Chipotle Shakshuka Recipe - Isabel Eats (2024)

FAQs

What is the difference between shakshuka and menemen? ›

Shakshuka typically has a deeper, more intricate flavor from the blend of spices used, with whole, runny eggs that mix into the sauce. Menemen, in contrast, showcases the freshness of its primary ingredients, with less emphasis on spices.

Even though many people today associate shakshuka with Israel, it actually originated in North Africa and the Ottoman Empire: the only reason shakshuka is eaten in Israel is because North African Jewish immigrants brought it there. This brings us to a contentious topic: food appropriation.

A North African dish, said to have originated in Tunisia, shakshuka, ponounced Shak-SHOO-kah, is made of soft cooked eggs, gently poached or braised in a delicious chunky tomato and bell pepper sauce.

Shakshuka is an easy-to-make and surprisingly healthy breakfast or lunch option, bringing together the health benefits of eggs and cooked tomatoes. If you've never heard of or tried Shakshuka, you are seriously missing out!

Originally coming from countries like Tunisia, Egypt, Libya, Algeria and Morocco it became popular in Israel from the Tunisian Jews. Some people believe the dish was invented in the Ottoman Empire and spread throughout the Middle East – often served with a spicy sausage.

Shakshuka is a classic North African and Middle Eastern breakfast dish. This recipe is simple and satisfying, featuring eggs poached in a bell pepper and tomato sauce. Serve it with pita or crusty bread for breakfast or brunch...or dinner!

The main difference between shakshuka and eggs in purgatory is the spices and herbs. Skakshuka features Middle Eastern spices, such as cumin and sweet paprika. Eggs in purgatory does not include these spices and uses Italian herbs, such as oregano and basil.

shakshouka, a Maghrebi (North African) dish, popular throughout the region, featuring poached eggs in a spicy tomato sauce, seasoned with peppers, onion, garlic, and various spices. The word shakshouka comes from Maghrebi Arabic dialect and means “mixed.”

Many wild fruit trees bloom in spring, such as olives, almonds, wild plums, peaches, pears, figs, and medlars, whereas loquats, pomegranates, and others bloom in summer. In the south, acacia trees and the prickly sabra cactus suck moisture from the desert.

Shakshuka is a staple of Tunisian, Libyan, Algerian, and Moroccan cuisines traditionally served up in a cast iron pan with bread to mop up the sauce (most important). It is also popular in Israel, where it was introduced by Tunisian Jews. These Sephardic Jews came from Spain, Portugal and the Middle East.

What is the Turkish name for shakshuka? ›

It's a toss-up as to whether it's more fun to say "shakshuka" or the name of its Turkish counterpart, menemen, but both are incredibly tasty, straightforward dishes that should be in your arsenal.

It seems that a simple version with tomato, egg and optional merguez (spicy sausage) is called ojja and that the name is shakshouka when more vegetables and potato are added. In France, the dish is most often called shakshouka no matter what the exact ingredients are, so I've used both names here.

Easy Shakshuka

The saucy, savory breakfast is a great option for those with diabetes because it combines protein-rich eggs with nutrient-rich veggies. “It doesn't have any starchy veggies or added sugar, so it won't spike your blood sugar,” Rizzo adds.

Also, it is perfectly acceptable to eat shakshuka straight out of the pan, using wedges of pita bread as your spoon. Of course, if you prefer a knife and fork, spoon the eggs with their sauce over lightly toasted bread. This recipe is especially tasty served on toasted Bloody Mary Bread.

In Morocco, it is referred to as bīḍ w-maṭiša (بيض ومطيشة "egg and tomato"). The term shakshouka may have derived from "shak", another Arabic word meaning "to combine things together", as the dish combines tomatoes, chilies and eggs.

Menemen is a popular traditional Turkish dish that includes eggs, tomato, green peppers, and spices such as ground black and red pepper cooked in olive oil. Menemen may be made with onions, but the addition of onions is often debated and is more common when menemen is eaten as a main dish, rather than at breakfast.

These two dishes are completely different. Huevos rancheros are fried eggs served with warm salsa on a fried tortilla and Shakshuka are eggs poached in a zesty tomato sauce.

Turkish Menemen and Israeli shakshuka are very similar but differ in the method and seasoning. Both are breakfast dishes where eggs are cooked in a tomato sauce. In menemen the eggs are virtually scrambled into the sauce, whereas shakshuka eggs are placed on the sauce and only slightly mixed.