• Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar

PepperOnPizza

  • RECIPE INDEX
  • Nav Social Menu

    • Facebook
    • Instagram
    • Pinterest
    • Twitter
    • YouTube
menu icon
go to homepage
search icon
Homepage link
  • RECIPE INDEX
  • Hello There!
    • Facebook
    • Instagram
    • Pinterest
    • Twitter
    • YouTube
  • ×

    Home » Breakfast » Shakshuka -  Poached Eggs in Peppers & Tomatoes

    Shakshuka -  Poached Eggs in Peppers & Tomatoes

    Published: Oct 7, 2015 Modified: Aug 26, 2020 By Sujata Shukla This blog generates income via ads. This post may contain affiliate links. PepperOnPizza may earn a commission for purchases made after clicking these links. View our disclosure policy for details

    Sharing is caring!

    151 shares
    • Facebook60
    • Twitter
    • Yummly
    Shakshuka from Ottolenghi Plenty_pepperonpizza.com

    Jump to Recipe Print Recipe
    Ottolenghi's Shakshuka! The name says it all. One of my favourite recipes from Yotam Ottolenghi's Plenty. Vibrant with colour, flavour and texture and yet so easy to make. It does take a little time and patience though, to get the best of the flavours.

    A pan with classic Shakshuka of eggs poached in sauteed tomatoes and red peppers, with a layer of green lettuce arranged along the sides of the pan. Gluten free, easy, delcious
    Shakshuka of peppers and tomatoes

    Shakshuka is named as a staple dish in Tunisia, Libya, Algeria, Morocco and Egypt, and Wiki says it is popular in Israel. The origins, according to Wiki, were in the Ottoman Empire from where its fame spread to Spain and the Middle East. The origins are also said to be in Yemen. In each country or region there is a variation in the ingredients and the sides along with it is served. A traditional version is with crushed tomatoes, hot peppers, garlic, salt, paprika, olive oil and poached eggs. As Poached eggs are an essential ingredient, it is often served for breakfast, though it may serve as the central dish for dinner too.

    Ottolenghi says that Shakshuka is a North African dish with many variations, sometimes with preserved lemons, sometimes with the addition of feta, different herbs and spices. It is ideally cooked and served straight in the pan in which it is made, along with chunks of white bread.

    I like Shakshuka served with lightly toasted bread and a simple lettuce salad with a citrusy dressing.  I made the sauce earlier in the day, and just before dinner, broke the eggs into individual platters of the sauce and poached the eggs in the pan on the stove, as Ottolenghi's recipe requires, so that the yolk just sets and shimmers below the surface, and the peppers and tomatoes stay juicy.

    Some Egg Based Recipes You May Like

    • Green Shakshuka with Kale and Pesto
    • Egg masala curry in a tomato gravy
    • Herby cheesey omelette
    • Kaada Muttai Milagu Kuzhambu/Quail Egg Pepper Gravy

     

    Shakshuka for a chill evening_PepperonPizza.com

    Shakshuka Eggs with Tomato,Peppers & Herbs

    Sujata Shukla
    Shakshuka, a Tunisian dish of Poached eggs cooked in a base of sweet bell peppers, tomato, saffron, parsley, thyme and onion. The herbs are an integral part of the dish and not just a garnish. Serve with a green salad in a lemon dressing.
    Print Recipe Pin Recipe
    Cook Time 50 mins
    Total Time 50 mins
    Course Main Dish
    Cuisine Mediterranean, middle east, North African
    Servings 2 serving

    Ingredients
      

    • 3 Tomatoes (red)
    • ½ teaspoon Cumin seeds
    • ½ cup olive oil
    • 1 onion (large) sliced
    • 1 red bell pepper sliced
    • 1 bell pepper Yellow sliced
    • 2 tsps Muscovado sugar
    • 1 Bay leaf
    • 3 sprigs thyme Fresh  (leaves plucked and chopped) -
    • 2 tbsps parsley (chopped)
    • 3 tbsps cilantro leaves (chopped)
    • 3 saffron threads
    • ¼ teaspoon paprika -
    • 4 Eggs
    • 1 cup water
    • 1 teaspoon black pepper (freshly ground)
    • to taste salt

