Healthy Matazeez With Wholewheat Dough, Chicken and Vegetables
Matazeez is a classic Najdi winter dish: discs of dough cooked in a meat and vegetable broth. We make it with wholewheat flour and skinless chicken, and load it with courgette, pumpkin and carrot so it's a complete, filling meal.
Why it's healthy
- Wholewheat flour instead of white = more fibre
- Skinless chicken instead of fatty meat
- More vegetables than dough
Healthy Matazeez
Ingredients
- 2 cups wholewheat flour
- 700 g skinless chicken
- 2 courgettes, 2 carrots and a piece of pumpkin
- 3 tomatoes and 1 tbsp tomato paste
- 1 onion
- Spices (cumin, turmeric, dried lime, black pepper)
- 1 tbsp oil
Method
- Knead the flour with water and salt until smooth; rest 15 minutes.
- Brown the onion and chicken in the oil with the spices, add tomatoes, paste and 8 cups of water; simmer 20 minutes.
- Add the carrot and pumpkin for 10 minutes, then the courgette.
- Roll out the dough and cut large thin discs; add them to the broth one by one.
- Simmer gently for 15 minutes until cooked and serve hot.
Tip
Don't drop all the dough discs in at once — add them gradually so they don't stick together.
Matazeez vs margoog
Both are Najdi winter dishes of dough in broth. In matazeez the dough is larger, slightly thicker discs; in margoog it's rolled very thin and cut into small squares.
Frequently asked questions
Can I make it with meat?
Yes — choose lean meat, trim visible fat and cook longer until the meat is tender.
How do I keep the dough from going gummy?
Roll it thin, add it to boiling broth, and don't stir too much for the first 5 minutes.
Can I freeze it?
The broth freezes well, but the dough is best made fresh when you eat.
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⚠️ For general education only. If you have a health condition or allergy, consult your doctor.