shakshuka.

idk how to pronounce shakshuka still. but the dish is fab.

randomly got bullied again into cooking. and here we are. rahul cooks, chapt 1.

context. i had eggs. that was it. the brief was: make something edible with eggs and whatever else is lying around.

fyi: i didn’t know the person teaching me had never actually made this in her life. and dumb me never saw a single reel on it either. if i had known either of those things, i would have never touched it. fr. never ever. but here we are. so… let’s go.

also. you definitely don’t need a kadhai for this. nahi majaa ayega. the eggs slide, the wells collapse, the sauce pools in the middle. you want a wide flat pan. but if a kadhai is what you have, a kadhai is what you use. anyway.

ingredients (rough, vibe-based)

• 3-4 tomatoes (chopped) OR a can of crushed tomatoes
• 1 onion (diced)
• 4-5 cloves of garlic (chopped fine)
• 1 tsp jeera (cumin)
• 1 tsp lal mirch (red chilli powder)
• salt, pepper, to taste
• 3-4 eggs
• mustard oil
• a few good pinches of oregano
• bread to scoop with (toast it properly)

the recipe

1. heat the mustard oil in the pan / kadhai. medium heat. let it smoke a little so the raw taste burns off. then bring it back down.
2. add the onion. sauté till soft and just slightly golden. 4-5 mins.
3. add garlic. 30 seconds, no more. don’t burn it.
4. add the spices. jeera + lal mirch. bhun lo in the oil for like 30 seconds. this is the step that separates shakshuka from “tomato egg curry”. your kitchen will smell incredible.
5. add the tomatoes. chopped or canned, both work. salt + pepper.
6. simmer. let it reduce. you want a thick, jammy texture. NOT soupy. takes 10-15 mins. taste karke dekh. adjust salt as needed.
7. make wells in the sauce. use the back of a spoon. one well per egg.
8. crack the eggs in. one in each well.

   if you’re using a kadhai like me, this is where the chaos starts. the wells slide. the eggs collect at the bottom. accept it. cook anyway.

9. cover the pan. low heat. 5-7 mins for runny yolk. but tbh i don’t like runny yolk so i cooked mine for 9-10 mins till the yolks were fully set. judge me. either way works.
10. kill the heat.
11. sprinkle oregano on top. be generous.
12. eat straight out of the pan with toasted bread. that’s the way.

the rules

• bhun lo the spices. dry spices need fat to wake up. skipping this gives you boiled tomato + egg, not shakshuka.
• eggs are personal. runny yolk is the “correct” shakshuka move. but if you don’t like runny yolk (hi, me), cook them through. it’s still good.
• the sauce should be jammy, not soupy. if it’s watery, your eggs will boil instead of poach.
• toast the bread properly. soggy bread will ruin the bite.
• a kadhai will technically work but a wide flat pan is the move. add to wishlist.

things i learned

• flat pan > kadhai for this dish. confirmed.
• the bhun lo step is non-negotiable.
• runny yolk + crisp toast = peak human breakfast.
• a “teacher” who has never made the dish is technically still a teacher. somehow it worked.

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next attempt. flat pan. proper simmer. lvl 2 unlocked.

dumb me. forgot to click a photo while cooking. this is mid-eating, when i finally realised i should have one for the blog.