shakshuka
Or you could make it because when I talked about making eggs in tomato sauce a while back a large handful of comments were along the lines of “oh, this sounds like shakshuka” and “I think you would love shakshuka” and “you really should make shakshuka” and you may have shrugged and forgotten about it until you finally had it at a café one day and whoa it turns out you really would like shakshuka!
Or you could make it because that café had the audacity to close for Passover last week, right when you had the fiercest shakshuka craving yet. I mean, couldn’t they just not serve it with pitas? Must I eventually be forced to make everything myself? Can’t I just have one thing that I let other people make perfectly for me, every time? No, I could not. Not if I wanted to eat what I really wanted to eat.
Thus, I suggest you make it because it turns out that it tastes really, really good from your own kitchen. Fantastically good. And not only is it easy to make, it’s budget-friendly, waistline-friendly and no-time-to-cook friendly. It could be a weekend brunch or a weekday dinner or lunch or a “I can’t believe we are being assaulted with a snowstorm in April!” consolation prize. It could be part of an Israeli dinner party, replete with homemade salad, pitas and hummus or it could be a “my favorite takeout joint had the nerve to close for a holiday!” pity party. But I’ll warn you: me and my little buddy walked by the café today and breathed a sigh of relief that it had reopened so I could be freed from making my own lunch once again. And then I remembered how good the homemade shakshuka had been. And I kept on walking, kicking myself for always going and creating more work for myself. I never learn.
Two years ago: Fork-Crushed Purple Potatoes
Three years ago: Potato Rosemary Bread
Thank you: A big thank you for voting for Smitten Kitchen for best photography and best individual post in Saveur’s first annual food blog awards. You’re too nice! And we are deeply flattered that you have such lovely things to say about this here little website.
Shakshuka [Eggs Poached in Spicy Tomato Sauce]
Adapted from Saveur
Serves 4 to 6
1/4 cup olive oil
5 Anaheim chiles or 3 jalapeños, stemmed, seeded, and finely chopped (I was nervous and only used 2 Anaheims; I would go for 3 or 4 next time for a more moderate but still gentle kick)
1 small yellow onion, chopped
5 cloves garlic, crushed then sliced
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1 tablespoon paprika
1 28-ounce can whole peeled tomatoes, undrained
Kosher salt, to taste
6 eggs
1/2 cup feta cheese, crumbled
1 tablespoon chopped flat-leaf parsley
Warm pitas, for serving
Heat oil in a 12-inch skillet over medium-high heat. Add chiles and onions and cook, stirring occasionally, until soft and golden brown, about 6 minutes. Add garlic, cumin, and paprika, and cook, stirring frequently, until garlic is soft, about 2 more minutes.
Put tomatoes and their liquid into a medium bowl and crush with your hands. Add crushed tomatoes and their liquid to skillet along with 1/2 cup water, reduce heat to medium, and simmer, stirring occasionally, until thickened slightly, about 15 minutes. Season sauce with salt.
Crack eggs over sauce so that eggs are evenly distributed across sauce’s surface. Cover skillet and cook until yolks are just set, about 5 minutes. Using a spoon, baste the whites of the eggs with tomato mixture, being careful not to disturb the yolk. Sprinkle shakshuka with feta and parsley and serve with pitas, for dipping.
I’ve never had anything like this before, but I can’t wait to try it.
Jacob looks like he’s really excited for Hummus!
Anything waistline-friendly is good with me, but anything tasty AND waistline-friendly is so much better.
I’m the first one to comment! Goal complete!
I love your blog, my roomate and I first started to get to know each other over taking turns cooking your recipies!
What would you suggest as a side dish for this?
Wow! I could attack that pot with a loaf of crunchy french bread. It looks amazing! (and you can’t beat San Marzanos)
I love eggs and tomatoes. Sounds simple and delish.
Oh my gosh. That sounds SO DELICIOUS. I need to get back to my Israeli roots!
Sounds delicious! Question: How would you serve this? Individual dipping bowls and a plateful of pita bread? Family style?
I used to make a hot Italian version of this dish called Eggs in Purgatory. Beautiful photoessay!
This looks fantastic. I am usually nervous about putting eggs in places they’ve never been before in my kitchen, but with the feta, the parsley, and the glowing recommendation, I’m game. Perhaps for tomorrow’s lunch, since I have each and every ingredient.
Congratulations on Saveur. It is well deserved!
isn’t it funny how many countries have very similar dishes? In Mexico you can find this as “Rabo de mestiza” (translated to english it would mean something very weird, trust me you don’t want to know), the only slight difference is that Poblano peppers are used instead of Anaheim or Jalapeños, and no paprika.
I prsonally never liked it ( im not a huge egg fan) but everyone else in my family loves it!
My kosher Israeli friend made this once for lunch (minus the feta). It was my most favorite thing ever! I’m so excited to try my own hand at it! She used some exotic spice with no label. Curious…
This sounds marvelous, and definitely worthy of a batch of homemade pita! I find it hard to resist anything with egg and tomato.
P.S. Your pictures of Jacob are killing me. Cutest. Baby. Ever.
Funny, I didn’t even know you were in NY, but as soon as I hear shakshuka I think of the Hummus Place – best I’ve ever had (better than 2 different places in Israel). But feta? You need the halumi! They regularly have it at Whole Foods…
You had me at feta. Adding the ingredients to my grocery list!!
So glad to see this featured here! It’s been one of my favorites since we moved to Israel a couple years ago and it’s my turn-to comfort food during pregnancy. I’ve been kicking myself for never learning to make it at home – now happily totting up how many shekels this post is going to save me. ;)
Congrats on Saveur – most deserved!
Jon — I know! I love the haloumi they put on it. And I can find it, but I know it’s not the easiest for most people to so when I saw this recipe that suggested feta (which was a delicious, and more melty contrast) I ran with it.
Oh my wordy.
I’ve never had anything like this, but I know I would LOVE it.
and I love LOVE spicy!
Ummm…shakshuka was one of my favorite dishes when my husband and I were in Israel last year! I couldn’t get enough of it! And now I get to have it again! Whoo hoo!
Oh this looks really great. I love brunch meals. I might add this to my repertoire.
Mmmm. I make this once a week for dinner, for all of the wonderful reasons that you listed. Capers are also a nice addition. I serve gluten free with brown rice tortillas. Yummm!
Nothing little about this site, lady. You’re a huge inspiration every day. Kudos on the awards, and thanks for the beautiful food.
Congrats on your award, you deserve it! every dish i’ve made from your post has been delicious, honestly.
How interesting! I really want to try that!
This sounds like the original idea behind my favorite brunch selection at Casimir on the corner of Ave B and 7th Street – it’s called Tunisian Eggs on their brunch menu and since their chefs have changed over the years it’s always a little different, but I picture the ingredients hanging on the wall in the kitchen – sometimes it’s served in a lovely ceramic dish that’s hot to the touch, sometimes it seems microwaved, but I always love the combination of spicy tomato sauce, eggs, cheese and capers. With a bloody mary, life is good. Thanks for this recipe to try it at home!
Shashuka is one of our regular’s, but in Israel we actually don’t eat it with pita/ You need a nice sauce-absorbing bread, so we go for the basic white bread or challa. Also. if you control the heat, the kids love it too
I had this in a bakery/restaurant here in LA with a friend a few months ago and told myself I’d look up a recipe when I got home and then forgot all about it, including its name. So glad you posted this today. Delicious!
This looks fantastic. Bookmarking now.
I love Shakshuka! The dish is actually Libyan, though.. Jewish Libyans brought the dish over to Israel.
This dish is LIBYAN. Get your facts straight please.
Holy S**t this looks so good! Will be making it tomorrow, thanks for another great recipe.
There is an actual Arabic action hero called Sasuki, so very close. Can’t wait to try this!!
Oops! Shakshuka is Libyan, my friend. I believe, as some have posted before me, that the Jewish Libyans brought the dish with them to Israel.
Looks great :).
However, although there are naturally dozens of ways to make Shakshuka (and I live in Israel), usually we also use green bell peppers for this recipe, and no cheese. The feta cheese is used in another version, in which usually no tomatoes are used, but rather spinach leaves.
Anyway, like I said – looking good :)
Ah yes! that is good stuff…
I never knew the name though.
Since I’ve got a bunch of eggs to use, this sound like breakfast!
Thanks
Oh, and by the way, there’s almost no such thing as original “Israeli” cuisine. Most of the cuisine is just an adaptation from eastern europe or north africa, which came with the Jews who arrived to Israel after WW2. In this case, that version of Shakshuka is indeed from North Africa (Morocco, Lybia, Tunisia, Algir – I think it was popular in all of them), while the feta/spinach version I was talking about earlier, comes from Turkey and Bulgaria.
Just wondering– isn’t a shakshuka originally a Libyan dish? I have no doubt that it might have been adopted by them, but I thought it was interesting that it’s primarily know as Israeli, even though it’s inherently Libyan.
@Sagi – thanks for clearing that up! Didn’t see your comment til I posted mine, sorry!
Congratulations on the awards, they are very well deserved. I just finished reading David Lebovitz’s new book from cover to cover, a feat I have never before accomplished with a cookbook. I noticed that you were mentioned in the acknowledgements and it made me smile.
Huevos Rancheros has always been one of my go-to brunch picks so I can’t wait to try the Israeli version of tomato and eggs. This looks great. Congratulations on the award – I love your blog and cook from it a lot, in fact I just polished off a peanut butter brownie, just one of your recipes that is a regular in my rotation.
Oh my gosh! I am so happy to find this recipe! I have vivid memories of landing in Tel Aviv after a 12 hour flight from JFK (after flying from the West Coast) and being dragged, half asleep, to this little hole in the wall restaurant. The cook spoke no English, and I no Hebrew, so he invited us back to the kitchen to point to what we wanted to eat. I chose the shakshuka. It was amazing.
As far as I’m concerned, it originated right here because that photo stopped me in my tracks. Wow. No offense to the other Shakshukas. Can’t wait to make this:)
I make an Italian sausage stew, and sometimes we put it in baking dishes and bake the stew with eggs in it.. this reminds of me that. Looks really, really good.
Is it a federal crime in America to make minor mistakes or do people just have NO idea how to correct people politely?
I tried a similar recipe last week from the march issue of “body +soul” for tomato soup with poached eggs. It was a very simple and yummy soup, served with garlic toasts. I am looking forward to trying this spicier, saucier version of poached eggs plus tomatoes.
try it with fresh challa, that really makes a difference.
also – on the go, try it in a pita.
@Zoa — My Italian grandmother and great-grandmother also made Eggs In Purgatory. What a great childhood memory!
This looks fabulous…was actually wanting a recipe…will definitely opt for the Jalepenos (maybe even throw in a 4th or 5th…)
it looks delicious and I`ll try this for sure! thanks!
Don’t agree that Israeli shakshuka uses green bell peppers. Smitten Kitchen has the ingredient list exactly right, other than the feta cheese, which is definitely an original. Some people would even quibble that the onions don’t belong.
Interestingly, food (and people) from Libya are referred to in Israel as “Tripolitanian”, not Libyan. Could be that the Jews from Libya preferred to relate to an elite cultural and colonial identity rather than a Muslim/nationalist one. Similar to Alexandrian Greeks and Jews.
