Shakshuka
Here is our working shakshuka for Scoops & Dishes: no doorway fluff, just a cookable page with Australian metric detail and notes that prevent the usual failures. Plan on 35 mins from starting prep to plating for 4. Prep is about 10 mins; the active cook or oven time is closer to 25 mins. Read the whole method once before you turn on the heat. The character of the dish comes from olive oil, onion and red capsicum. Check quantities in grams where listed — volume is fine for many liquids, but baking and batter ratios behave better on scales. Use it for weeknight dinners when you still want something proper, then serve straight from the pan with a simple salad or mash. Feeds a small table as written; bump quantities if you are feeding a crew. Metric spoons here mean a 20 ml tablespoon and a 5 ml teaspoon. We write dinner recipes so you can cook from your phone on the bench: large checkable ingredients, numbered steps, and notes you can skim while the pan heats.
Ingredients
Method
- Heat oil in a large frying pan. Cook onion and capsicum until soft.
- Add garlic, cumin and paprika; cook 1 minute. Stir in tomatoes and simmer 10 minutes.
- Make 4 wells in the sauce and crack an egg into each. Cover and cook until whites set, about 6–8 minutes.
- Scatter feta and parsley over. Season and serve with crusty bread.
Tip: Also great for a lazy weekend breakfast.
Notes
- Shopping and mise en place: read the full ingredient list once before you start. For Shakshuka, olive oil and onion are the items that decide whether the dish tastes flat or properly seasoned. Weigh where grams are given — volume cups are fine for liquids and some dry goods, but baking ratios are tighter if you use scales. Australian cups are 250 ml; a tablespoon is 20 ml and a teaspoon is 5 ml.
- Serving ideas without fluff: serve straight from the pan with a simple salad or mash. Keep accompaniments simple so the dish stays the hero — a green salad, steamed veg, rice, mash, or crusty bread depending on the style. Metric measures stay consistent across Scoops & Dishes, so once you trust the cups and scales here, the rest of the site cooks the same way.
- Make-ahead and leftovers: feeds a small table as written; bump quantities if you are feeding a crew. Leftovers of Shakshuka usually keep 2–3 days in a sealed fridge container; reheat until steaming hot in the centre. Label freezer bags with the dish name and date. Allergens sit in the ingredient list — always double-check if cooking for guests.
- Putting it together for Shakshuka: work clean, taste as you go, and do not rush browning or reduction steps if they appear in the method. If you are cooking for mixed diets, plate sauces and toppings separately where practical. Keep this page bookmarked if it becomes a household regular — we update wording when cooks report a confusing step. Metric consistency across Scoops & Dishes means once you trust the cups and scales here, breakfast through dessert behaves the same way.