There’s nothing quite like a lazy Sunday morning that just begs for a delicious breakfast or brunch. Right? I’ve been meaning to share shakhuka recipe with you for a while since it appears on our breakfast menu at least once a month, sometimes more. It is by far one of our favorite weekend breakfasts/brunch – perfectly cozy and comforting, packed with tons of bright flavors! If you’ve never tried it I highly, highly recommend you make this!
Shakshuka is presumed to have originated in Tunisia and then spread further to North Africa and middle east. It’s a healthy one-pan dish with poached eggs in a flavorful tomato sauce, enriched with spices that can be served any time of the day! It’s easy to make, and extremely versatile that begs to be experimented with. It can be made as fancy or as simple and rustic. While a basic shakshuka is just eggs poached in tangy and spicy tomato sauce. I have used everything from beans to greens depending on what’s in the fridge and every time it turns out marvelous. It’s, in fact, a fantastic way to use up any odd bits of vegetables or leftover canned beans that are in the fridge, making the possibilities endless.
The recipe I am sharing today has the base of eggplant and tomatoes. The spices used in the preparation of shakshuka vary from one recipe to another, but cumin, chili powder and paprika are the ones that are most often used. I decided to go with cumin and coarsely ground coriander seeds along with regular red chili powder. Lemony coriander seeds and spicy cumin are a match made in culinary heaven for a balanced hit of spice. I use this mix regularly in countess recipes. A recent example of this is Jeera Aloo.
It starts with roasting the eggplant. Roasting eggplant is easy and, while it can be done in the oven, I prefer doing it right on my gas stovetop. The eggplant releases a lot of liquid, you might want to protect your gas burner with foil for easier cleanup. You also need to pierce the eggplant at few places, so that it doesn’t explode while roasting. Use tongs to rotate it every so often and make sure all the skin gets evenly charred. While that’s happening, you can chop onion, garlic, and pepper and start sautéing. Once the eggplant is roasted. Slit into half and scoop out the flesh and add it to the sauteed onions along with canned tomatoes. If using fresh tomatoes choose the ripe ones (the more ripe, the better) and cook them a little before adding eggplant. When the mixture gets cooked, finally crack eggs right into tomato eggplant mix, leave them whole, and simmer to the desired doneness. I made this in an 9 1/2″ pan with 4 eggs but you can increase the no of eggs to 6.
It is absolutely an amazing dish, the eggs add plenty of protein and make it a very satisfying and filling meal. The acid from tomatoes, the smokiness of eggplant and the coriander-cumin combo add a lot of flavors. Though not extremely spicy, it has a beautiful balance of salt, acid, and heat that makes this shakshuka so incredibly delicious! Add a salad and serve with any gluten-free bread for a healthy and delicious brunch.
If you end up trying this recipe for eggplant shakshuka be sure to leave a comment and let me know how it turned out! Your feedback is so helpful for me and other SGFK readers!
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Ingredients
- 1 small globe eggplant
- 1 onion, 3/4 cup chopped
- 3 garlic clove, chopped
- 1 28 oz. canned diced tomatoes
- 1 1/2 tsp coarsely ground coriander seeds
- 1 tsp cumin powder
- 1/2 orange pepper, diced
- 1 tbsp tomato paste
- 1/2 tsp black pepper
- 1/2 tsp red chili powder
- 1/4 tsp turmeric powder
- Salt to taste
- 4-6 eggs
Instructions
- Wash and dry eggplant. Pierce it a few times with a fork to vent.
- Place aluminum foil under a gas burner to make clean-up easier. Place a wire rack on top, creating a little space between the flame and the rack. Using full heat roast eggplant, turning frequently with tongs until charred and softened all over, about 10 -15 minutes. When done, the eggplant will become very soft and collapse.
- If you don’t have a gas stove, you could roast the eggplant under an oven broiler. Place the eggplant on a baking sheet beneath the broiler (rack should be 6-8" down from the heat source) and turn frequently until the eggplant is evenly charred and the flesh is soft and mushy, about 25 minutes. Remove from the heat and let cool.
- Place the eggplant in a cookie tray or wide plate. Slit eggplant in half and scoop out the inside.
- Heat the olive oil in a 3" deep skillet over medium heat. Stir in the garlic, onion, and bell pepper, cook and stir until the onion has softened and turned translucent, about 5 minutes.
- Tip the canned tomatoes with the liquid and stir into the onion. Add eggplant, cumin powder, coarsely ground coriander seeds, red chili powder, salt, black pepper, and stir until well incorporated. Simmer for 15 minutes, occasionally stirring, until the mixture thickens. Taste and check if any more salt and pepper is required.
- Form 4 small hollows in the tomato eggplant mixture using a spoon and crack an egg into each.
- Reduce the heat to low medium. Cover with a lid and cook for 5-7 minutes, or until the eggs are cooked to your liking. Check frequently in the last couple of minutes as the eggs cook quickly.
- Spoon the shakshuka into 4 shallow bowls or plates. Serve with the bread and salad.
angiesrecipes
Can’t remember when I last had shakhuka. Yours looks really GREAT and I want some too :-))
amrita roy
Love the color of the shakshuka and you said it right we can use varieties of ingredients to make the base
Adina
I’ve cooked shakshuka quite a few times, but never with eggplants. It looks so good and as I love eggplants so much, I would probably like this version better than the original.
Blackswan
Love eggplants but I usually just stir fry with chilli. Roasted sounds good too! xoxo
Juliana
I am loving this dish as I love eggplants and always looking for new recipes…love all the spices and the eggs in it…
Have a wonderful weekend Balvinder!
Heidi | The Frugal Girls
The flavors in this dish are so tempting and amazing. I especially loved your idea to add in some orange pepper! Yum!!