GEORGE TOWN, July 13 — It begins with the aroma of murtabak frying on a hot griddle and ends with you biting into this thick, savoury roti.

The preparation of a murtabak seems simple enough as it involves seasoned minced meat, eggs, onions and batter for the roti (bread) but its simplicity belies the layers of flavours you get from the final product.

The outer layer — the roti — is similar to the plain roti canai, another popular Malaysian dish that is made of flour, sugar, oil and ghee.

Now, the roti plays an important part in the eating of the murtabak; first to hold everything together and second, to act as the counterpoint to the delicious meat filling.

The dough for the roti is first prepared by mixing the ingredients into a smooth, sticky consistency and then divided into tiny balls.

Then, the fillings are prepared where the meat – a choice of chicken, lamb or beef — is first minced and then seasoned with spices.

Onions first go onto the griddle before the minced meat along with some turmeric, masala salt and some curry powder are added for a delicious stir-fried mix.

These are then scooped up and set aside and the griddle greased with more ghee before the dough balls are flattened and placed on it.

Just as the roti starts to cook, the cooked minced meat is whisked with some eggs before it is spooned into the centre of the roti.

The triple layer of roti, meat and eggs are then left to slowly cook before the corners of the roti are folded in to cover the filling.

It is then flipped to make sure it is thoroughly cooked and the roti is crispy on the outside.

The end result is a crispy, slightly chewy flatbread on the outside with a moist, savoury, rich and very flavourful filling bursting with the spicy flavour of perfectly seasoned meat.

The murtabak is best served hot and can be eaten with some curry, some dhall (lentil curry) or plain with some sweet pickled onions.

The murtabak, with origins from both Yemen and India, is a common Indian Muslim dish in Malaysia that is more popular during the Muslim fasting month of Ramadan.

Though it can be served as a breakfast food, it is mostly available for dinner, supper or late afternoon snacks in Penang.

It is often sold alongside roti canai at roadside stalls in night markets, hawker centres and some nasi kandar shops in Penang but here are some places to try it out.

1.  Murtabak Halim, Jalan Penaga

GPS: 5.389682,100.312756

Time: 7am-noon

2.   Jalan Kebun Bungah

GPS: 5.43487,100.294758

Time: 8am -11am

3.   Jalan Sungai Pinang

GPS: 5.40286,100.322932

Time: 2pm-5pm

4.   Hameediyah Restaurant, Lebuh Campbell

GPS: 5.418732,100.33232

Time: 9am-9pm

5.   Murtabak Jelutong, Lebuhraya Jelutong

GPS: 5.3873,100.312313

Time: 6pm-11pm