Menemen is a Turkish style scrambled egg dish that brings together simple ingredients with bold, familiar flavours. It’s one of those dishes that’s easy to make but feels a bit special, perfect for a weekend breakfast or if you have guests staying over. The base of the dish is a mix of onions, green peppers, and tomatoes, softened and cooked down with a bit of olive oil and butter. Once you add in the tomato purée and spices, the whole kitchen fills with a warm, fragrant smell.
The spices here—oregano, Aleppo pepper, and za’atar—give it a bit of depth and heat without being overpowering. You can adjust them to your taste, but they add a nice balance to the sweetness of the tomatoes and the richness of the eggs. Once the eggs go in, it’s just a matter of stirring them through the vegetables until they’re cooked, but still soft and creamy. It’s important not to overcook them—you want them to stay a bit runny and silky.
Menemen is best served fresh from the pan, topped with a bit of dried chilli and fresh parsley for a little extra kick and colour. Pair it with some warm, crusty bread or flatbread to soak up the juices, and you’ve got a quick and satisfying meal that’s full of flavour but not too much effort. It’s a straightforward dish, great for when you want something warm and filling, without needing a lot of ingredients or time.
Turkish Style Scrambled Eggs
Ingredients
- 2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
- 4 tbsp butter
- 1 onion, peeled and chopped
- 1 green pepper, deseeded and chopped
- 2 tomatoes, chopped
- 3 tbsp tomato purée
- 1 tsp dried oregano
- 1 tsp Aleppo pepper
- 1 tsp za’atar
- 5 large eggs, whisked
- Dried chilli flakes and Aleppo pepper, for garnish
- Fresh parsley, roughly chopped, for garnish
- Salt and black pepper, to taste
Directions
- Heat the olive oil and butter in a large frying pan over medium heat until the butter melts and begins to sizzle.
- Add the chopped onion and green pepper to the pan. Cook for about 5-7 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the vegetables soften and the onion becomes translucent.
- Stir in the chopped tomatoes and cook for another 5 minutes until they begin to break down and release their juices.
- Add the tomato purée, oregano, Aleppo pepper, and za’atar. Stir everything together and cook for another 2 minutes to let the spices infuse the mixture.
- Season with salt and black pepper to taste, then lower the heat slightly.
- Pour in the whisked eggs and gently stir everything together, cooking slowly until the eggs are just set but still soft and creamy. Make sure not to overcook the eggs—they should remain slightly runny.
- Remove the pan from the heat and garnish with dried chilli flakes, Aleppo pepper, and fresh parsley.
