minStep 9: Brush the top with oil, flip and cook 3 minutes more until both sides are crisp and the egg inside is fully set (press the centre: it should feel firm, not liquid). Repeat with the rest, using the remaining 2 tbsp ghee and 3 ½ tbsp vegetable oil.
3 minStep 10: Cut each murtabak into 6–8 squares and serve hot with dhal and pickled onion.
Nutrition per serving
- Calories
- 720 kcal
- Protein
- 33 g
- Carbs
- 64 g
- Fat
- 37 g
- Fibre
- 3 g
Nutrition values are estimates.
KrazyBadal
Good to know
- How long does murtabak take?
- About 60 minutes in total: 40 minutes to prepare and 20 minutes to cook.
- How many people does it serve?
- 4 as written. Change the servings above the ingredients and every amount scales to match.
- What can I use instead of plain flour?
- Self-raising flour, same amount (then leave out the baking powder).
- What can I use instead of sugar?
- Caster sugar, same amount.
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