    Instructions
     

    • Select large red juicy tomatoes, dice them and set aside till required. Dry roast the cumin seeds in a large pan for 2 minutes, keeping the stove on high and stirring continuously so that the cumin does not char.
    • Add oil and then the onions. Sauté for about 5 minutes, stirring frequently.
      Saute onions_pepperonpizza.com
    • Add the sugar, stir, then add the chopped peppers, parsley, bay leaf and thyme. Add the chopped cilantro after reserving 1 tablespoon for the garnish.
      Add peppers parsley_pepperonpizza.com
    • Cook on a high heat for 7-10 minutes, again stirring frequently. Add the chopped tomatoes, saffron, paprika, a little salt and pepper. Stir well.
    • Cook on low heat for about 15 minutes, frequently adding spoonfuls of water and stirring, so that the sauce gets the consistency of a pasta sauce, without getting dry and stringy. I have listed one cup of water, in the ingredients, but use only as much as is needed to get the required saucy consistency.
      Cook the tomatoes_pepperonpizza.com
    • Ottonlenghi advises that at this stage, the sauce be tasted for seasoning and adjusted so that it is potent and flavoursome. Remove the bay leaf and discard.
    • Divide the sauce into 2 deep pans, each for an individual portion. Warm the pans with the sauce, on the stove. Make two gaps in each pan and gently break an egg into each gap.
    • Sprinkle lightly with salt, cover the pans with a lid apiece. Cook on low heat, gently, for 10-12 minutes or until the eggs are just set.
    • Garnish with cilantro and serve hot with bread and a simple salad of greens, with a dressing of lemon juice, olive oil, salt and pepper and one garlic clove.
      Serve salad with the shakshuka_pepperonpizza.com
    Tried this recipe?Let us know how it was!
    « Couscous Salad with Beans, Tomatoes, Figs in a Lemon dressing
    Watermelon Arugula Feta Salad with Berries, Pomegranate »

    Sharing is caring!

    151 shares
    • Facebook60
    • Twitter
    • Yummly

    Reader Interactions

    Comments

    1. Madhumita Kalauny says

      December 16, 2016 at 2:03 pm

      This sounds fabulous - definitely making Shakshuka really soon at home!

      Reply
      • Sujata Shukla says

        December 16, 2016 at 2:09 pm

        Thank you Madhumita! There's another Shakshuka recipe too, on the blog: Kale Shakshuka - spinach could be substituted for Kale

        Reply

    Have something to Ask or Share? Let's Talk! Cancel reply

    Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

    Rate This Recipe!




    This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.

    Primary Sidebar

    Hello There!

    Meet the Author, Owner, Content Creator and Recipe Developer at PepperOnPizza.com. The recipes I share with you are from fresh produce, vegetarian except for the occasional egg, usually made from scratch. Traditional Indian, specially Tamil recipes are my forte, along with Salads, Soups and Mediterranean food. There are recipes for delicious Jams, thin crust Pizza, Pestos and Pickles too! I'm also the newly minted author of a book on sacred foods, 'BHOG NAIVEDYA: Food Offerings To The Gods' published by Rupa Publications India. Do Check out my Author Page to read all about me and this Blog!

    More about me →

    Trending Posts

    • Spanish Romesco Sauce: Charred Peppers, Almonds
    • Easy Purple Basil Pesto with Pine nuts and Parmesan
    • Navaratri Golu and How To Keep It
    • Easy Navaratri Naivedyam and Sundal Recipes

    Season's Favourites

    • Homemade Fig Jam No Added Pectin -Easy Step by Step Guide
    • How to Soak Fruits for Christmas Fruit Cake
    • Curried Roasted Pumpkin Soup with Indian Spices
    • Pasta in Roasted Pumpkin Sauce and Parmesan

    Get My Book:

    Bhog Naivedya -Food Offerings To The Gods

    Bright Green covered book with titles in white and yellow. Bhog Naivedya Food Offerings to the Gods
    • RECIPE INDEX
    • Hello There!

    Footer

    ↑ back to top

    About

    • Privacy Policy & Disclosures
    • Medical Disclaimer

    Hello There!

    About Us

    Contact

    • Contact Us

    Copyright Notice:

    Copyright © 2021 Sujata Shukla and PepperOnPizza.com. Unauthorized use and/or duplication of this material or any part of the content, including but not limited to Recipes, Posts and Images, without the express and written permission from this site’s author and owner is strictly prohibited. Full recipe is not to be posted - Excerpts and links may be used, provided that full and clear credit is given to Sujata Shukla and to PepperOnPizza.com with appropriate and specific links directing to the original content.

    151 shares
    • 60