Adding eggs and tomato sauce together had never crossed my mind. Regardless, shakshuka became my favorite dish out of Israel, being both warm and fresh. I continue to this day making shakshuka at home in D.C!
First, you sauté onions in a lightly olive-oiled pan. Once the onions turn translucent, you gradually add garlic and peppers. Afterwards the diced tomatoes are added along with spices, and the pan is loosely covered until the tomatoes slightly start to melt and turn into a sauce. Then, with the spatula, you make a makeshift pocket in the pan and break an egg within it. (I add a scrambled one because it’s my preferred egg style!) Afterwards, the pan is slightly covered until the egg cooks, and then the shakshuka is ready to eat!
Culturally, yes! The food is very popular in Israel, and it is typically eaten for breakfast, but as demonstrated by my own experience, shakshuka can also be eaten for lunch and dinner! Shakshuka is a well known dish that is eaten throughout the region and beyond. I first had shakshuka made for our friend group by my Palestinian friend, and everyone in my group, from Americans to Israelis to Jordanians, were all familiar with the dish and loved it! Shakshuka was a food that many of them were familiar with despite their background, which made me realize how similar we are when it comes to one of the basic things that make us human: food!
