As an OFW (Overseas Filipino Worker) here in an Arab
country for two years, I experienced new things within a different culture from
my motherland. One of those was the food and right now will feature one of my favorites,
the Murtabak, also called Muttabaq from the word “folded” in Arabic.
This delicious traditional street food is said to be
originated from Saudi Arabia and Yemen and then spread by Indian traders to
Asia, the reason that aside from the Middle East, is it also popular in South
East countries like Malaysia, Indonesia and Singapore.
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| Muttabaq stuffed with herbs. |
Being part of everyday dish on the said countries,
its popularity among people resembles culture. Flavors and ingredients of
this food vary from vegetarian, meaty and sweet in some countries.
There were two kinds of Muttabaq that I had the
chance to taste here. First is the one with herbs and minced beef inside, from
what I have learned, it is covered with egg and flour coat. Then the other one is
the egg and cheese type. Both are delectable especially when sprinkled with
lemon juice extract to enhance the flavor. Well, we all could benefit from
protein, carbohydrates and vitamins from the herbs and is perfect to eat on
breakfast, lunch or even snack time. -FAF
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| Stuffed with cheese and eggs. |