When I visited Israel, I was blown away by the cornucopia of fresh fruits, vegetables and tasty meals the country had to offer. Soft pita bread straight out of the ‘tannoor’ oven, lusciously creamy hummus drizzled with olive oil, stuffed cabbage rolls in luxurious tomato sauce, decadent Hanukkah doughnuts oozing with chocolate… It was a food lover’s paradise.
I particularly enjoyed eating shakshuka in Israel. This is a simple dish made by cooking eggs in spicy tomato sauce. Don’t let its unpretentiousness fool you; shakshuka packs a lot of flavour. Onion, capsicum, garlic and tomatoes cooked in olive oil turn into a luscious sauce, and then they are gently scented with cumin and spiced with chilli powder.
I tasted my first shakshuka at Dr. Shakshuka restaurant in Tel Aviv - an institution where the dish is legendary. As soon as I stepped into the restaurant, I was greeted by hundreds of skillets and pans hanging from the ceiling. I ordered and my shakshuka arrived, still in its skillet, along with bread on the side. I tore off a piece of bread and dunked it in into the eggs and rich tomato sauce. It was heaven in each bite - homely, tasty and satisfying.
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I now make it regularly at home. This recipe comes in especially handy on a busy day or during those times when my pantry is running empty. Sometimes I make the tomato sauce one day ahead of time and store it in the fridge. Then all I have to do is heat it up and crack some eggs into it – that’s dinner in 6 minutes!
Make sure you use a shallow pan for this recipe. If you use a pot that is too deep, the eggs will drown in the tomato sauce instead of sitting on top of it. A deep skillet that is approximately 2 inches deep and 10 inches wide, with a lid is ideal.
If you like experimenting in the kitchen, this is a great recipe, because customizing shakshuka is only limited by your imagination. Sometimes I start my shakshuka with a tadka of black mustard seeds, cumin seeds, dried chillies and curry leaves: I call that shakshuka curry. At other times, I sprinkle some grated cheese on top of the cooked shakshuka to make it extra decadent. Keep the basic recipe the same - tomato sauce with eggs cracked on top - but feel free to customize the flavours however you wish.
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Shakshuka
Ingredients
3 tbsp olive oil
1 onion, chopped finely
2 capsicums, chopped finely
4 cloves of garlic, chopped
8 tomatoes, cored and chopped finely
1/2 teaspoon or more chilli powder
1 teaspoon cumin powder
6 eggs
1 tbsp chopped coriander leaves
Salt and pepper
Method
1. Heat the oil in a shallow, medium skillet. Add the onion and capsicum. Cook on medium heat, stirring occasionally until the onion and capsicum are very soft, about 10 minutes.
2. Add in the garlic and cook for about 1 minute.
3. Now throw in the chopped tomatoes, chili powder, cumin powder, salt and pepper. Stir until everything is well combined. Add half a cup of water and stir. Cover the skillet with a lid and let the tomatoes cook on medium heat until they are soft and mushy, about 10 minutes. You should now have a sauce that is a gravy like consistency. If the sauce is too thick, add water and stir.
4. Carefully crack an egg. Gently open the cracked egg into the surface of the tomato sauce. Repeat with all remaining eggs so that the surface of the tomato sauce is covered in eggs. Take care not to disturb the egg yolks, they need to be intact.
5. Cover the skillet and let the sauce gently simmer until the egg whites are set, about 2 minutes. If you like your eggs firm, cook the shakshuka covered for another 2 minutes or until the egg whites and yellows are fully cooked and set.
6. Garnish with chopped coriander. Serve hot with bread.
Food blogger and enthusiastic traveller, Sala Kannan combines her passions for cooking, culture and photography in one delectable blog: Veggie Belly.