Wheat Porridge (Belila)
Aperçu
Belila is Egyptian wheat porridge: whole wheat berries cooked until they burst, served warm in hot milk with toasted almonds and cinnamon. It is a breakfast dish, and it is equally at home as a snack or a filling dessert. Whole wheat berries are the point, and they are quite different from any milled grain. Left whole, they hold their shape and burst open rather than dissolving, giving a chewy, almost popping texture that no flour or flake reproduces. The fuller Egyptian version carries anise seed and golden raisins in a light syrup alongside the milk and almonds, which is worth knowing since neither appears in this recipe's ingredient list. The method is soaking rather than long cooking. The berries are covered with boiling water and left overnight, then cooked briefly and rested off the heat until they pop open. Cooked wheat berries should be kept in the fridge undrained, and portions warmed with hot milk poured over as needed, which makes it a practical thing to have prepared in advance. It is eaten by children and adults alike and is regarded as comfort food at any hour.
Note de Patrimoine AFN
Belila is an Egyptian porridge of whole wheat berries, conventionally served warm with milk, toasted almonds and cinnamon, and eaten at breakfast or as a sweet dish.
Ingrédients
Les mentions alimentaires sont fournies par les contributeurs à titre indicatif. Elles ne sont pas vérifiées par AFN et dépendent des produits que vous achetez. En cas d’allergie grave, vérifiez vous-même chaque ingrédient. Cuisine, allergies et votre propre jugement
Préparation
- 1
Bring 2 cups of water to the boil in a saucepan.
- 2
Add the wheat berries, cover and remove from the heat.
- 3
Let them soak for 6 hours or overnight.
- 4
Drain.
- 5
Combine the soaked wheat berries with the remaining 4 cups of water and bring to the boil.
- 6
Cook over medium heat for 10 to 15 minutes.
- 7
Remove from the heat and let stand until the berries pop open, another 10 to 15 minutes.
- 8
Divide the wheat berries between serving bowls.
- 9
Add a few spoonfuls of hot milk, a handful of almonds and a sprinkle of cinnamon to each bowl before serving.
Notes de l’Africook
- Do not skip the overnight soak. Wheat berries are hard and will not soften properly in the short cooking time given.
- Let them stand off the heat until they pop open. That resting stage is what gives the texture, and cutting it short leaves them chewy in the wrong way.
- Store cooked wheat berries in the fridge undrained. They keep several days and are reheated in portions with hot milk poured over.
- Toast the almonds before they go on. Raw almonds are bland against the sweet porridge.
- For the fuller Egyptian version, add anise seed and golden raisins in a light syrup, neither of which appears in this ingredient list.
- Pour the milk on at the table rather than mixing it in, so the berries keep their texture.
Questions fréquentes
What are wheat berries?
Whole, unprocessed wheat grains with only the inedible hull removed, so the bran, germ and endosperm are all intact. They hold their shape when cooked and burst open rather than dissolving, giving belila its chewy texture. They are sold in health food shops and Middle Eastern grocers.
Can I use a different grain?
Barley and spelt berries behave similarly and both work. Pearl barley is softer and cooks faster. What will not work is any milled or flaked grain, since the whole point of belila is the intact berry that pops open. Bulgur and cracked wheat are also unsuitable for the same reason.
Why does it need to soak overnight?
Because wheat berries are hard, and the recipe cooks them for only 10 to 15 minutes. The overnight soak in hot water does most of the softening, and the brief cook plus the resting period finishes it. Without the soak they stay stubbornly tough however long you cook them.
Can I make it ahead?
Yes, and it is designed for it. Cook the wheat berries, keep them in the fridge undrained, and heat portions as needed with hot milk poured over. They keep several days. This is how it is commonly handled in Egyptian homes, so belila is available at any hour without fresh cooking.
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