Roti Mataba (Folded Pancake)

Roti Mataba is the name used in Thailand whilst in Malaysia they are known as Roti Murtabak. Roti are found mainly in the south of Thailand, near the Malay border where there is a larger Muslim population.


Unlike a UK pancake (which is made from a batter), roti are made from dough, rolled out incredibly thin and pan fried to create a flaky, chewy flat bread. Really skilled cooks will stretch and slap the dough out until it becomes paper thin but this is very difficult and not totally necessary!


Roti Mataba are made in two parts- the curried chicken filling (though you could vary this with pretty much any meat/vegetable/egg/sweet filling) and then the enriched dough.

They are absolutely delicious and well worth taking the time to make (and eat them).
For 5 rotis (a snack for 2 people or main meal if served with another dish) use:
Dough-

• 450g plain (all purpose) flour
• 1 beaten egg
• 1 cup water
• 25ml milk
• a dessertspoon of sugar
• pinch salt
• vegetable oil for coating

Filling-

• 3 skinless chicken thighs/1 breast, chopped into small cubes
• 1 beaten egg
• 4 shallots/ half red onion, very finely chopped
• 3 cloves garlic, finely chopped
• 2 red Thai chillies, finely chopped
• 1 teaspoon cumin seed, ground
• 2 teaspoons coriander seed, ground
• 2 teaspoons curry powder
• pinch chilli flakes
• pinch salt
• small splash of vegetable oil

The dough needs to be started at least 2 hours before you plan on making and eating the mataba. In a bowl sift flour, salt and sugar. Mix in the beaten egg and milk and slowly add in the water- you may not need the whole cup of water. The dough shouldn’t be wet but it certainly doesn’t want to be dry. Knead it well on a floured surface until it feels soft and springy. Pop it back in the bowl, covered and leave it for at least an hour while you make the filling.
For the filling, heat the oil in a pan, when it’s hot add in the shallots/onion and fry until they have some colour. Add in the garlic and chicken (or whatever meat/veggies you’re using), toss in the spices, salt and chillies, frying briefly before pouring in the egg and scrambling it into the mixture. Once cooked, it can be left to cool until the dough is ready.
Back to the dough again. Briefly knead before cutting and rolling into golf ball sized pieces. Coat each ball with vegetable oil, cover with cling film and leave them for a further hour.
After an hour, roll each ball as flat as you can manage- the oil will stop it from sticking. Heat a large flat frying pan and add a small dribble of oil. Working quickly, place a flattened piece of dough in the pan and it will start to cook straight away. Place a heaped tablespoon of the filling mix into the centre of the roti and fold in the sides, top and bottom to cover. Flip the roti parcel over to cook (and somewhat seal) the edges. Each roti takes about 2 minutes to cook. Add and small drizzle of oil between each one
Cut in half to serve and serve alongside a cucumber pickle or simply a few slices of cucumber.