• Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar
  • Skip to footer

Tara's Multicultural Table

  • Index
  • International Recipes
  • Travel
  • About Me
  • Contact
  • Policies

Balaleet (Emirati Sweet Vermicelli and Egg Omelet)

3 June, 2020 by Tara 8 Comments

  • Facebook
  • Twitter
  • Email
Jump to Recipe - Print Recipe

Balaleet (Emirati Sweet Vermicelli and Egg Omelet) for #FoodieExtravaganza! Toasted vermicelli noodles are tossed with sugar and spices, then topped with an egg omelet for a delightful contrast of sweet and savory.

Disclosure: This post contains Amazon affiliate links. If you purchase something through the link, I may receive a small commission at no extra charge to you.

Balaleet (Emirati Sweet Vermicelli and Egg Omelet) in a red clay bowl with white flowers on a wooden platter.

Foodie Extravaganza

Foodie Extravaganza is where we celebrate obscure food holidays by cooking and baking together with the same ingredient or theme each month. Karen of Karen’s Kitchen Stories is hosting this time and decided to feature National Egg Day on June 3rd (we also featured eggs back in June 2015- Gyeran Bbang: Korean Egg Bread)!

Other foods celebrated in June are candy, papaya, iced tea, chocolate ice cream, falafel, sushi, catfish, Indian pudding, frozen yogurt, and tapas.

Posting day is always the first Wednesday of each month. If you are a blogger and would like to join our group and blog along with us, come join our Facebook page Foodie Extravaganza. We would love to have you! 

Balaleet (Emirati Sweet Vermicelli and Egg Omelet)

Side view of Balaleet (Emirati Sweet Vermicelli and Egg Omelet) in a red clay bowl with an Arabic tea set in the background.

To celebrate National Egg Day, I made Balaleet (Emirati Sweet Vermicelli and Egg Omelet, بلاليط)! Along with the United Arab Emirates, this dish is also popular in Bahrain, Qatar, Kuwait, and the surrounding region.

I first came across Balaleet while reviewing The Food of Oman a few years ago. I was reminded again last summer when Chad had it often at Iftar (breaking of the fast meal during Ramadan) with his coworkers. 

While researching, I came across many variations from the spices used to the amount and level of sweetness. The Omani cookbook had pieces of the omelet scattered throughout the vermicelli. I personally went with what Chad tried and other Emirati recipes that rests the thin egg omelet over a bed of spiced noodles.

Some recipes also include sautéed onion. During Eid al-Fitr, it is often served with boiled chickpeas and black-eyed peas.

I served the Balaleet with Karak Chai, but it also pairs wonderfully with Arabic coffee, ginger milk, or another tea. 

Be careful to not overcook the vermicelli as they boil in the water. The noodles will steam further with the spices. To help seal the pot well and catch excess moisture, I wrapped the lid with a dishcloth. Make sure no edges drop near the heat source. 

Notable Ingredients

Middle Eastern vermicelli (she’reya, شعريه) are about the same width as angel hair pasta. I have been able to find them in larger grocery stores and markets with Middle Eastern or Latin American (called Fideos) ingredients.

If you cannot locate them, substitute with angel hair pasta broken into about 1 inch pieces. Break them up in a bag or other controlled environment. Before I found the pre-packaged vermicelli, I often ended up with random pieces of angel hair flying across my kitchen. They can also be found on Amazon: Vermicelli Pasta.

Ghee is a clarified butter used in South Asian and Middle Eastern cuisine. You can make your own (recipe from J Cooking Odyssey) or substitute with half butter/half vegetable oil.

Rose water is created by collecting the liquid from distilled roses. I have been able to locate it in markets (make sure it is culinary rose water) with Middle Eastern and South Asian ingredients and on Amazon: Cortas Rose Water.

Check out everyone’s recipes with eggs:

  • Baked Scotch Eggs from Making Miracles
  • Balaleet (Emirati Sweet Vermicelli and Egg Omelet) from Tara’s Multicultural Table
  • Country Biscuit Breakfast (Copycat) from Palatable Pastime
  • Pathare Prabhu Style Egg Drop Curry from Sneha’s Recipe
  • Smoky Honey Chili & Paprika Deviled Eggs from Faith, Hope, Love, & Luck Survive Despite a Whiskered Accomplice
  • Sourdough Waffles and Eggs from A Day in the Life on the Farm
  • Soy Braised Pork with Eggs from Food Lust People Love
  • Spanish Tortilla from Karen’s Kitchen Stories
  • Umami Egg Salad on Homemade Sourdough from Culinary Adventures with Camilla
Balaleet (Emirati Sweet Vermicelli and Egg Omelet) in a red bowl with an Arabic tea set in the background with Karak Chai.

