Dive into Yemeni Street Food with this Beef Martabak Recipe!
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I’m a huge lover of some stuffed bread. A good soft bread enveloping a hearty filing just always gets me excited and makes for the perfect snack or the accompaniment of a satisfying dinner!
I also love exploring new cuisines, as you may have seen if you’ve been a longtime blog reader. Every month or so, I set a goal to try a recipe from a new cuisine. If you’re looking to open your horizons in the kitchen in 2025, then this is the time to get started on your cooking journey for free today by taking part on your Live to Cook one-month challenge! One of the four themes outlined in the challenge is Destinations Unseen, and Yemen was definitely one for me! Trust me, it’s definitely worthwhile to take a trip to the streets of Yemen with this incredible beef martabak recipe, and you’ll want to have it again and again! All you need to do to start your challenge is to sign up to my free email newsletter, plus all of my latest recipes will be delivered directly to your inbox so you never run out of new delicious recipe ideas!
To follow along from the dough making all the way to slicing and serving, then be sure to watch the step-by-step video recipe at the bottom of this post! I would really appreciate it if you could please subscribe to my YouTube channel if you’re not already, and be sure to press the bell button to be notified when all of my video recipes are live! Let’s get cooking!
What is Yemeni martabak?
Martabak, also known as Murtabak or Mutabbaq (pronounced “moo-TAH-baq”), is a stuffed flatbread that is a popular street food snack across South-East Asia and some regions of the Middle East. In Arabic, the meaning of Martabak is “folded.” Martabak can be vegetarian by being stuffed with eggs and vegetables, or you can stuff the bread with meat and potatoes. The variations will differ based on the region where the Martabak is prepared. What’s common is that the bread is shaped into squares, and on the streets they serve martabak is small slices. Today, we will focus on the Yemeni version of Martabak with a beef filling with some vegetables.
As an Indian who loves stuffed parathas from Aloo Paratha to Chicken Keema Paratha, I was thrilled to try this recipe out! The difference between Yemeni Martabak and the Indian paratha is that the Martabak dough is prepared with an egg, and it is rolled out very thinly. Additionally, as previously mentioned, instead of the classic circular or triangular shape of a paratha, we’ll be shaping these stuffed flatbreads into squares.
Why You’ll Love This Beef Martabak Recipe
Simple to make: You’ll find that making the dough is fairly straightforward. If you’re new to making your own bread, then don’t worry! This recipe will guide you step-by-step on how to achieve the perfect dough for our beef Martabak! The beef filling also only requires one pan to make with minimal steps. Then, we assemble, cook and serve!
Nutritious: Thanks to the beef filling, this Yemeni Martabak is high in protein and iron! Beef is also very nutritious because it contains plenty of vitamins and minerals, including vitamin B12, zinc, selenium, iron, vitamin b6 and phosphorous.The fats from the beef and the olive oil used to cook the beef filling combined with the protein from the beef will keep you full and satisfied!
Soft and warm bread: This bread is truly amazing! It is crispy on the outside yet so soft and warm. You’ll love just holding onto these, and they’re almost too nice to eat!
Great for kids: I know this from personal experience from when I was a kiddo but I think we can all agree that children love handheld snacks! This Beef Martabak recipe will have children get in their protein and vegetables in a unique and delicious way! You could even get the kids involved in the process by having them help out adding the filling inside the dough!
Equipment Needed to Make Beef Martabak
Ingredients For Yemeni Beef Murtabak
All ingredients and their quantities can be found in the FULL PRINTABLE recipe card by scrolling to the bottom of this post or by pressing the “Jump to Recipe” button. You can use the recipe card to save the recipe for later and scale the ingredients based on how many pieces of Martabak you want to make! By default, the recipe yields 4 pieces.
For the Martabak Dough
Water
Large egg
For the Beef Filling
Lean ground beef: As I describe in my free motivational guide to explore your potential in the kitchen, Make Cooking Fun!!, if you already have a suitable substitute, then don’t stress about going to the store for a single ingredient! If you have medium or extra lean ground beef already in your fridge, then don’t go out of your way to get lean! If you’re using medium ground beef, then your filling will just be even tastier! If you’re using extra lean ground beef, in contrast, then your filling will be drier. It will still be delicious if you make it as described, but the overall martabak just may be less juicy. It may or may not bother you, but the recipe will indeed be just fine if you’re using extra lean ground beef!
Red onion
Roma tomato
Spices: Turmeric, ground coriander, ground cumin, ground black pepper, cayenne pepper
Green onions
How to Make Yemeni Beef Martabak
to Make the Martabak Dough
In a large bowl, combine flour, egg, salt, olive oil, and ½ cup water. Mix to form a soft, smooth dough, adding more water if needed.
Knead until the dough comes together into a ball, then stretch and fold it until smooth and pliable.
Coat the dough with a thin layer of olive oil, cover with plastic wrap, and rest at room temperature for at least 30 minutes.
Making the Beef Filling
Heat a nonstick pan over medium heat and add olive oil.
Add ground beef and break up any large chunks with a wooden spoon.
Once the beef is mostly browned, add onions, ginger-garlic paste, cumin, coriander, turmeric, and chili powder. Mix well and cook for 5–8 minutes until aromatic.
