Shakshouka offers you a meal that’s satisfying but light, with the aroma of cumin and chili topping tomatoes and bell peppers.
The shakshouka you buy in little local eateries is saucier than this one. But if you like plenty of sauce, you can add a couple of tablespoons of tomato paste and a little more water to make it mop-up-able with bread.
Traditional homemade shakshouka
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Ingredients
- 1 tsp cumin
- 2 tbsp olive oil
- 2 medium yellow onions, peeled and sliced thinly
- 2 bell peppers of different colors (red and yellow are especially attractive), seeded and sliced into eighths
- 4 ripe tomatoes, not peeled and roughly cut into chunks
- 2 cloves garlic, chopped roughly
- 1 tsp salt, plus more to taste
- Freshly ground black pepper to taste
- 1 small, de-seeded red chili, finely chopped – or 1/2 teaspoon cayenne flakes
- ¼ – ½ cup water, as needed
- 4 large eggs
- A handful of chopped coriander, parsley or spring onions, for garnish
Instructions
- Keep each prepared vegetable in a separate bowl.
- Put the ground cumin into a large skillet and let it heat through for a few seconds or until the aroma rises. Add the olive oil to the skillet.
- Add the onions and sauté for two minutes, until they wilt. Add the sliced peppers to the skillet and sauté another 5 minutes, or until they, too, are softened.
- Add the chopped tomatoes, garlic, salt, pepper and chopped chili or cayenne flakes. Cook over medium heat, stirring, for 15 minutes. Add water as needed to prevent the vegetables from sticking. Do not add so much water as to make the sauce runny. It should be juicy but semi-solid.
- With a spoon, gently push aside the vegetables in four places. Break one egg into each of these places. Cover the skillet with a lid, lower the heat, and cook a further 10 minutes or until the eggs are set to your liking.
- Sprinkle the shakshouka with the chopped green herbs.
- Serve 1 egg per person, with sauce.
