Tunisian Ojja
Some call it Ojja, some call it Shakshukah, shakshoukeh, jazz-mazz, makhlama, simply eggs with tomatoes or something else… One thing is sure, you can never forget your first time!
Ojja s a dish of eggs poached in a sauce of tomatoes, chili peppers, and onions, often spiced with cumin. There are so many ways to make Ojja, this is my own personal recipe.
You can make Ojja with Spicy sausages (merguez), sea food ,chicken or just the eggs. Whatever meat you choose, you just put somewhere between half a cup and a big cup. Usually cooked in a big skillet.
So here’s how you make one!
Ingredients:
- 2 Big Onions
- 4 Big fresh tomatoes
- 2 Green peppers cut to medium rectangles or circles
- 4 Eggs
- 4 Garlic cloves crushed
- 1Tbsp of arabic Harissa or Paprika (add according to spice tolerance)
- Half a cup or a full cup of chosen meat (or none)
- 1 cube of chicken broth powder (equals one cup of liquid broth)
- 1Tsp oregano
- Salt (by the end, as preferred)
- half a cup Cooking oil
- 1Tbsp Tomato paste
- 2Tbsp Curcuma or curry
- 2Tbsp Coriander powder
- 1Tsp black peppper powder
- Finely cut onions and parsley for decoration
- Water
Time to roll up those sleeves!
- Heat your oil well
- Put onions, garlic and meat, mix for 20 seconds
- Add broth, tomatoes and all spices
- Mix until you get a nice smell of the homogeneous sauce
- Add water, little by little, you should need around a cup and a half, just enough to make it watery
- Add green peppers and mix
- Cover it and let it boil until it thickens, but just a little less than in the final picture above
- Now add the eggs and just cover them
- Turn off the stove once your eggs have a whitey transparent skin (like the picture)
- Top with finely shopped onion and parsley and serve!
It is best to eat with bread, use bread as your spoon. Some people like to eat it with a spoon and eat the bread on a side, all works!
You will get to know that most Tunisian food is comfort food.Good luck with all the carbs!
Do not hesitate to ask me any questions :)
Bon Appétit!
