Crispy folded pancake stuffed with spiced minced meat, egg, and spring onion — a beloved Saudi street food and family snack.
Mutabbaq — meaning 'folded' in Arabic — is a street food icon beloved across Saudi Arabia and Southeast Asia (where it is also known as Martabak). In the Saudi version, a thin, flaky dough is stretched, filled with a fragrant mixture of spiced minced beef or lamb mixed with eggs, spring onions, and herbs, then expertly folded into a square parcel and fried in clarified butter until shatteringly crisp and golden. Sold from street stalls in every major Saudi city, Mutabbaq is eaten as a hearty snack, light lunch, or late-night treat. The crispy exterior gives way to a moist, flavourful filling that is deeply satisfying.
Sirve 4
Mix flour, salt, oil, and warm water into a smooth dough. Knead 5 minutes. Divide into 4 balls. Coat in oil, cover, and rest at room temperature 1 hour.
Brown minced meat in a dry pan. Add onion and cook until soft. Season with cumin, cinnamon, pepper, cardamom, and salt. Cool completely, then mix with spring onions and beaten egg.
On an oiled surface, stretch each dough ball as thin as possible without tearing — almost translucent. Aim for a large, roughly circular sheet.
Place one-quarter of the filling in the centre of each sheet. Fold the dough edges over to form a square parcel, enclosing the filling completely.
Heat ghee in a large flat pan over medium heat. Fry each Mutabbaq parcel 3–4 minutes per side until deep golden and shatteringly crisp. Drain and serve immediately.
The rested dough must be stretched very thin — the crispiness depends on a thin, delicate dough layer.
Cool the filling completely before adding eggs to prevent scrambling.
Serve immediately — Mutabbaq loses its crunch quickly once off the heat.
Probar y ajustar sal al final — los sabores se concentran conforme los líquidos se reducen, y una pizca final de sal escamosa realza todo el plato.
Vegetarian Mutabbaq: fill with spiced potatoes, cheese, and herbs.
Sweet Mutabbaq: fill with banana, chocolate, and condensed milk — popular in Southeast Asian versions.
Más picante: agrega un chile fresco finamente picado o una cucharadita de pimienta Aleppo/Urfa molida a los aromáticos para un calor cálido y estratificado en lugar de un golpe único y agudo.
Lighter: reduce the fat by a third and finish with a squeeze of citrus or a splash of vinegar to keep brightness without losing body.
Best eaten immediately. Reheat in a dry pan to restore crispness — avoid microwave.
Mutabbaq arrived in Saudi Arabia through the historical trade connections between the Arabian Peninsula and South and Southeast Asia. The name and concept also appear in Indonesia, Malaysia, and India. In Saudi Arabia it became a beloved street food particularly associated with Ramadan nights when vendors' stalls are busy long after iftar.
Rest the dough fully (1 hour minimum) and work on an oiled surface. The gluten relaxes during resting, making it very easy to stretch without tearing.
Filo pastry works as a shortcut — use 2–3 sheets per pancake.
Sí, la mayoría de los componentes pueden prepararse hasta un día de anticipación y refrigerarse por separado. Calienta suavemente y ensambla justo antes de servir para que las texturas se mantengan distintas.
Mantente cerca del rol que juega cada ingrediente: cambia los aromáticos por otros similares (chalota por cebolla, lima por limón), y mantén el balance grasa-ácido-sal intacto. Las mezclas de especias generalmente pueden aproximarse con lo que esté en la alacena.
Por porción (280g) · 4 porciones totales
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