Yemeni matbuq — a popular street-food stuffed flatbread with seasoned ground meat, folded into a half-moon and fried until crisp and golden. A favorite suhoor across the Gulf.
Matbuq is one of the popular street foods in Yemen, cooked by street vendors and in homes during Ramadan. This version is delicious with ground meat and Yemeni spices.
In Ramadan it is cooked at suhoor as 'street suhoor' because of its fame and easy portability. The dish is loved across the Gulf, and travelers find it at every Gulf restaurant.
Combine the flour, yeast, sugar, and salt, and gradually add the warm water. Knead for 10 minutes until cohesive. Cover and leave for an hour.
In a pan, heat a spoon of oil and sauté the onion for 5 minutes. Add the ground meat and cook for 7 more minutes. Add the tomato, pepper, garlic, cumin, turmeric, and salt. Leave for 10 minutes until cooked through.
Divide the dough into 8 balls. Roll each ball out very thin (30 cm diameter).
Place a spoon of filling on one half of the dough and fold it into a half circle. Seal the edges by pressing with a fork. Fry in hot oil for 4 minutes per side until golden.
Drain the matbuq on absorbent paper and serve it hot with hot sauce, daqqus, or yogurt.
The glycemic index (GI) measures how quickly a food raises blood sugar, while the glycemic load (GL) measures how much a full serving raises it. Together they give the complete picture.
A low value (≤55) means a gradual rise in blood sugar — the most suitable range for diabetes and insulin resistance.
Glycemic load reflects the impact of the full serving. To lower it: take half a serving, or pair the recipe with a source of protein and fiber.
* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000-calorie diet per FDA food-label reference values — your daily needs may be higher or lower. Values are derived from the recipe's ingredients via the USDA database.
The most common problems when preparing Yemeni Stuffed Matbuq, and how to fix them:
Add flour spoon by spoon until it comes together. Excess water makes it sticky.
Press the fork deeper and make sure the edges are well sealed.
Drain it before stuffing. Tomatoes release a lot of liquid.
Double the cumin and add red pepper before serving.
Two days. Reheat in an oven at 180°C for 10 minutes.
One month before frying. Freeze the stuffed matbuq and fry when needed.
| Original Ingredient | Tested Substitute | Ratio | Flavor Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| Lamb | Ground chicken | 1:1 | Different but acceptable flavor. |
| Meat | Cheese + parsley | 1:1 | A plant-based version. |
| Eggs | Without eggs | 1:1 | Can be skipped. |
| Ingredient | 4 people | 8 people | 12 people |
|---|---|---|---|
| Flour | 300 g | 600 g | 900 g |
| Minced meat | 400 g | 800 g | 1200 g |
| Onion | 100 g | 200 g | 300 g |
| Oil | 200 ml | 400 ml | 600 ml |
Roll the dough very thin (30 cm diameter) so it crisps up when fried. The filling should be dry, not watery, so it does not soak the dough. Seal the edges by pressing with a fork to prevent the matbuq from opening in the oil.
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