How to make Murtabak recipe with spicy beef mince | Simone's Kitchen (2024)

posted by Simone van den Berg on Nov 4, 2014 (last updated Jan 13, 2024) 8 comments »

This delicious and easy recipe for murtabak which is essentially a filled dough from Southeast Asia although it does seem to have more origins and different variations.

Murtabak recipe

Now I came across this recipe for murtabak on Masterchef Australia where one of the contestants made this. Shortly after we travelled to Sumatra where we actually had this made from a little street food stall. Needless to say I needed to make this as soon as I got home! It’s not exclusive to Southeast Asia though as apparently it is also made in Saudi Arabia and other origins. Each version of this stuffed pancake might have a slightly different name but it is a popular street food and no matter how it’s called or what the origin is, it is not difficult to make and the perfect snack.

Making the pastry

Now for this particular recipe I made the pastry from scratch. If you’re not too fond of spending time perfecting the dough you might want to go for fillo pastry. A lot quicker but not entirely the same. You need a soft dough for this recipe. So you place all the ingredients for the dough (except the butter) together in a bowl and knead them into a pliable dough. Wrap the dough with plastic wrap and place in a warm place for about an hour.

Making the filling

Now for the filling I’ve used a spicy minced meat, but you can vary this with whatever you like. You can use meat substitutes as well. Take a large skillet with a little oil and bake the onions and the garlic until translucent. Add the curry paste, the red chili and the ground meat. Mix it up and add the mint and coriander at the last minute. The red chili can be replaced with chili powder if you must. The same with the curry paste where you can use curry powder instead. Let the filling cool down and once it is cold enough add the beaten eggs to it. Stir through and set aside. Once the filling is done you continue with the dough.

Rolling the dough for the murtabak

After an hour you take the dough and knead it a little more. It needs to be soft and not too sticky. If it is too difficult to handle you can add a bit extra flour to make it easier to use. Now divide the dough into four dough balls. Add a bit of butter to each ball and wrap the ball around the butter. Now using a rolling pin roll out each ball until really thin. Cover each sheet of dough while you roll out the next to make sure it doesn’t dry out.

Assembling the murtabak

Now comes time to assemble the murtabak. Heat ghee or olive oil in a large skillet (it needs to be large enough to fit the entire dough sheet) and place one of the dough sheets inside like a regular pancake. After about a minute in the pan you scoop about a quarter of the meat filling on top of the pancake. Fold the rest of the dough over the filling which will give you a square package. Using two spatula’s you gently press it down a bit so it flattens. Bake each side of the murtabak for about 2 minutes before turning and bake each side golden brown.

Now if you don’t have a pan that is large enough to fit the entire sheet of dough you can also add the murtabak filling already while it is on the kitchen counter. Fold it into a neat square and bake it that way. That will also work. Repeat the process for the remaining murtabak’s.

Now this stuffed crepe (because that is essentially what it is) is a popular snack and for good reason as it is super delicious and really not too complicated to make. For an easier version you can even use regular crepes for making this although I did find making the dough is worth the trouble!

It’s delicious served with a chutney or any other sauce of your liking.