Tunisian Baked Eggs
Stay in for brunch this weekend with this trendy North African dish that doubles as a quick and healthy dinner.
This classic North African dish (shakshuka) is now hugely popular as a brunch option in cafés but also very easy to make at home. Serve with plenty of crusty bread for mopping up the spiced tomato sauce.
Ingredients
- 450 g/1 lb. ripe tomatoes
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1 onion, chopped
- 1 red (bell) pepper, chopped into strips
- 1 garlic clove, chopped
- 1 teaspoon ground cumin
- 1/2 teaspoon harissa
- 1 teaspoon brown sugar
- 4 eggs
- freshly chopped coriander/cilantro, to garnish
- salt and freshly ground black pepper
Preparation
Roughly chop the tomatoes, reserving the juices.
Heat the olive oil in a large, heavy-bottomed frying pan/skillet set over a medium heat. Add the onion, (bell) pepper and garlic and fry, stirring often, for 5 minutes, until softened.
Mix the cumin with 1 tablespoon of water in a small bowl to form a paste.
Add the harissa and cumin paste to the pan and fry, stirring, for a minute. Add the tomatoes and brown sugar, season with salt and pepper, and mix well. Bring to the boil, reduce the heat, cover and simmer for 5 minutes.
Uncover and simmer for a further 10 minutes, stirring now and then, to reduce and thicken the tomato mixture.
Break the eggs, spaced well apart, into the tomato mixture. Cover and cook over a low heat for 10 minutes until the eggs are set.
Sprinkle with coriander/cilantro and serve at once.
Excerpted from The Flexitarian Cookbook: Adaptable Recipes for Part-Time Vegetarians and Vegans, compiled by Julia Charles; Ryland Peters & Small, 2019. Reprinted with permission.