Murtabak

Motabbaq
Mutabbak, a spicy omelette pancake filled with bits of vegetables and minced meat
Alternative namesMotabbaq, matabbak, muttabak, metabbak, mutabbaq, mataba, martabak
TypeFlatbread, Pancake
CourseStarter
Place of originYemen
Region or stateArabian Peninsula, Indian subcontinent, and Southeast Asia
Created byYemeni Arabs[1]
Serving temperaturehot or warm

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]

  1. ^ Hoogervorst, Tom (Dec 2018). "Sailors, Tailors, Cooks, and Crooks: On Loanwords and Neglected Lives in Indian Ocean Ports". Itinerario. Research Institute for History, Leiden University. 42 (3): 530-2. doi: 10.1017/S0165115318000645
  2. ^ a b Lonely Planet Food (2012). The World's Best Street Food: Where to Find it & How to Make it. Lonely Planet. p. 108. ISBN 9781743216644.
  3. ^ Heinz Von Holzen (2014). A New Approach to Indonesian Cooking. Marshall Cavendish International Asia Pte Ltd. p. 129. ISBN 9789814634953.
  4. ^ Vivienne Kruger (2014). Balinese Food: The Traditional Cuisine & Food Culture of Bali. Tuttle Publishing. ISBN 9781462914234.
  5. ^ Tahira. "Make Delicous Memories". Asaan Recipes. Retrieved 29 October 2020.
  6. ^ "Singapore: Gokul Vegetarian Restaurant". Veganism. 18 February 2015. Archived from the original on 2 December 2017. Retrieved 24 February 2017.
  7. ^ Mark Wiens (21 February 2016). "Singapore Zam Zam – Delicious Murtabak Since 1908".
  8. ^ "Resep dan cara membuat martabak telur sederhana". merdeka.com. 1 November 2017. Retrieved 30 June 2021.
  9. ^ Media, Kompas Cyber (8 February 2021). "Resep Martabak Manis Tipis Kering, Jajanan Jadul Mirip Crepes". KOMPAS.com (in Indonesian). Retrieved 14 January 2022.