Menemen
Tomatoes and peppers softened in olive oil, with eggs stirred in just until barely set — Turkey's breakfast of choice.
Origin & history
Menemen is a Turkish breakfast staple named after the town of Menemen near Izmir. Its texture is a point of national debate: soft, spoonable and only just set, never dry. It sits within the wider Anatolian breakfast tradition of olives, cheese, bread and tea.
Ingredients
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Base
Eggs
To serve
The method
Step by step
- 01
Soften the peppers
6 minCook the sliced peppers in olive oil over medium heat for 6 minutes until soft.
- 02
Add garlic and spices
1 minStir in the garlic, paprika and chilli flakes for 30 seconds.
- 03
Reduce the tomatoes
10 minAdd the grated tomatoes and cook 10 minutes until thick and jammy, seasoning with salt.
Wet tomatoes make watery menemen — reduce them properly.
- 04
Add the eggs
3 minCrack the eggs into the pan and stir gently with a wooden spoon, folding rather than scrambling, for 2–3 minutes.
- 05
Stop early
1 minTake the pan off the heat while the eggs still look slightly wet; the residual heat finishes them.
Menemen should be spoonable, not dry.
- 06
Serve
2 minScatter with parsley and black pepper and serve straight from the pan with bread.
Chef tips
- — Grate the tomatoes on a box grater and discard the skins.
- — Serve in the pan, as they do in Turkey.
Common mistakes
- — Scrambling the eggs hard.
- — Under-seasoning the tomato base.
Substitutions
- Green peppers → Red peppers or 1 green chilliAdjust heat to taste.
- Crusty bread → Gluten-free breadKeeps the dish gluten-free.
Storage & serving
Best fresh; leftovers keep 1 day refrigerated.
Serve with white cheese, olives, and black tea.
Food safety
Cook eggs until the whites are set. Avoid serving runny eggs to vulnerable guests.
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