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Belila
Wheat berries in sweet milk
Belila: whole wheat berries in hot sweetened milk with nuts, raisins and coconut
Cold mornings in Cairo and the Delta are when mothers put a pot of belila on the stove, and street vendors sell it in cups from big steaming pans in winter. Plump whole wheat grains are simmered until they burst, then served in hot, sweet, vanilla-scented milk and showered with nuts, raisins and coconut, so every spoonful is chewy, creamy and crunchy at once. Children love it for breakfast and it is a favourite for sahur before a day of fasting in Ramadan. The wheat needs soaking overnight; with ready-cooked wheat, it is done in 15 minutes. Undercooked wheat stays hard and chalky, so cook it until most grains have split open. Most people go wrong by not cooking the wheat long enough; the berries should burst and be tender, not chewy pellets in the milk. Chef's tip: cook a big batch of wheat and keep it in the fridge for up to 4 days, then warm portions in milk.
- Total time
- 85 min
- Difficulty
- easy
- Serves
- 4
Ingredients
For the wheat
- 7 oz whole wheat berriessoaked overnight in cold water
- 5 cups water
For the milk
- 3 ¼ cups whole milk
- 3 tbsp sugaror to taste
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
To top
- 1 ⅜ oz mixed nutswalnuts, almonds, hazelnuts or pistachios, chopped
- 1 ⅜ oz raisins
- 2 tbsp desiccated coconut
- ½ tsp ground cinnamon (optional)
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Method
0/5 doneStep 1: Drain the soaked 7 oz whole wheat berries, put it in a pot with 5 cups water and bring to the boil.
5 minStep 2: Cover and simmer gently, stirring now and then, until the grains are soft and most have split open. Add a splash of water if it gets dry. A pressure cooker does this in about 25 minutes.
65 minStep 3: Drain off any remaining water.
Step 4: Warm 3 ¼ cups whole milk with 3 tbsp sugar in a saucepan until steaming, then stir in 1 tsp vanilla extract and the cooked wheat and heat through for 2 minutes.
3 minStep 5: Ladle into bowls and top with 1 ⅜ oz mixed nuts, 1 ⅜ oz raisins, 2 tbsp desiccated coconut and ½ tsp ground cinnamon, if using. Serve hot.
Nutrition per serving
- Calories
- 380 kcal
- Protein
- 13 g
- Carbs
- 62 g
- Fat
- 10 g
- Fibre
- 7 g
Nutrition values are estimates.
KrazyBadal
Good to know
- How long does belila take?
- About 85 minutes in total: 10 minutes to prepare and 75 minutes to cook.
- How many people does it serve?
- 4 as written. Change the servings above the ingredients and every amount scales to match.
- Is it vegetarian?
- Yes. It has no meat or fish.
- What can I use instead of whole milk?
- Semi-skimmed milk with 1 tbsp cream per 240ml (1 cup).
- What can I use instead of sugar?
- Caster sugar, same amount.
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