They say, “Breakfast is the most important meal of the day” and Middle Easterners can’t agree more when they take this to a whole new level.

A Middle East breakfast is almost a fiesta of colours, flavours and textures and you will almost forget about Italy’s crostata, France’s cheese and pastries and the American pancakes. This is also a great way to spend some quality family time.

Next time you are in one of these Middle East countries, don’t just eat the most important meal of the day but learn the essential Middle Eastern breakfast recipes.

You Will Drool Over These Middle Eastern Breakfast Recipes

1. FOOL (Ful Mudammas):

Fool or Ful Mudammas is made with fava beans, cumin, garlic, onion and olive oil. Though hummus and fool go hand-in-hand, outside the Middle East fool remains quite unknown.

Ingredients to Prepare Fool –

• 1 can fool (cooked fava beans)
• 1 lemon, juiced
• 1 tomato (chopped)
• Extra-virgin olive oil
• ¼ cup mint leaves (chopped)
• 1 clove garlic minced

Direction –

• Use a small pan to heat the fool.
• Once it boils, reduce the heat and simmer for a few minutes.
• Mash with a pestle, add tomatoes and mint.
• Pour mixture in a serving plate, with tomatoes and mint adorn the top.
• Drizzle with olive oil.

2. Samoon:

Primarily known as an Iraqi bread, Samoon is predominant in the Mediterranean and numerous parts of the Middle East and certainly doesn’t look and taste the same. Samoon has several versions, depending on the method of preparation. If you wish to make your samoon, you may like to follow this recipe.

Ingredients to Prepare Samoon –

• 6 cups of white flour
• 4 cups of warm water
• 2 tablespoons sugar
• 2 tablespoons salt
• 4 teaspoons yeasts
• 2 cups of wheat flour
• 3 tablespoons sesame seed
• 5 tablespoons olive oil
• 1 egg

Direction –

• Take a bowl and put 2 cups of warm water
• Add sugar and yeasts (leave it for 3 – 4 minutes to rise)
• Get another bowl and add wheat flour, olive oil and white flour.
• Mix them well and add yeasts and 2 cups of water and knead the dough.
• Add ½ tablespoon olive oil at the bottom of the bowl and add the knead dough on top.
• Now, cover and leave it for half an hour.
• Cut dough into 12 to 16 pieces (round shape).
• Add a greased baking sheet (let it rise for 30 minutes).
• Crack an egg and glaze the dough with the egg and then add sesame seed.
• Bake for 20 – 30 minutes in the oven (until golden brown).

3. Shakshuka:

Even though you will come across Shakshuka being made throughout the Middle East, Israelis have a penchant for this dish for breakfast. Shakshuka is a scrumptious Middle Eastern egg dish made on the stovetop. It is healthy, tasty and gluten-free.

Ingredients to Prepare Shakshuka –

• 1/2 onion (peeled and diced)
• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 1 clove garlic (minced)
• 1/2 tablespoon fresh chopped parsley
• 4 cups ripe diced tomatoes
• 1 bell pepper (seeded and chopped)
• 1 teaspoon mild chili powder
• 2 tablespoons tomato paste
• 1 teaspoon paprika
• 1 teaspoon cumin
• Pinch of sugar
• Pinch of cayenne pepper
• 6 eggs
• Salt and pepper

Directions –

• Warm olive oil in a large skillet.
• Add chopped onion and wait until it softens and then add garlic.
• Now, put the diced bell pepper and saute for several minutes (medium heat).
• Once it gets softened, add tomato paste and tomatoes and leave it for a few minutes.
• Then add sugar and spices, stir (5 to 7 minutes over medium heat)
• If it starts to reduce, add salt and pepper as your preference.
• Crack the eggs and cover the pan for 10 – 15 minutes.
• Your dish is ready. You can have it with warm crusty bread or pita.

4. Pita:

Watching the pitas puff to glorious heights is one of the most relishing sights to behold for a serious chef. If you have got no idea how to make fresh Israeli pita bread, you may get intrigued to check out the easiest recipe here.

Ingredients to Prepare Pita –

• 2 0.25-ounce packages/42 grams active dry yeast
• 1 1/2 cups lukewarm water
• 1 teaspoon sugar
• 1 teaspoon of sea salt
• 4 cups flour

Directions –

• Whisk together sugar, yeast and lukewarm water in a large bowl.
• Keep this stand for at least 10 minutes until the yeast blooms.
• Whisk together salt and flour in another bowl and add to the yeast mixture.
• Once you have a shaggy dough, you may knead until smooth (5 – 10 minutes).
• Put the dough in a bowl (lightly oiled), cover it with a plastic wrap (for 60 minutes) until the dough has doubled in quantity.
• Knead and divide into small balls.
• Roll each ball into a thin disc and then carefully place pitot on the baking sheets cover and leave it to rise (30 minutes).
• Increase the heat, place the baking sheets at the bottom racks (oven) and watch until it puffs up.
• Once the pitot puffs up, serve them warm with Israeli salad and Israeli hummus.