Murtabak

Murtabak

( Savoury stuffed Indian Bread )

Recipe Credit - The Food of Singapore

An Indian Muslim dish universally loved in Singapore and Malaysia, this is made from a feather - light dough filled with minced meat and fried in griddle. Mutton would be the usual choice in Singapore, although lamb or even beef can be used. The texture is light and crisp, the filling wonderfully satisfying. This recipe makes 6 Murtabak, good as part of a lunch or late night snack.

Ingredients

For the dough:

2 1/3 cups ( 300 g ) all purpose ( plain ) flour
Scant 1/2 cup ( 100 ml ) fresh milk
Scant 1/2 cup ( 100 ml ) water
1 whole egg, lightly beaten
1/2 teaspoon sugar
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 teaspoon butter

For the filling:

2 - 3 tablespoons oil
10 cloves garlic, finely chopped
2 onions, finely chopped
2 cups ( 300 g ) minced lamb or beef
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon ground white pepper
1 leek, finely sliced
6 eggs,m lightly beaten
About 3 tablespoons ghee or oil for frying Murtabak

Method

For the dough:

Make the dough first by kneading all ingredients except butter, together to obtain a smooth dough. Cover and set aside in a warm place for an hour.

For the filling:

To prepare the filling, heat oil in a the pan and saute the garlic and onion, until transparent and fragrant, then add the meat. stir thoroughly and season to taste with salt and pepper. Set aside to cool, then mix together with leek and eggs. Keep aside.

For the Murtabak:

Half an hour before the Murtabak are required, divide the dough into 6 equal portions and knead each portion with a little of the softened butter until smooth. Roll in balls and set aside for 30 minutes.

Roll each piece of dough as thinly as possible and cover with a cloth.

Heat a heavy iron griddle or large frying pan until very hot and pour little ghee or oil.

Place on a circle of dough, let it cook for about 1 minute, then spread the top with one - sixth of the filling.

Fold in two sides of the circle dough, over lapping slightly. repeat with other 2 sides to make a package enclosing the filling.

Cook until golden brown on sides, turn and cook on the other side. Repeat with the remaining dough and filling.

For serving:

Serve Murtabak hot with an accompaniment of plain sliced cucumber or sliced onion that has been salted for 1 hour, rinsed, squeezed dry and sprinkled with lime or lemon juice. A bowl of curry sauce also can be served for dipping the Murtabak.