A Hejazi street classic where spiced minced meat and egg are folded inside paper-thin stretched dough and griddled crisp; in Jeddah's kebab stalls it is the standard wrap or side for skewered meats. It shows the Indian Ocean trade influence on western Saudi cooking, being a cousin of the Southeast Asian murtabak.
Also known as: mutabbaq, mutabbag, murtabak kebab, mutabbaq laham, Jeddah mutabbaq
Watch it made
Ingredients
- 300 g plain flour
- 160 ml warm water
- 2 tbsp oil, plus more for coating and stretching
- 1/2 tsp salt, for the dough
- 300 g minced lamb or beef
- 1 small onion, minced
- 1 leek or 6 spring onions, finely sliced
- 1 green chili, minced
- 3 eggs
- 1 tsp ground cumin, 1/2 tsp black pepper and ghee for the griddle
How to make it
- 1
Knead the flour, water, oil and salt 8 minutes into a supple dough; divide into 4 balls, coat in oil and rest 1 hour under cling film.
- 2
Brown the mince with the onion, cumin, pepper and a pinch of salt; cool, then beat in the eggs, leek and chili.
- 3
On an oiled counter, stretch one ball with your palms until paper-thin and nearly translucent, the size of a large tray.
- 4
Spoon a quarter of the filling into the centre and fold the four sides over into a snug square parcel.
- 5
Griddle in ghee over medium heat 3-4 minutes per side until shatter-crisp and deep gold; cut into squares.
Pro tip: If the dough fights back or tears while stretching, it has not rested long enough — the oiled hour is what buys you that glass-thin sheet.
