Balaleet is a breakfast of the Arabian Gulf shores, made in Bahrain as in Qatar, the Emirates and Oman: fine vermicelli toasted in butter, cooked until tender and then sweetened with sugar and perfumed with cardamom, saffron and rose water, with a thin, lightly salted omelet laid over the top. It is served on festive mornings, especially during Eid, and at weekend family breakfasts, where its gentle sweetness is set against strong tea.

To an outsider, sweet noodles under an egg sounds like a dare. It is, in fact, a lovely balance, closer to a breakfast pastry than a pasta dish, and it is ready in about 25 minutes. For a Sakhir race weekend, it is the right way to start the morning after a late night race.

The sweet vermicelli

Ingredients

• 1 pinch (about 1/4 teaspoon) saffron threads
• 2 tablespoons (30 ml) warm water
• 3 tablespoons (40 g) ghee or butter
• 8 oz (225 g) fine vermicelli
• 2 1/2 cups (600 ml) water
• 1/4 teaspoon fine salt
• 1/3 cup (65 g) sugar
• 1/2 teaspoon ground cardamom
• 1 tablespoon (15 ml) rose water

Method

1. Crumble the saffron into the warm water in the small bowl and leave to steep.
2. Melt the ghee in the large skillet over medium heat. Add the vermicelli and stir constantly for 3 to 4 minutes. Skip this if your vermicelli is pre toasted.
3. Carefully pour in the water (it will spit) and add the salt. Bring to a boil, then cover, lower the heat and simmer for 5 to 7 minutes, stirring once.
4. Sprinkle over the sugar and cardamom and pour in the saffron water and rose water. Toss gently with a fork over low heat for 2 to 3 minutes.

The omelet

Ingredients

• 4 large eggs
• 2 tablespoons (30 ml) milk
• 1/4 teaspoon fine salt
• 1 pinch ground turmeric or a few saffron threads
• 1 tablespoon (15 g) butter or ghee

Method

1. Beat the eggs, milk, salt and turmeric in the medium bowl with the fork until smooth.
2. Melt the butter in the nonstick skillet over medium heat. Pour in the eggs and tilt the pan to spread them into a thin layer. Cook without stirring for 2 to 3 minutes, then flip with the spatula, or slide onto a plate and turn it back in, and cook 1 minute more.

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