Looks delicious!! Though I live in Israel I hardly ever make shakshuka…
But now I know what to do with all the gorgeous red and green bell peppers I couldn’t help buying :). SAGI is right: we don’t use feta in this dish here but the bell peppers definitely belong in there.
Thanks for all the great recipes!
Great recipe, but one simple correction: It’s definitely not Israeli, it’s an Egyptian dish. Anyway, it’s really tasty and nice..
This is also a classic North African dish. Most Middle Eastern cuisine was fine-tuned and perfected in Ottoman sultans’ kitchens before taking on local colour in the Levant, North Africa and elsewhere.
Looks great! Another bookmark item.
Okay, I think you’ve figured out a nice little scheme here. You hide photos of Jacob so I HAVE to click through to see the entire recipe, I find said photo of Jacob and get my cuteness dosage for the day, and then you entice me with a gorgeous photo spread and words like “onion,” “garlic,” “cumin,” and “feta” peppered throughout, and I can’t help but make a midnight run to the nearby Safeway to buy the missing ingredients.
Yep. A big, delicious scheme with my local supermarket. :)
Looks soo good!
Addendum – Tripolitania was the name of one of the Italian colonies which make up modern day Libya, the other being Cyrenaica. Most of Libya’s Jews lived in Tripoli, and as of 1941, 25% of the city was Jewish. Most of Libya’s Jews left at or near the time that Libya became independant in 1949, which would explain why they refer to themselves as Tripolitanian and not Libyan.
And shakshuka DOESN’T include bell peppers!
Oh my god, that looks so delicious! :)
My 11 year old daughter’s favorite food is shakshuka – since we live in Israel, I guess that’s appropriate. Since she’s also good in the kitchen, I think I’ll have HER make this for dinner one night – thanks!
I expected a to see a completely different dish when I saw the name “shakshuka”, for us,in Turkey, shaksuka is aubergines, green peppers and potatoes deep fried and mixed with a tomato sauce very similar to above. A perfect meze you should also try ! I think the only common thing is the tomato sauce, perhaps sauce is really what shakshuka is. What you cooked above perfectly is called “menemen” here, mostly a breakfast dish.
Anyway as usual the recipe looks perfect ! Congratulations for the Saveur awards !
I made something similar a while back, the one you posted previously. I had it for breakfast and loved it. Will try this one too – thanks!
I just made your eggs in tomato sauce for the first time last week! We recently moved to Holland and I’m thinking up all kinds of excuses to use the beautiful golden-yolked eggs that seem to be the standard here. You’ve just given two chili-addicts another egg excuse. (Given that I added a heap of hot red pepper flakes to your original recipe, I’m thinking this firey one is right up our alley.) Dank je wel.
In my house we eat it friday morning with a fresh Hallah and its even better then pita!
It is wonderful how such a simple dish can be so very fulfilling!
Not to mention tasty and healthy!!
Just made this (well sort of, I halved some bits, and not others) – but it is tasty. And I don’t really like tomato based sauces. Or eggs. But this is nicely spicy, lots of textures and nice burst of saltyness and eggy bits that don’t really taste like eggs
All the clamor about who really gets to claim shakshuka and what constitutes an “authentic” shakshuka recipe made me do some quick and superficial digging. I found this story, and it made me smile: http://www.jewishfederations.org/page.aspx?id=70870
If you don’t have time or desire to copy and paste the link, a good summation of its Israeli-ness is in this quote: “Listening to the heated debate, I began to ponder whether shakshuka may be an extended metaphor for Israeli society. Like the men in the tent, shakshuka, too, had multiple origins, immigrated from different countries and cultures and was infused with foreign influences. Like the men in the tent, shakshuka has transcended its origins and transformed into a bona fide Israeli.”
looks great. I’m always looking for interesting veggie dishes and this looks like a winner. Can’t wait to try it
shakshuka, chakchouka, chatchouka, shaksuka, Arab, Jew, Ottoman, Maghrebin, Berber.
As with hummus and falalfel, we’d do very well to look towards a future that allows us all our rightful place at the dinner table, sharing a laugh. Mostly at ourselves would be good.
I live in Turkey where we also have a similar dish – called menemen. But the eggs are usually stirred into it in the last few minutes, rather than poached. Just tried your version and it’s great too. I agree, good crusty bread is key for soaking up the juices. We don’t usually use cheese but I’ll have to try some white cheese with it.
I don’t really care where this recipe comes from, it looks great and I want to eat it right now!
@Sasa – Hehe, very good, I completely agree! Btw, I had a look at you blog, the apple mousse sounds fab, will give it a go this weekend!
@Tamsin, thanks, hope it goes well! I’m all for a bit of debate but there’s no need to be rude…
Shakshuka eggs are hugely popular in Don Dhet island in the 1000 Islands area of Laos bizarrely – the story is that they only cooked very Laotian style dishes (read: fish head soup) and homesick Israelis taught them how to make these eggs and they’ve been on the menus ever since!
Sweet, Sweet, Sweet Jacob!
This looks delicious. It’s always at times like these, when I see awesome egg recipes on this site, that I get sad because I don’t like eggs. The smell and the texture, I just can’t take them. And making an egg dish without eggs is um. Challenging, I’m sure. I guess the photos will have to suffice.
OMG, that brought back so many memories. My grandmother used to make it all the time (we’re Egyptian living in Cairo) but I her version was without cheese. I don’t think I’ve had it since she died. Will definitely make it soon.
this looks amazing. going to send it to my daughter in law in texas. this is also a perfect passover dish, without the pita.
I love runny eggs. I love tomato sauce. Give me some good crusty bread and I am so down with this!
OK – first time ‘commenter’ but by no means the first recipe i’ve read and attempted – i’ve been on a “lets lose massive amounts of weight” path and this recipe is perfect – meets all the requirements of my eating plan AND i eat LOADS of eggs – after a year – “boiled” “dry fried” & “scrambled” are more than a little tedious – with tummy grumbling away I read this recipe,then headed for the kitchen. had to use chili flakes instead of jalepenos, and no cumin – but boy oh boy – this was GREAT! perfectly balanced for my meal plan and a fabulously tasty treat … THANKS !!
Never had this, but it sounds pretty delicious!
One problem I’ve always had with shakshuka is that when you cook the eggs on top of the sauce the heating is uneven and the yolks overcook before the whites have set. One possibility is to make a well in the sauce, so the egg has direct contact withthe skillet, or to fry or poach the eggs separately and then add them.
Beans….chuck some beans in!
@MarkC , make sure that your sauce is not too dry and try putting a lid on the pan for a minute or so after you add the eggs (you can tell that this is probably what was done by the cook in the picture, given the faint white cast to the yolks). Remember that the eggs will continue to cook, even as you serve, so maybe err on the runny side.
This version would make my Muslim Tunisian friends smile in recognition, since they reckon one of the basic difference between their food and that of Jewish Tunisians lay in the amount of garlic used and five cloves suggests that there may be some truth to this. Also, for them, a ‘chatchouka’ can be used to describe something that’s a crazy mess, so I don’t think anyone needs to feel too precious about their own take on it.
Had this for the first time in Israel a few years ago. I really enjoyed it and decided to try the eggs in tomato sauce recipe that you posted… also very good. Excited to try this!
I’m glad to finally see a recipe for shakshuka! I too first tried it at The Hummus Place and fell in love, but then had no way to recreate it. I made up my own recipe, which turned out pretty darn similar to the real deal, but not quite. Now I’ll have to try this recipe!
I had eggs in tomato sauce for dinner last night but this recipe and flavor profile look amazing!
I keep seeing eggs on top of everything (and things that make no sense to me), but this one is worth a try! I love the tomato and the feta together with the seasonings. This will be our next lazy weekend brunch dish!
Shakshuka is a staple in our house, at least once a week I will make it for breakfast. I also mix it up sometimes and make a “green shakshuka” using spinach rather than tomato as a base.
Thanks for the recipe. I love shakshuka and eat it all the time when I am in Israel. Haven’t found anyplace in Philadelphia that makes it, though, so I guess I’ll have to make it myself! Jennifer (comment number 12) said her friend used some unlabeled spice. It was most likely zatar (probably spelled wrong). If you can’t find it at a market or spice store near you, it can be ordered online at Penzeys.
What a strange and interesting name for a dish. Never heard it before. Looks good though.
Magda
Sounds just like a dish I make called Eggs in Purgatory. Yum!
Wow that looks amazing. I’ve seen it twice over the past week so I think that’s a sign…
Wow! looks delicious! we make a similar dish in Spain called ‘eggs in the oven’. usually you add some kind of sausage, the tomato sauce, onion and then the egg on top and bake it in the oven in a clay dish… your dish brought back memories from childhood! :)
I’ve been going crazy over all things egg lately, baking them, soft boiling them, dipping them in soy sauce, and now you tease me with this. Once I figure out how to poach an egg, this makes my list.
I too made the Saveur recipe for this! It is delightful, isn’t it?
You mentioned shakshuka in passing a while back, and I’ve been hoping you’d write a post on it. Something this delicious needs to be shared with the world!
I use a recipe from the Boston Globe, and I love making it because it uses ingredients I always have on hand. But I’m eager to try your version; I’ve never seen it with feta before.
drooling, and I already had breakfast. tomorrow is another day :) am loving getting your recipes delivered to me! one request to improve your amazing blog: would you consider putting the option of printing the recipe with photo on the print page? I frequently print out an extra copy for a friend with similar food loves, and I’d love to have a photo on it for her, and to remind me when I’m leafing through recipes.
…but they call a similar Mexican dish migas or chilaquiles, only with tortillas… Yes, yes, there are similar dishes all around the world, because eggs adapt to just about anything and tomatoes are awesome. Point is, there’s no need to be nasty and “correct” Deb; she’s incredibly knowledgeable, but not even Deb has the pedrigree on every single dish out there.
There is room at the table for all of our recipe variants and for all of us. All of us must eat, so let us sit down at the table with gratefulness and joy. Shakshuka looks delicious, Deb – my sweetheart and I will surely add this to our rotation soon. Thanks.
Israeli? Really? I grew up on this dish in Egypt… I thought it was a North African dish. I guess all dishes in the Middle East have now become officially “Israeli”. Regardless, absolutely delicious!
Hmmm…interesting! Looks very, very good. I’ve never heard of this dish, but I dig all of the ingredients.
I just had this dish in Israel 2 wks ago … it’s delicious
“All dishes in the Middle East have now officially become ‘Israeli’” — I hardly think that was suggested!
I am surprised to wake up this morning and find that there is so much debate (and so much argument) over the origins of this dish. Variants of this dish exist all over the world. I called this version Israeli because a) the name is Israeli, b) the place that inspired me to make my own version is Israeli and c) the original recipe I used is Israeli. Thus, this version of the dish, for all intents and purposes, is Israeli. As for the Israeli version, its clearest origins are Lbyian. But I enjoy (and am hungry thinking about) all of the other international versions people have described.
One disadvantage of having automatically-approved comments is that unpleasantness that I’d otherwise weed out (comments clearly to incite argument, not to enrich a conversation) go right through even when I’m away from the computer. An advantage, however, is that you don’t need me around to have lively conversation! And so it goes…
Mark — Where do you see bell peppers?
I’ve done the Italian version from the Sopranos cookbook (don’t judge! there are some good recipes in there!) but this looks delicious too, can’t wait to try it.
Great post and awesome photos!! :D
I keep seeing shaksuka all over the web and I’d never heard of it until this year. I can’t wait to try it!
