Shakshuka with Chickpeas

Ingredients

• 15 ml olive oil
• 1 medium onion
• 1 red pepper
• 2 cloves garlic
• 400 g tinned chopped tomatoes
• 1 tsp ground cumin
• 1 tsp sweet paprika
• ¼ tsp chilli flakes (optional)
• 4 eggs
• ¼ tsp salt, to taste
• 1 handful parsley or coriander
• 50 g feta (optional)
• 240 g cooked chickpeas, drained and rinsed

Method

1. 1

   Prepare the vegetables and pan

   Peel and finely dice 1 medium onion. Deseed and dice 1 red pepper. Finely chop 2 peeled garlic cloves. Have a wide frying pan with a matching lid ready, about 26–28 cm in diameter. As well as holding the sauce and chickpeas, it needs enough surface area for four separate eggs.

2. 2

   Soften the onion and pepper

   Heat 15 ml olive oil over a medium heat. Add the onion and pepper and cook for about 6–8 minutes, stirring occasionally. The onion should be translucent and the pepper noticeably softer; avoid dark browning around the edges. Stir in the garlic towards the end and cook briefly until fragrant, without letting it brown.

3. 3

   Briefly toast the spices

   Sprinkle 1 tsp ground cumin, 1 tsp sweet paprika and, optionally, ¼ tsp chilli flakes over the vegetables. Stir for about 30 seconds until the spices are distinctly fragrant. If the pan gets too hot or the spices start to stick, immediately add the tomatoes from the next step: the paprika should not darken.

4. 4

   Reduce the tomato sauce uncovered

   Add 400 g tinned chopped tomatoes and some of the total ¼ tsp salt to start with. Simmer gently, uncovered, for about 10–15 minutes, stirring across the base of the pan occasionally. The sauce has reduced enough when there is no longer a watery rim and a trail drawn through it with a wooden spoon remains visible briefly.

5. 5

   Heat the cooked chickpeas thoroughly

   Stir in 240 g cooked, drained and rinsed chickpeas. Bring everything back to an even, gentle simmer and cook until the chickpeas are hot all the way through. The sauce should be thick but still spoonable. If it looks dry or starts to catch, add water a tablespoon at a time. Season to taste with the remaining salt; go easy if you plan to add feta.

6. 6

   Cover and gently cook the eggs

   Make four separate wells in the sauce. Crack 4 eggs individually into a small bowl, carefully sliding each one into a well. Put the lid on and cook the eggs over a low heat for approximately 6–10 minutes. The sauce should only bubble gently. Check the egg whites, particularly right next to the yolks: they must be completely white and firm, with no transparent or jelly-like patches. Cook for longer if necessary.

7. 7

   Finish with herbs and serve

   Wash 1 handful of parsley or coriander, dry the herbs and roughly chop them. Scatter over the finished shakshuka. If desired, crumble 50 g feta over the top. Serve two portions, each with two eggs and plenty of chickpea sauce. For pregnant women, young children, older people or anyone with a weakened immune system, both the whites and the yolks must be cooked until completely firm.