Name: Wheat berries recipe, Egyptian Belila
Prep time: 5 min
Cook time: 30 min
Total time: 515 min
Ingredients: 1 cup Wheat berries (washed thoroughly with cold water.); 5-6 cups of water.; Milk (sweetener of your choice, dried or fresh fruits and nuts.); Rose water (cinnamon, orange blossom water, vanilla, nutmeg or any extract you like.)

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Chewy and nutty wheat berries bowl for a perfect and nutritious breakfast. Wheat berries cooked to tenderness then loaded with nuts and milk for a better start of your day.

Cooked wheat berries in a white bowl with milk and garnished with cinnamon and pistachios.

First Published: May 2014 Last Updated: December 2019

Wheat berries breakfast recipe

I remember my sweet mom making Belila in cold winter days to warm us up in the morning and to give us enough energy to go through the day. Belila is the frugal version of the hot cereal that almost everybody can afford in Egypt- without the nuts of course.
During the holy month of Ramadan, Belila is also served in the "sohoor" which is the meal before start fasting at dawn. I also remember my late grandmother urging me to take Belila in sohoor - when I visited for sleepover- stressing on the fact that it fills you up, gives energy and keeps you hydrated. So Belila for me is not just another Egyptian recipe, it is a recipe I like to make for its sweet memories with the loved ones.

What kind of grains to use for Belila?

I am used to making belila with pelted wheat berries like what I did in the Ashure recipe. Recently, I've been making belila with wheat berries as it is much easier to find in nearby stores. Wheat berries are loaded with vitamins and fiber and have a pleasant chewy texture.

Soaking Wheat berries

The original recipe requires you to soak the wheat first over night, then discard the water and cook for almost 20-30 minutes. But because we are always in a hurry and forget such things you can just cook them in enough water, although it will take longer about 45-60 minutes.

pouring milk from a milk pitcher on a white bowl with wheat berries and garnished with nuts, raisins and cinnamon.

How to serve wheat berries (Belila)?

There is really no right or wrong here. Serve Belila bowl with any sort of milk you like. Sweetened with sugar, honey agave and perfumed with cinnamon, rose water, orange blossom water, fennel, nutmeg, anise or vanilla. Add a crunch using nuts of your choice, raisins for sweetness or dry cranberries for some tartness. This wheat berries bowl is always served hot for breakfast or as a snack.

Wheat berries in the instant pot

You can cut the time of cooking drastically by cooking the wheat berries in the slow cooker. Cover with cold water and pressure cook for 30 minutes.

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Wheat Berries breakfast bowl (Belila)

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