Menemen

Nutrition · per serving

Steps

1. 1

   Prepare everything before you start: finely chop the onion, slice the green pepper, finely chop the chilli, peel and dice the tomatoes, and chop the parsley. Menemen cooks quickly, so having the ingredients ready keeps the eggs tender rather than overcooked.

   80 g onion, finely chopped100 g green pepper, thinly sliced5 g red chilli, finely chopped300 g ripe tomatoes, peeled and diced5 g flat-leaf parsley, chopped
2. 2

   Heat a medium frying pan or small cast-iron pan over medium heat. Add the olive oil, then the onion and green pepper. Cook for 3-4 minutes, stirring often, until the onion softens and turns translucent and the pepper begins to relax without browning deeply.

   20 ml olive oil80 g onion, finely chopped100 g green pepper, thinly sliced
3. 3

   Add the red chilli, diced tomatoes, salt, black pepper, and pul biber. Cook for 4-5 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the tomatoes break down into a chunky sauce and most of the raw moisture evaporates. The mixture should look saucy, not watery; if liquid pools in the pan, cook 1 minute longer.

   5 g red chilli, finely chopped300 g ripe tomatoes, peeled and diced4 g fine salt1 g black pepper2 g pul biber (Aleppo pepper)
4. 4

   Lower the heat to medium-low. Crack in the eggs directly over the tomato mixture. Gently stir just 3-4 times to break the yolks and create loose ribbons of egg through the vegetables; do not beat continuously or it will become dry and uniform like firm scrambled eggs.

   4 large eggs
5. 5

   Cook for 1-2 minutes, stirring very gently once or twice, until the eggs are softly set but still glossy and slightly loose. Residual heat will continue to cook them, so take the pan off the heat just before they look fully done.

6. 6

   Scatter over the parsley and serve immediately, ideally straight from the pan with bread on the side if you like. Menemen is best hot and soft, not held on the stove.

   5 g flat-leaf parsley, chopped

Origin & History

Menemen is a beloved Turkish breakfast dish named after the town of Menemen in İzmir Province. It is traditionally made by cooking eggs with tomatoes and peppers, and its exact style varies by household, with ongoing friendly debates in Turkey over additions such as onion.