Omlet-e Shāhpūrī [Eggs & Pinto Beans]

Eggs & Pinto Beans from Rasht

Origin: Regional Specialty (Shomāl)

Rasht, the capital of Gilan province in the north of Iran, my sister-in-law’s birthplace, is recognized as a UNESCO City of Gastronomy. This layered breakfast dish is a hallmark of the city's Ghahveh Khāneh (tea house) culture, taking its name directly from its inventor, a local tea house operator named Shahpour. He developed the dish to provide a cheap, high-protein, and calorie-dense morning meal for the local working class. By layering fast-cooking, turmeric-stained eggs over a base of slow-simmered pinto beans, he created a fortifying combination that quickly became a regional staple. Today, Omlet-e Shāhpūrī remains an enduring fixture of northern Iranian breakfasts, functioning much like a Persian adaptation of traditional English baked beans and eggs.

Serves: 2
Preparation time: 5 minutes
Cooking time: 10 minutes