Martabak Manis

Martabak manis is a thick, yeasted batter cooked low and slow in a heavy, lidded pan until the surface turns honeycombed with holes, then folded around melted butter, condensed milk and a filling of chocolate, crushed peanuts or grated cheese. Its birthplace is genuinely disputed — the technique is usually credited to the Chinese-Indonesian community of Bangka Island — and the dish carries different names depending on where it's sold: martabak in Jakarta, terang bulan ("full moon," for its shape) around Semarang, kue bandung in parts of Sumatra despite having nothing to do with that city.

What it really is

Flour, egg, sugar and a little raising agent make a batter loosened until it pours like a thick pancake mix, then rested so it can puff. It goes into a hot, well-oiled round pan and cooks covered and undisturbed until the surface is riddled with small holes and the edges have set firm — the holes are the point, since they're what the melted butter and condensed milk soak into once it comes off the heat. The round is lifted onto a board, one half buttered and layered with the filling of choice, then folded into a half-moon and sliced into wedges while still warm.

The fillings, not the batter, are what a martabak cart is known for. A plain sugar-and-butter version exists, but most vendors build a menu around combinations — chocolate and cheese, or peanut and condensed milk — and a cart's reputation often comes down to which pairing it does best.

How it is served

• Sliced into wedges while still warm, the filling half-melted inside the fold.
• Sold whole from night carts, cut to order and wrapped in paper for takeaway.
• Occasionally halved between two fillings, so one pancake carries two flavours side by side.
• Rarely eaten cold; the filling is meant to still be soft.

How to write it on the menu

• List the filling combinations separately, since the batter barely changes and the filling is what a guest is choosing.
• Flag the wheat, egg, milk and peanuts — a listing that just says "chocolate pancake" hides most of what's in it.
• Say whether it's sold whole or by the slice; portioning varies here more than on a standard dessert menu.

The ingredients, allergens and dietary notes listed here describe a typical recipe. They are not a binding declaration for any particular restaurant: recipes, portion sizes and the products used can differ.