Alternative names | Motabbaq, matabbak, muttabak, metabbak, mutabbaq, mataba, martabak |
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Type | Flatbread, Pancake |
Course | Starter |
Place of origin | Yemen |
Region or state | Arabian Peninsula, Indian subcontinent, and Southeast Asia |
Created by | Yemeni Arabs[1] |
Serving temperature | hot or warm |
Part of a series on |
Arab cuisine |
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Motabbaq (Arabic: مطبق) is a stuffed pancake or pan-fried bread which is commonly found in the Arabian Peninsula, the Indian subcontinent and Southeast Asia, notably in Saudi Arabia, Yemen, Indonesia, Malaysia, Singapore, Brunei and Southern Thailand. Depending on the location, the name and ingredients can significantly vary. The name mutabbaq in Arabic means "folded". It is a popular street food in Yemen, Indonesia, Malaysia, Thailand and Singapore.[2][3]
Murtabak is often described as spicy folded omelette pancake with bits of vegetables.[4] The most common form of murtabak is made from pan fried crepes usually stuffed with beaten eggs, chopped leeks, chives, or green onion (scallions) and minced meat, which is then folded and cut to squares.[2][5] In Indonesia, the murtabak is one of the most popular street foods and is known as martabak.
Vegetarian murtabaks and other forms of murtabaks with chicken and other stuffings exist and can be found in many Yemeni, Indian Muslim restaurants in Singapore, including the Little India area and Arab Street.[6][7]
In Malaysia, murtabak was originally sold in Indian Muslim restaurants and stalls, and usually includes minced meat (beef or chicken, sometimes goat meat, mutton) along with garlic, egg and onion, and is eaten with curry or gravy, sliced cucumber, syrup-pickled onions or tomato sauce. The dish is sold throughout the country, with diverse variations in ingredients and cooking style, and has been adopted by Malay Muslim sellers as well. In Yemen, murtabak also usually includes goat meat or mutton.
In Indonesia, the term Martabak refers to two dishes: Martabak Manis, which is actually based on Apam Balik and Martabak Telur, which resembles murtabak the closest, eponymously with the addition of egg to the filling of meat and scallions.[8] Martabak Manis, in particular, additionally comes with a thinner variant called Martabak Tipis Kering (Tipker).[9]