Looking for something new that’s unique yet familiar? Check out this Mediterranean Shakshouka recipe that’s personally original!
Shakshuka is a northwest African dish of eggs, poached in a tomato sauce-soaked onion, pepper, garlic, and olive oil base. It’s safe to say, that Shakshouka is the same to the Maghreb area as Ratatouille to France, Bolognese sauce to Italy or Wonton soup to China.
The word itself means “mixture” in Arabic but the dish’s origin, like everything from that part of Africa, is up to debate.
Shakshouka, most likely, originating from the Ottoman empire which had extensive rule over Mediterranean and parts of Europe for quite a long time influencing everything from culture to cuisine. Menemen, which is eerily similar to Shakshouka is still a widely popular dish in today’s Turkey.
The common ingredient tomato, that’s overwhelming the dish, and pepper that provides a subtle yet inextricable character, were of course added sometimes around the Columbian exchange. The same cultural, technological, and ideological interchange that introduced zucchini, maize, potatoes to the old world and made rice, sugar cane, livestock, and slaves widespread in the new one.
Apart from the basic ingredients the dish can integrate a variety of spices, herbs, and vegetables without losing its integrity. Even its most prominent feature, the poached eggs, can be scrambled up like the Turkish Menemen and still considered Shakshouka.
Some variations include ground meat, sausages, ham, yogurt, or cheese others expand on the legumes side adding beans, but a selection of vegetables isn’t foreign to the dish either.
Potatoes, artichoke, zucchinis are all welcome ingredients in a hearthy Shakshouka in various areas of the dish’s fandom.
Even the most prominent processed meat of our time, SPAM has made it into there when Israel’s army decided to ration Shakshouka in its canteens. This, of course may sound weird if we think that eggs are only good for breakfast which also could be a reason for some people having a tough time making pasta carbonara with eggs instead of cream too.
Yet in many countries people don’t make such a fuss about when to have eggs hence being part of lunch or dinner as the main protein source can be quite common.
There are similar dishes all over the Mediterranean basin like the Spanish Huevos a la flamenca (Eggs made in a flamenco dancer way) with chorizo and serrano ham. While the Italian Uova in purgatorio (Eggs in the purgatory) contains anchovy, parsley and of course on occasions some parmesan cheese.
These dishes are similar to Shakshouka but different name with their own local twist on the ingredients bending the dish to the tastes of its audience but still building on the original flavors and channeling its vibes.
Ingredients
- 2 tablespoons / 30g Olive oil (NOT extra virgin)
- 1 medium / 200g Onion (sliced)
- 2 teaspoons / 10g Salt
- 2 medium / 200g Green pepper (sliced)
- 3 cloves / 12g Garlic (finely cut)
- ½ teaspoon / 0.75g Coriander seed
- ½ teaspoon / 2g Cumin
- 1 teaspoon / 3g Black pepper
- 1 teaspoon / 2g Paprika
- 1 cup / 250g Tomato sauce
- 6 medium / 600g Tomato (quartered)
- 6 medium / 300g Eggs
- Dressing
- Parsley
- Mint
- Cilantro
How to make Shakshouka
- Heat oil in a skillet then sauté (stir-fry at high temperature) the sliced onion and salt until a glassy / translucent look, about 1 – 3 minutes.
- Add sliced green pepper then sauté until the pepper softens, about 2 – 3 minutes.
- Mix in garlic and sauté until it gets fragrant, about 1 minute.
- Grind whole coriander seed, cumin and black pepper if necessary. It should be as freshly ground spices are always better.
- Mix the ground coriander seed, cumin, black pepper and paprika in the skillet.
- Pour in the tomato sauce, add in the quartered tomatoes then mix well.
- Put the lid on, bring it to boil then reduce the heat to simmer.
- Cook until the tomatoes fall apart, about 20 minutes. Stir it every now and then to avoid burning the sauce down.
- Make evenly spaced indentations in the tomato mixture.
- Crack an egg into each well.
- Place a lid on then cook until the eggs are set. The lid may need to be moved partially off or removed completely for sunny-side up style eggs, for fully set poached eggs just leave it on.
- Chop parsley, mint, cilantro or a selection of them then sprinkle on top for serving.
Enjoy!
Shakshouka Recipe
Ingredients
- 2 tablespoons Olive oil NOT extra virgin
- 1 medium Onion sliced
- 2 teaspoons Salt
- 2 medium Green pepper sliced
- 3 cloves Garlic finely cut
- ½ teaspoon Coriander seed
- ½ teaspoon Cumin
- 1 teaspoon Black pepper
- 1 teaspoon Paprika
- 1 cup Tomato sauce
- 6 medium Tomato quartered
- 6 medium Eggs
- Dressing
- Parsley
- Mint
- Cilantro
Instructions
- Heat oil in a skillet then sauté (stir-fry at high temperature) the sliced onion and salt until a glassy / translucent look, about 1 – 3 minutes.
- Add sliced green pepper then sauté until the pepper softens, about 2 – 3 minutes.
- Mix in garlic and sauté until it gets fragrant, about 1 minute.
- Grind whole coriander seed, cumin and black pepper if necessary. It should be as freshly ground spices are always better.
- Mix the ground coriander seed, cumin, black pepper and paprika in the skillet.
- Pour in the tomato sauce, add in the quartered tomatoes then mix well.
- Put the lid on, bring it to boil then reduce the heat to simmer.
- Cook until the tomatoes fall apart, about 20 minutes. Stir it every now and then to avoid burning the sauce down.
- Make evenly spaced indentations in the tomato mixture.
- Crack an egg into each well.
- Place a lid on then cook until the eggs are set. The lid may need to be moved partially off or removed completely for sunny-side up style eggs, for fully set poached eggs just leave it on.
- Chop parsley, mint, cilantro or a selection of them then sprinkle on top for serving.
Notes
F.A.Q.
Which country is Shakshouka from?
There is no clear answer to that question. Shakshouka is hundreds of years old dish with origin to North-West Africa.
Is Shakshouka Israeli?
People like Shakshuka in Israel that’s for sure but its true origin is probably lies in modern day’s Turkey.
What does Shakshouka taste like?
It’s like Menemen or Uova in purgatorio or Lecso or like Ratatouille. Shakshouka is a tomato based dish so it will taste like the tomato sauce on pizza with a unique twist thanks to the additional spices and herbs.
Why is Shakshouka healthy?
It’s a tomato based dish with added vegetables full of antioxidants, nutrients and eggs as its protein source. If Superman had to eat, this would be his breakfast.
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