Turnover with spiced minced meat and cabbage (murtabak)

A variation of roti canai, these savoury breads are filled with a spiced lamb mixture. The special ingredient, Malaysian meat curry powder, contains a variety of spices including cardamom, cloves, cinnamon, cumin, turmeric and coriander, and is available from Asian food shops.

Credit: Feast Magazine / Anson Smart

• makes

  4

• prep

  15 minutes

• cook

  20 minutes

• difficulty

  Mid

Ingredients

 

• 1 tbsp ghee or vegetable oil, plus extra, to fry
• 400 g minced lamb or chicken
• 2 onions, halved, thinly sliced
• 300 g (3 cups) green cabbage, shredded
• 2 tsp freshly grated turmeric
• 1 tbsp Malaysian meat curry powder (see Note)
• 2 tsp freshly grated ginger
• 1–2 red bird’s-eye chillies, finely chopped
• 1 tbsp finely chopped coriander
• 4 eggs
• 4 balls roti canai dough

Instructions

Heat ghee in a wok over high heat. Cook lamb and onions, breaking up mince with a spoon, for 3 minutes or until lamb is browned. Add cabbage, spices, ginger and chillies, and cook for 5 minutes or until cabbage starts to wilt. Remove from heat, stir in coriander and season with salt.

Heat a little oil in a large frying pan over low heat. Crack 1 egg in a bowl, break up slightly and add one-quarter of the lamb mixture; don’t combine. Place into the centre of a stretched ball of roti, then fold edges of dough into centre to resemble an envelope. Carefully slide a fish slice underneath murtabak and transfer to pan. Cook, gently pressing murtabak, over low heat for 5 minutes each side or until browned and cooked through. Repeat with remaining eggs, lamb mixture and dough.

Note

• Malaysian meat curry powder is available from Asian food shops.

Photography Anson Smart.

As seen in Feast magazine, Sept 2011, Issue 1. For more recipes and articles, pick up a copy of this month's Feast magazine or check out our great subscriptions offers here.

Cook's Notes

Oven temperatures are for conventional; if using fan-forced (convection), reduce the temperature by 20˚C. | We use Australian tablespoons and cups: 1 teaspoon equals 5 ml; 1 tablespoon equals 20 ml; 1 cup equals 250 ml. | All herbs are fresh (unless specified) and cups are lightly packed. | All vegetables are medium size and peeled, unless specified. | All eggs are 55-60 g, unless specified.