Balaleet — Print Recipe — The Culinary Codex

A unique Bahraini breakfast of sweet saffron-cardamom vermicelli noodles topped with a savory folded egg omelet. The interplay of sweet and savory in one dish captures the essence of Gulf morning cuisine.

Ingredients

250g thin vermicelli noodles
4 eggs, beaten
3 tbsp ghee
1/4 cup sugar
1/2 tsp saffron threads soaked in 2 tbsp rose water
1/2 tsp ground cardamom
1/4 tsp cinnamon
Pinch of salt
1 tbsp butter for omelet

Instructions

1 Break vermicelli into short pieces. Toast in ghee in a large pot, stirring constantly, until golden brown, about 3 minutes.
2 Add boiling water to cover the noodles. Cook until tender, about 5 minutes, then drain well.
3 Return noodles to pot, add sugar, saffron-rose water, cardamom, and cinnamon. Toss gently over low heat until sugar dissolves.
4 Beat eggs with a pinch of salt. Melt butter in a non-stick skillet and pour in eggs to make a thin, flat omelet.
5 Cook omelet until just set, fold in half or quarters, and slide onto a plate.
6 Mound the sweet vermicelli on a serving plate and place the folded omelet on top. Serve warm.

Did You Know?

Balaleet is served at nearly every Bahraini Eid breakfast table, and children often eat the sweet noodles while leaving the egg for the adults.