The name shakshuka is commonly understood to mean ‘a mixture’ or ‘all mixed up’ in Arabic, which suits the dish. It is a North African meal, strongly associated with Tunisia, made by cooking tomatoes, peppers and onions together before cracking eggs into the sauce to cook. It is usually served straight from the pan with bread.
It is simple enough for a weekend breakfast and does not require a long list of ingredients. If you already have tomatoes, pepper, onions and eggs at home, you are halfway there.
Shakshuka
Serves: 2
Prep time: 10 minutes
Cooking time: 20 minutes
Ingredients
4 eggs
4 medium tomatoes, chopped
1 small onion, chopped
1 red bell pepper, chopped
1-2 fresh peppers, chopped
2 cloves of garlic, minced
1 tablespoon vegetable or olive oil
½ teaspoon paprika
½ teaspoon cumin
Salt to taste
A small handful of parsley or coriander, optional
Bread, to serve
Method
Heat the oil in a frying pan over medium heat.
Add the onions and cook for about 2 minutes until they soften.
Add the garlic, bell pepper and fresh pepper. Cook for another 2-3 minutes.
Add the tomatoes, paprika, cumin and a little salt. Stir and allow the mixture to cook for about 8-10 minutes until the tomatoes break down and the sauce thickens.
Use a spoon to make four small wells in the sauce.
Crack an egg into each well.
Cover the pan and cook for about 5-7 minutes, or until the egg whites are set and the yolks are cooked to your preference.
Sprinkle with parsley or coriander, if using, and serve warm with bread.
For a little more heat, use fresh Scotch bonnet pepper. If you prefer a milder breakfast, leave it out or use just a small amount.
Serve it straight from the pan with toasted bread, Agege bread or another bread you enjoy.
Keep some of the egg yolk soft if that is how you like it, so it mixes into the tomato sauce when you break into it.