Jabeez are Yemeni savoury pancakes from the port city of Aden. The batter is made from soaked, coarsely ground black-eyed peas, mixed with onion, green chilli, bell pepper and warm spices, then pan-fried until golden. They're light, flavourful and nothing like a sweet stack of pancakes. Serve them with a lemony yoghurt dip for a different kind of breakfast.
I know, everyone loves a stack of syrup-drenched fluffy buttermilk pancakes, but you should try Jabeez if you crave a savoury breakfast.
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Adeni Jabeez
I kept postponing making Jabeez, hoping to find out more about this recipe. Unfortunately, only one blog had the recipe. The recipe reminded me of Adai, a South Indian savoury lentil pancake.
According to the author of the Yemeniyah blog, Dr Lamya Almas, Jabeez is eaten in Aden, and nowhere else in Yemen. Guess that answers why this recipe is less known.
Ingredients & Substitutions
- Black-eyed peas: dried, soaked overnight, then ground coarsely. This is the base of the batter. You can use lima beans instead.
- Whole wheat flour: binds the batter. The original recipe uses plain white flour, so use that if you prefer.
- Instant yeast: gives the pancakes a light texture. Active dry yeast or a little sourdough starter works instead.
- Ground spices: turmeric, black pepper and cumin.
- Vegetables: red onion, green chillies, red bell pepper and fresh coriander.
- Egg and thick yoghurt: both go into the batter.
- Water and salt: the water brings the batter together.
- Oil: for greasing the pan.
How to make it?
You have to soak the beans overnight to be able to grind them using the food processor. I have not tried this with cooked or canned beans.
Grind the soaked black-eyed peas to a coarse. Add the remaining ingredients and mix with water until you get a thick batter. Pour a ladleful into a greased pan and cook covered until the top is dry. Flip and cook open until cooked through. Serve with yoghurt sauce.
For the yoghurt sauce, whisk some yoghurt with salt, lemon juice and dried mint leaves. You may also serve Jabeez with tamarind sauce.
What to serve with jabeez
Though this is a Yemeni breakfast dish, they work just as well for brunch or a light dinner.
- Yoghurt sauce with lemon and dried mint (the recipe is above)
- Tamarind sauce, if you like a sweet-sour contrast
- A fried or scrambled egg on the side
- Adeni chai
Looking for more breakfast pancakes and breads? Try msemen or oat flour pancakes, or browse more flatbread recipes.
Storage
Jabeez pancakes are best had immediately. You may store any leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3 days. To reheat, just bring them to room temperature and warm them up in a pan covered.
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Jabeez | Yemeni Pancakes
Ingredients
- ½ cup black-eyed peas, washed and soaked overnight
- ¼ cup whole wheat flour
- ½ teaspoon instant yeast
- ¼ teaspoon turmeric powder
- ¼ teaspoon black pepper powder
- ½ teaspoon cumin powder
- 1 medium onion, finely diced
- 2 green chillies, finely chopped
- 2 to 3 tablespoons finely diced red bell pepper
- 1 egg
- Fresh coriander leaves, chopped
- 1 tablespoon thick yoghurt
- 1 cup lukewarm water, more or less
- salt to taste
- olive oil, or any cooking oil for frying
Instructions
Prepare the batter
- Drain the soaked black-eyed peas and grind them into a coarse paste.½ cup black-eyed peas washed and soaked overnight
- Transfer the contents to a deep bowl, add all ingredients except the water, and mix well.¼ cup whole wheat flour½ teaspoon instant yeast¼ teaspoon turmeric powder¼ teaspoon black pepper powder½ teaspoon cumin powder1 medium onion finely diced2 green chillies finely chopped2 to 3 tablespoons finely diced red bell pepper1 eggFresh coriander leaves chopped1 tablespoon thick yoghurt
- Slowly add water, little by little, until everything comes together into a thick, non-runny batter.1 cup lukewarm water more or lesssalt to taste
- Cover the bowl and let it rest for 20-30 minutes.
Prepare Jabeez
- Heat a flat pan and grease it with olive oil or any cooking oil.olive oil or any cooking oil for frying
- Pour one ladle of batter into the centre of the pan and spread it lightly to thin it out.
- Cover and cook until the top of the pancake is dry and the bottom begins to brown.
- Open, flip and cook the other side until done, then transfer to a plate.
- Serve with your favourite dip or yoghurt sauce.
Nutrition Info
Nutritional information is an estimate provided for informational purposes only. Values may vary based on ingredient brands, cooking methods, and portion sizes.
Recipe adapted from Yemeniyah. This post was originally shared as part of the MENA Cooking Club. The club is no longer active.
Famidha Ashraf says
I’ve been making Jabeez again lately. It’s a savoury pancake that’s both light and flavourful, perfect when you want something different for breakfast or brunch. I’d love to know—do you enjoy yours with tangy cheese, fresh herbs, or maybe a drizzle of olive oil?