If you have an egg-diction and an inkling to try something new, this Authentic and Easy Shakshuka recipe is for you, my friend! Cooked in a spicy tomato stew, these poached eggs from the lands of Arabia are here to win hearts!
So, if I am being totally honest with you guys, I hadn’t tried Shakshuka before 2019. Ya! IT took me THAT long to try a Mediterranean classic living in the Middle East. How ironic is that! But when I did, I became a loyal fan instantly. Saudi Champagne, Shakshuka, and Arabian Nachos are my favorite finds here in the ME.
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What is Shakshuka?
A traditional Shakshuka is a North African/Middle Eastern one-skillet dish made with a spicy tomato stew and poached eggs. On my quest to find the best Shakshuka, I found that every restaurant had its version of a good Shakshuka. And tbh, I liked pretty much allll of them in a way. Naturally, I am going to share different versions with you over time…because why not! But today I thought I’d start with the basic, authentic, most delicious one!
Pronounced “SHAk-shooo-kah”, the word comes from Arabic, meaning “all mixed up” or “shaken”. This dish is my egg favorite since 2019! .
I mean it’s eggs, it’s a high-protein, delicious, guilt-free meal! Paired with a good sourdough, you have yourself a post-workout meal! Also, eggs for dinner, you guys, make that a thing.
Ingredients
- Eggs – Star of the dish. Use good-quality fresh large eggs.
- Tomatoes – Another core element of this recipe. Choose ripe, juicy red tomatoes. As an alternative, you can use peeled canned tomatoes as well. I’ve made this recipe with tomato puree and finely chopped tomatoes. Both work excellently!
- Seasoning – Salt, black pepper, cumin, coriander, and garlic.
- Bell pepper and onions
- Garnish – Simple parsley would do. To take it up a notch, spread out some feta cheese in the mix.
How to make Shakshuka
I’ve put together all the steps in a simple pictorial for you to see how easy this is to make.
Step 1: Add oil to a skillet. The prepping of this dish starts with chopped onions and garlic sautéed in that oil for 2 to 3 minutes.
Step 2: I like to take the onions to a slightly golden color, and then add chopped red bell peppers. Saute for a minute.
NOTE: The size of the bell pepper chunks is completely up to you. You can go as fine or as chunky as you like.
Step 3: Add tomato puree, spices, and seasonings to the skillet.
Step 4: Cover the skillet with a lid and let the tomatoes cook for 10 minutes or until most liquid evaporates.
Step 5: The tomato base is ready when most of the water has evaporated and you see some oil separation on the sides.
Step 6: Use a ladle to create 4 wells in the tomato base by pushing the tomato base aside. Break 4 eggs right into the wells. Cover the pan again.
NOTE: After oil separation, make sure the tomatoes are a little watery at this point and not too thick. You can add a little more water (about 1/4 cup) if you feel your tomato base has thickened too much.
Step 7: For a runny yolk, cook for 2 to 3 minutes. For well-cooked eggs, cook for 5 to 7 minutes.
Step 8: Season eggs with salt and black pepper. Garnish with parsley and/or feta cheese chunks and serve.
Get your toast going, and serve your Shakshuka garnished with dill or parsley and feta cheese on top. I have had my Shakshuka with Labneh, and I tell you, that combination has blown me away!
Top Tips
- The shakshuka is served directly in the skillet it is cooked in. So remember to choose the “nice” skillet from the cabinet when you make it.
- Always sprinkle salt and crushed black pepper on top of the eggs as well once they are done. Otherwise, the eggs might end up tasting bland.
- The right consistency of the tomato base is like that of a curry. Use this as a benchmark to decide if you need to add more water or increase the heat, and reduce the water from the tomato base.
Variations
- Add mushrooms to the Shakshuka base, it works so well!
- You can increase your fibre intake by adding some veggies to the tomato base too, like carrots, celery, or green beans.
- Top off the eggs with chili oil and crushed red chilis to up the heat.
- Thyme and oregano are great options for aromatics.
Frequently Asked Questions
Oh yes! You can prep the tomato base days beforehand. The base can last for up to 5 days in the fridge. In fact, you can also freeze the tomato base if you like making bigger batches. Whenever you want a shakshuka, simply put the frozen tomato base into a skillet, once liquid, add your eggs, and you have shakshuka!
You can add a splash of water and reheat the skillet on low heat. This recipe doesn’t refrigerate well once the eggs are cooked. So I’d recommend only adding eggs when you are ready to eat.
I can tell you that Shakshuka is a nutritious, low-carb, high-protein food. It’s a great dish to add to your weekly rotations if you aren’t allergic to eggs.
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Shakshuka
Ingredients
- 4 large eggs
- 4 tbsp oil
- 1/2 a bell pepper diced
- 3 cloves garlic finely chopped
- 1 small onion finely chopped
- 3 big tomatoes chopped fine almost paste like in a chopper with a little water – or 1 cup of canned tomatoes
- 1/4 cup water
- 1/2 tsp salt + extra to sprinkle
- 1/2 tsp black pepper powder + extra to sprinkle
- 1 tsp roasted cumin powder Zeera powder
- 1/2 tsp Coriander powder dhania powder
- A little feta cheese and chopped parsley to garnish
Instructions
- In a skillet pan, add oil, chopped garlic, onion and bell pepper and saute at medium heat.
- Once the onions turn translucent to light gold, add tomatoes and spices
- Add water, cover the skillet pan with a lid and let the tomatoes simmer for 10 to 15 mins at medium flame.
- Remove the lid and stir the tomato gravy. Most of the water should have evaporated by now.
- Make 4 depressions in the tomato gravy and break the eggs into those depressions.
- Reduce the flame to low and cover the skillet with a lit and let the eggs cook for 5 mins.
- Turn off the flame after 5 mins. Sprinkle salt and black pepper all over the egg.
- Garnish with feta cheese and parsley. Serve with toasted bread.
Notes
- The shakshuka is served directly in the skillet it is cooked in. So remember to choose the “nice” skillet from the cabinet when you make it.
- Always sprinkle salt and crushed black pepper on top of the eggs as well once they are done. Otherwise, the eggs might end up tasting bland.
- The right consistency of the tomato base is like that of a curry. Use this as a benchmark to decide if you need to add more water or increase the heat, and reduce the water from the tomato base.
- You can add veggies or mushrooms of your choice to the tomato base to make it more nutrient-dense.
Wajiha says
wow
Saman Qureshi says
I made this for the first time and didnt like it that much. Although the recipe was easy to follow and make this, my tastebuds didnt like the tangy tomatoes with egg
Nia says
This recipe is definitely a keeper! I love how clearly you have explained all the steps!