Tunisian / Moroccan / Israel – Shakshouka

DESCRIPTION OF THE DISH

Shakshouka is an Arabic word which means “mixture“. This dish consists of eggs which are poached in a tomato sauce underneath it. This tomato sauce is made by adding garlic, tomato paste, onions and many spices. It is basically a breakfast dish and people eat it before going to work. It is one of the best dishes of all the African cuisines. In all of Africa this dish is well known because of its taste and textures. The combination of eggs with tomatoes goes very well together as it creates incredible flavors and a very creamy type of outcome. It can be eaten simply with a spoon or if needed it can be made into an sandwich. People tend to take it to their jobs and eat it for lunch. It is not only served as a breakfast rather it is also served as lunch and dinner. This shows how much popular this dish actually is.

HISTORY/ORIGIN

It is said that this dish came into existence in the regions of Tunisia and Yemen. In the early days this dish was made with vegetables only and later when tomatoes were imported into the African region then this dish was given many variation. It is said that when the people living in the North of Africa started to migrate to Israel they took this dish to them. They inherited this dish and it is there that it got all the recognition. Soon this dish became the national dish of Israel but its grassroots were never forgotten as people still visit Tunisia to experience the originality of this dish and have a good time.

INGREDIENTS NEEDED TO MAKE THIS DISH

• Olive oil 1 tbsp.
• Eggs 6 

• Diced tomatoes 2 cans

• Tomato paste 2 tbsp. 

• Onion 1  (diced)

• Garlic 2 cloves (minced)

• Sugar 1 tsp

• Chili powder 1 tsp

• Cumin 1 tsp 

• Paprika 1 tsp

• Red bell pepper chopped 1

• Chili flakes

• Parsley (for garnish)

• Salt

• Pepper

INSTRUCTIONS TO MAKE IT

• Take a large pan and drizzle some olive oil in it and let it heat.
• Chop the onion and add it into the pan along with some garlic and red bell peppers.

• Cook them for 5-6 minutes.
• After this add some tomato paste in it and the given amount of diced tomatoes.

• Add the given amount of cumin , sugar , paprika , chilli powder, chili flakes, salt and some pepper in the pan and mix it all.
• On high heat let them cook until the tomatoes get a creamy texture.

• Now add the eggs in the pan and cover it with its lid and cook for about 10-12 minutes until the eggs are properly cooked.

• Once the eggs are cooked take the lid off and add some parsley leaves on top of it.

• Take it off the heat and serve it
• Your dish is ready
• Enjoy

TIME REQUIRED

• PREPERATION TIME : 15 mins
• COOKING TIME : 20 mins
• TOTAL TIME : 35 mins
• YIELDS : 5-6 servings

NUTRITION FACTS

• Calories 135
• Cholesterol 165mg
• Fat 9.3g
• Protein 6.6g
• Carbohydrates 13g
• Fiber 5g
• Sugar 7g
• Calcium 5%
• Sodium 104 mg
• Potassium 530mg
• Vitamin A 50%
• Vitamin C 81%