The Recipe: Bagila Bil Dihin, the Ultimate Iraqi Breakfast
Who else loves breakfast? A lot of us eagerly look forward to the huge weekend breakfast – brunch, if you may. But have you tried an Iraqi breakfast before? It’s a bit different and out of some people’s comfort zone; it’s called “Bagila Bil Dihin” and it sounds like a heart attack since the literal translation is “beans with fat”. Bagila is actually the Iraqi word for beans, broad beans, or fava beans to be precise.
As you can see in the picture below, Bagila Bil Dihin is basically fried eggs over broad beans and soaked pita bread, topped with hot oil. For ages, this dish has been made mainly for breakfast, but many Iraqis now serve it as a main course due to its heavy ingredients.
The recipe is relatively easy and the ingredients are available in almost every household;
- ½ lb dried broad beans
- Lemon juice from one lemon
- Dash of salt
- 2 large pita bread, cut into large cubes
- ½ cup vegetable oil
- 1 onion, cut into thin slices
- 2 tablespoons parsley, chopped
- 3-4 eggs
Start by soaking the broad beans overnight, then on the next day, use a medium-size pot to bring the beans to a boil until soft, then add a dash of salt and lemon juice. Then, remove the beans from the water, and set them aside. Keep the water boiling over low heat for a bit. Prepare the bread and cut them into cubes, then pour a little of the broad bean over the bread till it’s soaked. Start heating the oil, add the onions and fry until caramelized. Then beat a couple of eggs, and pour on top of the onions without stirring. This is where the fun part starts, once the eggs are cooked, put the fried eggs over the beans, and pour all of the extra oil over the whole platter. Finally, top it with some chopped parsley and enjoy!
