Savory Israeli-style pancakes folded with charred bell pepper and za'atar, served with yogurt and a fried egg.
These aren't a single classic Israeli dish but a genuine mash-up of two things Israeli home cooks do constantly: char peppers directly over an open flame for salads and dips, and layer a savory pancake or fritter batter with vegetables and herbs the way you'd find in a Sabich stall or a home kitchen making levivot. Charring the peppers first, rather than just sauteing them, is what gives this dish its smoky depth and separates it from a plain vegetable pancake. The peppers are blackened directly over a gas flame or under a hot broiler until the skin blisters all over, then steamed in a covered bowl so the skins slip off easily, leaving behind sweet, smoky flesh. That charred pepper gets folded into a simple flour-and-egg batter along with za'atar, a Middle Eastern herb blend of thyme, sumac and sesame that's a pantry staple in Israeli kitchens. Pan-fried until golden and topped with a dollop of labneh or thick yogurt and a fried egg, these pancakes work equally well as a hearty breakfast or a light dinner.
Serves 4
Set peppers directly over a gas flame or under a hot broiler, turning occasionally, until the skins are blackened all over, about 10-12 minutes.
Transfer the charred peppers to a bowl, cover tightly, and let steam 10 minutes. Peel off the skins, remove seeds, and dice the flesh.
Whisk flour, the 3 eggs, milk, za'atar, garlic, salt and baking powder into a smooth, thick batter. Fold in the diced charred pepper.
Heat 1 tbsp olive oil in a nonstick skillet over medium heat. Spoon in batter to form 10cm pancakes and cook 2-3 minutes per side until golden and cooked through. Repeat with remaining batter.
In a separate pan, fry the remaining eggs sunny-side up in olive oil until the whites are set but yolks still runny.
Stack pancakes on plates, top with a dollop of labneh, a fried egg, and a scatter of fresh parsley.
Char the peppers until the skin is genuinely blackened, not just browned — that's where the smoky flavor comes from.
Steam the charred peppers covered for at least 10 minutes; the trapped steam makes peeling the skins off much easier.
Keep the batter thick, closer to a fritter than a crepe, so the pancakes hold together as they cook.
Cheese addition: fold in crumbled feta with the charred pepper for a saltier, richer pancake.
Spicy version: add a diced charred jalapeno alongside the bell peppers for extra heat.
Dairy-free: skip the labneh and top instead with a drizzle of tahini sauce.
Refrigerate cooked pancakes in an airtight container up to 2 days. Reheat in a dry skillet over medium heat to recrisp; fry fresh eggs just before serving.
Charring peppers and eggplant directly over an open flame is a defining technique in Israeli and broader Levantine cooking, used for salads like the smoky Middle Eastern pepper salad and baba ghanoush. Za'atar, a blend that varies by household but usually includes dried thyme, sumac and sesame, is one of the most common seasonings in Israeli kitchens, often sprinkled over bread, eggs and vegetables.
No — a hot broiler works just as well. Place the peppers close to the heat source and turn them every few minutes until evenly blackened, then steam and peel the same way.
A mix of dried thyme, toasted sesame seeds and a pinch of sumac (or lemon zest if you don't have sumac) makes a reasonable homemade substitute.
You can char and dice the peppers a day ahead and refrigerate them, but mix the full batter just before cooking so the baking powder is still active for a good rise.
Per serving (300g / 10.6 oz) · 4 servings total
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