Menemen (2 whole eggs, 2 egg whites) Calories

To make menemen, soften chopped green peppers in a pan, add tomatoes, and cook until they release and lose some of their liquid. Add the eggs—in this version, two whole eggs and two whites—and stir gently until just set.

Menemen is generally stirred together in the pan, so the eggs blend into the tomatoes and peppers. Shakshuka more often keeps eggs whole and poaches them in a spiced tomato sauce. Recipes vary, but the egg texture and cooking method are the main distinctions.

Menemen can be made with or without onions; there is no single version everyone follows. Onion-free menemen is common, while others start by softening chopped onion before adding peppers and tomatoes. If using onion, cook it until soft so it does not stay sharp.

Menemen is usually watery when the tomatoes release more liquid than evaporates before the eggs go in. Cook the tomato and pepper mixture until it thickens, then add the eggs. Very juicy tomatoes may need extra time in the pan.

Menemen eggs are usually stirred gently into the tomato and pepper mixture, making them soft and partly scrambled rather than fried separately. Some cooks leave the eggs more intact, but the dish is commonly served with the eggs mixed through the vegetables.

Menemen is commonly served with crusty bread, which is useful for scooping up the egg and tomato mixture. For a Turkish-style breakfast, people may also serve it with olives, cheese, and tea; a simple salad can make it a fuller lunch.

Freezing menemen is possible, but it is not ideal: cooked eggs can turn watery or rubbery after thawing. If you do freeze it, cool it promptly and store it airtight; thaw it in the refrigerator and reheat it thoroughly, expecting a softer texture.

Yes, cheese can be added to menemen, though it is an optional variation rather than a defining ingredient. Crumble feta-style cheese in near the end of cooking so it warms without disappearing into the sauce, or use a mild melting cheese for a creamier result.

For soft menemen, add the eggs after the tomatoes have cooked down and take the pan off the heat while the eggs still look slightly glossy. Residual heat will finish cooking them; leaving the pan on the burner too long makes the eggs dry.