Chop the onion, garlic and red pepper small. Heat the olive oil in a large frying pan and cook the onion briefly until soft and translucent.
Add the garlic and pepper and fry until the pepper softens. Stir in the cumin, smoked paprika and chilli flakes and toast briefly.
Add the chopped tomatoes, stir everything together and season to taste with salt and pepper. Simmer the sauce uncovered until thick.
Use a spoon to make hollows in the tomato sauce and crack the eggs into them. Cover the pan and cook the eggs over a low heat until the egg whites are set. In pregnancy, cook until the egg yolks are firm too.
Take the pan off the heat and leave it to rest briefly so everything settles.
Sprinkle with fresh coriander and serve straight from the pan.
Good to know
When you want something spicy, juicy and uncomplicated, this shakshuka is just right. The tomato sauce reduces briefly, the eggs cook gently in it – and then it all goes straight from the pan to the table.
Swaps
Coriander → flat-leaf parsley (milder in flavour, also provides vitamin K). Red pepper → yellow pepper (a little milder, also provides vitamin C). Olive oil → ghee (heat-stable; not dairy-free). Chilli flakes → fresh mild chilli (the same fresh heat, often easier to dose).
Allergens
Contains egg. For children, tone down the heat. In pregnancy, cook the eggs right through and make sure everything is well heated.