Wow, I’ve cracked an egg into my favorite tomato sauce before, but this spices things up. But Deb, still not sure why you keep using those particular tomatoes. Recently, at least in NYC, there has been a big shipment of real D.O.P. San Marzano’s (La Valle in the green can) that are so superior to anything else I’ve used. Slightly pricey, but the real thing!
Thanks for this latest recipe from the best cooking blog out there.
Stuart — I use those tomatoes because I a) like the flavor and b) they come out of the can absolutely flawless, stunning. Unbroken.
Not sure this is what you want to hear about your blog, but I finally had to let you know that I click over here every time you post, even when I have zero interest in whatever recipe you’re writing about (like this one – not a fan of spicy or tomato), just to see Jacob. So, uh, I guess that means keep posting him? He’s simply scrumptious (which I say despite being completely biased in favor of my own scrumptious 8-month-olds).
I’m very conflicted because I hate tomatoes and their sauce derivatives, but this looks really good! On a grammar note: “you may of shrugged” should really say may have. :)
Allison — Thanks, fixed.
Omg! I looooove to break an egg in my tomato pasta sauce, so I’m really gonna make this soon!
I love shakshuka! I made a tunisian version a few months back and was totally blown away by how easy and yummy it is! espeically good with a big loaf of freshly made bread!!
Deb, hope you have an awesome day! Thanks for all you do!
Eggs in Pergatory were in a recent Bon Ap, were very similar, and were gone as soon as they came out of the oven! Yum.
That looks amazing, I guess I’ve got our weekend breakfast covered.
It looks realy good but not easy to do this :/ but I try it! Thanks!
Wow, that looks great. I’ve never heard of it, but it sounds like it would be right up my alley.
Try this topped with za’atar, too. Delicious. There was a recipe for it in the NY Times a few years ago and we’ve been making it ever since.
WOW, I’ve never heard of this before. It looks scrumptious.
okay, this convinces me. I’m either making this tonight, or making my bi-weekly sojourn to Hummus Place….
I just made Shakshuka ( my version) yesterday for a light dinner.We do love it in our family.
Wow…I’ve never heard of this dish. The eggs ans spiciness make it something I would probably like.
I’ve made one of the other variants of this dish, and ran out of san marzanos last night (when I used them for a huge messa minestrone). I loved the version I made, but I am always needing to re-search for where I saw the recipe. Your version looks more like my cup of tea and absolves me of looking for it over and over again! Thank you!
Your recipes are always fascinating, even when they are not something I would ordinarily try. This one is particularly interesting, both in its own concept and in the discussion. I have made many of your recipes and they are, so far, universally successful! For those who, like me, have an aversion to getting stuff all over our hands (and under long fingernails, in themselves a food safety issue), I suggest breaking the tomatoes with a potato masher. It works fast and doesn’t splatter.
My grandmother Maria used to make eggs like this when I was a little girl. We are 100% Italian. They were called “Eggs in Purgatory.” Very similar to this dish you call Shakshuka. I don’t think she used green bell pepper. Very similar though. I can still smell the tomatoes cooking……..yummy. I would definitely try this one. Love your website!!!
I love the variety of ethnic foods that you find to try and then offer them to us for our eating experience. I learn much from the information that your readership contributes, too, even when the discussion gets heated! I think we can all relate a recipe that is familiar that is a variation on the named dishes found throughout the world. Ingredients vary depending on what’s plentiful or in season, so a name may be the given based on the origin of the adaptation. It’s okay! Adaptation is what we all do to suit our circumstances and wonderful things come from it!
So funny…”must I be forced to make my own food again”?
That’s the kind of thing I often think.
I tore out this recipe from a magazine a few weeks ago. Glad to hear it’s as good as it sounds.
looks yum. question? Anyone have any suggestions on wine/drinks to pair with middle-eastern/israeli food? want to make a little dinner per your suggestion and was wondering what might be a good drink to pair.
thanks as always Deb!
That looks great! I think I would eat anything if it had an egg on it. Salads, soups, you name it. I have an egg-problem. Especially soft poached eggs.
Thanks!
Bless You!
Aww! I love that you took a picture of Jacob just staring in AWE at the restaurant. It’s adorable.
Markef at comment 68 and Susan at comment 123, you both nailed it! And thanks to Deb for the recipe and “stirring the pot!”
Pride in ownership and cultural identity are so important, but only when our migratory paths cross and merge, do we finally have the ability to see what we share in common. Let that be a beacon for a better future-for all of humanity.
This looks so appetizing. Eggs, tomato, feta. Yum. I think I will make this w/o the chillies for my little one. Perhaps some small kid size ones.
ok…this looks and sounds great! do you think that increasing the quantity of eggs without increasing the quantity of sauce might be a problem? i have two teenaged sons and so 6 eggs between 4 people is just not going to do it for them…i was thinking i might need to put in 8.
I plan on making and reviewing this dish later (looks FAB!), but…:
KRIS: my bf works in the wine business and he said a few things. First, avoid red wines with a lot of tannins or that are high alcohol. If you must go with a red wine, try a chilled Lambrusco (there are two types, both sparkling – rose and a red – both are DELISH…the rose might be awesome). He says you might be able to get away with a Pinot Noir as well, but a rose/white sounds better to me. For a fun rose, he recommended the South of France (he said try Tavel or D’Anjou), and for a white, try a Riesling Kabinett (pref. from Mosel Valley in Germany), an Arneis (from Italy), or Gruner Veltliner (from Austria). You could also try a low-alcohol sweet wine – Moscato d’Asti.
I don’t know as much about wine as he does, but I’ve had all of the above and love each one.
Sounds like a fun dinner!
I love shakshuka… I get it at the B-Cup cafe on 13th and B… i used to live on St Mark’s though and LOVED the hummus place… of course now that I’m a little further north I won’t have as many opportunities to spot you and your handsome buddy
My heart leaps with joy!
Why not offer the real israeli ingredients of using fresh tomatoes, usually the ones that got mushy and need to either be thrown out or turned into Shakshukah night!!!
Dennie
Nes Ziona, Israel
I am new to your website and have fallen in love. Thank you for inspiring me in the kitchen again. I can’t wait to make this tonight, it looks so amazing.
Sounds awesome, and like a brunch thing I used to get at my favorite Greek cafe in Boston. Question: Regular paprika or smoked?
nancy — No. The original recipe used the same amount of sauce for 8 eggs. The shakshuka we like is a little saucier, so I dialed the eggs back.
Leigh — Use either. I used Hungarian, not smoked.
I started buying this same brand of tomatoes and fell in love! So this year I will be attempting to grow my own San Marzano tomatoes with the hopes that I may be able to can a few!
thanks deb. I was wondering what i should have for dinner. What unique way to go budget and meatless. I’m afraid to use my fancy can of san marzanos- but if you think this is worth it, i’ll give it a try.
Jeni — No reason to use your fanciest tomatoes. Well, I mean, I like good tomatoes in a dish where they are the main event, but no reason to go over-budget for what should be a simple, affordable meal.
By some strange cosmic coincidence I have ALL of the ingredients for this in the fridge! Thanks for doing my meal-planning for me, Deb.
OK, I’m sold! I’m making this for dinner tonight…sounds great!
I just did a little happy dance – I have a big can of those tomatoes in my pantry and a dozen local pastured eggs in the fridge. I know what we’re having for breakfast tomorrow! And that picture of Jacob is verging on illegal levels of cuteness. He has the best expressions – he looks like such a sweet baby.
Oh, I so want to try this but I’m having visions of ruining it all at the last minute because I can’t poach an egg, let alone do it IN a yummy looking tomato sauce.
Please someone reassure me that it’s easier than it sounds/looks or maybe give me some helpful tips? Thanks!
Do I have to make up a new name for every recipe in which I change an ingredient? Does it really matter what a recipe is called or where it “officially” comes from? (or do I have to say “the area from which it comes?) (no, wait, fromwhereforth it originated -dang, this recipe thing is confusing!). I guess, just to be safe, when I make this I’ll call it Yummy Saucy Eggs. (kind of like when I make quiche. I tell my kids it’s Cheesy Egg Pie, so they’ll eat it!) :o)
Just joined your site a few days ago, found your earlier recipe and came home to cook it for dinner. It was fab, but this one looks even better! Thanks for sharing!
It is always great to find a new fix for quick lunch or dinner, and waist friendly too!
@Paula D – Lafayette Hill : Funnily enough even tough I am Italian, I never heard of ‘egg in purgatory’! You never stop learning, do you? And I think that for filology’s sake it is nice and sometimes surprising to know the origin of a dish, and it is certainly interesting to know it comes from Lybia, but still, I don’t think it changes much in practice: a dish belongs to whoever cooks it or eats it. For example I’m ready to even admit that nowadays pizza is as much American as it is Italian. They exist as two separate entities, and we have to admit it.
i love love love shakshuka. out here in la la land the go-to place for it is the hummus bar! they are kosher, so no cheese in it – so tell me how you do the haloumi. i LOVE haloumi – but how do you integrate into this dish? sounds amazing. may be dinner tonight with some challah. thanks!
Deb, I’ll have you know that because of you I have broken my New Year’s resolution: I have a big stack of recipes I’ve printed from the internet that I haven’t gotten around to trying yet.This past December I decided I couldn’t print anymore until I had gotten through at least half of that stack. I was doing fine…until I found your blog a few days ago. Now the stack is growing again. I have to get cooking!
Love the pictures of Jacob! I just love cute little dimpled baby hands =)
sorry, my typing is already off for the weekend.. I meant
‘even though’ and ‘philology’.
This looks amazingly yummy. I am excited about making it.
I was going to post to say this is a Tunisian dish! But someone already did.
I’ve seen something similar called “Eggs in Hell” in Readymade magazine from “How to Cook (Eat?) a Wolf” which was apparently an amazing cookbook.
Deb,
Here is a south Indian variation for you-add coconut milk and leave out the feta/parsley.Very yummy!
Binsy
hi deb!
i’m the new yorker who saw you and the fam that day but didn’t say hello! i’ve since moved to the east village and would love to know the name of your local restaurant you mentioned for this dish. perhaps i’ll see you around again and say hello this time! i also still want to buy your pomegranate photo! thanks for the great recipe!
Great Dish, beautiful photos.
I just want to clarify the origin of this dish, the Walima Challenge for March was representing the Tunisian Cuisine and Shakshouka was our savoury dish …..
This dish, with many variations, is a popular breakfast in North Africa, especially in Algeria and Tunisia. Jewish Immigrants from the Maghreb Al Arabi have made this a popular breakfast dish in Israel.
How have I never heard of this?? I love poached eggs over anything, esp saucy tomato broth. Thanks for the recipe!
must be that there are lots of versions of poached eggs in tomato sauce! i made a similar dish a while back and it was italian and oh so tasty. i’m sure the chilis and feta add yet another dimension to this recipe though and will definitely try it out sometime!
Fell in love when I saw the pics on your Flickr, so excited to make it now! It’s like my perfect meal, red sauce and eggs. Now if only there were a way to add in the mountain of spring CSA produce about to start choking my fridge…
This is one of those recipes that’s not very exciting sounding and absolutely killer. I had this at a friend’s bridal shower that I was co-hosting. The woman in charge of the main dish told me about this and I thought, “meh…” and then was bowled over when I tasted it.
I’ve been meaning to make it since and keep forgetting…thanks for the recipe!
