A dish of Riyadh and Qassim
Matazeez is one of the most popular dishes in the Riyadh and Qassim regions and in some Gulf Cooperation Council countries. It is also known in other Saudi regions such as Al-Baha, and across most of the Kingdom it is made under the name daghabis, with some variation in spices and flour. It is prepared differently in the Eastern Province and the central regions, and in Hail it is one of the calorie-rich dishes.
The name
The word matazeez does not appear in Arabic dictionaries. Some believe it joins matt, to stretch, for the dough rolled thin, with zeez, small, for the little pieces of dough that shrink as they cook.
Ingredients
The dough is made from whole-wheat flour and sea salt. The broth is usually made from lamb shoulder or leg with onions, tomatoes and Arabic spices, and thick slices of potato, aubergine and green beans are added. The result depends on the type of flour, how thinly the dough is rolled and how much it is kneaded.
Making and serving it
Matazeez takes about an hour and a half. It needs no old tools beyond a pressure cooker to speed up the meat and vegetables, though heritage enthusiasts prefer traditional ones. It is a winter dish whose calories give energy and warmth, and it is filling enough to be served alone, with the meat and vegetables.
Related dishes
Matazeez is thought to have developed from similar dishes such as mathlotha and marqooq, which share most of its ingredients but differ in how the dough is prepared, cut and combined; in all of them the dough is cut and simmered in broth with vegetables and spices. Saudipedia lists matazeez and marqooq among the winter dishes of Wadi Al-Dawasir Governorate.