Mfarakeh
 Mfarakeh | |
| Alternative names | mofarakah, mufaraqah |
|---|---|
| Type | Breakfast |
| Place of origin | Levant |
| Region or state | Arab world |
| Serving temperature | Hot |
| Main ingredients | potato, egg, ghee |
Mfarakeh (Arabic: مفركة, also spelled mofarakah or mufaraqah also known as Batata Wa Bayd[1] (Arabic: بطاطا وبيض, lit. 'potatoes and eggs') is an Arab dish made of potato, egg, ghee, cumin powder, salt and pepper, in addition chopped coriander leaf for garnish.[2][3][4][5] This dish is very simple to make for breakfast, lunch or dinner. It is eaten with Arabic bread (Pita) and Arabic tea.[6]
Mfarakeh is traditionally served as part of a mezze in the Arab world, especially in the Levant (Lebanon, Syria, Palestine, Jordan).[7]
Etymology
[edit]
The word "mfarakeh" (Arabic: مفركة) is derived from the Arabic verb, Arabic: فرك, romanized: farak, meaning "the rubbed".[8] The root is also used to describe the crumbling apart of fully ripe wheat when rubbed in one's hand[9] or even a wooden whisk used to break up food.[10] This renders the meaning closer to "that which is crumbled or broken apart into bits"; descriptive of the way the egg falls in crumbles around the potatoes.
Another name for it is mfaraket baid o batata, meaning "rubbed eggs and potatoes".[11]
History
[edit]2 recipes for mufarraka were described in a cookbook by 13th-Century Abbasid author Muhammad bin Hasan al-Baghdadi.[12] One recipe called for frying eggs and fish in sesame oil, while the other called for chicken liver in place of fish.[12]
Variations
[edit]The ingredients can be cooked together in a pan like an omelette,[1] or can be cooked separately and made into a salad.[13][11]
A variety of spices are used, like sumac, za'atar,[1] or seven-spice.[13]
Mfaraket Koosa
[edit]Mfaraket Koosa (Arabic: مفركة كوسا, lit. 'Zucchini mfarakeh') is a similar dish made with zucchini or courgette, it can be made with eggs,[14] or sometimes meat, or even vegan.[15][16][17]
The name mfaraket koussa also refers to a Syrian and Lebanese zucchini stew.[18][19][15]
See also
[edit]References
[edit]- ^ a b c Tamimi, Sami. "Batata w Bayd". Sami Tamimi. Retrieved 8 September 2025.
- ^ Ciezadlo, Annia (2012-02-14). Day of Honey: A Memoir of Food, Love, and War. Simon and Schuster. ISBN 9781416583943.
- ^ "Batata Wa Bayd Mfarakeh (Lebanese Potatoes and Eggs)". FoodBlogs. Retrieved 2017-11-13.[dead link]
- ^ "This week's picks | SBS Food". Food. Retrieved 2017-11-13.[dead link]
- ^ msnarain (2016-11-17). "Visiting Jordan". a quick guide to the country where east meets the west. Retrieved 2017-11-13.
- ^ atbaki.com. "Mfarakeh recipe in the way of video clips". Atbaki.com. Archived from the original on 2017-11-14. Retrieved 2017-11-13.
- ^ Arabic, Recipe. "Arabic recipe - Palestinian potatoes and eggs" (in Arabic). Retrieved 2017-11-13.
- ^ Team, Almaany. "Translation and Meaning of farak In English, English Arabic Dictionary of terms". www.almaany.com. p. 1.
- ^ Lane, Edward William (1863), “فرك”, in Arabic-English Lexicon, London: Williams & Norgate; pages 2387-2388.
- ^ Badawi, El-Said; Hinds, Martin (1986), “ف ر ك”, in A Dictionary of Egyptian Arabic: Arabic - English, Beirut: Librairie du Liban; page 653
- ^ a b "Mfaraket baid o batata (egg and potato salad)". Middle East Monitor. 10 September 2022. Retrieved 8 September 2025.
- ^ a b Arberry, Arthur John (2001). Medieval Arab Cookery. Prospect Books. pp. 76, 379. ISBN 978-0-907325-91-8. Retrieved 20 September 2025.
- ^ a b Chatila, Karima Hazim; Tabbouch, Sivine (14 September 2024). "Salad, hummus and plenty of herbs: Karima Hazim Chatila and Sivine Tabbouch's Lebanese breakfast spread". The Guardian. Retrieved 8 September 2025.
- ^ Ottolenghi, Yotam (14 September 2024). "Curried omelette and courgette eggs: Yotam Ottolenghi's brunch recipes". The Guardian. Retrieved 7 September 2025.
- ^ a b الجوهرة, مجلة (20 January 2020). "من المطبخ السوري.. «مفركة الكوسا بدون لحمة»" [From Syrian cuisine: "Zucchini Mufrakah without meat"]. Al-Jawhara Magazine (in Arabic). Retrieved 7 September 2025.
- ^ "Mfaraket Koosa' or Beef & Zucchini hash". Syria Times. 30 January 2023. Archived from the original on 9 Dec 2024. Retrieved 7 September 2025.
- ^ "طريقة عمل مفركة الكوسا" [How to make zucchini mfarakeh]. Just Food. Retrieved 7 September 2025.
- ^ Ruengsorn, Diane (9 August 2011). "Home To Table: Tawlet, Beirut's Home-Cooking Restaurant". Saveur. Retrieved 8 September 2025.
- ^ "Mfaraket koussa | Traditional Stew From Lebanon | TasteAtlas". TasteAtlas. Retrieved 8 September 2025.