I’ve only had shakshuka with scrambled eggs, and i’ve never made it myself…sadly, I don’t live near any real live israeli restaurants…I might just have to try this…
Congratulations on winning the well-deserved awards! You are one of my favorite places to visit on the interwebz. This looks scrumptious.
First of all, Congratulations on the Saveur Food Blog award! You certainly have earned it!
When I opened the page today, I saw the title and thought: “Shakshuka? What’s tha…..Ohhhhhhh. I want that!!”
I may make it tonight, it looks fabulous.
dana — They are Kosher but they are not a meat restaurant. They will put haloumi on if you ask and it is wonderful. However, it is mostly cubed within the stew, less broiled.
heather — It is literally no effort. This isn’t like trying to keep and egg together in simmering water. You plop it in and the thick sauce does 99% of the work. It’s a messy dish, no perfectly wrapped poached eggs needed.
Robyn — It’s called the Hummus Place. (I link to it above.) There are a couple locations … their hummus is beyond. Light, creamy and heavy on the nuttiness.
Re, Eggs in Purgatory — You all probably know by now my attraction to any dish with an awesome name. (See: above.) Thus, obviously I have to try this next.
An overdue thank you — To reader Rebecca who had sent me this recipe with her approval in January. I’d gave me just the nudge I needed!
I have been guiltily dipping into your beautiful website for some months now, making many of your recipes, turning my friends on to it, raving about the writing, photos, your son, etc., etc. I feel like an NPR listener who doesn’t pay! Congratulations on your well-deserved award from Saveur — you definitely deserve it. I would’ve voted if I had known about it. The Shakshuka looks fabulous and it will be the center of my next brunch or light dinner. Love it! Thanks, & keep ‘um coming…
A similar recipe for Shakshuka was posted at Sunday Suppers with a few variations that included the use of harissa which I love (and may simplify the recipe a little).
Just made this for dinner it was great and so quick and tasty! I used 3 jalapenos- maybe a bit much but still good,
I’m just curious if you’ve been to Twelve Chairs? I believe that is the name. My best friend lives in Manhattan and loves this dish from that place. Made me think of her.
I’m excited to try this at home myself.
Ooooooh man that hit the spot :D
http://y3m.net/gal/v/food/shakshuka/
Awww…he’s so cute, and I can’t even squeeze him tight! Oh, man. I need to visit New York, or something. Also, your stroller is off-the-hizzy awesome-tastic; duel facing? Man… :)
Oh my, this sounds delicious. I’ve never tried Shakshuka before, but the combination of ingredients, flavors and textures sounds really good! I may have to add this one to my growing collection of Mediterranean recipes.
Love, love, love. Will be making this tonight. I’m already thinking of all the variations….peas & curry, coconut milk, lentils, capers, spinach, carrots & celery….yum!
Thanks also for speaking up about that “debate.” Unfortunately, some people just cannot stand to NOT be rude to others. :)
This is exactly like a dish we make in Albania! Another version of it uses spinach instead of the tomatoes, delicious all the same!
This is too freaky! Google gave me your “huevos rancheros” recipe this morning, but it was just an egg friend on top of a tortilla (still delicious, but not the kick I was looking for). This recipe is MUCH more huevos rancheros worthy!!
yum. comments from someone who lives in Israel (where this dish is very popular):
- first of all – the world is divided into two groups – those who like their shakshuka with whole eggs (as above) and those who like them scrambled into the sauce. try it both ways.
- also, most shakshukas that I’ve met/cooked use a lot of onions – for this amount I would use 3-4 large onions, peeled and cubed.
- for cook-ahead fans: this is a great dish to cook ahead. make the sauce and refrigerate or freeze for future use, adding the eggs when you reheat.
- and it’s really really good piled into a good crusty bread.
I think I will be making this for breakfast tomorrow morning when I inevitably wake up with a hangover. I’ll have to go get some of my favorite (and horrible for you) deep fried pita chips to go with it.
This may be popular in Israel but it is NOT an Israeli dish.
It is an Arab dish along with Hummus, falafel, shawirma, etc. Israel was created in 1947 and Arabs were eating these foods a long time before that.
Lately, I was thinking to make some dish similar to this. But didn’t know that it is called Skakushka. I was thinking to make it in individual ramekins for a tapas party and serve it with a slice of garlic bread.
Having recently discovered your recipe for eggs in tomatoes I’m really pleased to discover a new twist on it. It’s so simple that I’ve been tempted to cook it every breakfast, dinner and lunch every day, so thank you for sharing this. Can’t wait to serve it up for Sunday brunch.
Man, when I saw the title I wasn’t that interested in the dish, but then I saw the photo of the finished product and totally wanted to eat some. Thanks for the beautiful post.
Just wanted to let everyone know that I recently tried both the tomato sauce (could it be any easier?) and the NY deli rye. OMG, I can actually cook something, my family eats it, and says “Where’d you get this”? Thank you Deb for making me a better women!
I’ve been wanting to make this for a long time. You’ve inspired me. It will happen within a week!
I’m an israeli and I have some remarks :
1) You eat it with a plain bread or Halla bread but definitely not with Pita bread.
2)The classic version is without the feta cheese.
3) It’s a whole meal, there is no need for a side dish. You just take a really large portion.
Oh my, those expressions – does Jacob know how many people he doesn’t know are smiling because of him?
This looks so good! I’ll have to try it. Btw, I gave you a blog award on my blog.
great idea to make shakshuka! i love it at miriam in park slope, where it’s on the brunch menu (along with mediterranean crispy dough, which is amazing, and if you learned how to make it i’d be in your debt).
I make a similar version but I adapted it from Dr. Shakshouka’s recipe. I put in red peppers and leave out the cheese and chilies since Im not really a fan of kick. A lot of sephardi grandmothers will leave the sauce simmering for hours before making the dish! It is as easy or hard as you want to make it. When I am in a real rush I fry up some red pepper, onions, fresh tomatos and garlic and dump in a jar of prepared tomato sauce. I served it with toasted french stick type bread to dip in the sauce. It’s low fat, filling and delicious!
this looks so delicious– i am going to have to give it a try. i LOVE that there are eggs in there. i looked up photos of other shakshukas on google image, and you definitely did the egg thing perfectly.
Ooohhh this looks like a nice eyeopener! Yum. I love your site and your son is SUCH a doll! Thanks for all the great recipes. I still make your blueberry boy bait :)
Cheers!
Deb
Looks amazing! I’m always needing new vegetarian dinner ideas. Can’t wait to try this!
deb, there was a recipe for eggs in purgatory in march’s bon appetite. hoping to try it soon. but, i think i will give this a go first. you can really never have enough eggs in tomato sauce dishes. as always, thank you.
This looks awesome! Thanks for sharing.
This looks awesome. I can’t wait to make it this weekend. I think I am going to make mine without the yolks.
I’m usually a bit afraid of egg dishes–they’re so fragile, and I’m a bit of a klutz–but I jumped at this recipe as soon as I saw it. We LOVE LOVE LOVE it! Thanks for the double-barrel shot of spice and simplicity.
Funny you decided to post this now, did you know that Israel’s independence day is around the corner? (this year it falls on April 20th)
We make our shakshuka a little different, we use a lot of red and green bell peppers (and some hot ones) and a lot of onions and just enough tomatoes to make it saucy, I like to char the peppers first in the cast iron skillet, it makes them sweet, smoky and delicious!
i used to work in borough park and the dairy restaurant across the street would often have this as their lunch selection. i would always get it if they had it. i’d forgotten all about it! i’ll have to try this.
Wow. Looks like this has been a very heated debat. (Why?) It’s just shakshuka! And, Deb, I think your combination is perfect, I can’t wait to try it. My mom will have to check it out too, she loves a good shakshuka. Thanks! Rachel
I’ve had the Tunisian version of this, that uses harissa and spicy lamb sausage. It’s rockin’. (My next door neighbor is Tunisian.)
This looks fantastic, and I love anything with soft, warm egg yolks, and I LOVE the name of this dish!
Congrats on the award – your photography is always stunning.
I am from Morocco and familiar with this dish. Your recipe looks mouth-watering!
man, this dish looks fantastic!
I made this tonight, and it is fantastic! I went a little spicier, with a full 5 anaheims, as you suggested, and I’m glad I did. I dig spicy, and it had just the right amount of slow, creeping heat. Not ‘hot’ by any stretch, but…yum.
Also, I had been looking for this recipe (or one like it) for months after seeing it on Bourdain or another of the Travel Channel shows, and was just thinking about it the other day, wishing I could ID it. And here it is! Thanks, Deb! :)
Ooh. Shakshuka. (Actually, my recipe I ripped out of an old Sunset spells it shaksouka.) Like it! And it’s so easy. Here are my notes after making it when we in the middle of a contractor cleanup from a house flood:
“This dish was comprised of canned tomatoes, some spices, and two eggs. It took five minutes to prep and cooked in twenty in one pan on the stove.
The oven was not required, nor multiple pots, nor multiple drawers, etc. I did have to use my mortar and pestle, which I rinsed in the sink”.
I want to say mine only called for dried chili powders and coriander along with the cumin and paprika. Fortunately I had some leftover chopped onion from the day before.
I had mine with toasted bread; it was great. In future I would probably throw some spinach on the side, so long as we had no contractors around.
Hi there. Sorry to ask what is probably a very stupid question, but what do you mean by ‘ baste the whites of the eggs with tomato mixture’? As far as I know, basting is simply a word for cooking something in either it’s own juices, or some other juice, correct? If that is right, well… aren’t the egg whites already IN the tomato sauce? Two lines before we are told to break the eggs into the sauce…
Apologies again for being potentially very stupid, but I’m not a very experienced cook! Looking forward very much to taking a crack at this though – a friend of mine has been trying your recipes and literally raving about them.
Ohmygoodness, these were SO good!!!
This popped up on my blog reader just as I was putting together my shopping list for this week and it sounded so good.. I couldn’t wait to get home and start cooking it for a quick dinner. I had to buy some ground cumin, it’s not something I’ve ever cooked with before so thank you for adding another spice to my repertoire!
I’d encourage everyone who’s thinking this sounds like a pretty tasty recipe to give it a go – it’s definitely going to be on high rotation in my kitchen!
So easy and so yummy! I halved the recipe and had it for dinner tonight and am looking forward to trying it already again – perhaps for a lazy Sunday breakfast in the morning! :)
Yummmm!
Made this last night with well cooked eggs – the sacrifices of pregnancy – and it was wonderful! Can’t wait to eat the last couple eggs for lunch. What a great, simple, recipe. Thanks, Deb!
Steven — No such thing as stupid questions! You’re spooning the sauce gently over the egg whites, helping bury the eggs only very slightly in the sauce so they cook more evenly (and not just underneath).
Just made this this morning and it was fantastic. Halved the recipe (there’s only two of us) but made it with 4 eggs. Could’ve even gone with 5 because I love eggs so much, though the sauce-to-egg ratio worked well.
Thanks for the scrumptious weeknight meal idea!!! On the menu for this week- can’t wait.
I didn’t plan on making this last night, but ended up with a hungry friend who is vegetarian and one thing lead to another. It was absolutely delicious! I wasn’t quite sure what you meant by basting the eggs, but found the answer in the comment section. And scooped into a whole wheat pita… well, I just ate breakfast and still, I’m salivating at the thought of last night’s dinner. Thanks!
