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How to cook Murtabak

Murtabak is a stuffed, pan-fried flatbread: a thin stretched dough wrapped around a spiced minced-meat and egg filling, then crisped on a griddle and cut into squares. In Singapore it is usually served with a thin, tangy curry gravy and a side of sliced pickled onion and cucumber.

Ingredients

For the dough (makes 4 pieces)

• 400 g plain flour (all-purpose)
• 1/2 tsp fine salt
• 1 tsp sugar
• 1 egg, lightly beaten
• 180 ml lukewarm water, plus a little extra if needed
• 2 tbsp evaporated milk or plain milk
• 6 tbsp ghee or neutral oil, divided, for kneading and resting

For the meat filling

• 300 g minced mutton or beef (or chicken)
• 2 tbsp neutral oil
• 2 medium onions, finely chopped (about 250 g)
• 3 cloves garlic, minced
• 2 cm knob ginger, minced
• 2 tbsp meat curry powder
• 1 tsp ground cumin
• 1/2 tsp ground turmeric
• 1/2 tsp ground black pepper
• 1 tsp salt, or to taste
• 1 small potato (about 100 g), peeled, diced 5 mm and boiled until just tender (optional)
• 2 spring onions, thinly sliced
• 1 small handful coriander leaves, chopped

To assemble (per piece)

• 4 eggs (1 per murtabak)
• to grease extra ghee or oil for the griddle

For the curry gravy

• 1 tbsp neutral oil
• 1 small onion, finely chopped
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 tbsp meat curry powder
• 400 ml water
• 1 small potato (about 100 g), cut into small cubes
• 1 tbsp tamarind paste (or juice of 1 lime)
• 1/2 tsp sugar
• 1/2 tsp salt, or to taste

For the pickle side

• 1 small red onion, thinly sliced
• 1/2 cucumber, thinly sliced
• 3 tbsp white vinegar
• 3 tbsp water
• 1 tbsp sugar
• 1/4 tsp salt

Steps

1. Mix and knead the dough15 min
   In a large bowl, combine flour, salt and sugar. Add the beaten egg, milk, 2 tbsp of the ghee or oil and most of the water. Mix into a shaggy dough, adding the remaining water a tablespoon at a time if dry. Knead on a lightly oiled surface for 8 to 10 minutes until smooth, soft and slightly tacky but not sticking to your hands.
2. Portion and first rest2 hr
   Divide the dough into 4 equal balls (about 150 g each). Roll each ball in oil until fully coated, place in a shallow tray with the remaining ghee or oil, cover tightly with cling film and rest for at least 2 hours at room temperature. The dough should feel very soft and stretchy when ready.
3. Make the meat filling8 min
   Heat 2 tbsp oil in a wok or large frying pan over medium heat. Fry the onions for 5 to 6 minutes until soft and translucent. Add garlic and ginger and stir for 1 minute until fragrant. Add the curry powder, cumin, turmeric and pepper and stir for 30 seconds to bloom the spices.
4. Cook the mince10 min
   Add the minced meat, breaking it up with your spatula. Increase to medium-high and cook for 6 to 8 minutes until no pink remains and any liquid has evaporated. Stir in the salt and diced potato if using, and cook 1 minute more. Take off the heat, stir in spring onions and coriander, and let the filling cool completely so it does not scald the egg later.
5. Make the curry gravy20 min
   In a small saucepan over medium heat, warm 1 tbsp oil and fry the onion for 3 minutes until soft. Add garlic and curry powder and stir for 30 seconds. Pour in the water, add potato cubes, tamarind, sugar and salt. Bring to a boil, then simmer on low for 15 minutes until the potato is soft and the gravy is thin but flavourful. Adjust salt and sourness to taste and keep warm.
6. Prepare the pickle5 min
   Stir vinegar, water, sugar and salt together until the sugar dissolves. Add the sliced onion and cucumber, toss and leave at room temperature while you cook the murtabak.
7. Stretch the first dough ball5 min
   Generously oil a clean work surface (about 50 cm square) and your hands. Flatten one dough ball, then press and pull it outwards from the centre with your fingertips into a large, very thin rectangle roughly 40 cm by 40 cm, thin enough to see your hand through. Small holes are fine; patch them by pinching the edges.
8. Fill the dough2 min
   Crack 1 egg into a small bowl, beat lightly and season with a pinch of salt. Spread about one quarter of the cooled meat filling over the centre of the stretched dough, leaving a 5 cm border, then pour the beaten egg evenly over the filling.
9. Fold into a parcel2 min
   Fold the four sides of the dough in over the filling like an envelope, overlapping the edges to fully seal, so you have a flat square parcel roughly 15 cm across. Press gently to flatten and to seal the seams.
10. Griddle the murtabak10 min
    Heat a flat griddle or large non-stick frying pan over medium heat and brush with 1 tbsp ghee or oil. Carefully lift the parcel on with a wide spatula, seam-side down. Cook for 4 to 5 minutes until the underside is golden and crisp, brushing a little more oil around the edges, then flip and cook 4 to 5 minutes more until both sides are deep golden brown and the egg inside is set.
11. Repeat with remaining dough25 min
    Stretch, fill, fold and griddle the remaining 3 dough balls the same way, keeping the finished ones warm on a rack in a 100 C oven so they stay crisp. Rewarm the gravy if it has cooled.
12. Cut and serve2 min
    Rest each murtabak for 1 minute, then cut into 9 squares with a sharp knife or pizza cutter. Serve hot with a small bowl of curry gravy and the drained pickle on the side.

Tips

• Oil is your friend when stretching: the more generously you coat the surface and the dough, the thinner it will stretch without tearing.
• Make sure the filling is completely cool and fairly dry before assembling, otherwise the dough turns soggy and tears when folded.
• If the dough springs back while stretching, cover it and rest it 10 minutes before trying again.
• Keep the griddle at medium heat: too hot and the outside browns before the egg and filling cook through.
• Chicken or a mix of meats works as well as mutton; add a pinch of extra pepper if you like a stronger bite.

Food safety and allergens

Cook minced meat until no pink remains and the murtabak is hot all the way through with the egg fully set. Cool leftovers quickly, refrigerate within 2 hours and eat within 2 days, reheating until piping hot.

Contains: dairy (milk, ghee), egg, wheat (gluten)

Watch it being made

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