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Basic and Tasty Shakshuka

Quick answerMakes 2-3 servings, ready in 25-30 minutes, Mediterranean cuisine.
By Jaron Kimhi··👁 403 views
shakshuka
I've been eating Shakshuka for about 40 years. At first, my grandma and mom used to make it for me (and for other members of the family too), and then I started making it myself when my cooking skills weren't so great — because let's face it, no cooking skills needed here (unless you consider breaking an egg and keeping it whole a skill...). I bring here the basic recipe, but there are so many ingredients you can add to it — like roasted eggplant, feta cheese, chili peppers, bell peppers, and of course you can throw in some meat like sausages, Merguez, and meatballs. It's all up to your imagination and what you already have in your fridge...

Method

  1. 1

    Making the Shakshuka base· 15-20 Minutes

    Cut the onion and add to an iron pan with 2 table spoons of olive oil. Cook on a medium heat. Peel the tomatoes (this is optional but I personally prefer the texture and the flavour of peeled tomatoes), shop them and when the onion is brown add them and continue cooking on a medium heat for 10-15 minutes.

    shakshuka-ingredientsfried-onionpeeling-tomatoesfried-onionadding-tomatoesadding-tomatoes
  2. 2

    Finishing sauce and adding eggs· 10 minutes

    Taste the sauce, at this stage you will add the salt and pepper and if the tomatoes you used are not very ripe it is advised to use 1 teaspoon of tomato paste. It is also advise to add a little bit of sugar to balance the flavours. Break the eggs and place them carefully over the tomato sauce. sprinkle some salt over the yolks. Cook for 5-10 minutes depending if you have a lid or not. After 2 minutes you can carefully scramble the egg whites with the tomatoes and leave the yolks in tact. Serve with fresh bread or toast! Enjoy!

    Step 2Step 2adding-eggsStep 2
Recipe by

Jaron Kimhi

Jaron Kimhi — self-taught home cook from Tel Aviv, writing and cooking every recipe on this site himself. 20+ years of tinkering in the kitchen, leaning toward slow cooking, classic technique, and honest ingredients.

More recipes by Jaron →

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Categories
Side DishBrunch
Cuisines
MediterraneanIsraeli
Features
Gluten Free30 minutes or lessVegetarian
Tags
Gluten FreeSnackBrunch

Questions & answers

Can I use canned tomatoes instead of fresh?
The recipe calls for fresh Roma tomatoes, so canned aren't mentioned here — but if your fresh tomatoes aren't very ripe, lean hard on that tomato paste to boost the flavor.
I don't have Hawaij — what do I use instead?
Swap it out with equal parts cumin, turmeric, and black pepper — so 1/3 tsp of each. The recipe gives you exactly that sub.
Do I need a lid to cook the eggs?
Nope, but it speeds things up — the recipe says 5–10 minutes depending on whether you use one, so expect the longer end without it.
Can I scale this up for more people?
Easily — the recipe serves 2–3 with 4–5 eggs, so just add more eggs and make sure your pan is big enough to hold the extra sauce.
What pan works best for this?
Jaron uses an iron pan, and it makes a difference — great heat distribution for cooking the sauce evenly and finishing the eggs just right.