Menemen
A Turkish breakfast of tomatoes and green peppers simmered down, then eggs stirred in and cooked soft. Made in one pan in minutes and scooped up with fresh bread. Simple ingredients, simple method, deep flavor — a beloved Turkish brunch.
Ingredients
- Eggs4
- Tomatoes · ripe, diced3
- Green peppers · Turkish sivri, or green pepper2
- Onion · optional, finely chopped0.5
- Olive oil · or butter2 tbsp
- Tomato paste · optional, for depth1 tbsp
- Paprika0.5 tsp
- Salt & pepper · to taste
- Feta cheese · optional, to serve
- Parsley · to garnish, optional
Steps
- ⏲ 4 min
Heat olive oil in a pan and cook the green peppers (and onion) until softened.
- ⏲ 6 min
Add the diced tomatoes, tomato paste, and paprika, and simmer until the liquid cooks down and thickens.
- ⏲ 1 min
Season with salt and pepper, then crack the eggs straight into the pan.
- ⏲ 2 min
Stir gently over low heat until the eggs are just soft-set — don't overcook; it should stay moist.
- ⏲ 1 min
Turn off the heat and top with feta and parsley. Serve straight from the pan with warm bread.
Tips & Variations
Variations
- Peynirli menemen: Load it with feta or kaşar cheese.
- Sucuklu menemen: Fry in Turkish sausage (sucuk).
- No onion: The classic İzmir version skips onion (a real debate!).
- Spicy: Add pul biber (Aleppo pepper) or chili flakes.
Tips
- Cook the tomato liquid down well so the eggs don't turn watery.
- Keep the eggs soft over low heat — don't scramble them dry.
- Ripe, in-season tomatoes make the dish; in winter, boost with tomato paste.
- Serve it in the pan with fresh bread for dipping, the traditional way.
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