Shakshuka Recipe: Delicious and Inexpensive Wegetarian Dish

We are going to teach you how to make a typical recipe from Middle Eastern countries in a simple way. This dish stands out for its high nutritional density.

Shakshuka is a vegetarian recipe that is made from eggs and tomato sauce and is a highly nutritionally dense dish. It can be included in the context of a healthy eating pattern with the aim of reducing the risk of presenting deficiencies.

Before starting, it should be noted that we are dealing with an elaboration specific to areas of the Middle East. It has similar versions in Türkiye. Now, it is characterized by using quite a few culinary spices in the recipe, which makes it a very tasty dish.

Shakshuka ingredients

To make an exquisite shakshuka you will need the following ingredients:

8 eggs.
2 cloves of garlic.
2 bay leaves.
3 large onions.
2 whole cayennes.
Salt and pepper to taste.
1/2 tablespoon of thyme.
2 large red peppers.
6 large ripe tomatoes.
1 pinch of saffron threads.
1 teaspoon sweet paprika.
2 teaspoons of brown sugar.
1/2 tablespoon cumin seeds.
2 teaspoons chopped fresh parsley.
75 milliliters of extra virgin olive oil .

Step by Step

You will have to start by placing extra virgin olive oil in the bottom of a saucepan, then adding the cumin seeds over high heat for 1 minute. In parallel, the peppers are washed and cut into strips. Next, add them to the casserole and cook for 5 minutes over medium heat.

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The next thing to put in the container will be the onions, along with the garlic cloves; all in small pieces. After 5 or 10 minutes, when the mixture has taken on color, add the sugar and the spices and herbs, sautéing over low heat for 5 more minutes.

The time has come to wash and cut the tomatoes , placing them in the pot along with the cayenne, saffron, salt and freshly ground pepper. From here, lower the heat and continue the cooking process for another 10 minutes . It may be necessary to add a little water.

All that remains is to remove the bay leaves and prepare the eggs. For the latter, the ingredients are crushed and placed on top of the sauce, covering the casserole and letting it cook for 5 minutes.

After time they will be curdled, although it is possible to stir the whites with the vegetables with a spoon to speed up the process, without breaking the yolk. To finish, sprinkle salt over the yolks and add chopped parsley and cilantro . It is recommended to serve with hot pita bread.

Benefits of shakshuka

Including shakshuka in the context of a varied and balanced diet can generate a number of health benefits. They are the following.

Improved muscle health

Eggs have the highest quality protein inside. These nutrients are essential to achieve proper functioning of muscle mass, avoiding the development of chronic pathologies that affect lean percentage or strength. This is evidenced by research published in the journal BioMed Research International.

Prevents vitamin D deficiency

Apart from proteins, eggs concentrate another nutrient of vital importance for humans: vitamin D. There are few foods that manage to provide this element, necessary to maintain homeostasis. In fact, a deficiency of it has been shown to increase the risk of developing complex diseases.

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Helps delay aging

The vegetables and spices contained in this recipe provide a large amount of phytochemicals with antioxidant capacity . These elements neutralize the formation of free radicals and their subsequent accumulation in the body’s tissues. The importance of phytonutrients is reflected in a study published in the journal Food Chemistry .

Prepare shakshuka at home in a simple way

It’s easy to make a delicious shakshuka dish at home . It provides a large amount of essential nutrients, necessary to keep the body in good working order.

Finally, keep in mind that it will be necessary to promote a series of lifestyle habits if the goal is to be healthy. Not only is it enough to eat well, but the fact of doing physical exercise on a regular basis will be decisive.