Shakshuka is a dish of Tunisian origin, which has become very popular in Jerusalem and throughout Israel, and is eaten mainly for breakfast or lunch. Don’t wrinkle your nose, you know that in many parts of the world savory dishes are commonly eaten for breakfast.
In the original version, a couple of tablespoons of harissa should be added, but I don’t like spicy food at all and preferred to omit it. But you are free to add this famous North African seasoning, which can easily be purchased ready-made and found in the ethnic section of any well-stocked supermarket.
The recipe, slightly modified, is taken from the beautiful book Jerusalem by Yotam Ottolenghi. I love his cooking and occasionally try my hand at his dishes.
Jerusalem is also the book that, together with the Aifb partners, takes us to the Middle East this month with the CookBook Club. I talk about it in my presentation article on the Association’s website. Scroll to the bottom of the article to find all the CookBook Club information.
If you want to try one of his desserts, I invite you to read and prepare his chocolate tart for which I am sharing the recipe.
Here on the site, you will also find many ethnic recipes that I adore, all worth trying. I leave you some.
- Difficulty: Very Easy
- Cost: Economic
- Preparation time: 10 Minutes
- Portions: 4 People
- Cooking methods: Stovetop
- Cuisine: Middle Eastern
- Seasonality: Spring, Summer
- Energy 282.14 (Kcal)
- Carbohydrates 17.74 (g) of which sugars 5.06 (g)
- Proteins 17.15 (g)
- Fat 17.56 (g) of which saturated 5.57 (g)of which unsaturated 5.82 (g)
- Fibers 4.17 (g)
- Sodium 668.69 (mg)
Indicative values for a portion of 350 g processed in an automated way starting from the nutritional information available on the CREA* and FoodData Central** databases. It is not food and / or nutritional advice.
* CREATES Food and Nutrition Research Center: https://www.crea.gov.it/alimenti-e-nutrizione https://www.alimentinutrizione.it ** U.S. Department of Agriculture, Agricultural Research Service. FoodData Central, 2019. https://fdc.nal.usda.gov
Ingredients for the Shakshuka
- 10.6 oz red peppers
- 17.6 oz tomato pulp
- 8 eggs
- 1 small golden onion
- 4 tbsps tomato paste
- 4 cloves garlic
- 2 tbsps chopped parsley
- to taste extra virgin olive oil
- to taste salt
Tools
- Iron Skillet
Shakshuka Preparation
Wash and dry the peppers, then clean and dice them uniformly.
Clean the onion and chop it into small pieces.
Pour a little extra virgin olive oil into a large pan, add the finely chopped onion and let it cook on low heat for a few minutes. Add the peppers, a pinch of salt and let it cook.
As soon as the peppers have slightly softened, add the tomato puree, the paste diluted in a little hot water, and the cumin seeds.
Let it cook on low heat until the peppers are cooked but not mushy.
With a spoon, try to form a hollow and pour in a cracked egg. Proceed in the same way for all the eggs.
Cover with a lid and let it cook for a few minutes, so that the whites are well cooked and the yolk remains slightly soft.
Taste and adjust the salt if necessary.
Serve at the table, sprinkling the shakshuka with chopped parsley and slices of bread, essential for gathering all the sauce.
