Balaleet — Print Recipe — The Culinary Codex

A beloved Qatari breakfast of sweet saffron-and-cardamom-scented vermicelli noodles crowned with a thin savory omelet, creating a delightful contrast of sweet and savory in every forkful.

Ingredients

250g thin vermicelli noodles
3 eggs, beaten
1/4 cup sugar
2 tbsp ghee
1/4 tsp saffron, soaked in 2 tbsp warm water
1/2 tsp cardamom powder
1 tbsp rose water
Pinch of salt
1 tbsp vegetable oil

Instructions

1 Break vermicelli into short pieces and toast in a dry pot over medium heat for 2 minutes until lightly golden, stirring constantly.
2 Add ghee, sugar, saffron water, cardamom, and rose water. Stir well, then add 2 cups boiling water. Cook covered on low for 8 minutes until noodles are tender.
3 Fluff the noodles with a fork and let any remaining liquid absorb off the heat for 5 minutes.
4 Heat oil in a non-stick pan and pour in beaten eggs with a pinch of salt. Cook as a thin omelet for 2 minutes per side until just set.
5 Mound the sweet vermicelli on a plate and drape the omelet on top. Serve warm.

Did You Know?

Balaleet perfectly embodies Gulf cuisine's love of combining sweet and savory — a trait influenced by centuries of Indian Ocean spice trade.