Shakshouka is a Maghrebi dish of eggs poached in a sauce of tomatoes, olive oil, peppers, onion, and garlic, commonly spiced with cumin, paprika, and cayenne pepper. Shakshouka is a popular dish throughout North Africa and the Middle East.
Shakshuka is a word for “mixture” in Algerian Arabic, and “mixed” in Tunisian Arabic. Many variations of the basic sauce are possible, varying in spice and sweetness. Some cooks add preserved lemon, salty sheep milk cheeses, olives, harissa or a spicy sausage such as chorizo or merguez.
Spices can include ground coriander, caraway, paprika, cumin and cayenne pepper. Tunisian cooks may add potatoes, broad beans, artichoke hearts or courgettes to the dish
Image: Mike Peel
Shakshouka Ingredients
- 3 tablespoons olive oil
- 1 large onion diced
- 1 large red bell pepper diced
- 4 garlic cloves grated
- 1 tablespoon paprika
- 2 teaspoons ground cumin
- 1 teaspoon chili powder
- ½ teaspoon kosher salt
- ½ teaspoon ground black pepper
- 1 can whole peeled tomatoes (28-ounce)
- ¼ cup cilantro or parsley plus more for garnish
- 6 large eggs
If you’re a fan of cheese, a sprinkling of mozzarella cheese, feta cheese, or goat cheese goes well with this shakshuka recipe.
Because eggs are the main ingredient, it often appears on breakfast menus in English-speaking countries, but in the Arab world as well as Israel, it is also a popular evening meal, and like hummus and falafel, is a Levantine regional favorite.
