Madeeha Qureshi’s mutabbaq – iconic Saudi street food – recipe

“This street food has won the hearts of millions. This is the iconic mutabbaq: soft and crunchy, mouthwateringly fresh and delicately spiced, it makes a perfect snack at any time of the day.

“For me, street food is the index of a nation’s soul: it gives you a snapshot of that particular country, its food, people, diversity and culture. And mutabbaq ticks all of those boxes. It is a warm hug that comforts your soul, and this is how the Saudis are in general: simple, warm, embracing, hospitable and welcoming.”

“Mutabbaq is something I profoundly associate with my childhood in KSA,” she says. “I had the privilege to make this humble yet very delicious dish as a starter on MasterChef UK 2021. It won the love of judges and past winners because it came from deep within.”

Mutabbaq

Ingredients:

For the chicken filling:
1tbsp vegetable oil
125g minced chicken thigh
1⁄4tsp roasted ground cumin, plus an extra pinch
25g coriander, chopped
25g flat leaf parsley, chopped
Small bunch of spring onions, finely chopped (try to get the onions with longer green parts)
Handful of chives, finely chopped
1 red chilli (or as per your preferred level of spiciness), finely sliced
1 firm tomato, deseeded and diced into small cubes
1 large egg, lightly beaten
Salt and freshly ground black pepper

For the pastry parcels:
Sunflower oil (or any neutral oil), for shallow frying
4 large spring roll pastry sheets

To serve:
A green chilli (optional but traditional)
A wedge of lemon

Method:

1. Heat the oil in a frying pan on a high heat. Add the chicken mince and sauté until it is cooked through. Add the pinch of ground cumin and cook until all the liquid in the pan has gone. This will take about four to five minutes. Season with salt and black pepper and set aside to cool down.

2. Mix the coriander, parsley, spring onions, chives, chilli and tomato in a bowl and add the cooked and cooled chicken mince to it. Add the rest of the ground cumin, season to taste, and mix well.

3. Now add about two-thirds of the beaten egg and give it a mix. If it seems too dry, add the rest of the egg and stir. The filling is now ready for stuffing into the spring roll pastry.

4. Pour enough oil into a frying pan to shallow fry and place it on a low-medium heat.

5. Put a couple of tablespoons of the filling mixture in the centre of a pastry sheet, forming a square shape, then fold the edges of the pastry over the filling to form a parcel or envelope. Seal the parcel by dipping your fingers in some water and wetting the edges.

6. Immediately place the parcel in the frying pan. Fry for one to two minutes on each side. (I usually fry one at a time in a small pan, but if you are using a wider pan you can fry two at a time without overcrowding the pan.) Once you get a nice golden brown colour all over, take it out and place on a piece of paper towel to drain the excess oil. Repeat with all the parcels.

7. Cut each parcel into four pieces with a pizza cutter and serve hot with zhoug, shatta, jajeek, tzatziki or any sauce of your choice, a green chilli, if using, and a wedge of lemon.

Tip: This recipe is so forgiving and versatile that you can go completely vegan by replacing the meat and eggs with soya mince and a small boiled and grated potato.

The Red Sea cookbook by Madeeha Qureshi is published by Nourish Books, priced £32. Photography by Patricia Niven. Available now