Martabak

A popular appetizer usually served with slices of cucumber, onion, and curry sauce.

Ingredients:

• 10 oz All purpose flour
• 1/2 Cup ghee
• 2-3 Fresh green Serrano
• 1 Large onion, finely chopped
• 1 Egg for each dough sheet
• 1/2 Cup water
• Salt to taste

For Meat Filling:
• 1 lb Ground lamb or beef
• 2 tbsp Ghee
• 1 Onion, finely chopped
• 1 tbsp Fresh ginger, finely minced
• 2-1/2 tbsp Meat curry powder
• 2 tbsp Cilantro, finely chopped
• 2 tbsp Fresh mint, finely chopped

Preparation:

To Prepare Meat Filling:
• Take a wok or saucepan and heat ghee.
• Add chopped onion, ginger, and meat curry powder,
• Stir-fry for about 1 to2 minutes, add ground meat.
• Stir with spatula and break up meat so that there will be no clumps, cook until well browned.
• Add cilantro and mint, stir to mix well with meat, promptly remove from the flame.
• Let it cool fully.

To Prepare Murtabak:
• Sieve flour and salt into a bowl.
• Mix ghee, add water gradually and knead till the dough is smooth.
• Let the dough rest for about 2 to 3 hrs to soften.
• Make small balls from the dough, oil the work top with ghee and work each ball into a very thin sheet.
• First flatten with oiled palms, now thin it again by pulling the edges.
• Sprinkle the dough sheet with 1 tsp ghee and fold in edges, shape it into a square.
• Now sprinkle a little flour and roll out into a paper-thin rectangular sheet.
• Preheat the griddle or pan, grease it well with ghee.
• Break one egg in the middle of the rectangular sheet and carefully spread the egg over the middle portion of it.
• Sprinkle some chopped onions and finely sliced green Serrano.
• Spoon about 2 tbsp curried meat filling evenly and fold in the four into a fine square.
• Quickly lift the murtabak, using both hands, onto a preheated griddle.
• Cook for about 2 to 3 minutess until golden brown.
• Lift Murtabak up, grease the griddle with ghee, and cook the other side until brown.
• Cut it into 2 or 4 pieces.
• Serve hot or cold.