A typically Middle Eastern dish, Shakshuka (also spelled shakshouka) can be served for breakfast or any meal of the day. It can be served with flatbread or just any bread. This simple and inexpensive dish can be prepared in minutes.

METHOD:

1. Heat olive oil in a saute pan or skillet to medium heat.
2. Add onion, bell pepper and garlic. Stir fry until onion turns brown and translucent. Add salt and black pepper to taste.
3. Stir in smoked paprika and ground cumin. Fry for a few minutes.
4. Pour in diced tomatoes. Let mixture simmer for around 10 minutes.
5. Check for seasoning at this point. Add a bit more salt if necessary.
6. Break eggs into the sauce, one at a time. Let the first egg be in the middle of the mixture and the other five eggs at about equal distance around the pan. Cover the pan and let the mixture simmer at low heat for 10-12 minutes, or until the eggs set to your liking.
7. Serve with bread.

NOTES:

• This is a simple, basic recipe. Some people would add feta cheese as a topping.
• To bulk it up, you can add chickpeas or minced meat.
• Large eggs give a better appearance, just as in the image above. I have tried using smaller eggs (about 60g each) and they were a bit sunken. Whereas larger eggs, because of they heavier and denser yolk, somehow managed to stay on top of the sauce and not get submerged. For the image above, I used ‘jumbo’ sized eggs — about 70g each.
• If you have leftover sauce and want to reheat it with the addition of another egg, heat the sauce first to boiling, then carefully slide the egg on the sauce and wait till it sets to your liking.

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