Menemen with Softly Scrambled Eggs
Gently fold eggs through softened green peppers and juicy tomatoes for a tender, saucy Turkish breakfast, served straight from the skillet with bread for scooping.
Advert
Let’s get cooking.
Cook mode
Scale servings, tick off ingredients, and run step timers without losing your place.
Servings
Originally developed for 2 servings.
Ingredient checklist
Method
- No timer needed
Core and chop the tomatoes into roughly 1 cm pieces, retaining their juices. Remove the pepper stalks and seeds, then slice into 5 mm pieces; weigh both vegetables after trimming. Briefly beat the eggs in a bowl just until the whites and yolks combine. Wash your hands after handling raw eggs. Measure the salt into separate 2 g and 1 g portions, measure the optional pul biber, and slice or tear the bread. Have the serving places ready before cooking.
- 07:00
Heat the olive oil in the skillet over medium heat for about 1 minute. Add the peppers and cook for 6–8 minutes, stirring regularly, until softened without substantial browning. Lower the heat if their edges begin to scorch.
- 10:00
Add the tomatoes with their juices, the 2 g salt and the optional pul biber. Bring to a gentle simmer, allowing about 2 minutes, then cook uncovered for 10–15 minutes, stirring regularly and breaking up the tomatoes. They should become soft, with no separate watery puddle; a spatula drawn across the pan should leave a channel visible for 1–2 seconds. Allow longer for very juicy tomatoes. If the mixture catches before the tomatoes soften, lower the heat and add 15 ml water, then simmer that water away before adding the eggs.
- 03:00
Turn the heat to low and let vigorous bubbling subside for about 30 seconds. Pour in the beaten eggs. Cook for approximately 3–5 minutes, slowly folding with the spatula and scraping the base every few seconds rather than stirring continuously. Fold cooler sections onto the hot base if needed. Stop when moist, softly set curds have formed throughout and no translucent, slippery uncooked egg remains; some tomato juice around the curds is fine.
- No timer needed
Remove the skillet from the heat immediately. Taste and add some or all of the reserved 1 g salt if needed. Serve straight away with the prepared bread, divided equally. Do not leave the eggs sitting on a warm hob; transfer to bowls if the skillet's retained heat is firming them too quickly.
Chef tips
- Tomato water content controls the reduction time. Use the spatula-channel cue before adding eggs, even if the sauce needs longer than the suggested simmer.
- Peppers must soften before the tomatoes go in; the acidic sauce will not make up for insufficient initial cooking.
- For tender curds, keep the heat low and fold slowly. Continuous vigorous stirring produces finer, firmer egg grains.
- If the finished menemen is watery, avoid simmering the cooked eggs for longer. Serve with a slotted spoon and reduce the tomatoes further next time.
Equipment check
- 24 cm frying pan or shallow skillet, approximately 1.5 litre capacity
- Heat-resistant spatula
- Chopping board and knife
- Bowl and fork
- Kitchen scales and measuring spoons
Nutrition per serving
- Calories460
- Protein22 g
- Carbs52 g
- Fat18 g
Tags
Behind the dish.
Overview
This menemen keeps the focus on tomatoes, mild green peppers and eggs, without onion, garlic or cheese. Reduce the tomatoes before adding the eggs, then fold gently over low heat: the goal is moist, tender curds in a scoopable sauce, not watery vegetables or dry scrambled eggs.
Ingredient notes
Choose ripe tomatoes and mild Turkish green peppers; mild pointed green peppers also work. Sivri peppers vary in heat, so check before using and omit the pul biber if needed. The vegetable weights are after trimming: buy roughly 500 g tomatoes and 150 g peppers.
If fresh tomatoes are poor, use 400 g tinned chopped tomatoes with their juice instead. Reduce to the same consistency rather than relying on the stated time. Use a 24 cm skillet for reliable evaporation; for four portions, use two pans rather than doubling everything in this pan.
Allergens: eggs and typically wheat/gluten in the bread. Bread may also contain sesame, milk or soya; check its label and any seasoning blends. Choose vegetarian bread to keep the complete meal vegetarian.
Serving & storage
Serve immediately with 80 g bread per person. A heavy skillet retains heat, so transfer to bowls if the eggs continue to firm up at the table.
For leftovers, transfer to shallow containers, cool promptly and refrigerate within 2 hours at 5°C or colder. Use within 48 hours or freeze sooner. Reheat only once, until steaming hot throughout; the eggs will become firmer and the sauce may separate slightly.
Related recipes
Spiced lamb flatbreads with sumac onions
◷ 143 minmedium
Thin, lahmacun-style flatbreads with a juicy lamb, tomato and pepper topping, crisp edges and flexible centres. Finish with sharp sumac onions, parsley and lemon, serving in two freshly baked rounds.
Oct 13
Pan-Fried Köfte with Garlic Yogurt
◷ 47 mineasy
Beef köfte seasoned with grated onion, cumin and parsley, bound with breadcrumbs and pan-fried until browned and juicy. Serve these small, oval patties with creamy garlic yogurt.
Oct 2