Have you ever tried Shakshuka? Basically, it’s sunken poached eggs in a hearty tomato and bell pepper sauce spiced with fennel seeds and Harissa, topped with tangy feta cheese. It’s an amazingly rich and a healthy dish, perfect for breakfast, brunch, lunch or dinner.
Shakshuka is a delicious Israeli dish, which is usually served for breakfast. I can see why. Wink. It’s simple yet packed with flavours. Moreover, it’s made with everyday ingredients. Most probably you have all of them in your kitchen already.
The simple combination of juicy tomatoes, bell peppers, spices, sweet corn and kidney beans pairs wonderfully with a poached egg and the creamy crumbled feta cheese. Oh, it is so good! Also, do not forget some bread, Naan bread or sourdough bread, for instance, for dipping. Wink.
You can vary the Shakshuka by flavouring it with whatever you have in your kitchen. For instance, you can use curry powder, either fresh or dry herbs, paprika powder, pesto, chili powder, coriander seeds or cumin seeds. I decided to go with fennel seeds.
From the stove to the oven
Shakshuka is also really quick to make. And, you can make it entirely on the stove or start on the stove and finish in the oven. I picked the latter. I started on the stove in a pan (I suggest using a pan rather than a pot), transferred everything in a baking dish and finished it in the oven. Of course, if you have an oven-proof pan you can skip this step.
In case you want to make Shakshuka on the stove, after cracking in the eggs, cover it with a lid and let the eggs set (around 5-8 minutes). The cooking time depends on how you like your eggs. At 5 minutes, the egg whites will be set but the yolk will stay runny. If you prefer them firm, simply cook them for 8 minutes.
Here are some more Middle Eastern and African dishes, if you want to take a look: roasted aubergine curry, a lovely cheese apple pide, a hearty seven-spice chicken, creamy pumpkin cauliflower curry, a classic baba ganoush, another classic hummus, a slow-cooked Moroccan date-beef tajine or a delicious Cape chicken curry.
Ingredients for 2 portions of Shakshuka:
- 1 Tbsp of olive oil
- 1 onion (sliced)
- 3 garlic cloves (sliced)
- 2 red bell peppers or pointed peppers (cubed)
- 1 Tbsp of fennel seeds
- 3 tomatoes (peeled and chopped) or 3 pelati
- 100 g sweet corn
- 100 g kidney beans
- 1 Tbsp of Harissa powder
- salt and pepper
- 2 eggs
- 100 g Feta cheese (cubed or crumbled)
If you are using fresh tomatoes, start by peeling them. Make a cross at the bottom of each tomato, put them in a bowl. Also, next to this bowl, prepare another one with ice-cold water. Then, pour the boiling water into the bowl with tomatoes (the water should cover them). After one minute transfer them into ice-cold water for 10 seconds, take them out, simply peel the skin off and chop them.
Furthermore, peel and slice the garlic, peel and slice the onion and wash the bell peppers and cut them into cubes or bite-sized pieces. Then, in a larger frying pan, heat some olive oil. Once it gets hot, add the onion and saute until glossy and fragrant. At this point, add the bell peppers, fennel seeds and Harissa powder. Saute for 5 more minutes on medium-low heat.
Preheat the oven to 180ºC
Now, add the tomatoes and garlic. After an additional 5 minutes, put in sweet corn and kidney beans, season with salt and pepper and cook for another 5 minutes with the lid on. In case the sauce is too runny, remove the lid and cook for an additional 5 minutes.
If you don’t have an oven-proof pan, simply pour the content of the pan into a baking dish. Then, using a spoon, make two small wells and crack in the eggs. Sprinkle them with salt and some pepper. Last but not least, top everything with some Feta cheese. Simply crumble it over the tomato sauce. Put the baking dish in the oven for 5-8 minutes or until the eggs are set.
Finally, serve the hot bubbling and healthy Shakshuka by placing the pan or baking dish directly in the middle of the table. Put one egg on each plate. A nice slice of bread is a great idea for scooping it out.
Enjoy!
PS
If you like the recipe, if you make the recipe or if you have any new ideas how to improve or change it, let me know in the comments section below or alternatively share your photos and reactions with me on Instagram (@Passionspoon), Facebook or Twitter (@PassionSpoon1). Simply use the hashtag #passionspoonrecipes in your posts. I would love to see them! (wink)
