Shakshuka

A few days ago i was scrolling through Instagram and i saw a dish similar to this one i made. I immediately fell in love (aka in craving) and decided to make it. Turns out its a Libyan dish which has been enjoyed most by people from the Middle East. Its quite an easy dish to make and here is the recipe:

Ingredients:

• 1 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
• 1/2 medium onion, peeled and diced
• 1 clove garlic minced
• 1 medium green or red bell pepper, chopped
• 4 cups ripe diced tomatoes, or 2 cans diced tomatoes
• 2 tbsp tomato paste
• 1 tsp chili powder, mild
• 1 tsp cumin
• 1 tsp paprika
• 1 pinch cayenne pepper (or more to taste– spicy!)
• 1 pinch sugar (optional, to taste)
• Salt and pepper to taste
• 6 eggs depending on how many people you want to serve
• 1/2 tbsp fresh chopped parsley (optional, for garnish)

Method:

1. Heat a deep, large skillet or sauté pan on medium. Slowly warm olive oil in the pan. Add chopped onion, sauté for a few minutes until the onion begins to soften. Add garlic and continue to sauté until mixture is fragrant.
2. Add the bell pepper, sauté for 5-7 minutes over medium until softened
3. Add tomatoes and tomato paste to pan, stir until blended. Add spices and sugar, stir well, and allow mixture to simmer over medium heat for 5-7 minutes until it starts to reduce. At this point, you can taste the mixture and spice it according to your preference. Add salt and pepper to taste, more sugar for a sweeter sauce, or more cayenne pepper for a spicier shakshuka (be careful with the cayenne… it is extremely spicy!).
4. Crack the eggs, one at a time, directly over the tomato mixture, making sure to space them evenly over the sauce. I usually place 4-5 eggs around the outer edge and 1 in the center. The eggs will cook “over easy” on top of the tomato sauce. Cook to desired doneness.
5. Garnish with the chopped parsley, if desired. For breakfast, serve with warm crusty bread.

Enjoy!