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Cuisine Marrakech

Moroccan · Breakfast

Moroccan Shakshuka

A skillet dish of eggs poached in a fast-cooked, well-spiced tomato and pepper sauce, Moroccan shakshuka is a quicker weekday relative of the tagine-cooked Berber omelette, on the table in under half an hour.

Prep
10 min
Cook
20 min
Total
30 min
Serves
3
Level
Easy
Moroccan Shakshuka

Ingredients

  • 6 eggs
  • 4 tomatoes, chopped (or 1 can)
  • 1 red pepper, chopped
  • 1 onion, chopped
  • 3 garlic cloves, crushed
  • 1 tsp cumin, 1 tsp paprika, pinch cayenne
  • 3 tbsp olive oil
  • Handful coriander, chopped

Method

  1. 1

    Cook the base

    Warm the oil and cook the onion and pepper for 6–8 minutes until softened, then add the garlic, cumin, paprika and cayenne.

  2. 2

    Add tomatoes

    Add the tomatoes and simmer 12–15 minutes until reduced to a thick sauce, seasoning with salt and pepper.

  3. 3

    Add eggs

    Make small wells in the sauce and crack the eggs directly into them.

  4. 4

    Cook

    Cover and cook on low heat 6–8 minutes until the whites are set and the yolks still soft.

  5. 5

    Serve

    Scatter with coriander and serve straight from the pan with bread.

Chef's tips

  • Make the sauce thick before adding eggs — too much liquid keeps the whites from setting properly.
  • Cover the pan so the tops of the eggs cook through gently without needing to be flipped.

Frequently asked questions

What's the difference between this and Berber omelette?

They're closely related; this stovetop skillet version cooks faster and uses a slightly more assertive spice mix, while Berber omelette is traditionally simmered in a small clay tagine.