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bahrain-breakfast

Bahrain Breakfast: Balaleet, Foule, Nikhee, Tomato Eggs, and Tomato Cucumber Salad

grandprixeats
Traditional Bahrain Breakfast. Persian vermicelli sweetened with sugar and cardamom, topped with soft scrambled eggs. Spicy fava beans. Tomato braised chickpeas. Persian style tomato eggs.
5 from 1 vote
Print Recipe Pin Recipe
Total Time 1 hour 30 minutes
Course Appetizer, Breakfast, Formation Lap
Cuisine Arabic, Bahrain, Persian
Servings 4

Ingredients
  

Balaleet

  • 1 pinch saffron
  • 2 tbsp water
  • 200 g vermicelli noodles
  • 1 ½ tbsp butter
  • ¼ cup granulated sugar
  • 1 tbsp ground cardamom
  • ½ tbsp butter
  • 2 eggs, beaten

Foule

  • 1 can fava beans
  • ½ cup water
  • 1 tsp cumin
  • ½` tsp sumac
  • 2 garlic cloves, minced
  • 1 serrano pepper, half seeded and chopped
  • 1 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
  • 1 handful parsley, chopped
  • ⅛ cup tomato, chopped
  • ½ lemon, juiced

Nikhee

  • 1 can chickpeas, drained & rinsed
  • 1 tbsp vegetable oil
  • 2 garlic cloves, minced
  • 2 inch fresh ginger, grated
  • ½ white onion, chopped
  • 2 tomatoes, diced
  • 2 tsp coriander seeds
  • ½ tsp cumin seeds
  • ½ tsp ground cinnamon
  • ½ tsp clove
  • ¾ tsp kashmiri chili powder
  • 1 handful parsley, chopped

Tomato Eggs

  • 3 eggs, beaten
  • 1 aubergine
  • 1 tomato, chopped
  • ½ small white onion, chopped
  • ½ tsp ground cumin
  • ¼ parsley, chopped

Cucumber Tomato Salad

  • ½ english cucumber, seeded and chopped
  • 1 tomato, chopped
  • 1 handful parsley, chopped
  • 1 tbsp olive oil
  • ½ lemon, juiced

Instructions
 

Balaleet

  • In a small bowl on the side, hydrate your saffron in the water to make "saffron water".
  • Bring a medium saucepan of water to a boil on the stove and season lightly with salt.
  • In a dry pan, add the vermicelli noodles. Stirring constantly to avoid burning, toast until you see the vermicelli starting to brown.
  • As soon as the vermicelli is toasted enough, transfer from the dry pan to the pot of boiling water. Cook as the package directs, should be about 3-5 minutes. Drain.
  • Place the drained noodles back into the saucepan and add the butter, sugar, and cardamom. The warm noodles should melt the butter and coat the noodles with the warm cardamom sugar.
  • In the pan you used to toast the vermicelli, melt the 1/2 tbsp of butter and then lightly scramble the eggs. Serve the balaleet in a shallow bowl and top with the scrambled eggs.

Foule

  • In a saucepan, add the water and fava beans. Bring to a simmer then mash with a potato masher or fork while still leaving a few beans whole. Season with salt, pepper, coriander, and cumin.
  • In a coffee grinder or mini-food processor, blend together the chili, garlic, and oil to make a spicy garlic topping for the foule.
  • To serve, place the hot foule in a shallow bowl and top with the chili garlic oil, parsley, and fresh tomato. Finish with a good squeeze of fresh lemon juice.

Nikhee

  • In a saucepan heat the vegetable oil and soften the onion, 3-5 minutes. Add the fresh ginger and garlic and cook for 1 minute longer.
  • Add the chopped tomatoes and spices and cook until just combined.
  • Add the chickpeas to the tomato mixture and cook until slightly thickened and combined. Stir in the parsley then serve.

Tomato Aubergine Eggs

  • Preheat your oven to 400°F. Slice your aubergine in half length wise and score a criss-cross pattern across the flesh of the aubergine. Drizzle with olive oil and season with salt and pepper. Sandwich your eggplant back together and wrap tightly in tin foil. On the rack on your oven, roast the aubergine in the tin foil for about 25-30 minutes. Once the aubergine is soft and tender, unwrap it from the tin foil and let cool slightly before scooping out the delicious aubergine meat with a tablespoon. Set aside.
  • In a saucepan fry the onions until softened. Add the roasted aubergine and spices and cook for 5 minutes longer, ensuring the aubergine is properly broken up in with the onions.
  • Add the tomatoes and cook until just combined.
  • Move the tomato mixture to one side of the pan, then on the clean side add your beaten eggs. Ensure you let the eggs cook about half way.
  • With a spatula or wooden spoon, break up the half cooked eggs and mix in with the tomatoes. Serve immediately.

Cucumber Tomato Salad

  • Acting as the palette cleanser of the meal, combine all ingredients in a bowl and set in the fridge until ready to serve. Can be made 1 day ahead.

Notes

Foule recipe adapted from The Mediterranean Dish .
 
Keyword aubergine eggs, bahrain, bahrain breakfast, bahrain cuisine, bahrain food, balaleet, chickpeas, foule, grandprixeats, nikhee, persian breakfast, persian salad