Menemen

Menemen is a homey Turkish tomato and eggs dish that I had quite a few times during my month-long stint in Istanbul. Some people make this with onions, and others without — I read that a survey was conducted and the results were pretty 50/50, most of the people I met make it with!

It’s slightly reminiscent of shakshuka, but the flavor profile is much lighter with fewer spices. Additionally, the eggs are scrambled into the tomatoes, rather than poached on top. It’s a perfect dish to make during tomato season! You can also top with cheese and add in additional things like sausage.

I used:

• 3 large tomatoes
• 2 eggs
• 1 baby yellow onion, diced
• 1/2 green bell pepper, diced
• 1 tsp oregano
• 1/4 tsp smoked paprika
• 1/4 tsp chili flakes, adjust to taste
• 1/4 tsp sugar
• salt
• pepper
• handful of parsley
• sweet baguette

To make:

• Grate your tomatoes on the largest holes, then dice up the leftover skin
• Sauté onions over medium-low heat until soft and translucent, seasoning with a bit of salt and pepper ~4 minutes
• Turn heat to medium, add green bell peppers and sauté for another ~3-4 minutes until they start to dull in color
• Add in tomatoes and season with salt, pepper, oregano, sweet paprika, chili flakes, and sugar. I would add in chili flakes last so you can adjust the spice level to taste
• Cover pan with lid and simmer for ~5 minutes
• Crack in eggs on top and cover and simmer until the whites start to set
• Once they start to set, scramble in the whites using a pair of chopsticks
• After the whites are mixed throughout the tomatoes (you’ll see chunks of whites throughout), turn the heat to low and scramble the yolks
• Garnish with parsley, and serve with bread