Everyone knows that I love living in Tallinn. It’s a beautiful, bustling city, full of life and culture as well. It is also home to a vibrant and ever-developing culinary and coffee scene. One thing it lacks, however, is good Mediterranean and Middle Eastern food. To some degree, I have given up all expectations of enjoying the flavors of home here. However, there was one remedy for my homesick belly and that was enjoying some of my Israeli flatmate’s leftovers. She may not have been one for spending her days in the kitchen, but nonetheless, she had a few recipes from home that sustained both of our cravings for home. One of them, you guessed it, was Shakshuka. While Shakshuka is not a Cypriot dish it still carries remnants of the Med in its spices, ingredients, and style.
There came a day when my dear flatmate stepped into her next chapter in life, and the days of eating her leftovers were over. Though she may have moved on, my cravings did not. And so it was time, to learn for myself how to make this beautiful, simple, tasty, and nutritious dish. After reading through several recipes and making personal minor adjustments, this is what I came up with.
- olive oil
- 1 1/2 teaspoon cumin seeds
- 1 diced onion
- 2-3 garlic cloves minced
- 1 bell pepper chopped into small pieces
- 1/2 teaspoon paprika
- 1 teaspoon cumin
- 2-3 tablespoons tomato paste
- 1/2 teaspoon honey
- half a cube vegetable bullion
- 1 can chopped tomatoes
(I like to pour just a bit of water into the empty can of chopped tomatoes, swirl it around to get any bits stuck to the side and add it to sauce to make it a little more runny.)
From here you can either store the sauce in a jar in the fridge and have it on hand for a quick meal on a busy day, or continue to the next step if you are already hungry.
And there you have it! A delicious simple Shakshuka recipe. I’m not sure I’d go so far to say it’s the real deal, but I think we got pretty close.
Recipe
Ingredients:
- olive oil
- 1 1/2 teaspoon cumin seeds
- 1 diced onion
- 2-3 garlic cloves minced
- 1 bell pepper chopped into small pieces
- 1/2 teaspoon paprika
- 1 teaspoon cumin
- 2-3 tablespoons tomato paste
- 1/2 teaspoon honey
- half a cube vegetable bullion
- 1 can chopped tomatoes
Instructions:
1. Heat 2-3 tablespoons of olive oil in a medium sized pot on high heat.
2. Once the oil is hot, toss in the cumin seeds and stir for 30 seconds to a minute. *
3. Add the onion, garlic and bell pepper. Let it cook for 2-3 minutes stirring occasionally.
4. Add the spices, tomato paste and honey. Cook for 1-2 more minutes.
5. Next, add the canned tomatoes and mix so everything is evenly combined. *
6.Let it all simmer together on medium low heat for 10-15 minutes or until the bell peppers are soft.
- From here you can either store the sauce in a jar in the fridge and have it on hand for a quick meal on a busy day, or continue to step 7 if you are already hungry.
7. Add about 1/3-1/2 the mixture into a small pan. Heat on medium-high heat.
8. With a spoon create two little craters for your eggs.
9. Crack two eggs into the little craters.
10. Cover and bring the heat to low. Let cook for 3-5 minutes or until the egg whites have set.
11. Garnish with feta and fresh parsley or coriander leaves and eat with a side of warm pita.
* Notes
2. You can test if the oil is hot enough by throwing in a couple of seeds. If the seed sizzles in the oil it is ready.
5. I like to pour just a bit of water into the empty can of chopped tomatoes, swirl it around to get any bits stuck to the side and add it to sauce to make it a little more runny.
Soul Food 