Many Lebanese dishes are named after the main ingredients. Bayd w banadoura (literally eggs and tomatoes) is as simple as the title suggests, with no extra onions or peppers.
There is also bayd w lahme (eggs and meat), bayd w batata (eggs and potato) as well as bayd w kousa (eggs and zucchini) but today the star of the show is tomatoes.
This classic Lebanese breakfast is not as spicy as the more famous shakshuka. The flavours depend on the quality of the tomatoes and the egg, and the main spice is black pepper.
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Ingredients
Sourcing some great tomatoes will do all the hard work for you. They are best from mid summer to early autumn.
Plum tomatoes, sugar drop tomatoes, beef tomatoes. Each tomato brings a different level of tanginess and sweetness so don't hesitate to use a combination.
If your tomatoes are not super ripe or just out of season, then add a tiny squeeze of tomato concentrate to increase the tomato-iness.
Try and use free range eggs if you can, their yolks are usually more orange and tastier. Also, try and get the eggs to room temperature first.
Top tips
The secret to making the best eggs and tomatoes is to get the pan really hot so you almost scorch the tomatoes.
You also need to make sure there is enough mild olive oil so the tomatoes really fry and become soft. I also squish them down with the back of a fork or wooden spoon.
Some people stir all the eggs into the tomatoes but I only partially stir them as I like to have some bits with more egg and some with more tomato for variation of texture.
The other essential element is some good bread. You can buy great quality Lebanese flatbreads at your local Middle Eastern grocery store. Squeeze the bread and if it springs back then you know it's super fresh.
The other option is to freeze good quality pitta bread and simply pop it in the toaster just before you are ready to eat.
📖 Recipe
Lebanese breakfast egg and tomatoes
Quick and easy classic Lebanese breakfast
Ingredients
- 1 cup of tomatoes chopped
- 4 large free range eggs
- ¼ teaspoon black pepper (good pinch)
- Sprinkle of salt
- 3 tablespoon mild olive oil (good drizzle
Instructions
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Heat up a non stick pan with a good drizzle of mild olive oil (approx 3 tbsp), add the tomatoes
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Add a sprinkle of salt and a good pinch of black pepper, fry the tomatoes on high heat, squishing them down with the back of a wooden spoon
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When the tomatoes are soft, make hollows in the sauce and crack over the eggs
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Cook for a few more minutes, partially stirring the eggs into some of the tomato. Serve with fresh flatbreads
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