Ingredients
Beans
- 400 gdried whole broad beans, in their skins
- water, for soaking
- 1.5 litreswater, for cooking
- 1 teaspoonsalt
To finish
- 100 gdihin hurr, clarified sheep butter
- or 100 g ghee
- 4eggs, hard-boiled or fried
- flatbread, torn into pieces
To season
- ground cumin
- salt
- black pepper
- chilli powder or amba, optional
Directions
- Rinse them well in cold water. Cover them deeply with cold water in a large bowl. Leave them to soak overnight at least. Drain and rinse them before cooking.
- Put the drained beans into a large heavy pot. Cover them with the fresh water. Bring it to a boil over a high heat. Skim any foam off the surface. Let it cook for at least ninety minutes. Baghdad stalls keep the pot going for hours.
- Check the water level every half hour. Top it up with hot water as needed. Add the salt in the last twenty minutes. Testing them tells you when they are ready.
- Press a bean between your fingers. It should crush easily and be soft throughout. Reduce it uncovered if it is too thin. Add hot water if the pot has gone dry.
- Mash a few beans against the side to thicken it. Preparing the eggs is done alongside. Peel them and cut them in half. Both are done at Baghdad stalls. Melt the dihin or ghee in a small pan.
- Heat it until it is properly hot but not smoking. It must be hot enough to sizzle on the beans. Tear flatbread into pieces in the bottom of each bowl. Ladle the hot beans and their liquor over the bread.
- Set half an egg on top of each bowl. Now pour the hot fat over everything. Sprinkle cumin generously over each bowl. Add salt and plenty of black pepper. Add chilli powder or a spoonful of amba if you like. Serving it is done immediately and very hot.
Technique
- Favism is a genuine and potentially serious reaction to broad beans in people with G6PD deficiency, which is common across Iraq and the wider region.
- Dihin hurr, clarified sheep fat, is central to Iraqi cooking and gives this dish its name.
Substitutions
- Ghee is the usual substitute for dihin hurr and is much easier to find.
- Tinned broad beans can be used, though the long-cooked texture is quite different.
Variations
- Some stalls serve it with amba, the pickled mango sauce.
- A version with the beans mashed smooth is also sold.
- Bajilla is eaten across Iraq under slightly different names and preparations.
History
A Baghdad winter breakfast sold from dawn stalls, ladled from a vast pot with the cooking liquor.
Frequently asked questions
What is Bajilla bil dihin?
Bajilla bil dihin is a street food from Iraq: boiled broad beans in their skins served over bread with hot fat and egg. A Baghdad winter breakfast sold from dawn stalls, ladled from a vast pot with the cooking liquor.
How long does Bajilla bil dihin take to make?
Bajilla bil dihin takes 10 minutes plus overnight soaking of preparation and 1 hour 30 minutes of cooking. The recipe makes serves 4. It is rated easy to make.
What can I substitute in Bajilla bil dihin?
Yes, within limits. Ghee is the usual substitute for dihin hurr and is much easier to find. Tinned broad beans can be used, though the long-cooked texture is quite different.
What is the most important thing to get right in Bajilla bil dihin?
Heat it until it is properly hot but not smoking. It must be hot enough to sizzle on the beans. Tear flatbread into pieces in the bottom of each bowl. Ladle the hot beans and their liquor over the bread.
