Menemen (Turkish Scrambled Eggs with Tomatoes & Peppers)

Ingredients

For 2 portions

• 🏺 2 Tbsp olive oil
• 🧅 0.5 medium onions
• 🫑 1 medium green bell pepper
• 🍅 3 medium tomato
• 🧂 0.5 Tsp salt
• 🍳 4 large egg
• 🌿 0.5 Tsp chilli flakes
• 🌿 0.25 Tsp black pepper
• 🌿 5g parsley
• 🍞 2 medium slices fresh white bread

Method

1. Finely chop the onion (some Turkish cooks leave it out – both ways are traditional). Slice the green pepper into thin rings (long Turkish sivri peppers are best). Grate the tomatoes on a box grater, discarding the skins, or peel and finely chop them.
2. Heat the olive oil in a medium frying pan (ideally a shallow two-handled sahan) over medium heat. Cook the onion for 3 minutes, then add the pepper and cook for 4–5 minutes until soft.
3. Add the tomatoes and salt. Simmer for 6–8 minutes, stirring now and then, until most of the liquid has cooked off and you have a thick, saucy base.
4. Crack the eggs straight into the pan. Leave them for 30 seconds, then gently stir with a wooden spoon, folding the whites through the tomato. Keep stirring slowly for 2–3 minutes over medium-low heat, just until the eggs are softly set but still glossy and a little runny – they'll keep cooking off the heat.
5. Take off the heat, sprinkle with the chilli flakes (pul biber), black pepper and chopped parsley.
6. Serve immediately in the pan with fresh crusty bread for scooping.