I can’t tell you how much I’m loving your blog. At least once a week you serve up something I’ve never heard of but that miraculously combines flavors I already love and relative simplicity and good left-over potential (which is key, as I usually only cook for myself).
Thanks!
Deb, looks fantastic as always. The other weekend, had a dish with an interesting take on this at a franco-mexican restaurant in spanish harlem: poached eggs in a tomatillo broth with cactus leaf. it was pretty fantastic. i’ll have to try this recipe out for a sunday brunch sometime.
I am Armenian from Iran and my family makes a version of this with fresh tomatoes and hot peppers as well. I haven’t had it in years, though we have been making “Eggs in Purgatory” that we learned from a Mario Batali cooking show and that many have noted above as being very similar.
For those who insist that this is an Arab not an Israeli dish or whatever, please stop it. Those of us who are interested in studying and eating different kinds of food know that we can find versions of many dishes scattered throughout regions. Why wouldn’t the Israelis have a version of this dish? Rather than fighting over the origins of a dish, why not just share our experiences of different versions of it and stop with the blatant prejudicial remarks?
I lived in Israel for 5 years and never heard of this dish till now! That being said, I made this for dinner last night for my boyfriend and I. It was wonderful! Next time I visit Israel I’m definitely going to try it at a cafe. Thanks for another great recipe.
This is also a Palestinian dish.
Mmm, I love shakshuka. Sadly I always have to make my own. No place in sight around here that makes it.
I never cooked it in a pot though – always in a skillet – but somehow it seems like a better idea.
“Mark, where do you see bell peppers?”
Not in your recipe, but some of your posters, who happen to be Israeli, claim that the dish takes bell peppers, which I, living in Israel for the last fifteen years, dispute. However, I agree that it’s silly to argue over these things, and my comments were offered only as a matter of cultural interest. By the way (and not to be argumentative) I doubt that shakshuka is an “Israeli” word. It isn’t Hebrew, but Arabic, and although I am no expert, it sounds like a strange kind of Arabic – like maybe Berber or something. I’ll have to ask an Arabic-speaking friend. If I find the derivation of the word, I will post it.
I can also understand why people from Arabic countries would feel miffed that people describe their dishes as Israeli. As someone else remarked, dishes like hummus and shakshuka existed long before Israel was created. I think the only authentic Israeli food might be Israeli couscous (or “ptittim” – a kind of pasta, and not to be confused with North African couscous.)
could you use pickled jalapenos instead of fresh one?
This looks awesome.
oh yeah, we dug it, too. made it for the first time over Christmas, and it shocked me and delighted me in equal measure (so good! so easy! soooo gooood!!)
Looks delicious and like something my brother would enjoy!
Sima’s comment is weird. There’s lots of shakshuka here in Israel! Never mind, I like your version! Thumbs up.x
Made this for supper last night and it was fantastic and quick. Just what I needed thank you for the recipe.
I was having a bummer day yesterday so my best friend whipped this up for me after we drooled over the post all day. She added ground lamb to the tomato stuff and it was amazing in every way. I’m looking forward to trying this with some veggie friends too!
So in comment No. 2, someone mentions Jacob. Where is he…going after hummus? I even played that stupid mascara-serum commercial thinking it was a video. Jacob? Please?
YES. This looks very much like MFK Fisher’s Eggs in Hell from How to Cook a Wolf… I tried that a few months ago and it was wonderful, but the spicier version looks even more intriguing! Congratulations on the photography honors! You sure earned it.
Jean — I usually make people find it, but nobody should have to watch a mascara commercial. ;) “My little buddy” is a link, in the last paragraph.
Robin – Cafe Ole in Old City makes this most days, although I’ve never tried it. Now I am craving their iced chai.
Deb – This might be a silly question and does not pertain to the recipe at all (although it looks delish), but I’m about 7 months pregnant and am curious as to what would be your top 5 baby items?!
Yum – can’t wait to try this. They used to serve something similar at the boarding school where I worked in Germany (I can’t remember what they were called in German, but I’m pretty sure there was a connection with hell or the devil, so I guess I was eating Eggs in Purgatory). It was my favourite dish on the rotating menu – it was served on a Friday once a month, always accompanied by nutmeg-y mashed potatoes. Perfect comfort food.
Score! I made eggs with tomato on toast a few weeks ago, and my friend that came over to try it and said that she loved the Israeli version of the dish, which I’d never heard of! I’m assuming that this is it! Slightly different since the Italian version suggests that you mix the egg whites in with the tomato sauce so the egg yolks just sit on the sauce, but I imagine it tastes very similar. I’m gonna try this tonight! Looks amazing!
http://www.acozykitchen.com/eggs-with-tomato-on-toast/#more-2539
OK…so that sounds really good….but other comments….love the green baby blanket. Did you knit that???
I’ve just discovered your blog today and I’ve got to say that this dish sounds DELICIOUS. I poked around, and every recipe thus far is pure gold! I can’t wait to start trying out these tasty looking things!
Your baby boy is ADORABLE! What fun he must be :)
I made this dish about 2 hours after you posted the recipe. It smelled wonderful and was warm and surprisingly filling. I used 3 jalapeños and although I’m not big on spice, I will toss at least 2 more in next time!
As for all of these comments about the origins of the recipe– no dish is exclusively from or BY one culture. Cross pollination happens and cultures, traditions, food, art, it all is influenced by time and place. When you listen to Spanish flamenco music, how can you say you don’t hear the Arab influences? When you listen to Hawaiian ukulele music, you’re actually listening to an instrument native to Portugal, but the Hawaiians incorporated it into a music that’s their own. That’s like saying Jazz is 100% American music. It’s a musical BYPRODUCT of African slave songs, blues, and American instrumentation.
So to the people barking “It’s from LIBYA!” at this poor woman, chill out.
I’m not a bit commenter, but this recipe made my day. I spent four and a half months living in Tel Aviv last year and fell in love with Shakshuka. I’ve tried it once since I got home, but it was not a great recipe. I can’t wait to try this one. I really enjoy your site. Thanks for keeping it up!
Okay, this is a new one for me. However, when you say poached eggs in anything, I’m sold. This sounds very intriguing and I’m excited to try it.
We just had a Spanish dish that was a bit similar-chorizo and eggs baked in a spicy red sauce. But this looks even better, especially with the feta cheese. Yum!
Being an incurable nerd, I had to get to the bottom of the origins of shakshuka, and the final word seems to be that there is no definitive answer. As the following article explains, the debate about where shakshouka comes from, and what the true ingredients are, rages on:
http://www.thejc.com/lifestyle/food/20762/shakshuka-israel%E2%80%99s-hottest-breakfast-dish
Claudia Roden, the foremost expert in Sephardic Jewish cooking, claims that while many versions of shakshuka exist throughout the Muslim world, the version posted on Smitten Kitchen was indeed developed in Israel.
Finally, there is a Hebrew word – leshakshek- which means to scramble or mix-up, however, it is also entirely likely that this word comes from Arabic, so the mystery remains unsolved.
I think the version of shakshuka that you shared seems very interesting and looks quite tasty. Im actually familar with the dish, however, its the egyptian version, which isnt quite as spicey and includes scallions and cut up tomatoes and peppers along with chopped onions.. the eggs are then scrambled into the mix after the other ingredients have had sometime to sweat on the stove.. interesting to see how recipes can be so similar but still quite different from region to region…
ugh, what are you doing to me?! do you see what time it is?! (o.k. you don’t… but it’s 3:27 in the morning).
this looks absolutely fabulous. and I’m not much of an egg or tomato sauce person, but I just had to wipe my mouth when I saw this picture.
& if anyone messes with you, your blog i.e. spelling, history stuff…, I’m in brooklyn, so just let a sistah know!
=0)
This looks so appetizing. What a great idea for a vegetarian dish.
Indeed something that I never heard, nor seen before. Congrats on the wins. Well-deserved.
i’m familiar with eggs in purgatory, so was very interested in trying this. we made it last night, a few notes:
1. it was way too liquidy. i let it cook longer than the 15 minutes and it was still very wet. this was ok while the eggs were cooking, but once i tried taking them out, the liquid to chunky sauce ratio was off. i poured off the extra liquid and next time will not add the extra 1/2 cup water. it could be the type of tomatoes i used had more liquid – we have limited choices in my part of canada.
2. it was not spicy. i used 3 jalapenos, seeded and stemed. they added great flavour, but it was very mild. next time i’ll put in a few of the seeds to give it some kick.
Great looking recipe – will definitely try it this week. I think this dish would also go really nicely with Turkish bread and merguez sausages, which are slightly spicy lamb sausages. Yum!
Sounds delicious!! Have to try this
This looks delicious. My sister is in Israel now. I think I will make this part of her welcome home meal. Thank you for all your delicious recipes and photographs.
I really liked the tomato sauce, and would probably make it again for some pasta. It was yummy. I had to substitute for the peppers, so I used a few small thai peppers and a sprinkle of dried pepper. It was great scooped on some toasted sourdough bread.
I didn’t care for the eggs, which is a main component of the dish, and I didn’t like the feta. I had set the feta aside so the family could put on as much or little as they liked. My first helping was with egg and feta, the second was the sauce scooped up with toast:) Did I mention I really liked the sauce:)
Congrats on your award, totally deserved. I love your site and get so much inspiration from it.
This looks wonderful, though I imagine not great for leftovers…. your recipes are always amazing and tasty! Thank you!
When I’ve looked at recipes for shakshuka in the past, they often recommend that you roast the peppers first—I usually pierce them w/ a fork and hold it over the open stove flame. Is this necessary or does the saute do the trick?
Shakshuka is absolutely spectacular. Nothing like freshly made eggs with tomatoes and peppers. It goes great with a fresh loaf of bread, some tachine, hummus, and Israeli (Middle Eastern) salad! I love having this for breakfast, lunch, or dinner!
This is one of my very favorite brunch dishes! With some warm toasted pita… my mouth is watering! I actually usually add a bit of diced eggplant to the tomato sauce as well, which gives the sauce itself a heartier texture that I like. I may have to make this for dinner tomorrow. Yum!
This sounded interesting so I made it today with a few adjustments. I don’t really like peppers and so I never buy them. I used a can of rotel instead lol. Even with overcooking the eggs a bit this was very tasty. Jacob is adorable and he’s getting so big!
So good! So happy that I tried it tonight!
I LOVED this dish – I made it this morning and it tasted amazing…and it looked just like the photo (well, home cooked stuff never looks like the best blog/magazine picture, so I am thrilled to have produced a picturesque dish…) It was fantastic, even better when it cooled down a bit and was less of a hazard (I am nursing a burn on the roof of my mouth, but it was all worth it!) , and it will be coming back for our Sunday breakfasts a lot. Thank YOU! I read regularly but never post.
FANTASTIC! This was amazing. I have made many things from this site (but never posted before), and you never fail! Your website is totally inspiring and I get so excited for new posts. Thanks for all the hard work.
My eating partner doesn’t have much experience with the dish – he only knows that the version at Sofra in Cambridge, MA is SUPER tasty! I don’t eat eggs but I concur – it looked mighty good.
