MURTABAK – A Savory Pan Fried Bread of SAUDI ARABIA

In Mena's Cooking Club, this month we are going to make a savory pan fried bread of Saudi Arabia called Murtabak .

Murtabak, is a stuffed pancake or pan-fried bread. The name Murtabak in Arabic means "folded". This is a savory pan fried bread filled with minced meat and eggs  which can be served as snack or a complete meal. This bread originated in Yemen, but  also spread to Asian Countries. 

Let's see the ingredients to make this....

Ingredients
For the covering

3 Cups All Purpose flour
1 Teaspoon Salt
1 Tablespoon Oil
1 Teaspoon Sugar
Warm Milk or Water to make a dough

For the Filling

500 Grams Minced Meat (mutton/beef/chicken)
2 Onions – finely chopped
1.1/2 Teaspoon Ginger - Garlic paste
4 Green chilies - finely chopped
2 Teaspoon Meat Masala powder
1.1/4 Teaspoon Chilly Powder
1/2 Teaspoon Turmeric powder
1 Teaspoon Salt
2 Tablespoons Oil
A pinch of Sugar

3 Tablespoon Coriander leaves – finely chopped
4 to 6 Eggs - beaten

For the Pickle

1 Small Cucumber
1 Small Onion
1 Tablespoon  Apple cider vinegar
1 Tablespoon Sugar
1/4 Cup Water

A pinch of Salt

Method
First Let's Make the Pickle

Mix all the ingredients and keep in fridge.

To Make the Filling

To make the filling  I, used chicken mince.

 
Mix chili powder, turmeric, meat masala powder and ginger garlic paste with a little water to form a paste.

Heat oil in a pan, add onions and saute till translucent, add masala paste and saute for 2 minutes then add the mince and saute till the colour changes. Add salt mix well cover and cook till the mince is done. Open and check if the mince is cooked and it is completely dry. Keep aside to cool. Add chopped coriander.

Let's Make the Dough

Sift the flour and salt together.

Take the flour, sugar, oil in a bowl and knead with milk (a little at a time) to make a soft and smooth dough. Let it rest covered for 30 minutes .

Let's Assemble the Murtabak
Divide dough into equal parts. Shape it into balls.

Divide the Mince into equal portions depending on the size of murtabak and dough balls.

Take a bowl beat an egg add a portion of filling, mix well.

Flatten each ball with a rolling pin into a medium thick roti. Add the egg filling in the middle of the flattened dough.

Fold the sides

Enclose the filling by wrapping completely.

Spread a little ghee in a frying pan place the murtabak and on medium flame fry one side till golden brown then

Turn it over and cook the other side. Keep frying and turning until both sides are crispy and golden.

Serve the Murtabak

with the pickle and tomato kethcup.... Enjoy!

Labels : Murtabak, Breads, Saudi Arabia, Continental Cuisine, Rotis, Chicken Mince, Mena Cooking Club

An InLinkz Link-up

Bauernfrühstück (German Farmer’s Breakfast)#SundayFunday

Bauernfrühstück is a German country breakfast. A Farmer's breakfast which simple & filling dish made from fried potatoes, eggs, onions and bacon or ham, pan fried as an omelette. . The Berlin version of the same is called “Hoppel Poppel”. This can be had for lunch or dinner!

I made a vegetarian version to for my hubby, with an addition of cottage cheese and minus the ham rest ingredients and method the same.

Serves One
Ingredients
2 Medium Potatoes - skinned & sliced in roundels
2 - 3 Tablespoons Duck Fat /Bacon Fat or Olive Oil
1 Large Onion - sliced
2 Scallions/Spring Onions - roughly chopped
4 Tablespoons Each Red & Green & Yellow Bell Peppers - diced
2 Big Slices Ham  - chopped
4 Tablespoons Chopped Celery Ribs
1 Teaspoon Dried Chives
2 Tablespoons Chopped Parsley
2 Eggs- whisked
Salt to taste

Method

Slice the potatoes in roundels and boil the potatoes in a saucepan of lightly salted water till just cooked. Drain, rinse with cold water to cool and set aside.

Heat olive oil in a large skillet on medium high heat. Add the onions and sauté till they are golden brown. Then add the potato roundels and sauté till they too start to brown, 

now add in the ham and sauté for a minute 

then add the bell peppers, celery, chives and spring onions and sauté for 2 minutes or till they soften a little. 

Now spread it evenly and then add the whisked eggs, evenly distribute it. 

As soon as eggs begin to firm up, switch off the flame.

