Piece of life
To tell you the truth, I spent a long time finding how to correctly write it: chakchouka, tchektchouka, tchoukchouka, or even shakshuka… there are as many variations of names as recipes. I’ve been facing chakchouka recipes on blogs and cooking websites for years, and they water my mouth. It did take me a long time [Why? Good question, but no answer] but that is it, I’ve finally dug on it.
About the Chakchouka
Before preparing a chakchouka I wanted to know more about its origin. And well, what I realized from my research is that it can be found everywhere between the Maghreb and the Middle East. The classical base mainly consists of tomatoes, bell peppers and onions; over them, eggs are simmered, and the yolk remains runny. The variations are numerous, and we can use different vegetables or add some meat [this recipe is perfect for emptying your fridge].
I had some spinach to be used, so I wanted to try a veggie chakchouka. I was inspired by a recipe from the Simple book by Ottolenghi [still and always, right?!], and I adapted it to my taste. The result immediately amazed us. It’s simple and quick to prepare, healthy and tasty.
Spinach Chakchouka
Équipements
- Frying pan with lid
Ingredients
- 450 g fresh spinach
- 6 eggs
- 100 g feta cheese
- 2 gloves garlic well minced
- 1 onion sliced
- 1 tsp coriander seeds slightly grounded
- 1 tsp zaatar
- olive oil
- fresh coriander
- salt and pepper to taste
Instructions
- Pour an olive oil drizzle into the pan and heat over medium heat.
- Add the garlic, onion and coriander seeds. Let it saute for 1 to 2 minutes.
- Add the spinach and saute for some minutes (they will lose their volume).
- Make 6 small cavities in the spinach and break an egg in each. Sprinkle with crumbled feta cheese and season with salt and pepper. Cover the pan with the lid and let it cook for about 5 minutes. The white should be cooked and the yolk runny.
- In a small bowl, pour 2 Tbsp of olive oil and add 1 tsp of zaatar. Mix. Pour over the chakchouka just before serving, and sprinkle with fresh coriander.