I make something similar to this, but I also add red capsicum (pepper on your side of the world) and chorizo. Yum!
i made this with butter beans minus the eggs
My Husband and I made this for lunch on Sat and it was delicious!! We used 2 green chillies and found that was perfect but I wouldnt mind using 1 or 2 more! We absolutely LOVE your website and use it all the time – one of our favourite recipes is the Blueberry Pancakes which I make all the time!! :)
Green chilli’s in this sound like a good idea, it would be good to try it out with a range of chilli’s too like scotch bonnet too. Might try it with Duck eggs for that extra rich flavour
If you use halloumi instead, do you just crumble it over the top like the feta, or do you have to heat it / grill it in any way? Love halloumi but usually add it to roasted veg, so haven’t had it raw! Thanks. This looks yummy.
I’ve never had anything like this before, but I can’t wait to try it..umh ..yummy!
I can confirm that Ana Sortun’s version at Sofra in Cambridge, MA is DELICIOUS!
Thanks so much for your website- my favorite “food porn” site for sure. I made this recipe last night and added shrimp and scallops at the end, as well as the eggs. It was really nice, with a complexity in the sauce that belies the ingredients. I also made the peanut butter cookie recipe on Friday, so delicious as well. Keep up the good work, you are inspiring!
Deb – did you mean until the whites are just set? I think you want the yolks runny, no?
This looks delicious, as a lover of Shakshuka I can’t wait to try. But just a note, I believe the dish is originally Egyptian.
Yum! I’ve made something similar and put the tomato sauce and eggs in individual ramekins. It’s so fun to serve to guests that way! Will be trying your version for sure. (And where oh where did you buy that fab stroller? Jacob is as cute as ever!) <3
Rikki — Yes. Whites set, yolks runny. If you take them out when the whites are just set (can’t stand clear whites personally, shudder) the yolks should still be loose. If you let the whites cook past the “just set” point, the yolks may not be.
First of all, let me say, I love your blog. So many delicious recipes! I made Shakshuka for my family this weekend and it was an EXTREME hit. I admit that when I first described the dish to them, they were quite skeptical, but it turned out beautiful!
Keep the good times rolling!
Deb, I just must confess; I totally went against the spirit of this dish — on the kosher side and on the vegetarian side — by adding a large handful of cubed ham right from the beginning.
Forgive me mother for I have sinned. I have deliciously deliciously sinned.
I am enjoying the commentary to this post almost as much as the post itself. Since I was born in Tripoli, Libya, I may have to give this dish a try. Even if it is from… Israel? Turkey? Egypt? ;)
I don’t understand why people think Israel is trying to “steal” food from its neighbors.
Who cares where hummus came from or who invented shakshuka or how should the small-cubed-veg-salad called – Arab,Israeli,Lebanese…(there was a similar discussion in tha post of yours). just make it, eat it, and that’s it.
In Israel, where I live, the classic way to eat shakshuka is with fresh challa (like Maayan said earlier, in a pita is only ‘to go’), there’s no cheese in it but sometimes there are ‘mergez’ spicy hot dogs in it…
I am eating this right now. I added some frozen peas at the end (gasp!) for green and it’s wonderful, wonderful, wonderful.
I never thought that the combination of eggs and tomatoes would be so delicious, but I really cannot get enough of this dish! Not only did I make it once and eat all the leftovers, i promptly made it again tonight since the leftovers were gone. Although my Israeli friend tells me that the feta is not authentic, I really like the way it combines with the flavors of the dish. I also have been eating this with a healthy dollop of Mediterranean yogurt. Thank you for such a wonderful recipe! I will definitely try this with various veggie combinations in the future!
I’m making this tonight — it looks absolutely delicious. I don’t have any anaheim chiles on hand, so I’m using poblanos, since they’re a common substitute for anaheims. Fingers crossed…
I made this for my two boys. We all loved it! I did less spice, added celery and served with sauteed kale with lemon and challah rolls. We added goat cheese, well two of us. Definately will be making again …. easy and flavorful.
Just a quick note to say congrats on the blog awards, as well as a GIGANTIC thank you for giving us wonderful, easy and interesting recipes with hilarious commentary and gorgeous photos for free. FOR. FREE. That’s right complainers! Not to mention your constant updates in comments and helpful tips.
Love the blog, love the gorgeous photies of Jacob (who, by the way, is growing into a little man – he looks so big in his stroller, eeeeek!) You are a star, lady…
I love Shakshouka! I’m from Egypt and I grew up eating it a lot, though our version is made with ground beef and a lot of fresh tomatoes, and of course eggs! Shakshouka is very popular in Egypt, sometimes it is eaten for breakfast if you have a big crowd.
Regarding the comments about country of origin for this dish, it seems to me that many of the “it’s Libyan” people were probably pointing this out as a matter of cultural interest, not criticism. Mark clarified that he was, and I think we should give others the benefit of the doubt (it’s difficult, afterall, to infer tone from a written comment). I love SK — the recipes, photography and writing are all amazing– but I’ve often thought, reading the comments, that some people are overly sensitive and defensive about anything that might possibly be construed as criticism of Deb. (An just to be perfectly clear, this is not criticism of Deb!). So, I guess what I’m saying is, maybe it’s the “stop criticizing Deb” folks who need to chill a little.
Just had this for dinner – fantastic! My husband was a little bit apprehensive but we both loved it. The perfect thing to warm us up on a chilly, not quite spring day in Alaska. It is supposed to snow 1-4 inches tonight – ick!
So so good. Just wish I had worn rubber gloves while cutting the jalapenos. My fingers are still burning two hours later. But totally worth it!
Made this for me and my girlfriend tonight. Used four Anaheims, but I could have used a jalapeno too. And I substituted cilantro for parsley. Loved it, although I cooked the yolks to solid, girlfriend doesn’t like runny yolks. Thanks for another great recipe.
You inspired me to make this for my dinner 2 nights running – and I enjoyed it equally both nights! I added some chard to the tomatoes and used chilli flakes instead of the chillis – but delicious never-the-less. Thanks!
How inconsiderate of them! Okay I can’t keep up the pretense, because if they’d been open I wouldn’t have had the pleasure to get my (grubby little) paws on this recipe.
PS: Jacob is just adorable – can’t believe he’s so big already!
I made this last night, using poblanos instead of anaheims, since that’s what I had on hand. I also had smoked paprika on hand rather than regular. Hubby and I quite liked the dish, but I think next time I’d add another poblano (or a jalapeno) to spice things up, and I’d use regular paprika, since I thought the smokiness was a bit overwhelming.
A very simple dish — fast, healthy and tasty. What more could you want?
This looks amazing! Eggs are so cheap and versatile! What kind of stroller is the little guy rocking? I have an 8 month old and we are in need of something slick and functional :)
Hey Deb,
I’m a silent reader – I think it’s the first time I’m commenting here. This post really made me smile. As a Tel Avivian male bachleor (Meaning, one stovetop and a kitchenette the size of a restroom), Shakshuka was always the easiest, cheapest way out of hunger, and as you said – It’s very good on the waistline.
The number of versions for this is endless. I’d contribute my 2 cents by suggesting to add a slice or two of pickled lemons (I use the ones my grandfather makes, and they’re REALLY STRONG, maybe store bought lemons would need a slice or more extra) – I add them at the end of the frying process.
this is a turkish food and its name is saksuka.
First of all, let me just say that I absolutely LOVE your blog. I am an avid food blog enthusiast, and I have to say yours takes the cake as my favorite of them all. Every recipe I have tried (of which there have been many) has been absolutely delicious. Thank-you!
Secondly, this particular recipe is AMAZING. I made it last night, and I’m making it again tonight so my boyfriend can try it. The flavors are perfect and I found myself savoring every bite. This is definitely a new favorite of mine!
This was my first Smitten Kitchen recipe and I was NOT disappointed! I’ve been following the blog for years.
This was the first time I drove to the store, bought the ingredients, went home and started chopping peppers. I’ve never had eggs poached in tomatoes and loved every bite. I used 5 anaheim chilis and had some nice heat, not too much. I loved the salty feta contrasting with the heat of the sauce and richness of the eggs, it made we wonder if I would like it with goat’s cheese and maybe some olives. Perfect with hummus and pita. I can’t wait to try this with lemon as suggested by Or.
Fyi, my husband got home late last night and I didn’t share the Shakshuka with him… it’s so good, I was hoarding it for lunch this week! Thank you for your beautiful blog.
Made it this morning New Zealand time and nearly swooned with delight…thank you so much it was perfect. I had invited some friends for breakfast and they thought it was the best way in the world of enjoying eggs. xxoo
This sounds really good! If you’re using anaheim chiles you should try roasting them — it makes them so much better! You can roast them in the oven like you would a red bell pepper, and skin and seed them the same way. It really brings out the flavor and intensifies the spice a little. As a homesick New Mexican stuck in Texas, I make something with green chiles at least once a week.
I made this tonight and it was delicious. I used significantly less oil than the recipe called for and didn’t miss it at all.
Thanks for posting this. Please bring more egg recipes – my chickens are laying like mad!
This was awesome!! I only used two jalepenos because I’ve been overspicing everything recently. And I only used four eggs because we like lots of sauce. I loved it and so did my husband. I’ve been plotting all morning about who else I could make this for. Thanks!
Amazing! I’ve been drooling over this dish for a few days. Finally had a chance to make it. Only change was using 2.5 serranos instead of the jalapenos or anaheim chillis as that was all I had on hand. Either that or habaneros but decided against those!
Lovely lovely dish. My only concern was with serving it up – trying not to disturb the beautiful eggs was trickier than I thought! But….thanks for posting!
this recipe looks fantastic — delicious, easy and light :) i love Shakshuka, and have had many varieties of it (spinach, bell peppers, even one with chickpeas…yum) but this is very close to the “original” i’ve had (whatever that means! so many middle eastern and mediterranean dishes are very similar — i actually used to eat something very similar to Shakshuka in Italy– what makes modern Israeli cooking so interesting is that it’s quite a melting pot) and the feta sounds absolutely delicious. as always, thanks for the inspiration! i’ll be making this for breakfast soon!!
i made this last nite and it was incredible. i used only 3 of the anaheims, but could have definitely used more, and drizzled some lemon juice on top. my israeli friend said he grew up with this dish, but said it was absolutely fabulous on top of his mom’s malawach. i’d love to see if you have a tried and true recipe for this fried bread, deb!
Loved this recipe! It’s easy enough for a weeknight and makes for terrific leftovers — I have been eating it all week! I’ll second the suggestion that a healthy drizzle of lemon juice (about half of a nice juicy lemon) is needed here — it really brightens the sauce and balances out the spices. Cheers!
This looks amazing! My only problem is that I’m only cooking for myself. Is this good as leftovers, or should I try to cut back the recipe?
Hi Brit — I’d scale it back, because the eggs reheated will definitely be hard-cooked. You could, however, make the whole amount of sauce and only cook eggs in it a couple at a time.
I made this today for lunch with a new friend and loved it. So easy and delicious.
Just made a scaled down and adapted version for one, with chilli powder instead of the real thing (for shame) and some chopped spring onion on top instead of parsley. YUM.
I’m making this right now and it smells amazing. Thanks so much for the beautiful recipes.
OMG AM-AZ-ING
Brit, if you don’t mind the yolks being hard-cooked this actually reheats surprisingly well! Or if you accidentally hard-cook the eggs the first time around, as I often do because my whites just won’t set up, then it will be delicious cold or at room temperature the next day. It’s one of those dishes where the flavors meld together in beautiful ways the longer it sits.
