Murtabak, or motabbaq, is a stuffed pancake or pan-fried bread which is commonly found in the Arabian Peninsula and Southeast Asia, notably in Saudi Arabia, Yemen, Indonesia, Malaysia, Singapore, Brunei, Thailand and Bangladesh . 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.
Murtabak is often described as spicy folded omelette pancake with bits of vegetables. 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. 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.
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, Martabak is a renowned street food that comes in two types: Martabak Manis and Martabak telur. Martabak Manis or Terang Bulan is originally a thick and sweet pancake that is usually topped with various toppings ranging from chocolate, cheese, peanuts, condensed milk, sesame seed and margarine. Today, Martabak toppings consist of international favours such as Skippy Peanut Butter spread, Ovaltine, Toblerone, Lotus Biscoff and Durian Spread. Martabak Manis also recently comes in a thin and crispy variety, known as Martabak Tipis Kering (Tipker). Martabak Telur, the savoury type, are crispy pancakes that consist of eggs, chicken or beef meat and scallions.