The Best Shakshuka Ever

Please trust me on this one. You really need to try this recipe out. I promise, you won’t regret it. It’s THE best Shakshuka you will ever eat. I sound very over confident, I know, but i really want to share this great recipe with you. The first time I have heard of Shakshuka was on an ordinary Sunday in Amsterdam. This restaurant was packed with people who were just recovering from their Saturday night, everybody was chilling and enjoying the beautiful weather that day. One of my habit when entering a restaurant is checking out all the tables; what is everyone having? So, when I enter this place, I saw lots of one meal pans, covered with simmered tomato sauce and sunny side up eggs swimming in it. It looked pretty, healthy and yummy. So I ask the waiter what that dish is called, the magnificent name Shakshuka came out of his mouth, wow, what a beautiful name! The story goes that in Israel the name Shakshuka stands for breakfast. Ever since, I’ve been raving about Shakshuka and really can’t get enough of it. This wholesome dish is everything you need for a busy day ahead. It’s packed with protein, vegetables and awesome taste. Moving to Jakarta, I fine tuned the recipe and made it on a Saturday morning for the rest of the household. Everybody loved it! Later that day we met up with some friends in this new eatery for lunch, and to my surprise, they serve my very own Shashuka! (yes i’m owning this word like I invented this dish..) Can you imagine I ordered this meal again? I’m telling you, I’m really grooving with mister Shakshuka, I believe you will too. Now let’s get cooking! The Best Shakshuka Ever 4 servings

• 2 tablespoons coconut or olive oil
• 1 medium (red) onion, peeled and diced
• 5 cloves garlic, peeled and finely chopped
• 1/2 – 1 chile pepper (or to taste), stemmed, sliced in half and deseeded, finely sliced or minced
• 1 1/2 teaspoons sea salt
• 1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
• 1 teaspoon paprika powder
• 1 teaspoon ground cumin
• 1/2 teaspoon turmeric
• 1 can (400 gr) of diced or crushed tomatoes
• 3 tablespoons tomato paste
• 3 teaspoons coconut sugar
• 1 teaspoon cider vinegar
• 1 cup (20gr) mix of zucchini and green pepper  (or any choice of greens like spinach, kale, cauliflower, peas)
• 3/4 cup of fresh chives finely chopped
• 5 organic eggs
• handful of basil
• handful of arugula  / rocket salad
• parmesan cheese

Directions Heat oil in a wide skillet over medium high heat. Add the onions and the garlic and stir until golden brown. Add chili pepper, salt, ground pepper, and all the dry spices. Cook for a minute, stirring constantly, so they can release their fragrance. Add the tomato paste and stir so the sourness can be released, pour the canned tomatoes, sugar, and apple cider vinegar, reduce to medium heat, and cook for another 10 minutes, or until the sauce has thickened. Stir in the chopped greens, cover the skillet with a lid and cook until vegetables are soften. At last carefully crack the eggs into the sauce mixture, cover and simmer for 3 to 5 minutes until the eggs are cooked to your liking. If you don’t like the egg yolks to be runny, you might also choose to stir up the eggs so it become a mixture together with the tomato sauce. At last sprinkle some fresh basil and parmesan and serve with rye or pita bread on a bed of arugula salad.