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Savory Indonesian Stuffed Pancake (Martabak Telur)

A crispy, golden-brown street food favorite from Indonesia, Martabak Telur is a stuffed egg pancake filled with flavorful ground beef, onions, scallions, and spices—perfect as an appetizer or main dish.
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Prep Time 2 hours 15 minutes
Cook Time 20 minutes
Total Time 2 hours 35 minutes
Servings: 4 Servings
Course: Appetizer, Main Course
Cuisine: Indonesian
Calories: 500
Ingredients Method Notes

Ingredients
  

For the Dough (Kulit Martabak)
  • 1 1/3 cups bread flour tepung terigu protein tinggi
  • 1/4 teaspoon salt
  • 2/3 cup water lukewarm
  • 2 tablespoons vegetable oil minyak goreng, plus more for frying
  • 2 cups neutral oil such as canola for soaking dough
For the Beef Filling (Isi Daging)
  • 7 oz ground beef 200g daging sapi giling
  • 2 cloves garlic thinly sliced (2 siung bawang putih)
  • 3 shallots thinly sliced (3 butir bawang merah)
  • 2 red chili peppers finely chopped (2 buah cabai merah – optional for heat)
  • 2 teaspoons curry powder bubuk kari
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt
  • 1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper
  • 1/2 teaspoon sugar
  • 1 scallion finely chopped (1 batang daun bawang)
  • 1 tablespoon vegetable oil for sautéing
Egg Mixture (Per Serving)
  • 2 duck eggs or 2 large chicken eggs as a substitute (2 butir telur bebek)
  • 2 tablespoons chopped scallions 25g daun bawang
  • 1/2 medium yellow onion finely diced (1/2 buah bawang bombay)
  • 1/4 teaspoon salt
  • 1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper
  • 1/4 cup cooked beef filling about 50g

Instruction
 

  1. Prepare the Dough:
    In a bowl, mix bread flour and salt. Gradually add water while kneading until a smooth, elastic dough forms. Add 2 tablespoons of oil and knead again until fully absorbed and the dough becomes soft and stretchy.
  2. Divide and Soak:
    Divide the dough into 2 equal portions (about 75g each). Shape into balls and soak in a bowl with 2 cups of neutral oil for 2 hours at room temperature.
  3. Make the Beef Filling:
    Heat 1 tablespoon oil in a skillet. Sauté garlic, shallots, and chili until fragrant. Add ground beef and stir until browned. Add curry powder, salt, pepper, and sugar. Cook until the flavors are well absorbed. Stir in scallions, then remove from heat and let cool.
  4. Stretch the Dough:
    On a clean, lightly oiled surface, take one dough ball and stretch it gently into a large, thin sheet using your fingertips (similar to making phyllo or pizza dough). It should be almost translucent.
  5. Make the Egg Mixture:
    In a bowl, whisk the duck eggs (or chicken eggs). Add chopped scallions, diced onion, salt, pepper, and 1/4 cup of the cooled beef filling. Stir well.
  6. Assemble and Fry:
    Heat a flat non-stick pan or skillet over medium heat with a generous amount of oil. Carefully place the stretched dough into the pan. Pour the egg and beef mixture into the center and fold the dough over to create a rectangular parcel. Fry while spooning hot oil over the top until both sides are golden and crisp, about 3–5 minutes per side.
  7. Repeat with second portion of dough and filling.
  8. Serve with pickled cucumber (acar timun) or Indonesian chili sauce (sambal) on the side for an authentic touch! Let me know if you'd like the optional pickled cucumber recipe too.

Notes

  • Tepung terigu protein tinggi is bread flour in the US. It has more gluten, which helps make the dough stretchy and elastic.
  • Telur bebek (duck eggs) are richer and slightly more savory than chicken eggs. You can substitute with large chicken eggs if unavailable.
  • If red chili peppers are too spicy, feel free to skip or replace with red bell pepper for color without heat.
  • To mimic a street vendor’s hot griddle, use a cast-iron skillet or non-stick pan with at least 1/4 inch of oil to ensure crispiness.
  • You can prep the dough and beef filling ahead of time. Assemble just before frying for best texture.