I believe the greatest injustice in this world is in not declaring murtabak a Singapore national dish. Sure, we have chicken rice, char kway teow, nasi lemak, but not having murtabak up there amongst the greatest is just perplexing.
There’s simply nothing like it—a crispy dough shell filled with copious amounts of your chosen protein that has been mixed with egg and then fried till the edges brown and crisp up. Dipped in an aromatic dhal curry and enjoyed with a glass of steaming hot teh tarik, the ubiquitous murtabak makes for the perfect dish at any time of the day.
The only downside is in its size; murtabak is one of the dishes that can only be enjoyed alone if you’re ravenous—it truly is not for the faint of heart. Lucky for you, I have here the perfect gift for these last few weeks of staying in: an individual-sized portion of KOKA Noodles Cheesy Beef Murtabak made using KOKA Curry Instant Noodles With Wholegrain. I prefer using Koka noodles for this recipe because the noodles are baked, not fried, and the seasoning has no MSG. It’s all the indulgence without any of the guilt!
Now, it’s crucial that you use the Curry flavour and minced beef for the perfect flavour pairing. But if you’re from a non-beef household, chicken will work too. This is perfect for vegetarians as well simply by omitting the meat. The curry seasoning will carry the murtabak flavour forward all on its own.
As a side note, in this recipe, I used a ring mould to get that perfect circle shape. But if you don’t have that, don’t go out rushing to buy one, please. #StayHome and refer to this YouTube video to see how I made mine using a piece of aluminium foil. And once you’re done with this dish, why not check out the other recipes we’ve been putting out during this ‘Circuit Breaker’ period?
Ingredients
- 1 packet KOKA Curry Instant Noodles With Wholegrain
- 1/2 red onion, diced
- 3 red chilli stalks, diced
- 6 – 8 stalks of local celery, finely chopped
- 120g minced beef
- 3 eggs
- 50g of Parmesan cheese (or as much as your heart’s desire)
- 5 tablespoons cooking oil
- Pinch of salt and pepper for the minced beef
Tools
- Skillet
- Pot for boiling water
- Ring mould
Recipe Preparation
Preparation time: 15 minutes
Cooking time: 20 minutes
Makes three thick pieces
- Heat up 2 tablespoons of oil in a skillet. Sauté the minced beef and season with a pinch of salt and pepper. Cook until browned and then set it aside to cool.
- In the same skillet, sauté diced onions and chilli until onions soften and turn a golden brown. Set aside to cool.
- Cook the KOKA noodles in 250ml of boiling water for exactly two minutes. Do not add the Curry seasoning. Drain, and let the noodles cool.
- In a bowl, whisk 3 eggs until light and frothy. Add in minced beef, onions, red chilli, celery, and KOKA noodles. Sprinkle in one packet of KOKA Curry seasoning and mix everything together until well-combined.
- In a skillet, heat up 3 tablespoons of oil over low heat. Place ring mould in the centre. With a pair of tongs, fill the mould with the egg-noodles-beef mixture and let cook for 5 minutes on each side. Remember to remove ring mould before flipping over the murtabak.
- Serve as is or with a favourite curry of your choice.
Recipe (In Pictures)
Step 1: Heat up 2 tablespoons of oil in a skillet. Sauté the minced beef and season with a pinch of salt and pepper. Cook until browned and then set it aside to cool.
Step 2: In the same skillet, sauté diced onions and chilli until onions soften and turn a golden brown. Set aside to cool.
Step 3: Cook the KOKA noodles in 250ml of boiling water for exactly two minutes. Do not add the Curry seasoning. Drain, and let the noodles cool.
Step 4: In a bowl, whisk 3 eggs until light and frothy. Add in minced beef, onions, red chilli, celery, and KOKA noodles. Sprinkle in one packet of KOKA Curry seasoning and mix everything together until well-combined.
Step 5: In a skillet, heat up 3 tablespoons of oil over low heat. Place ring mould in the centre. With a pair of tongs, fill the mould with the egg-noodles-beef mixture and let cook for 5 minutes on each side. Remember to remove ring mould before flipping over the murtabak.
Step 6: Serve as is or with a favourite curry of your choice.
Although this is the first time I’ve used KOKA noodles, I’ve actually made this murtabak many times for my family and it has been extremely well received. Using KOKA Delight non-fried instant noodles and their no MSG seasoning gives the murtabak a flavour punch while still in keeping with all your 2020 #cleanliving aspirations. No extra salt needed—Health Promotion Board approved!
The best part of this dish though is that it is so friendly to any other additional spices you might want to add to give it a little oomph. If you like a bit of heat, go ahead and add in some chilli padi. You can also use cilantro instead of local celery if you like. And if you don’t want to fiddle with a ring mould, you can definitely triple the ingredients for an authentic, rectangular murtabak presentation, cooked on a bigger sized skillet. The sky’s the limit with this one!
Expected damage: S$8 – S$10 per portion for 3 thick pieces
*This post is brought to you in partnership with KOKA Noodles.
