The Best Shakshuka Recipe - What Jew Wanna Eat (2024)

FAQs

What is traditionally served with shakshuka? ›

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!

A conventionally Jewish breakfast recipe that immigrated to Israel from North Africa, Shakshuka is a dish traditionally cooked in a cast iron skillet, consisting of poached eggs sitting atop a rich sauce of tomatoes and sautéed vegetables.

Shakshuka 101

The tomatoes, peppers, and onions cook to form a delicious sauce (make it as spicy as you want!) and then eggs are cracked into the pan to cook. I love it with a side of bread or pita, which is great for sopping up anything left on your plate.

In Jewish culture, a large batch of tomato stew is made for the Sabbath dinner and the leftovers used the following morning to make a breakfast shakshouka with eggs.

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.

Many think of this dish an Israeli breakfast food because it is quite popular in places like Tel Aviv, but these eggs in tomato sauce are something you'll find in many parts of North Africa and the Middle East. Fun fact, the origins of the word shakshuka comes from the Arabic for "all mixed up" or "shaken."

​ WHAT IS SHAKSHUKA? Shakshuka (Arabic: شكشوكة‎; Hebrew: שקשוקה‎) is a dish of eggs poached in a sauce of tomatoes, chili peppers, onions, which is often spiced with cumin. It is believed to have a Tunisian origin. Shakshuka means "a mixture" or “shaken” in Tunisian dialect.

Amba is a pickled mango sauce, introduced by Iraqi Jews, and commonly used a condiment with shawarma, kebabs, meorav yerushalmi and falafel and vegetable salads.

A hard-boiled egg, usually roasted, is often placed on the Seder plate. Its roundness alludes to the cycle of rebirth and renewal, while it's burnt, sometimes cracked shell serves as a reminder of ancient sacrificial offerings.

Popular in Israel, shakshouka is a savory egg entree made with tomatoes, peppers and onions. Though it's most commonly served as a main dish for breakfast, it's also eaten for lunch and dinner.

Do you eat shakshuka with spoon or fork? ›

It's a quick, flavourful, and satisfying meal, especially after a long day. 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.

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.”

Some historians argue that shakshuka originated in Yemen, while others argue that the Ottoman Empire was the dish's origin (Chaddad and Nizri). However, in Israel, it is commonly accepted that the dish originated from Northern African cultures, specifically from the Libyan-Tunisian region.

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!

What to serve with shakshuka. This dish is often served with crusty bread for dipping. We recommend a sourdough or crusty bread or, for something lighter, you could try a pitta bread. You could also serve a salad alongside such as Middle Eastern carrot salad, chickpea salad or fattoush.

It's a quick, flavourful, and satisfying meal, especially after a long day. 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.

Shakshuka is traditionally eaten with bread. Try a crusty variety like a sliced baguette to go with your shakshuka, or try it with warm pita bread or naan. You could also eat shakshuka on its own, or with rice if you prefer!