Recipe Manuscript

بيض مطجن

Name: بيض مطجن
Prep time: PTPT10M
Cook time: PTPT15M
Yield: 6
Cuisine: Middle Eastern
Ingredients: 6 medium eggs (approx. 320g); 30-45 ml neutral oil (grapeseed or light olive oil; original: shīraj, historical sesame oil); 2 g ground coriander seed; 2 g ground cinnamon; 2 g ground cumin; 30-45 ml aged fish sauce or dark soy sauce (original: murrī, a fermented barley sauce); Salt to taste (if no murrī); 30 ml water (if no murrī)

"Fried Eggs"

1200

From the treasured pages of Kitāb al-ṭabīkh

Written by Ibn al-Karīm, Muḥammad ibn al-Ḥasan

Medieval (500 - 1400)Middle Eastern Beginner Breakfast Snack Lunch

Original Recipe • 1200

Original Manuscript(circa Medieval, 500 - 1400)

As inscribed by the original author's hand, transcribed with care by Lost Kitchen Scrolls

بيض مطجن

"يؤخذ البيض المسلوق، يقشر و يقلى في الشيرج . ثم ينثر عليه الكسفرة والدارصيني والكمون المسحوقة ناعماً. ثم يخرج من المقلى فيجعل في المري العتيق . وينثر عليه من تلك الأبازير. فان لم يوجد مري ترك في المقلى بعد أخراج البيض منه قليل ماء وملح ودارصيني. فاذا غلى سكب على البيض المذكور. ― وقد يطحن على صفة اخرى، وهو ان يقلى عيوناً من غير ان يسلق و يرمى عليه شيء من تلك الأبازير و يرش عليه المري."

English Translation

"Take boiled eggs, peel them, and fry them in sesame oil. Then sprinkle on them finely ground coriander, cinnamon, and cumin. Then remove them from the pan and place them in old murri (fermented sauce). Sprinkle more of those spices on top. If there is no murri, leave a little water, salt, and cinnamon in the pan after removing the eggs. When it boils, pour it over the eggs. ― The eggs can also be prepared differently: fry them sunny-side up without boiling, sprinkle some of those spices over them, and drizzle murri on top."

Note on the Original Text

The recipe is written in a narrative, almost poetic style typical of medieval Arabic cuisine: ingredient measures and times are rarely specified; instead, the method is inferred through flow and sequence. Spices are named by their Arabic names (like 'darṣīnī' for cinnamon). Cooking fats and sauces—such as shīraj (historical sesame oil) and murrī (fermented barley/fish sauce)—were common in early Arabic cuisine but now require substitutes in modern kitchens. The instructions allow for substitution and adjustment, highlighting a flexible, adaptive approach that's as vibrant today as it was centuries ago.

Modern Kitchen Interpretation

Recipe's Origin

Kitāb al-ṭabīkh - Click to view recipe in book

Title

Kitāb al-ṭabīkh (1200)

You can also click the book image above to peruse the original tome

Writer

Ibn al-Karīm, Muḥammad ibn al-Ḥasan

Era

1200

Publisher

Maṭbaʻat Umm al-Rabīʻayn

Background

Step back into the sumptuous kitchens of the medieval Islamic world with this early collection of culinary wisdom. Savor recipes, tips, and gastronomic secrets that once delighted the palates of princes and poets alike.

Kindly made available by

NYU/ American University of Beirut

Historical Background of the Recipe

Learn about old traditions

This recipe appears in one of the classical cookbooks of the Islamic Golden Age, authored by Ibn al-Karīm in the early 13th century in Mosul. The dish 『Bayd Matjan』 offers a glimpse into elite medieval Arab dining: simple ingredients elevated with exotic spices and techniques. The eggs in the recipe could be boiled or fried, showing flexibility and adaptability in the kitchen. The use of murrī (a fermented barley or fish sauce) reflects influences from even older Persian and Roman cuisines, and the generous use of spices was a sign of culinary sophistication—as well as a way to show off one’s spice cabinet.

Culinary Tools when the Recipe was Crafted

Tools and techniques from kitchens of old

Cooks would have used a brazier or open hearth as a heat source, along with clay or copper pans. Eggs were boiled in glazed ceramic or metal pots. Grinding the spices required a mortar and pestle. To finish, a long-handled slotted spoon or tongs would lift the eggs from hot oil, and a simple earthenware serving platter would present the final dish, drizzled with sauce.

Modern Kitchen Adaptation

Ingredients and techniques for today's cooks

ounces, cups, Fahrenheit

Prep Time

10 mins

Cook Time

15 mins

Servings

We've done our best to adapt this historical recipe for modern kitchens, but some details may still need refinement. We warmly welcome feedback from fellow cooks and culinary historians — your insights support the entire community!

Ingredients

6 medium eggs (approx. 11 oz)
2-3 tablespoons (1-1.5 fl oz) neutral oil (grapeseed or light olive oil; original: shīraj, historical sesame oil)
0.07 oz ground coriander seed
0.07 oz ground cinnamon
0.07 oz ground cumin
2-3 tablespoons (1-1.5 fl oz) aged fish sauce or dark soy sauce (original: murrī, a fermented barley sauce)
Salt to taste (if no murrī)
1 fl oz water (if no murrī)

Instructions

Begin by hard-boiling your eggs—about 6 medium eggs (roughly 11 oz).
Once cooled and peeled, heat 2-3 tablespoons (1-1.5 fl oz) of neutral oil such as grapeseed or light olive oil (substituting for shīraj, an historical sesame oil) in a frying pan.
Fry the eggs until golden.
Sprinkle over a generous pinch each (about 1/4 teaspoon, 0.04 oz each) of finely ground coriander, cinnamon, and cumin.
Remove the eggs from the pan and place them in a shallow serving dish with 2-3 tablespoons (1-1.5 fl oz) of aged fish sauce or soy sauce (as a stand-in for murrī).
Scatter a bit more of the spice mixture on top.
If you don't have murrī, heat a splash of water (1 fl oz), a pinch of salt, and a dash of cinnamon in the pan, bring to a quick boil, then pour over the eggs.
Alternatively, you may fry the eggs sunny-side-up without boiling.
Sprinkle spices and drizzle with the sauce as above.

Estimated Calories

120 per serving

Cooking Estimates

It takes about 10 minutes to prepare the ingredients and around 15 minutes to cook the eggs and finish the dish. Each serving contains about 120 calories, and this recipe makes 6 servings.

As noted above, we have made our best effort to translate and adapt this historical recipe for modern kitchens, taking into account ingredients nowadays, cooking techniques, measurements, and so on. However, historical recipes often contain assumptions that require interpretation.

We'd love for anyone to help improve these adaptations. Community contributions are highly welcome. If you have suggestions, corrections, or cooking tips based on your experience with this recipe, please share them below.