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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

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Shakshuka from Ottolenghi Plenty_pepperonpizza.com

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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

Course: Main Dish
Cuisine: Mediterranean, middle east, North African
Cook Time: 50 minutes
Total Time: 50 minutes
Servings: 2 serving
Author: 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

Ingredients

  • 3 Tomatoes - (red)
  • ½ tsp 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 tsp paprika - -
  • 4 Eggs
  • 1 cup water
  • 1 tsp 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

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Previous Post: « Couscous Salad with Beans, Tomatoes, Figs in a Lemon dressing
Next Post: Under 10 minutes HeirloomTomato Salad & Basil Dressing »

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

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Hello There!

Hello from Sujata Shukla, the Author, Owner, Head Cook and Bottle washer 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 a slew of Salads and Soups for a healthy lifestyle. Check out my Author Page!

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