SO delicious! Just made it. Cooked the eggs a little more because I was nervous, but was okay with hard-cooked yolks. Also only made four because it turned out more of my eggs were cracked then I realized. LOVED the egg/sauce ratio, so for me, I’ll probably stick to it.
Thanks so much for a great recipe!
Oh, two more things. One, I didn’t use feta (I can’t do feta with eggs, I got sick off a Greek omelet once), and I added sumac, because I’m always looking for ways to use it after buying it for your Israeli salad. So delicious!
Wow, this was amazing! Way better than I expected. I’ve never poached eggs before, but they came out perfect. I was doubtful that there was enough sauce for all those eggs, but the ratio ended up being spot on. Thanks for the great recipe. I will make this again.
Soooooo good! Made it for dinner last night and my husband was sceptical but wound up loving it. Served it with homemade whole wheat pita bread. I made it with 4 eggs for just the 2 of us and then reheated the small amount of sauce that was leftover in a frying pan today for my lunch and cooked 2 more eggs in it. Mmmmmm. I think this could be a new staple for meatless dinners!
I saw this recipe and called my sister, whose husband is from Italy, if she ever heard of it. She said that her mother in law used to make this many many years ago. Apparently there’s an Italian equivalent! Looks delish!
To die for. We made this for our family of eight. Rave reviews all around. We WILL be making this again. And again. And again.
We doubled the recipe for our crew, and half our tomatoes were of the “hot” variety — the can with the added peppers. So hot tomoatos + hot anaheims… Well let’s just say it had some serious zing.
Yum. Yum. Double-yum.
Love Shakshuka and love your recipe!
If I don’t have Fetta cheese, or if I’m on a health fit, I use Thina (Tahini), which adds a lovely nutty flavour.
I love this blog and the pictures. Thanks for the food inspirations! I have had a dish that was similar to this when I was a kid. Our neighbor (from India) made it and it was delicious.
I just got done making this for lunch. It was delicious and was really that something different I was looking to make. I defiantly will be making this again!
How might I scale this down for 1 or 2 servings?
I just made this, and scaled it down. I halved the tomato sauce ingredients and used a smaller skillet. We love eggs, so I used 4, and the whole thing worked out great. I don’t love pitas, so we had it with naan and it was very tasty. Thanks!
I’m with Elizabeth, who made it tonight, just like I did. To.Die.For. Just like that incredibly cute baby of yours. My meat and potatoes husband loved it too, which was shocking, but considering he likes all of the components (spicy, tomato sauce, poached eggs, feta), I figured I would give it a shot with him and see where it got me. Well, it got me a new dish for my repertoire, and I can’t thank you enough for that. One last thing, I did take the advice of an earlier post and just added the tomatoes and juice directly to my pot, then mashed them with my potato masher. That worked really well, and one less dish to wash…always a bonus! Thanks, Deb!!
This would be even better with Arabic Rice and Arab chicken and potatoes.
Thanks for introducing me to this dish. Made it for dinner tonight and got rave reviews from all of us. I will definitely be making it again!
Made this for dinner tonight and it was oh so DELICIOUS! I will definetly be making this again. Thanks Deb!
Hi Deb, I love your blog and my sister and I both make things from it regularly. I made this dish the other night and loved it. It will probably enter into my regular rotation. Thanks for providing a spot on the interweb where I can find great recipes and beautiful photos.
Hey, love the blog. Just adding some food history comments – shakshuka is a north african dish, taken back to Israel by morrocan and algerian jews when they moved over to Israel. We still make it plenty in Algeria and Morocca- if you look at Algerian cookbooks in particular you’ll see eggs used in the same way, although interestingly this is often as a sort of decoration?!
Thanks for an amazing blog. I come here weekly to plan meals, and usually end up borrowing 1-2 recipes. First time chimer, tho. Just made this for late lunch/early dinner. So easy, and sooooo good. Had to let you know. Thanks again.
Regarding the poached eggs in tomato sauce recipe, I make one called “Eggs in Hell” but it’s the same concept. This one is just a bit more spicy.
Made this for dinner tonight for the first time and it was fabulous! Thanks so much!
Found this yesterday stumbling around, tried it this morning on my teenage daughters. It passed the finicky test with flying colors! Its was great! I never can leave well enough alone though so I was thinking on adding about a quarter pound of Andouille sausage next time.
My first Shakshuka was ordered in Hummus, a tiny Manhattan restaurant that resembled a kitchen filled with friendly second cousins. Not wanting to be seen as the Idaho tourist that I was, I pointed to an onomatopetic entree and said with conviction to my young waiter, “Ill have the Shakshuka tonight.” Like all your commentators I became smitten and have made it a kitchen staple, though mine’s never as good as that first Shakshuka in Hummus. I have been told there is controversy about whether to use garlic or onion. I am happy you don’t make me choose. I like your idea of crushing the tomatoes. The Feta sounds so tangy, and looks so beautiful in its nest of red-orange tomato sauce with flecks of forest green verdure.
My boyfriend made this week and it was oh so good. So cheap and simple, but super tasty, great for a mid-week meal. Thanks Deb!
Looks ridiculously good. I somehow happen to have a few extra jalapeños around :) Can’t wait to give this a try tonight!
I LOVE chakchouka! It’s also a tunisian dish, I used to make it all the time in Tunisia. Thanks for reminding me! Off to the kitchen I go :)
I love this very much and while I don’t have a rotation of what i make weekly, this is certainly the start of one!
as for the origins- a friend of mine was quick to say that this is Sephardic- which means Jews of either Spanish, Moroccan or other such places that are not Eastern Europe descent. I asked another friend who is Iranian about this dish and this sounded very familiar to her as well. I think this meal is something that all middle eastern cultures share…a tomato based sauce with eggs.
Whatever and wherever, it’s pretty darn good.
i pureed the leftover sauce and am using it for enchiladas!
Ok – I can’t eat raw egg yolks for health reasons.. will this taste as good with them hard?
Nicole– you probably meant for Deb to answer you, but as someone who ended up cooking the eggs fully, I can say it was still delicious!
So apparently not all little hot peppers are the same. I saw cute little Jamaican hot peppers in the store and figured they’d be ok to sub in. Boy was I wrong… Those things are indeed spicy! My hubby looked them up and said they are 500 times hotter than jalapenos. Too bad he didn’t tell me this beforehand! Of course it didn’t help any that I used 5 of them!!! Anyway, we ate our spicy shakshuka with heaps of plain Balkan yogurt and it was actually quite good. Nevertheless, I think next time ill try to pay attention to the details! :)
I made this last week and it was wonderful. My girlfriend who claimed she wasn’t hungry originally said she didn’t want any, so I halved the recipe. By the time it was done she was like “well… yeah, actually, is there enough for me?” And, even halved, it was perfect for two. She keeps telling people about it and calling it “shakshuki or something” hehe. I only used 1.5 jalapenos for the half recipe and I wish I’d used like 3, it was pretty mild. Totally making this again.
As someone not inclined to come out with an untarnished dish the first time around (usually a classy combination of char and tears), I was STUNNED at how beautifully this dish came out on my first time around, and how good it tasted. Beautiful, beautiful directions.
Chelsea, Nicole — I concur. 90% our ordered-in shakshuka arrives, the eggs have gotten hard-cooked in the hot sauce and we haven’t minded one bit.
Tried it, loved it!
My partner and I just made this for dinner and it was DELICIOUS! I can’t recommend it enough. Next time, I’m going to swap out some of the Anaheims for jalapenos… love that extra kick. Thanks for the recipe!
This was so great. I made it tonight but instead of feta I dolloped about 1/2 cup of drained ricotta right after adding the eggs to the sauce. Thank you for sharing!
My darling husband (who has only very recently taken up cooking, due to our current situation of myself being a first year med student) made this for me and my favorite study partner last night. Since we are currently on the food borne illness section of microbiology, he cooked the yolks completely. We scooped it all up with naan, and it was absolutely fabulous. I’m already plotting when we will make it again. The only hiccup was when my husband, who follows recipes oh-so literally, tried crushing the tomatoes by picking them up and squeezing them in his hands. He ended up with a shirt (and kitchen) covered with tomato spray.
I made it last night and it was delicious, though it had very little heat. Did I cook the jalapenos too long? Next time, should I add more jalapenos, add them later in the process, or maybe add heat another way (eg, cayenne powder)?
Question: how do you transfer it to a bowl after making it? Is this possible without breaking the eggs?
I made this the other night and ate leftovers for lunch today; I certainly understand having a craving for it now. So so good! I didn’t have enough peppers, but certainly wanted the kick, so I added a good squirt of Vietnamese Sriracha hot sauce. It was really yummy:)
Christian — We served it right from the pot. But I don’t see why you couldn’t remove the eggs with a slotted spoon to a plate then pour the sauce into a serving bowl, slipping the eggs in after it.
Andy — I find that jalapenos vary wildly in heat. Sometimes I’ll get absurdly hot ones, other times I’ll get ones that taste like bell peppers. Next time, it might be helpful to buy a couple more than you need just in case. You can nip off the end so you can taste them and see how hot they are before cooking with them, then adjust the amount you use accordingly.
I made this last night and my boyfriend and I both loved it. I used 3 jalapenos and it was very spicy (this from someone who is a huge fan of spice). Ad you mentioned Deb, all jalapenos are not created equal so I guess I got some hot ones. I served the eggs and sauce in a bowl, then I put the bowl on a plate with the warm pita. It was not only a delicious dish but a very pretty one. Thanks Deb!
Feeling way late to the party, but just wanted to say that I made this last night for dinner – ohmyfreakinggawd, it was good! we used 2 very long jalapenos and it was just on the edge of being close to too hot. I was worried about the Tbsp of paprika, but the smokiness really balanced out the acidity of the tomatoes – GORGEOUS recipe, Deb – thanks!! (and his Royal Cuteness is getting so BIG! and is getting handsomer every day!)
Oh Deb, this is soooooooo nice! My 5-month-old and I are home sick today, it’s raining, but the Tylenol’s kicking in, the shakshuka’s simmering on the stove and things are looking up. Truth: I didn’t have any peppers, so I used a can of tomatoes with green chillies that I thought I’d never find a use for…that makes mine an an intercontinental melange, but hot diggigy…so good.
I just finished making/eating this for lunch and it was great. Just like you, I only used 4 anaheim peppers. I think next time I will up it to 5 annaheims and maybe add part of a jalapeno? I would like a little more spice, but it was still awesome this time. Also, I think I will add a bit more flavor with a touch more onion (I used a half of a large onion, but will use a whole large onion next time). Also, I only used egg white, as I have high cholesterol. Delish!
Thanks for posting this! I am always looking for creative dishes to serve my middle-eastern in-laws. I will surprise them with it next time they are in Chicago for a visit.
FABULOUS ABSOLUTELY FABULOUS!
I tried it with an assortment of different chiles and jalapenos. My boyfriend and I had leftovers for lunch the next day – just as good! Thank you so much.
Coming from a Middle Eastern background (albeit a few generations back) I grew up eating this, however my mom always called it eggs and tomatoes and topped the eggs right at the end with a simple slice of munster cheese. This version looks fabulous though and I absolutely cannot WAIT to try it. Keep up the good work!
I’ve read the blog, I’ve looked at all the pictures; I’ve never felt as hungry in my life! :)
The comments are as much fun as the recipes. Great recipe.
I tried it (twice), and loved it (twice). Thanks (twice!)!
