Cheap, simple, and deeply comforting. This dish always carries me back to my university years—to one quiet evening when a friend and I decided to surprise our best friend with dinner before she came home from church. We had little more than a couple of bell peppers, a can of chopped tomatoes, and a few eggs. Let’s make shakshouka, I thought.
A small Pakistani restaurant sat just around the corner, so we called ahead for fresh naan. As the sauce slowly bubbled on the stove, the scent of spices filled the room. Right as we finished cooking, the phone rang. Our warm, garlicky naans were ready.
We ate on the floor, tearing bread, sharing stories, gossiping, dreaming out loud about the future. In that moment, the shakshouka became more than a meal. It absorbed our laughter, our hopes, and the warmth of friendship. Shakshouka quickly became one of our favourite dish.
Ingredients for 4
- 1 can of chopped tomatoes or 400g fresh, diced tomatoes
- 1 medium-sized onion – chopped
- 2 garlic cloves – minced
- 2 tsb olive oil
- 3 bell peppers (red, yellow, green) – sliced
- 2 tsb paprika
- 1 tbs cumin
- 1 tbs harissa (optional)
- salt&pepper to taste
- 4 eggs
- For the garnish: 1/2 bunch of chopped fresh cilantro parsley or mint
Method
Heat the olive-oil in a large pan, add the sliced onion and cook on low heat until it becomes translucent.
Add the chopped bell peppers and sauté for 5-6 mins. (You can splash some water to prevent burning). Add the garlic and spices and cook for an adidtional 1-2 mins.
Add the can of chopped tomatoes, salt and pepper. Mix well and cover the pan with a lid and cook for 5 mins on low-heat.
Make 4 large wells with a spoon, then crack one egg in each of them. Cover the pan again and cook for 5-8 mins depending on how you like your eggs done.
Garnish with some fresh herbs (parsely, cilantro, mint) to serve.
Optional: add toasted pine nuts or crumble some feta cheese for some extra flavour.
Eat your shakshouka with…
- Bread: Naan, sourdough etc.
- Couscous or bulgur
- Rice
- Rosted potatoes
- Millet