Serve and Enjoy!! We had this with garlic bread.
Labels: Breakfast, Egg, Bacon, Ham, Cottage Cheese, Boiled Potato, Main course, Germany, Sunday Funday, Serves One

For our event called Sunday Funday, wherein we share recipes our families will love to enjoy on a Sunday. Our host for this week's event for the month of October 2021, is Stacy of Food Lust People Love: and the theme is Oktoberfest (German recipes)".
Here are some of the German Recipes made by us.
Bauernfrühstück (German Farmer’s Breakfast) from Sneha's Recipe
Bavarian Cheese Spread from Food Lust People Love
Beer Braised Steak from Palatable Pastime
Beer Brats on Pretzel Rolls from Amy's Cooking Adventures
Obatzda (Cheese Spread) from Making Miracles
Oktoberfest Breakfast Casserole from A Day in the Life on the Farm
Sourdough Soft Pretzels from Karen's Kitchen Stories

Vegetable Dhansak With Brinjal Pakoda - Parsi Cuisine

The Parsis of India are Persian Zoroastrian immigrants who settled on the west coast of India (Gujarat) around the 7-9th century . Parsis,  when they came to India from Persia, settled on the West coast of India in Gujarat , picked along the way the tradition of stews, gosht (meat) and dry fruits from Iran. They devoured the fish available on the coast and upped the sour content in their food with red vinegar / tamarind to balance the sweetness of Gujarati cuisine. That is how the Parsis, influenced by their history, founded their own distinct cuisine.  Hence, it's interesting to see that many Parsi meat preparation lean towards Persian cooking techniques ( slow cooking ), often bringing together a combination of meat, vegetables and lentils with Indian spices.

Dhansak is a popular dish, Dhansak is made by cooking meat with a mixture of lentils and vegetables. This is served with caramelised brown rice, which is rice cooked in caramel water to give it a typical taste and colour. The dal cooked with meat and vegetables served with brown rice, altogether is called dhansak. 

In Parsi homes, dhansak is traditionally made on Sundays. I have prepared a Vegetable Dhansak and served it steamed Rice and Fried Brinjals. This delicious wholesome dish was our Sunday Lunch.  This recipe was given to me by my friend.

Ingredients

For the Home made Dhansak Masala
1 Stick Cinnamon
1/4 Teaspoon Mustard seeds
1/4 Teaspoon Sesame seeds
1/4 Teaspoon Fennel seeds
1/8 Teaspoon Fenugreek seeds
1/8 Teaspoon Nutmeg
1 Teaspoon Heaped Coriander seeds
1/4 Teaspoon Cumin seeds
1/2 Teaspoon Black Peppercorns
2 Green Cardamons
1 Big Brown Cardamon
1/2 Teaspoon Shahjeera / Caraway seeds
1/2 Teaspoon Cloves
4 Petals Star aniseed

1 Bay Leaf

Method for the Masala

Dry roast all the above spices for about 2 minutes.  Cool and grind to a fine powder.    Keep aside. The masala can be stored for 6 months.

Ingredients for the Dhansak 

1/4  Cup Toor dal
1/2 Cup Moong dal

1  Large Onion - chopped
1  Potato -  cut in cubes
1/4 Cup White Pumpkin - cut in cubes
2 Small Brinjals  -  cut in cubes 

1 Carrot - cut in cubes
1/4  Teaspoon Turmeric powder

1 Teaspoon ginger garlic paste

2 Tablespoon Oil
1 Tablespoons Dhansak Masala -  homemade
1 Teaspoon Chilly powder

1 Tablespoon Jaggery Or Sugar
1  Tablespoon Tamarind paste

Salt to taste

1 Cube of  Vegetable soup
2 -3  Cups Water

 Method

Wash the lentils and cook them in a pressure cooker till done.

 In a big wok , heat oil, add the onions and ginger garlic paste,  saute till the onions turn  pink, then add all the vegetables and saute till  for 2 minutes. Add  turmeric, soup cube,  salt, lentils,  dhansak  masala, chilly powder and water. Cook on low flame for an hour stirring in between so that it does not burn at the bottom. After an hour add the tamarind paste, jaggery and  check the consistency of the dhansak,  add water if necessary and let it boil  again on slow flame for 10 - 15 minutes.  Garnish with chopped corainder and serve hot with steamed rice, Kachumber salad and Fried Brinjals / Brinjal Pakoda.

Fried Brinjal / Brinjal Pakoda

Ingredients

1 Big Round Black Brinjal / Eggplant

1/2 Teaspoon Dhansak masala

1 Teaspoon Chilly powder

1 Cup Gram flour / Chick pea flour

2 Tablespoons Rice flour

Salt to taste

Oil for shallow frying

Method

Cut the Brinjal into round thick slices and keep aside.

In big flat plate mix the dhansak masala, chilly powder, salt, both the flours and mix well.  Add water to make a  very thick paste.  Take each slice  apply the paste on both sides and keep aside for 5 minutes.

Heat oil in frying pan, arrange the brinjals , keep on  medium flame till one side is nicely fried and turns reddish brown.  Flip  and fry the other side, in the same manner.  Serve hot with steamed rice and Dhansak and Kuchumber.

Check out the Blogging Marathon page for the other Blogging Marathoners doing BM#52.

