Description
Menemen is a traditional Turkish one-pan dish featuring eggs gently cooked in a fragrant mixture of tomatoes, peppers, onions, and chillies. This vibrant and flavorful breakfast or brunch recipe is topped with garlicky yogurt and fresh parsley, making for a comforting and satisfying meal.
Ingredients
Scale
Main Ingredients
- 2 tbsp olive oil
- 2 onions, sliced
- 1 red or green pepper, halved, deseeded and sliced
- 1–2 red chillies, deseeded and sliced
- 400g can chopped tomatoes
- 1–2 tsp caster sugar
- 4 eggs
- small bunch parsley, roughly chopped
Garlic Yogurt
- 6 tbsp thick, creamy yogurt
- 2 garlic cloves, crushed
Instructions
- Heat the oil and soften vegetables: Heat the olive oil in a heavy-based frying pan over medium heat. Add the sliced onions, sliced pepper, and sliced chillies, stirring occasionally, and cook until they begin to soften, about 5-7 minutes.
- Add tomatoes and sugar: Pour in the canned chopped tomatoes and stir in the caster sugar. Mix everything well and let the mixture cook gently until much of the liquid has evaporated and the mixture thickens, about 10-12 minutes. Season with salt and pepper to taste.
- Create pockets and add eggs: Using a wooden spoon, make 4 small indentations or pockets in the tomato mixture. Crack one egg into each pocket carefully, making sure the yolks remain intact.
- Cook eggs gently: Cover the pan with a lid and reduce heat to low. Let the eggs cook slowly until the whites are just set but the yolks remain slightly runny, approximately 6-8 minutes depending on your stove.
- Prepare garlic yogurt: While the eggs cook, mix the crushed garlic cloves into the thick, creamy yogurt. Season with a pinch of salt if desired.
- Serve and garnish: Once the eggs are cooked, sprinkle the menemen generously with the chopped parsley. Serve the dish directly from the frying pan accompanied by dollops of the garlicky yogurt.
Notes
- Adjust chilli quantity to your spice preference.
- Serve with crusty bread or flatbread for a traditional meal.
- Use fresh, ripe tomatoes if preferred, but canned chopped tomatoes offer convenience and consistent flavor.
- Cook eggs just until set for the best texture; overcooking will lead to dry yolks.
- Prep Time: 10 minutes
- Cook Time: 20 minutes
- Category: Breakfast
- Method: Frying
- Cuisine: Turkish
Keywords: Menemen, Turkish eggs, one-pan breakfast, eggs and peppers, Turkish cuisine, easy breakfast recipe
