MARTABAK
CRISPY INDONESIAN STUFFED PANCAKES
WITH A MUSHROOM & TOFU FILLING
AND CHEAT’S SPRING ROLL WRAPPER METHOD
Martabak are stuffed pancakes from all over the world -
from the Arabian peninsula (the word originating from the Arabic word for being folded “mutabbaq”) to south-east Asia where I stumbled upon them for the first time. As a street food that lines the streets of a continent, there’s a lot of diversity to be found; murtabak/motabbaq/martabak can be stuffed with either savoury or sweet fillings. This rendition is specifically inspired by the phenomenal plant based food scene in Bali and the Indonesian “martabak” style. That’s an egg, mince and spring onion/scallion filling made vegan with mushrooms and tofu.
Blasphemously, I also use spring roll wrappers to enclose the filling instead of making a pancake batter (soz, purists) - so that this is a quick, easy and portable snack that doesn’t take a street food cart’s worth of resources to put together. So here lies a savoury vegan version so that me and you, the reader, may enjoy these wherever we may be.
What’s inside?
Instead of the popular beef, egg and curry powder filling we’re going for great plant based protein and vitamin D sources: tofu and mushrooms. Choose king oyster mushrooms that have a long stem, then take the tofu block and mushroom stems to the grater to make gorgeous shreds that give the texture of egg and meat. You’ll be surprised at how these two ingredients, once shredded, do just the trick.
How does this count as a pancake?
Yeah, you’re right . The crispy pancake batter that you enclose your fillings in as it cooks is an epic meal, but I cannot be arsed. This is an untraditional but fairly popular lazy twist that uses store-bought spring roll wrappers to skip the batter and go straight for the wrapping. It’s cheating, I admit!
How do I serve it?
Once made and before frying, you can keep these in the fridge to pop out for an easy snack. I like to serve these in Nasi Campur (Indonesian Mixed Rice) alongside my Urap Sayur and Tempe Kecap recipes. Because of the crispy coating, they keep well so can also be fit into a lunchbox or bento box for a snack that’ll keep well until lunchtime.
Shred king oyster mushrooms & tofu.
Cook down with onion for umami flavour.
Add carrot, spring onion (scallions) and spices.
Fry in hot oil for around 3 minutes, until golden.
Tear into hot & fresh vegan martabak!
Vegan Martabak served up alongside the usual suspects in a Nasi Campur mix (sate/satay, urap sayur and tempe kecap)
Makes 8 stuffed martabak, give or take how greedy you go with the filling.
Vegan Martabak
Ingredients
- 8 frozen spring roll wrappers
- ½ brown onion
- splash of oil
- 300g shredded tofu
- 300g shredded oyster mushroom
- 1 large grated carrot
- 4 stalks spring onion, finely chopped
- 1 tablespoon vegan worcestershire sauce
- 1 tablespoon curry powder
- 1 teaspoon coriander powder
- ½ teaspoon black salt
- Black pepper
Instructions
- Place a sauce pan over medium-high heat. Add the oil, onion and a pinch of salt then sauté for 5 minutes to soften.
- While this is going on, use a grater to shred the tofu, then the same method to do the king oyster mushroom. You can also use two forks or your fingertips to peel the mushrooms into thin strips. Roughly chop the caps up and add the tofu and mushrooms to the pan. Cook, stirring, for 10 more minutes.
- Mix in the carrot, spring onion, Worcestershire sauce, curry power, coriander powder and pepper for 3 more minutes of cooking. Switch off the heat and stir through the kala namak (black salt) if you're using it for an eggy flavour boost.
- Set the spring roll wrappers on your bench-top to defrost as you wait for the filling to cool. Heat enough vegetable oil for shallow-frying in a large heavy-based frying pan over medium–high heat. Test if the oil is ready by inserting a wooden skewer or the handle of a wooden spoon into the oil; if it begins to bubble quickly then you’re ready to go. More officially, if you have an oil-thermometer, you want the oil to about around 180c before you fry.
- Place 2 to 3 tablespoons of filling into the centre of a defrosted spring roll wrapper. Fold one-third of each wrapper over like you're folding a letter to enclose the filling. Tuck the remaining loose wrapper sides over to make a small parcel. A dab of water on your finger will help you 'glue' it together securely. Repeat with all the wrappers until you've filled 12 (which should use up all of your filling).
- Fry the martabak in the hot oil for 2-3 minutes until fully golden on both sides. You can also use cooking spray on the outside of the martabak, and pop them in the air-fryer for 3 to 4 minutes to achieve the same effect. Serve hot as a snack, as a side to a glorious plate of nasi campur (Indonesian mixed rice) or because of their secure and edible wrappers (move over Cornish Pasties!) you can whack these in your lunchbox for later.
Nutrition Facts
Calories
125.73Fat
4 gSat. Fat
0.41 gCarbs
16.58 gFiber
2.25 gNet carbs
14.35 gSugar
1.37 gProtein
6.78 gSodium
294.25 mgCholesterol
1.71 mg