Breakfast holds an important place in the Iranian diet.

This meal was especially important in the past, when most people worked in farming. It needed to be nutritious enough to provide sufficient energy for physically demanding tasks. For this reason, there are very nutritious foods that are consumed as breakfast in different cities of Iran. Gabouleh is one of these foods that the people of Kazeroun use as a nutritious, healthy, and delicious breakfast.

Ingredients

Wheat or barley flour: one glass. It is suggested to use wholemeal flour to provide the fibre needed by the body.

Dried chamomile flowers: one cup

Turmeric: two tablespoons

Sugar: 1.5 cups

Oil: as per taste

Sliced almonds, walnuts, and cocoa powder can also be added to Gabouleh.

Sometimes a mixture of cinnamon, black pepper, and turmeric is added for flavour.

In addition to adding flavour to food, chamomile also has many healing properties. Containing chamomile and warm spices, Gabouleh is considered a tonic food for patients suffering from colds and muscle pains. It should, however, be noted that due to its warm nature, chamomile is not recommended for people with high blood pressure.

Unlike many other Iranian dishes, no fried onion is used in this food.

Recipe

Roast the flour on a rather low flame till it becomes brownish but not too brown.

After the roasted flour has cooled down, dissolve it in cold water and add turmeric and chamomile flowers to it. The amount of water added should be twice the amount of flour used. Stir the ingredients well. If the flour forms lumps while mixing, crush the lumps until the mixture becomes completely uniform. After stirring, the mixture will harden slightly.

Put the mixture on a low-heat stove and allow it to cook a little. While cooking, stir in sugar and oil. Gabouleh should not be hardened too much, and it is ready to serve when it becomes slightly thick.

How to serve Gobouleh

Gabouleh can be served both cold and hot. You can add some sugar to it at the time of serving. Of course, sometimes no sugar is added to Gabouleh during the cooking process, and it is left to everyone to sweeten it according to their taste. Gabouleh can be eaten with bread. Since this meal is mostly eaten as breakfast, tea is one of the most popular drinks with it. Almonds, pistachios, and walnuts can also be used to decorate Gabouleh.

Eating Gabouleh on cold winter days is quite a pleasure, but it is also used in the summer. It can also be served as a dessert.

It remains a popular and wholesome breakfast in Kazeroun today.