Shakshuka - Eggholic's delight
I love eggs and I get a high when I consume a egg dish. Got bored of eating the Indian egg curries, I decided to try something new. I was racking my brain in search of an egg-(de)serving recipe. I vaguely recalled watching a North African egg dish - Shakshuka. It was mouth watering I said to myself....and began searching my fridge for ingredients. Its a simple dish. All you need it few basic ingredients like fresh tomatoes, garlic, cumin powder, paprika or Harissa paste and of course 'Egg'.
I did not have Harissa paste nor do I know any shop in Chennai that sells this kind of stuff. So I read few notes online and decided to make something similar at home a la India style.
Shakshuka is a dish of egg poached or cooked in a spicy tomato sauce.
Ingredients
Fresh Tomatoes - 4 nos.
Onion - 1 no.
Cumin Powder - 2 tbsp
Garlic - 4 to 5 cloves
Green Chili - 1 (deseed the Chili)
Olive Oil - 1/4 cup
Harissa Paste - 2 tsp
Tomato Juice - 1/2 cup (You can buy the ready made tetra pack juice without sugar)
Eggs - 3 nos.
Salt
For Harissa Paste
Dry Red Chilies - 4 to 5
Olive oil - 2 tbsp
Cumin Powder - 1 tsp
Coriander Powder - 1 tsp
Salt - 1/2 tsp
Garlic - 2 cloves
Directions:
1. Harissa Paste - Soak the red chilies in hot water for 15 minutes. Remove the stem and seeds. In a food processor first combine the red chillies, olive oil and salt. To this add the remaining spices and give it a nice pulse. Remove and store this in a container.
2. Boil of pot of hot water. Once the water comes to a nice boil add the tomatoes and turn off the heat. Let the tomatoes remain in the hot water for 2 to 3 minutes. Now remove the tomatoes and peel the skin. Once the skin is peeled, we need to slice the tomatoes and remove the seeds.
3. In a pan heat some olive oil and saute onions until translucent. This should take 2 to 3 minutes. To this add chopped garlic and saute for another 1 minute. Once the garlic starts turning brown add the chopped green chili. Saute this on medium heat for 1 minute. Now add cumin powder, Harissa paste and cook for 2 minutes. To this add the deseeded tomatoes and cook for 4 minutes. Once the tomatoes begin to soften add 1/2 cup of tomato juice and let the mixture simmer on low heat.
4. Cook the tomato mixture on low heat for 6 to 8 minutes. Now crack 3 eggs on top of this mixture and cover it with a lid. Cook this for about 3 minutes.
5. Once the yolk starts to firm up, use a spoon to baste the eggs with the tomato sauce without disturbing the yolk.
......And the Shakshuka is ready to eat. Traditionally it is eaten with pita bread or any freshly made bread loaf. Folks at home had this with multi-grain Roti.
I love eggs and I get a high when I consume a egg dish. Got bored of eating the Indian egg curries, I decided to try something new. I was racking my brain in search of an egg-(de)serving recipe. I vaguely recalled watching a North African egg dish - Shakshuka. It was mouth watering I said to myself....and began searching my fridge for ingredients. Its a simple dish. All you need it few basic ingredients like fresh tomatoes, garlic, cumin powder, paprika or Harissa paste and of course 'Egg'.
I did not have Harissa paste nor do I know any shop in Chennai that sells this kind of stuff. So I read few notes online and decided to make something similar at home a la India style.
Shakshuka is a dish of egg poached or cooked in a spicy tomato sauce.
Ingredients
Fresh Tomatoes - 4 nos.
Onion - 1 no.
Cumin Powder - 2 tbsp
Garlic - 4 to 5 cloves
Green Chili - 1 (deseed the Chili)
Olive Oil - 1/4 cup
Harissa Paste - 2 tsp
Tomato Juice - 1/2 cup (You can buy the ready made tetra pack juice without sugar)
Eggs - 3 nos.
Salt
For Harissa Paste
Dry Red Chilies - 4 to 5
Olive oil - 2 tbsp
Cumin Powder - 1 tsp
Coriander Powder - 1 tsp
Salt - 1/2 tsp
Garlic - 2 cloves
Directions:
1. Harissa Paste - Soak the red chilies in hot water for 15 minutes. Remove the stem and seeds. In a food processor first combine the red chillies, olive oil and salt. To this add the remaining spices and give it a nice pulse. Remove and store this in a container.
2. Boil of pot of hot water. Once the water comes to a nice boil add the tomatoes and turn off the heat. Let the tomatoes remain in the hot water for 2 to 3 minutes. Now remove the tomatoes and peel the skin. Once the skin is peeled, we need to slice the tomatoes and remove the seeds.
3. In a pan heat some olive oil and saute onions until translucent. This should take 2 to 3 minutes. To this add chopped garlic and saute for another 1 minute. Once the garlic starts turning brown add the chopped green chili. Saute this on medium heat for 1 minute. Now add cumin powder, Harissa paste and cook for 2 minutes. To this add the deseeded tomatoes and cook for 4 minutes. Once the tomatoes begin to soften add 1/2 cup of tomato juice and let the mixture simmer on low heat.
4. Cook the tomato mixture on low heat for 6 to 8 minutes. Now crack 3 eggs on top of this mixture and cover it with a lid. Cook this for about 3 minutes.
5. Once the yolk starts to firm up, use a spoon to baste the eggs with the tomato sauce without disturbing the yolk.
......And the Shakshuka is ready to eat. Traditionally it is eaten with pita bread or any freshly made bread loaf. Folks at home had this with multi-grain Roti.
