Often described as the Middle Eastern answer to an omelette or savoury fritter, Ejjeh is a flavourful blend of eggs, herbs, and spices that can be whipped up in minutes.
Estimated reading time: 3 minutes
What is Ejjeh?
Ejjeh is a traditional dish enjoyed across the Middle East, particularly in Lebanon, Syria, and Palestine. It’s a simple yet flavourful recipe that consists of beaten eggs mixed with herbs and spices.
Like any good old traditional recipe, Ejjeh has many variations. For one thing, this Middle Eastern breakfast recipe can be made as an omelette or as fritters. Some people, like me, keep it simple with just herbs and a little sumac. More like the Palestinian ejjeh, and that’s the recipe I give you here.
Others will “fill” this Levantine egg dish with finely chopped or grated courgettes, peppers and so on. The spices can also vary, and may include cumin or allspice.
Where is Ejjeh Found?
Ejjeh is popular throughout the Levant and is often featured in mezze spreads or served as a quick breakfast or lunch.
You’ll find it in bustling Lebanese kitchens, Syrian family gatherings, and Palestinian meals, highlighting its status as an easy but beloved comfort food.
How to Serve Ejjeh
Ejjeh is incredibly versatile:
- As a Mezze: Cut into small squares and served with fresh vegetables, pickles, and dips like labneh or tahini. Much like the spanish tortilla.
Or make small little fritters to begin with. - In Sandwiches: Stuff a piece of Ejjeh into pita bread with a drizzle of tahini and fresh herbs for a quick snack. And the obligatory chilli sauce, if like me, you can’t do without heat. Zhug or even Dagga Gazawiyyah will be perfect here.
- As a Side Dish: Pair it with rice or a fresh salad for a light, balanced meal.
- Breakfast or Brunch: Serve it warm with yoghurt, a cup of tea or Arabic coffee.
Tips for Making the Perfect Ejjeh
- Fresh Herbs: Always use fresh parsley and mint for the best flavour.
- Texture: For a fluffier Ejjeh, skip the flour. For a firmer fritter, add the flour.
- Vegetable Additions: Grated zucchini, carrots, or finely chopped bell peppers make great additions. Or squash, when in season.
- Spice variations: use whatever spice you fancy like baharat, cumin, chilli flakes or allspice.
- Cheese: while not traditional, you can add some grated cheese to the mix.
There you have it. Ejjeh is more than just an omelette or fritter, it’s a celebration of Middle Eastern flavours and a testament to the region’s culinary creativity. With its simplicity, versatility, and rich taste, Ejjeh is a dish that fits seamlessly into any meal. Try this recipe today and bring a taste of the Middle East to your table!
Let’s get our aprons on!
If you enjoy the recipe, drop me a comment and let me know. And if you are feeling like a star, don’t forget that 5-star rating! Shukran!
If you make this recipe, post it on Instagram and tag me @azlinbloor.
Lin xx
Ejjeh Recipe (Middle Eastern Omelette or Fritter)
Ingredients
- 4 eggs
- 2 cloves garlic
- ½ tsp salt
- freshly ground black pepper
- ⅛ tsp sumac
- ½ tsp baking powder
- 3 Tbsp plain flour
- 1 handful parsley chopped
- 1 spring onion scallion, chopped
- 2 Tbsp vegetable oil
To Garnish
- sprinkle of sumac
- black pepper
Instructions
- Crack the eggs into a large bowl.
- Place the peeled garlic cloves into a mortar with a pinch of salt and pound to a paste. You could also crush orfinely chop the garlic. Add to the eggs.
- Finely chop the parsley and spring onion.
- Tip in the rest of the salt into the eggs and whisk for 30 seconds to mix well.
- Add the sumac, baking powder and flour and whisk for another 30 seconds to mix. Don’t worry too much about any tiny lumps of flour, these will fall apart while the batter rests.
- Add the herbs and mix well. Leave your ejjeh batter to rest for 10 minutes.
Let's get Cooking
Omelette
- Heat 1 Tbsp of olive oil in a frying pan on medium heat and pour half the ejjeh batter in. Draw in the runny egg mix, as you would when frying a regular omelette. Leave to set for a couple of minutes.
- Fold your omelette over in half and cook for another minute or two. This will depend on how set you like your omelettes. I like them fairly soft and half cooked in the middle.
- Take it out onto a warm plate, and repeat the process to cook your second omelette, with the 2nd tablespoon of olive oil.
Fritters
- Pour 1 Tbsp of the oil in a large non-stick frying pan and swirl once hot. Drop small ladlefuls of the ejjeh batter into the pan. Depending on the size of your pan, you can get 4 – 5 fritters.
- Cook each side of the fritter for about 1 – 2 minutes. Take them out onto a warm plate and finish the rest of the batter, adding more oil as necessary. You may need more than 2 Tbsp if you’re doing the fritters in 3 – 4 batches, depending on the size of your pan.
- Serve as suggested in the article above.
