Street Food · Folded & Fried

Mutabbaq

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Its name simply means 'folded' in Arabic — the entire dish is named after the fold that seals it shut.

A thin sheet of dough is filled with spiced minced meat, egg and green onion, folded into a square parcel, and pan-fried until crisp and golden. Sliced into pieces and served with lemon wedges and green chilies from hole-in-the-wall stalls.

Why it's made this way: Carried into the Hejaz by traders and pilgrims from South and Southeast Asia, mutabbaq took root alongside sambosa as an affordable, hearty snack along Saudi Arabia's historic trading routes.