Labels : Masalas, Vegetables, Parsi Cuisine, Blogging Marathon, Homemade, Complete Meal

Baked Pork Enchilada Salsa Verde Casserole#BakingBloggers

I wanted to make something easy, so instead of making traditional rolled enchiladas made these no fuss casserole. Made this quick dish where in I just threw everything into a casserole.
Assembling the pork enchilada casserole takes little effort, as I simply layered the pork and rest of ingredient one by one and baked it. To save time, I made the pork and the Salsa Verde two days in advance and refrigerated it. I made the Fried Corn Tortillas on the day when I wanted to bake it. If you want, this, can be assembled well , in advance, as it reheats quite well, can assure you this, since I, had leftovers and reheated it after two days and it tasted just as good as the freshly made one.

Servings 2 -3
Ingredients 
250 Grams Pork Mince
1 Cloves Garlic - finely chopped
1½ Teaspoon Lime juice
½ Teaspoon Pink Himalayan Salt
¼ Teaspoon Black Pepper powder
1 Teaspoon Vegetable Oil
Other Ingredients
Salsa Verde
4 Corn Tortillas - torn
1 Cup Shredded Provolone & Cheddar Cheese
1 Small Onion- diced
¼ Cup Chopped Coriander/Cilantro leaves
Sour cream, for serving
For the Fried Corn Tortillas
1 Cup = 250 Ml
Ingredients
1 Cup Maize Flour
¼ Teaspoon Pink Himalayan Salt
1 Teaspoon Oil
125 Ml+ Water

Method

Heat a tablespoon of oil in a pot/kadai, add minced  garlic and the pork mince, sauté till it changes color

add salt  and pepper powder , mix well

add ½ cup water. Bring the pot to a boil, and then turn the heat down to low and simmer uncovered for until the mince is cooked 

and all moisture nearly evaporated ( there should 2 - 3 tablespoons of liquid in the mince). 

Cool till it comes to room temperature add ½ cup of the Salsa Verde, lime juice and little coriander leaves . Taste for salt and spice, add more Salsa Verde if you want it more spicy. 

For the Fried Corn Tortillas

In a skillet, boil the water, add salt and oil. When it comes to a rolling boil add the maize flour and mix well with a spoon. Let it cook for a minute. Switch off the flame and cover it with a lid for 3 minutes. When it is still warm, knead this to soft dough, if required add a teaspoon of hot water while kneading. Knead it well into soft dough. Cover and keep it aside for just 5 minutes. 

Divide the dough into 5 equal balls. Roll each between a oiled plastic sheet in a tortilla press/puri maker. 

Cut it with a mould to make the edges smooth and tortilla the same size. 

Bake this in non stick skillet (See Notes) till it get brown spots on each side. 

Keep this on wire rack. Like wise make the rest of the corn tortillas. 

Wrap them in a towel and let them cool completely.
Heat up the vegetable oil on low heat in a small pan Use a pan that will fit the tortillas so that you can use a little to fry them).

Once the oil is hot add one tortilla at a time, and fry on medium flame till they are crisp. Keep aside to drain on a kitchen towel.

I even fried the broken tortilla pieces and used that to layer the casserole, since they are to broken into pieces.

To Assemble- Pork Enchilada Salsa Verde Casserole
Preheat the oven to 170°C.

In a casserole, place half of the broken tortillas in it, tearing in pieces to fill in any gaps. 

Evenly top the tortillas with half the pork, 

sprinkle half the diced onions ( I had 2 tablespoons of leftover red and green capsicum so used that too)

half the chopped coriander leaves, and and evenly spread the Salsa Verde. 

Then sprinkle the shredded cheese. 

Top that layer with remaining torn tortillas and then add the rest of the pork, 

the rest of the onions, capsicums, evenly spread the salsa,

sprinkle coriander leaves and then top evenly with the rest of the cheese.

Bake uncovered for 25 minutes or until the casserole is lightly browned and bubbling. Allow to rest for 10- 12 minutes before serving. 

Serve warm with sour cream and wafers.

My Notes
The pork and Salsa Verde can be made ahead of time and kept refrigerated for 3 days.

I baked the first tortilla on my anodized tawa and it got stuck see pic, so use a non stick pan to bake the tortillas.

Labels: Pork, Salsa Verde , Mexico, Mexican, Baking Bloggers, Corn, Tortilla, Baked, Enchilada, Serves Two, Main course, Green Tomato, Breads  

Baking Bloggers (April 2021): Baking of Mexico

• Baked Pork Enchilada Salsa Verde Casserole from Sneha's Recipe
• Bolillos from Culinary Adventures with Camilla
• Capirotada de Leche from Palatable Pastime
• Cheesy Corn Dip from Magical Ingredients
• Chicken Chili Tortilla Casserole from Food Lust People Love
• Creamy Caramel Flan from Making Miracles
• Mexican Chicken Bake (DASH Friendly) from A Day in the Life on the Farm
• Tacos De Jocoqui (Sour Cream Tacos) from Sid's Sea Palm Cooking
• Telera Rolls from Karen's Kitchen Stories