Suhoor ideas from across the Muslim World

Breakfast is known as ‘the most important meal of the day’. Soon Muslims will be waking up for suhoor - the predawn meal prepared before fasting. The Muslim world is beautifully diverse & home to much breakfast inspiration.

Here are 21 suhoor ideas from across the Muslim world…

1/ Cilbir

A simple savory breakfast, Cilbir - also known as Turkish Eggs - is perfectly poached eggs, served over a delicious garlicky yogurt & finished with a warm spicy butter or olive oil sauce with red pepper flakes. Enjoy with fresh bread, like Simit or Barbari.

Credit: themediterraneandish.com

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2/ Ful medames

The stew is made from fava beans cooked with cumin & olive oil, along with ingredients like chopped parsley, garlic, onion, lemon juice, chili pepper & other vegetables. The traditional method of preparing & serving Ful medames is in a large metal jug.

Credit: themediterraneandish.com

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3/ Zeljanica

This savory Bosnian pie (pita) consists of thinly rolled phyllo dough that is filled with a combination of blanched spinach, cheese, cream & eggs. The dough is rolled into a thin sheet called jufka, which is then sprinkled with the filling and shaped into a coil.

Image credit The Taste Atlas

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4/ Shakshouka

A Maghrebi dish of eggs poached in a sauce of tomatoes, olive oil, peppers, onion, garlic, spiced with cumin, paprika and cayenne pepper. “Shakshuka” broadly translates to “all mixed up,” and that's a fitting description for this flavorful stewed blend.

Image credit Downshiftology

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5/ Manakish

A popular Levantine breakfast food consisting of dough topped with thyme, cheese, or ground meat. Similar to a pizza, it can be sliced or folded.

Image credit Pinterest/Unknown

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6/ Balaleet

An Emirati-style sweet vermicelli and egg omelet. The juxtaposition of sweet and savoury offers a welcome contrast, with the noodles lightly spiced, sweetened and flavoured with cardamom, and the omelette either tossed throughout or draped over the noodles.

Image credit Kitchen Maestro

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7/ Paratha

A golden-brown, flaky, layered bread which gets its name from the combination of parat & atta (flour). This bread is made with whole wheat flour & baked in ghee (Indian clarified butter). Parathas are often filled with potatoes, cauliflower, paneer, or radish.

Image credit Whisk Affairs

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8/ Injera fir-fir

Popular in Ethiopia, it is prepared with a combination of berbere spices, clarified butter, onions & pieces of injera flatbread. Chunks of meat or leftover meat sauces are often added to the dish, served with yogurt & chili peppers.

Image credit Wikipedia

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9/ Persian breakfast, Iran

There are many ways to prepare a traditional Persian breakfast, such as flatbread topped with feta cheese, jam, honey, butter, or a steaming bowl of Halim, Adasi, or Kaleh Pache. As a common breakfast drink, Persian tea is also consumed.

Image credit Atefeh Shirkavand

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10/ Lahooh

A staple for morning breakfast in the horn of Africa, lahooh is rolled with butter and sugar or with olive oil and honey. Some people prefer it to soak it with milk or tea.

Image credit my Somali Foods

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11/ Zeit wa Za’atar

Za’atar is a spice blend made of dried herbs like oregano, sumac, thyme & spices like cumin & coriander - add sesame seeds & salt. Mix it with olive oil known as zeit & you’ve got zeit wa za’atar. Dip warm flat bread into the mixture and you’ve got breakfast.

Zeit wa Za’atar wa Labneh Image credit Honestly Yum

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12/ Samsa

A savory pastry popular in Central Asian cuisine. commonly shaped like triangles and stuffed with a mixture of ground meat, potato, pumpkin, or onion. Soft & crunchy on the outside but juicy on the inside this flaky pastry is a staple breakfast food in Uzbekistan.

Image credit Transatlantyk

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13/ Bubur ketan hitam

A traditional sweet porridge originating from Indonesia. It’s usually made with a combination of coconut milk, palm or cane sugar, and black glutinous rice. Despite the name, once cooked, the rice turns dark purple, not black.

Image credit Bubur ketan hitam

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14/ Aseeda

A traditional Yemeni dish - moist, pasty dough consisting of flour, water, yogurt, salt and sunflower oil that is then filled with a rich chicken broth on top, consisting of cooked chicken, onions, water, salt, pepper, garlic, cardamoms, cumin and cilantro.

Image credit Lulus Kitchen

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15/ Halwa poori

A traditional Pakistani and Indian breakfast consisting of fried poori & buttery halwa pudding. Halwa is made from fried semolina, sugar syrup & nuts such as almonds and pistachios. A poori is a soft &fluffy fried bread made from flour, water, salt & oil.

16/ Nasi lemak

A traditional Malaysian rice dish commonly served with roasted nuts, egg, ikan bilis (anchovies) & slices of cucumber. Literally meaning “fatty rice” in Malay, nasi lemak's distinctive taste comes from cooking the rice in coconut milk and pandan leaves.

Image credit the Peach Kitchen

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17/ Malawah

A delicious sweet thin pancake that originated from Somalia, eaten regularly in Somalia, Somaliland, Djibouti, parts of Ethiopia and Kenya.

Image credit @blackfoodie.co on IG

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18/ Shor-Gogal

A popular breakfast bake in Azerbaijan, made from salty puff pastry. It is lovingly baked with spices and often had in combination with sweet tea (Shirin tea) – a filling breakfast, which will maintain strength throughout the day.

Image credit Travel International

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19/ Mas huni

A traditional Maldivian breakfast. Made with a combination of tuna, onions, shredded coconut & chili peppers. The ingredients are mixed in a bowl & seasoned with salt and pepper. The dish is traditionally served with huni roshi, a Maldivian flatbread.

Image credit Everybody Craves

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20/ Mamounia

A Syrian sweet breakfast meal made exclusively in the city of Aleppo. This meal is often served with shaibiat (crunchy cream filled phyllo pastry pockets). Together these two meals are traditionally served for breakfast during Ramadan.

Credit @syrianfoodie on IG

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21/ Kahi

A traditional Iraqi breakfast. It is a sweet dish made with filo pastry. It is served alongside honey and a clotted milk cream. Kahi is made of several stacks of filo pastry and is enjoyed in Bagdad cafés as a dessert.

Image credit Alyaa’s Kitchen

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Sources of Inspiration & Information

https://www.themediterraneandish.com/cilbir-turkish-poached-eggs/

https://www.ghmhotels.com/en/blog-ghmjourneys/food-for-thought/eat-like-an-omani-or-original-oman/

https://kaleela.com/it/wake-up-tomorrow-eat-the-best-arabic-breakfast-ever

https://www.tasteatlas.com/most-popular-breakfasts-in-yemen

https://www.willflyforfood.net/uzbek-food/

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Manakish

https://www.mysomalifood.com/malawah-somali-crepes/

https://ati.az/blog-2/azerbaijan-national-breakfast/

https://www.slurrp.com/article/the-best-way-to-start-your-day-try-these-7-delicious-persian-breakfast-recipes-1651427502794

https://www.tasteatlas.com/most-popular-breakfasts-in-pakistan