Create a well in the center of the pan, add tomato paste, and cook it briefly before mixing with the rest of the ingredients.
Add diced tomatoes and cook gently for 4–5 minutes until softened.
Stir in scallions, taste, and adjust seasoning. Allow the mixture to cool to room temperature.
Assembling & Cooking the Beef Martabak
Divide the dough to 4 equal portions and form the dough portions to smooth balls (see video for technique).
Spray each portion with oil and then flatten each portion using a rolling pin into thin, large squares. Roll as thin as possible without tearing the dough.
Place ¼ of the meat filling in the center of each square. Spread the filling in a thin layer, leaving a 2–2½ inch gap from the edges.
Fold the edges over the filling, starting with opposite sides, to create a sealed packet.
Heat oil in a cast iron or nonstick pan over medium heat. Place the martabak seam-side up and cook until the first side is golden brown.
Flip and cook the other side. Spray more oil as needed for extra crispiness.
Slice the martabak into small square pieces and serve hot with ketchup or your favorite dipping sauce.
Tips for For Juicy and Delicious Beef Martabak
Ensure that you achieve a soft and not sticky consistency while kneading the dough. This will make the rolling process much easier and result in a softer bread overall! Also, don’t forget to allow the kneaded dough to rest for at least 15 minutes to allow the gluten to relax.
Make sure to cool the meat filling down to room temperature before assembling the martabak.
I used a tava pan since this is my favourite for making stuffed flatbreads, such as parathas! However, if you don’t have a tava pan, then that’s not a problem at all! You can swap for a cast iron pan or you can use non-stick pan. However, if you’re using a regular non-stick pan, be sure to cook on medium heat to avoid damaging the non-stick coating.
You can use tongs to flip the martabaks while cooking if you don’t have a fish spatula.
Use clarified butter or oil to brush the martabak while it is cooking to get additional crispness and even browning all over.
Place the cooked beef martabaks on a wire rack when they has finished cooking to keep them crispy and prevent them from getting soggy as you cook the remaining martabaks.
Variations of Martabak
Protein: I really wanted to make a beef filling here because I simply adore beef fillings stuffed in bread! However, you could replace the ground beef with ground chicken, which is also a popular martabak variation in Yemen. Ground lamb or mutton are also popular choices. You could do ground pork, but it is a less common variation in Yemen.
Egg: It is common that the martabak filling is made with beef and egg. You could also make an egg-only filling!
Cheese: Add cheese to the beef filling, an egg filling, or just with vegetables!
Vegetables: The vegetables I chose here were green onions, red onions and tomatoes, as these are the most commonly used vegetables in authentic martabak. However, other popular choices include bell peppers or even potatoes. Some variations also substitute the green onions for leeks.
How to store Beef MArtabak
Storing Dough
If you’ve made too much martabak dough, then cover it with plastic wrap and store it in the refrigerator. Make sure to use the dough within 2-3 days because the longer the dough stays in the fridge, the darker and harder it becomes.
If using refrigerated dough to make Beef Martabak, allow the dough to come up to room temperature before using by letting it thaw for one hour. Doing this makes the dough pliable and ensures that you have an easy kneading process!
Storing Extra Beef Filling
If there is extra beef filling, then place it an airtight container in the refrigerator. The beef filling should stay good in the fridge for about 4 days, depending on how fresh your ground beef was at the time of cooking. You can make more beef martabak with the filling or use it in something else, such as serving with rice!
Storing Cooked Martabak
Wrap the cooked Yemeni martabak in a moist kitchen towel and transfer in an airtight container in the refrigerator. Eat the cooked beef martabak within 3 to 4 days.
You can easily reheat the beef martabak! The easiest way is certainly the microwave, but I recommend you heat them over a hot tava to preserve the crispiness of the bread while still being warmed through!
Freezing Cooked MArtabak
You can certainly freeze your Martabaks if you can’t finish them within 4 days. To store in the freezer, ensure to tightly wrap them in aluminum foil, and place in a large Ziploc bag. I would not keep them in the freezer for longer than 4 months because the risk of freezer burn increases.
To reheat your frozen Martabaks, you could defrost them in the fridge overnight, but you can reheat them directly from frozen on a tava pan - it will just take a bit longer than reheating refrigerated parathas.
What to Serve with Martabak?
From my research, it appears that it is commonly served with tea, as parathas are served in India! Here are some teas that would pair perfectly well with your Yemeni Beef Martabak:
If you want a cool drink, then a lassi such as a Mango Lassi or Kesar Pista Lassi would do the drink!
Furthermore, I’ve read that for dipping, ketchup is a common choice, which I actually love to do with my parathas! Other delicious dips that would be perfect to serve with your Beef Martabak include Mint-Cilantro Chutney, Tamarind Chutney, Tomato Chutney, Toum Garlic Sauce, or even just some plain yogurt.
More Delicious Handheld Snacks!
Watch How to Make Authentic Yemeni Beef Martabak Here:
Let me know what you think of this recipe in the comments! If you’ve tried this recipe, be sure to post it on social media and tag it with #cookingwithanadi and mention me @cooking.with.anadi. Thank you!