Balaleet

Ingredients

• 250g fine wheat vermicelli (sha'riya)
• 60g unsalted butter
• 70g caster sugar
• 0.5 tsp ground cardamom
• Large pinch saffron threads
• 2 tbsp rose water
• 0.25 tsp ground turmeric
• 0.5 tsp salt
• 5 eggs
• 1 tbsp vegetable oil
• 2 tbsp slivered pistachios

Before you cook

• Crush the saffron threads between your fingers into a small bowl and pour over the rose water to steep.
• Break the vermicelli into pieces roughly five centimetres long.
• Crack the eggs into a bowl and beat them with a quarter teaspoon of the salt.

Steps

1. Melt half the butter in a wide pan over medium heat.
2. Add the vermicelli and stir constantly for three to four minutes until the strands turn an even golden brown.
3. Pour in enough boiling water to just cover the vermicelli, add the turmeric and the remaining salt, and stir once.
4. Simmer uncovered for four to five minutes until the strands are tender but still have a little bite.
5. Drain the vermicelli in a colander and shake it well.
6. Return the pan to low heat, melt the remaining butter, and add the sugar and cardamom.
7. Tip the drained vermicelli back into the pan and toss it until every strand is glossy and the sugar has dissolved.
8. Pour over the saffron rose water and toss again, then cook for two minutes until the pan is dry.
9. Tip the vermicelli onto a serving platter and keep it somewhere warm.
10. Heat the oil in a non-stick frying pan over medium-low heat and pour in the beaten eggs.
11. Cook the omelette gently for four minutes without stirring, until it is just set on top with no browning underneath.
12. Slide the omelette over the vermicelli, scatter with pistachios, and serve straight away.