Balaleet (Emirati Sweet Vermicelli and Egg Omelet) Recipe

Adapted from The Arabian Nights Cookbook

Print Pin
5 from 5 votes

Balaleet (Emirati Sweet Vermicelli and Egg Omelet)

A recipe for Balaleet (Emirati Sweet Vermicelli and Egg Omelet)! Toasted vermicelli noodles are tossed with sugar and spices, then topped with an egg omelet for a delightful contrast of sweet and savory.
Course Breakfast
Cuisine Emirati
Keyword breakfast, egg, Emirati, noodle, pasta, United Arab Emirates, vermicelli
Prep Time 15 minutes
Cook Time 25 minutes
0 minutes
Total Time 40 minutes
Servings 4 Servings

Ingredients

For the Vermicelli:

  • 2 tablespoons (30 milliliters) rose water
  • Pinch saffron
  • 7 tablespoons (100 grams) ghee divided
  • 8 ounces (250 grams) vermicelli noodles divided
  • 1/2 cup (100 grams) granulated sugar
  • 1 1/2 teaspoons ground cardamom
  • 1/4 teaspoon salt

For the Omelet:

  • 4 large eggs
  • 1/4 teaspoon salt

Instructions

  • In a small bowl, sprinkle a large pinch of saffron over the rose water. Set aside.
  • In a large pot, add 2 tablespoons ghee and place over medium heat. Once hot, add half of the vermicelli noodles and cook, stirring constantly, until golden brown, about 5 minutes.
  • Fill the pot halfway with hot water and increase heat to medium high. Add the remaining vermicelli and cook, stirring often, until nearly al dente, not quite tender. Do not overcook. Drain and set aside.
  • Place the pot back over medium heat and add 3 tablespoons of ghee. Stir in the sugar, cardamom, salt, and rose water with saffron. Cook, stirring often, until the sugar has dissolved.
  • Stir in the cooked vermicelli noodles, tossing to coat in the spices and sugar. Decrease heat to the lowest setting. Wrap the lid with a dishtowel or cloth and cover the pot tightly. Cook, stirring occasionally, for 10 minutes. Remove from heat.
  • In a large bowl, beat together the eggs and salt.
  • In a frying pan, add 1 tablespoon ghee and place over medium low heat. Once thoroughly heated, pour in half the beaten egg mixture to form a thin layer. Cook, without disturbing until the bottom is set.
  • Flip carefully and cook the other side just until the moisture has disappeared. Immediately remove from heat and repeat with remaining egg mixture, greasing the pan with another tablespoon of ghee.
  • Divide the spiced vermicelli among two serving platters and top each with an egg omelet. Serve immediately or at room temperature.
  • Facebook
  • Twitter
  • Email

Filed Under: Egg, Middle Eastern/African, Pasta and Rice

Previous Post: « Farro Salad with Kale and Roasted Tomatoes
Next Post: Chicken Sate and Fire Islands Cookbook Review »

Reader Interactions

Comments

  1. Karen

    3 June, 2020 at 11:01 am

    First, I love the bowl! Second, this sounds delicious with the sweet and savory.

    Reply
  2. Colleen - Faith, Hope, Love, & Luck

    6 June, 2020 at 5:31 am

    This sounds like a winning combination to me…and definitely something I want to play around with!

    Reply
  3. Sneha

    8 June, 2020 at 7:58 am

    What an incredible combination! Love it.

    Reply
  4. Bianca

    17 February, 2022 at 1:32 pm

    5 stars
    I love the flavor combination of sweet and savory! This looks absolutely amazing

    Reply
  5. Casey

    17 February, 2022 at 1:51 pm

    5 stars
    It looks delish! So many amazing flavors!

    Reply
  6. Jen

    17 February, 2022 at 2:38 pm

    5 stars
    I’ve been looking for new recipes with cardamom because I have been exploring new flavors and this looks delicious!

    Reply
  7. Cyndy

    17 February, 2022 at 3:47 pm

    5 stars
    I love the simplicity of this recipe (aren’t all the best recipes simple!) but also the complex flavor from the cardamom, saffron and rose water.

    Reply
  8. Sara

    17 February, 2022 at 4:00 pm

    5 stars
    Great recipe, love the flavour of the noodle and the addition of the egg!

    Reply

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Recipe Rating




This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.

Primary Sidebar

About Me

tarasmctable (1 of 1)

Hello and welcome to Tara's Multicultural Table! Check out the index to find recipes from around the world and learn more about me here.

Subscribe to Tara's Multicultural Table via Email

Enter your email address to subscribe to this blog and receive notifications of new posts by email.

Join 1,154 other subscribers
  • Facebook
  • Instagram
  • Pinterest
  • Twitter

Categories

Amazon

I am a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program and earn advertising fees by advertising and linking to Amazon.com

Footer

  • Facebook
  • Instagram
  • Pinterest
  • Twitter

Subscribe to Tara's Multicultural Table via Email

Enter your email address to subscribe to this blog and receive notifications of new posts by email.

Join 1,154 other subscribers

Featured Recipes:

Seven Unicorn Cupcakes on a white pedestal.
Loco Moco Pizza on a round wooden board.
Prosciutto Toast on a rectangular white plate with a balsamic glaze.

Privacy Policy

Copyright © 2023 Tara's Multicultural Table on the Foodie Pro Theme