Murtabak

Murtabak is the stuffed cousin of roti canai, a street-stall staple across Malaysia where the dough is stretched paper-thin and folded around a spiced filling. It is cooked on a hot griddle until the shell is golden and shattering, then chopped into pieces and eaten with curry sauce, and ordering one is theater in itself: you watch the dough slapped and stretched on the griddle before it disappears around the filling. The filling is usually minced meat and egg, and the whole thing is a knife-and-fork-free event.

A crisp golden parcel of spiced meat and egg

The shell is crisp and buttery, the filling savory and a little spicy, and the egg binds everything into one rich, satisfying pocket. It is heavier than roti canai, more of a full meal than a snack, which is why it is so popular for breakfast and late nights alike, and the classic dipping sauce is a thin curry, though some stalls offer pickled onions and chili sauce instead, and both are correct. One murtabak and you are set for hours.

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