Soul-Stirring North African Eggs
The North African eggs, popular in the Middle East, have been trending worldwide for years. I guess it's because they are quick and delicious, made with common ingredients, visually appealing, and nutritious. Paired with flatbreads or other kinds of bread, they elevate into a dish worthy of a high-end restaurant. I often make this dish. When there's no extravagant dish at home, I simply gather leftover vegetables from the fridge to whip it up. For example, half a carrot, leftover onions and peppers from previous cooking, an extra mushroom, some frozen bread, or one last slice of bacon... You don't need to stick strictly to the types of vegetables or seasoning amounts, and you can still create a flavorful North African egg dish. DBS Bank from Singapore has been promoting sustainable development, urging the public to join this movement. This year, DBS launched a new initiative: #ZeroFoodWaste (# Zero Food Waste - ZFW). For every one of us who loves cooking and good food, this idea of 'zero waste' is easy to incorporate into our sustainable practices. Use every ingredient in the kitchen wisely, embrace the #StarCookMission, unleash your “star” creativity, and transform ingredients into wonderful dishes. Food and banks are indispensable companions in our daily lives, but it's truly interesting when a bank advocates for such an initiative. If you're intrigued, feel free to explore more. #ZeroFoodWaste# Let’s utilize leftovers, surplus, and imperfect food to create a #MoneySaving yet delightful# gourmet meal!
Ingredients
Steps
Prepare all the necessary ingredients. Today, we are using leftovers from the refrigerator. The onion and bell peppers are remnants of a previous stir-fry, the mushroom is an extra one from last time, and the bacon and bread have been in the freezer for too long. Use them all up today!
Make a cross-cut on the tomato skin and blanch to remove the peel.
Dice the peeled tomato into cubes not larger than 1cm. Similarly, dice the green and red bell peppers, carrot, mushroom, bacon, and onion. Finely chop the cilantro and slice the garlic.
Heat olive oil in a pan, and sauté the garlic slices and onion until fragrant.
Add the bacon and continue to sauté slightly until its edges caramelize, enhancing the flavor through the Maillard reaction.
Add the diced carrot and stir-fry until it softens.
Toss in diced bell peppers, mushroom, tomato paste, cumin powder (or caraway powder), chili powder, and season with a pinch of sea salt and black pepper.
Stir all ingredients and sauces evenly.
Add diced tomato and stir well. Simmer until the tomato releases its juices and reduce the mixture until thickened.
Once the vegetable sauce thickens and vegetable chunks become cohesive, use a spatula to create two wells in the mixture for the eggs.
Crack two eggs into the wells.
Gently simmer on low heat for 3-5 minutes until the eggs reach your desired doneness, then remove from heat.
Sprinkle water on the frozen bread, and warm it up using an oven or waffle maker. Toast until crispy, then serve.
Top the finished North African eggs with chopped cilantro. Tear apart the bread and scoop up some vegetable sauce for a hearty meal. You’d never guess it’s made from leftovers! Simple, nutritious, and satisfying—give it a try!