I’m about to make this for the third time since Deb posted it. Super delicious!
I’ve made this 4 times already! Delicious and surprisingly good with a little cinnamon added into the tomato sauce.
This is unreal – I simply cannot say enough good things about it! We added crumbled sage sausage from our farm share (perhaps a sacrilege??) and used peppercorn goat cheese– delish! I served with homemade bread and your Paul Wolfert hummus- and WAS KILLER! Had to hide the one serving of leftovers for myself as the kids were poking around for more after dinner…let them eat ice cream!
This post made me think of this feature on changes in Israeli food culture http://www.forward.com/articles/127405/ with stunning photos at the bottom.
Also – Nicole – I always try to order my shakshuka with the eggs well done – I hate runny egg yolk. Even with the eggs cooked a bit more, it tastes delicious to me. And for those based in NY – the Hummus Place has a fantastic weekend brunch menu where the shakshuka is served on top of open toasted pita that absorbs all the flavors of the sauce and is just…yum.
Ohhhhh MAN. Big, BIG hit here. We used one fat jalapeno and two slim serranos, Pecorino, some small, local eggs, and small slices of Companion Bakery bread, and boy, it was delicious. Two very enthusiastic thumbs up to a dish that’s permanently added to our repertoire.
made this last night – KILLER!!! we dipped some crusty french bread instead of the pita. delish!
To Robin, post 87: There are various Tunisian cafes in Philadelphia that have traditional Tunisian food including shakshouka.
I just made it as a side dish with roast veal. With hot home-made pitas, it was delicious!
I made this tonight. SOOO good! It was a bit too hot for me and my dh. I used 2 jalepenos and 1 anaheim.
A friend of mine just forwarded this recipe to me. I am SO glad she found it! I live in Philadelphia and had Shakshuka for the first time at a little restaurant here called Kanella. Robin (post 87) and Sarah (post 362) you should both check it out. I’m so excited to know I can recreate this at home!
I made this last night. No jalepenos handy, so I used sweet peppers and red pepper flakes. Super fantastic – my kids liked it too. I felt like a dinner hero. I think I could eat this daily with a great deal of satisfaction.
I made this for the first time a couple of weeks ago… and I’ve now made it three more times since. We’re officially hooked. Thanks for my new staple food!
Made this tonight and it was fabulous!!
If you make this again try using 2/3 the paprika and add 3/4 tbsp mitmita.
I halved the recipe, generally rounding up if things were uneven. It still turned out beautifully. Turns out there ARE 14.5 oz cans of whole tomatoes. Also, I accidentally used crumbled goat cheese instead of feta. Still delicious.
This is an amazing recipe. We had a girls night and a friend had found this blog and made this recipe. I have not found such a tasty veggie meals in years. As I am cutting out all processed foods out of my diet and living a healthier life I will still always be a foodie and after making this I found myself craving a really healthy meal. I cannot say enough how easy this was to make by following the pictures and instructions on smitten kitchen and further more have now made it myself and even my picky family members have loved this as well-I used the jalapeno option as I cook with these often and can alter the spice depending on who I am cooking for.
So I am a native Israeli, and when I came across your recipe just the picture took me right back to when I used to live there. Tonight I made this dish for my husband and myself. He had never had it. The consensus – he said he didn’t want the meal to end and I was brought right back to my mother’s kitchen as a little girl in Israel. Thank you! This recipe is a keeper for sure, as is your blog!
We made this on a camping trip last weekend and it was so delicious, I’ve been thinking about it ever since. Can’t wait to make it again! Thanks for sharing!
I LOVE the Italian version of this dish, Uova in Purgatorio! So yummy. Not sure how I feel about the bell peppers. If you get a chance I highly recommend this version:
http://www.thekitchn.com/thekitchn/quick-weeknight-meals-2009/pauls-uova-in-purgatorio-quick-weeknight-meals-recipe-contest-2009-096258
We make it probably once a week, it’s our go-to delicious but super-easy meal!
just made this and boy, i think i over loaded on the peppers. great dish
Yum!!!! I made this last wknd for our Sabbath lunch after church. Had a group of friends over and whipped it up in no time! Everyone loved it! I let the eggs cook about 5-7mins longer than your recommendation which was perfect for my friends who do not like runny eggs. I must say that I have never used so much paprika in one dish, ever! I panicked briefly, thinking I had interchanged the cumin and paprika measurements. All was fine as I checked and rechecked your recipe. We served this over cous cous with a side of asparagus and naan. WONDERFUL!!!!
I overcooked the eggs and, like you, was a little too shy with the peppers, but I still loved this dish! The sauce is so rich, yet simple. I can’t wait to perfect the cooking time– I can see this being a regular in the weekly rotation, for breakfast or dinner. Thanks!
Deb – made this the other night and it was phenomenal! Such a nice way to spice up a weeknight meal regimen. You always inspire me so much – I’ve made several things of yours already and I literally want to make EVERYTHING you post!
http://www.20somethingcupcakes.com/2010/05/shakshuka/
Hope I did you some justice :) Your food is always perfection – and my goal is to inspire other women my age to cook and try new things. Thanks for being so wonderful! xxSAS
I’m trying to figure out how I could veganize this recipe. Do you think, instead of eggs, this could hold up to a tofu? I want to make this and eat the eggs, but in a separate dish, make a version for my vegan sweetie
Yummy! I made it last weekend, it was great thanks! I found a lonely scallion in the fridge and chopped it fine, together with the parsley…delicious! It gave it something extra, not that it needed it, but we all loved it.
Fantastic recipe! I fixed it this week and blogged about it.
http://quidquidquidquid.blogspot.com/2010/05/res-coctae-or-things-cooked.html
I just made this tonight, and it was delicious. You know how wonderful it is to make EXACTLY what you’re craving? Tonight it was this. I took a cue from my own local hummus/shakshuka place and threw in some baby spinach to wilt in the stew before I cracked the eggs, and it was a good decision, and I recommend it if you’re looking for a variation.
just made this for a weekend breakfast. i liked it better than my bf…the eggs were “just cooked” and that turned him off a bit. Next time I will make the base and cook the eggs separately so that everyone is happy. Thanks Deb!
Thanks very much
this is a great dish for dinner and I often make it for my family
and by the way its an Arabic Dish (Middle East)
^^
Phenomenal. Used red pepper flakes since I didn’t have any peppers on hand, and it was delish. Will make it again for sure…maybe tomorrow!
I made this dish tonight with my kids. It was a hit for the whole family. My kids helped and loved crushing the tomatoes by hand.
Made this with my hubbie to celebrate our one week anniversary! It was hit, and the recipe is a keeper. He said it was better than what he ate in Israel years ago..
Thanks!
Made this last night with the smashed chickpea salad. I used 3 jalapenos but will use just 1 next time. Still very enjoyable!
This recipe is really delicious, savory and easy to make! I make it at least once a week now :)
making this for the 3rd time tonight – my husband and I love it!! beautiful, simple, so good make you wanna eat it all at once..
I just made this for my mom for her birthday and served it over rice! Absolutely amazing. :)
yum! just made this tonight and it is amazing! i served it over brown rice and with a pita. this dish is a total hit and so easy! thank you!!
So wonderful! I just made this this evening and it turned out wonderful! My first time poaching eggs was a success!
awesome.ps:you can use someked paprika.
Any excuse I can get to drink wine while eating eggs is fine with me! I always keep some poblano chillis in adobo in my freezer, and holy Moses this ended in a magnificent intercontinental mashup! You had me at cumin and smoked paprika by the way! Thank you for these lovelies!!
I truly, truly love this recipe. Thanks, its a new favourite!
i’m loving the comments section on smitten kitchen! i can read and read and read before i make a dish and get everyone’s advice! i’m trying to do my part and chime in when i’ve made some of the recipes on this, my favorite cooking blog.
i used a large can of chopped tomatoes that i had on hand. kept everything else the same. worked out famously and so delicious. since my husband and i are on a tight budget i imagine this will go into our regular rotation for dinner.
also, since there are only two of us, we felt that two eggs plus the sauce and bread would be enough for a light dinner so i poached up four eggs in the sauce. i saved the extra sauce and poached two eggs up in it the next morning for breakfast. i loved it so much for breakfast that next time i may just make the sauce some evening and store it in the refrigerator for a few days, taking out the needed sauce for breakfast…
finally… it is intriguing to me how heated the debate has become about where this dish is from. i posted a link to this post from my facebook page and someone posted “this is an egyptian dish.” my husband is from colombia and there are similar “this is ours” claims over several colombian dishes… guess it’s a good thing that everyone wants to claim it!
I made this dish for my family (of four hungry children, and one dubious husband) tonight and expected a lackluster response. what came out of my pan did not look nearly as delicious as your photographs, but I was pleasantly surprised. It had just the right flavor, the perfect contrast and even my sometimes picky southern eaters ate it right up. I’m going to have to double the recipe next time, and there will be a next time soon!
This was amazing! I knew my husband would love this. His Mom was here for lunch and they both devoured the dish! It was delicious, hearty and really satisfying. We ate it with garlic naan and hummus as an appetizer.
I just tried this recipe tonight, and it was totally lovely. Thank you!
I’ve been staring at this recipe for months, and now that my mother is on vacation and I am left to fend for myself, I figured this dish seemed easy enough to whip up dinner in a short time frame… along with the fact that I miraculously had all the ingredients. I just took my first bite 5 minutes ago, and I must say that I am in LOVE! I cannot wait to come back from work tomorrow to mow down the rest of the 5 helpings. Thank you for a new favorite recipe :)
Yum!! Had this in Israel but this was my first time trying to cook it, Came out delish and I can’t wait to make it again!
I’ve been looking at this recipe for a long time. Just made it for dinner with fresh tomatoes from the garden. My first shakshuka experience. Will not be my last. Out of this world.
I absolutely love shakshuka – my neighborhood cafe serves it and it’s to die for. I sometimes ask for sausage added – pretty dang delicious. Thanks for the recipe – I am on a save money recipe kick and this one is perfect! Love your blog!
Just made this for din! I don’t like feta and didn’t have any parsely, so I used parmesan and garlic chives instead…I also cut the recipe in half and it seemed fine. SO YUMMY (especially with naan!!).
I was at a loss as to what to make for dinner last night so gave the Smitten “quick” category a view at 4:45. I had everything I needed — almost. Instead of fresh Anaheims I used a don’t-even-need-to-run-to-Trader-Joe’s can of roasted green chilies. Instead of water I used chicken stock/white wine. This was delicious and couldn’t have been easier! I served it with pita AND tortillas (and a sliced avocado, because in California they’re super-cheap and really delicious now). This is a perfect I Don’t Wanna Cook Tonight dinner that got rave reviews from husband and kidlet. It’d be great with Spanish chorizo, ground lamb, whatever, but I served black beans on the side. See? It went from Libyan/Israeli, etc. to Cuban in a flash! Thanks, Deb!
I am already a fan of your earlier eggs in sauce recipe and have pulled it out a few times for my weekly “girlfest” as it’s a delicious and an inexpensive way to feed a crowd. While pulling it up to make again tonight (as I have a vegetarian joining us), I followed the link to this version and have the feta, etc already on hand – guess I know what I’m making this round! I also have eggplant caponata in the fridge and can’t wait to set it all out with crusty bread – yum! Not sure if that is a “proper” side dish, but should be tasty nonetheless. Thanks for the delicious recipes!