SINGAPORE: A recent video from the British-Pakistani baker and author Zaynah Din (@zaynahbakes) went viral when she revealed that she had brought her sister “probably the best souvenir one can buy” from Singapore, which was mutton murtabak.
Ms Din was so excited to share her purchase with the world that she unwrapped the murtabak when she got home, even though her sister was still asleep, because it was 6:00 am.
She explained that she flew the “souvenir” home with her on a 14-hour flight, adding that she hoped it was still all right to eat.
“This is a mutton murtabak. It’s one of the national dishes of Singapore. It’s basically like a keema paratha, but it’s special,” she said, laughing, adding that she could not wait for her sister to wake up.
“Imagine a keema paratha, but like next level. Soft, slightly chewy, crispy bread, it’s filled with mutton that’s kind of spicy, plus egg and onions. And then you eat it with curry on the side, but I like it with curry and sambal on the side,” she added.
When her sister woke up, Ms Din heated up the murtabak in a pan to get it crispy and then served it with eggs and some curry their mother had made.
Off-cam, her sister can be heard saying that “this is the real thing” and “the best savoury breakfast.”
At the end of the clip, Ms Din showed herself enjoying her final taste of Singapore. As she wrote in her caption, “Better than a fridge magnet.”
Her May 15 post, shared on Instagram and TikTok, has since gone viral, with many commenters envious of her “souvenir.”
As it turns out, others have brought home some prized murtabak as well.
“When I was at university, I used to bring back Singapore murtabak to London. I had a dedicated freezer shelf just for murtabak. This was in the 90s, though… Murtabak with honey is also very good. I’m Malaysian, but I only eat Singapore murtabak,” wrote an Instagram user.
“As a Singaporean who normally flies economy, I always bring murtabak for my personal inflight meals. It’s way better than whatever airlines offer. I only bring the beef/mutton ones though and not chicken, as they are ‘drier’ and can withstand 17 hours’ flight to the US and beyond… bring murtabak guys, not the boring sandwich or cup noodles! Coz you can get those onboard but not murtabak! Pro tip: Portion them in ziplock bags or food containers for how many meals you want to have onboard,” wrote another.
When others wondered if mutton murtabak can travel that long, Ms Din said that she and her sister lived to tell the tale, but added that she wouldn’t recommend it.
Another IG user said that she freezes murtabak before bringing it on flights.
On TikTok, commenters wrote that they appreciated murtabak receiving so much love from Ms Din. “Truly appreciate murtabak being an icon for Singapore,” one wrote.
Ms Din is the author of Desified: Delicious Recipes for Ramadan, Eid & Every Day, which was published in 2024. She is widely known for her viral Ramadan series on social media. /TISG
Read also: Price versus quality—Why Johor’s murtabak is worth the hype
This article (‘Better than a fridge magnet!’: British baker goes viral for bringing home mutton murtabak from Singapore) first appeared on The Independent Singapore News.
