A couple years ago, I was visiting my dad and he made this incredible, albeit spicy, dish with tomatoes, peppers, eggs, and spices (among other ingredients). After trying it, I decided it was my new favorite thing to eat and asked for the recipe. As someone who tries to eat as healthy as possible, shakshuka fits the bill, and a bonus is that it is incredibly easy to make. Since trying it, I have been hearing more and more about it. Even Trader Joe's (a popular specialty grocery store chain in the United States) has a "Shakshuka Starter Kit" in their frozen food section.
If you have never heard of shakshuka (alternate spellings are shakshouka and chakchoukha), it is a dish of eggs poached in a sauce of tomatoes, peppers, garlic, cumin, paprika, and cayenne pepper with origins in the Middle East and Northern Africa. It is a versatile dish in which you can personalize, adding whatever ingredients suit your fancy (avocado, anyone?). It is great to eat any time of day for breakfast, lunch, dinner, snack and any time of year. Serve it with a side of bread or even a salad for a complete meal, although it is also fine and filling on its own!
So, without further ado (and without going on a lengthy dissertation before you get to the actual recipe, which is now common on most websites now and drives me crazy because all I want is the damn recipe), here it is - shakshuka!
SHAKSHUKA RECIPE
Ingredients
• 1 tbsp olive oil
• 1/2 medium brown or white onion, peeled and diced
• 1 clove garlic, minced
• 1 medium green or red bell pepper, chopped
• 4 cups ripe diced tomatoes, or 2 cans (14 oz. each) diced tomatoes
• 2 tbsp tomato paste (1 tbsp)
• 1 tsp chili powder (mild)
• 1 tsp cumin
• 1 tsp paprika
• Pinch of cayenne pepper (or more to taste-- spicy!)
• Pinch of sugar (optional, to taste)
• Salt and pepper to taste
• 6 eggs
• 1/2 tbsp fresh chopped parsley (optional, for garnish)
• Optional: avocado (my personal favorite!), jalapeños, green chilies, red pepper flakes, sliced mushrooms, etc.
Directions
-Heat a deep, large skillet or sauté pan on medium. Slowly warm olive oil in the pan. Add
chopped onion, sauté for a few minutes until the onion begins to soften.
-Add garlic and continue to sauté till mixture is fragrant.
-Add the bell pepper, sauté for 5-7 minutes over medium until softened.
-Add tomatoes and tomato paste to pan, stir till blended. Add spices and sugar, stir well, and allow mixture to simmer over medium heat for 5-7 minutes till it starts to reduce. At this point, you can taste the mixture and spice it according to your preferences. Add salt and pepper to taste, more sugar for a sweeter sauce, or more cayenne pepper for a spicier shakshuka.
-Crack the eggs, one at a time, directly over the tomato mixture, making sure to space them evenly over the sauce. You can place 5 eggs around the outer edge and 1 in the center. The eggs will cook "over easy" style on top of the tomato sauce.
-Cover the pan. Allow mixture to simmer for 10-15 minutes, or until the eggs are cooked and the sauce has slightly reduced. Keep an eye on the skillet to make sure that the sauce doesn't reduce too much, which can lead to burning.
-If you prefer eggs more runny, let the sauce reduce for a few minutes before cracking the eggs on top. Then, cover the pan and cook the eggs to taste.
-Garnish with the chopped parsley, if desired.
Shakshuka can be eaten for breakfast, lunch, or dinner and with or without a side of bread or even a salad.
Enjoy!
(If there are other Recipes of the World you would like me to include, please comment below or send me a message and I will credit you! Food is such an important part of cultures from all over the world and, going forward, will periodically post a recipe inspired by travel.)
Comments