Shakshouka

Shakshouka (or shakshuka) is a dish I first tried at Baker and Spice, Dubai. It hails from Northern Africa, but other areas over the middle east, and the Ottoman empire also lay a claim to it's invention. Simply, it is baked eggs in a rich sauce. This is fairly close to the version found in Baker and Spice, and now at least once a month at my own table - either for breakfast, or an easy dinner.

Ingredients:

• 500g Tomatoes (chopped) either tinned or fresh (a mixture works best)
• 1 red capsicum (diced)
• 1 onion (diced)
• 3 cloves of garlic (crushed) or to taste
• 2 tsp ground coriander (I like to toast mine from seed and crush)
• 1/2 tsp ground cumin
• 1 tsp sweet paprika
• 1 tsp crushed chilli
• 1 tbsp sugar
• salt and pepper to taste
• a handful of fresh coriander (chopped)
• 4 eggs

Instructions:

1. Preheat oven to 180°C, then make a sauce from all ingredients except the fresh coriander and eggs, starting by browning onion and garlic, then dry spices, then adding the rest of the ingredients. Simmer for 15 minutes (adding a little water if necessary), then stir in fresh coriander.
2. Allow to cool slightly, then place sauce in an ovenproof container (I do mine separately, but this can be done in one large pan), make a little well for each egg, then crack them in.
3. Bake until egg is firm on top (should have a runny yolk) - about 10 minutes, then serve hot.

Serve with crusty bread - it's best to dip in chunks and go all rustic - no cutlery please. A super easy version of this could be made with a store-bought sauce. The Egyptians sometimes eat it with an eggplant sauce, the Yemenis with a hot green sauce. Really, you can use whatever sauce you prefer - how about puttanesca?

submitted to Very Good Recipes Breakfast Challenge