Flatbread Stuffed with Spicy Minced Meat

This type of dish is called Murtabak, an Indian flatbread stuffed with spiced minced meat. It is a favorite delicacy I saw in Singapore at stalls sold by vendors that  make everything from scratch beginning with the paper thin dough.They flip it masterfully for several times to incredible thinness and fold it with the meat stuffing over a hot iron griddle. I have been making this and never dared call it the same name for I make it differently. I call my version spicy flatbread because I use ready made feuille de brick for shortcut and other variations. I made two batches to show you, one with potatoes, hot chili and lemon juice. the other is with curry.

The stuffing is made with minced meat of lamb, beef or chicken. I used the chicken leg, drumstick and thigh which is  the tastier part of the chicken for me.  Spice up a pound of ground chicken with 1 tbsp of curry powder, 1 tsp of turmeric, 1/4 tsp or chili powder, Chinese celery or cilantro finely chopped and seasoned with salt and pepper. Sauteed everything in a bit of oil with 7 cloves of garlic and 1 onion minced until cooked and then add 3 slightly scrambled eggs and stir and finish cooking. The minced meat should be a little dry. Set aside to cool for the stuffing.

For shortcut use a good quality Spring roll wrapper if you don't have feuille de brik. To make the wrapper really crispy brush both side of the wrapper with oil leaving 1/2  inch on the edge of all the sides for the corn starch paste (boil 1/4 cup of water and 1tbsp of corn starch to make glue). Put about a cup of minced meat in the middle and flatten to a square leaving the edges to paste and seal. Smear the edges with the glue and put another leaf on top and seal like a ravioli.

Fold the edges with the paste and put the whole thing on top of another sheet and repeat the process once  again. 

At this point you have 4 sheets wrapped,sealed and brushed with oil. Put on top of a preheated flat grill and close. 

After a few minutes open to check for doneness. The stuffed flatbread should be golden brown and very crispy.

Remove the flatbread and cut to your desired shape.

Serve and garnish with red or green chili and cilantro if you wish. It is usually enjoyed with pickled red onions. A quick and easy way to make it is by boiling 1 shredded red onion in 3/4 cup of red vinegar and season with sugar, black pepper and salt. This can keep for a week in the fridge.

Enjoy!