Shakshouka - a kind of Egyptian omelette

Shakshouka is a dish found in several parts of the Middle East and Africa. I had thought of it as primarily Tunisian, but in my recent visit to Egypt found it popular there too. Previously, though, I have always seen it as a dish of eggs poached or baked in a spicy sauce of tomatoes or other vegetables (which is indeed delicious).

But in Egypt - specifically Luxor - the eggs were mixed in with the vegetables to give an effect which sometimes was more like a baked omelette or tortilla and other times more like spicy scrambled eggs.

I haven't been able to find any recipes for this type of shakshouka, but this is roughly what I ate:

Ingredients

1 teaspoon vegetable oil
1 onion, finely chopped
1 red pepper, chopped quite small
1 medium tomato, chopped
4 eggs
Half a teaspoon each ground coriander, cumin and turmeric (you can increase the quantities if you want it spicier)
A tablespoon flatleaf parsley, chopped

Method

If you have a tagine or other dish that will happily go from stove to oven or grill to table, you can use it here. In Egypt I had this served in the round earthenware dishes that seem nearly omnipresent. I wish I had bought one as a souvenir, but I used an ovenproof frying pan instead.

Heat the oil in whichever pan you are using, then add the onion and pepper. Cook on a moderate heat for about seven minutes or until the vegetables are softened and beginning to brown. Add the spices and tomatoes and cook for three minutes more.

Add the beaten eggs and stir a little to distribute the uncooked egg around the pan. If you want your shakshouka to be more like scrambled eggs, keep stirring until the eggs are done. Otherwise, stop stirring and turn the heat down. You can either finish the shakshouka in the oven (about ten minutes in a moderate oven, or until the eggs have set), or with a few minutes more on the hob and then place under the grill until the top is set.

Garnish with chopped flatleaf parsley, if using.

Serve just as it is, or with flatbreads and a salad of tomato, onion and cucumber for a more substantial meal.