Kafteji
Kafteji is the dense, rustic street food found on every corner of Tunis, cooked on the spot in large pans blackened from years of use, served wrapped in fresh baguette. The name comes from a term suggesting something minced or finely mixed, exactly the technique that defines the dish — the different vegetables, each cooked separately for its own exact time, only come together at the chopping stage, not during cooking. The sequence of separate frying exists for a strictly practical reason: potato needs 6-8 minutes to brown fully, while zucchini would burn in that same span. Cooking all the vegetables together from the start would give either raw potato or burnt zucchini. The quick egg finish, stirred directly over low heat right into the warm vegetables rather than cooked as a separate omelet, turns the mixture into a compact mass, easy to eat by hand, wrapped in bread — exactly the format kafteji is sold and eaten in on the street.
Each vegetable is fried separately, in order of cooking time
The potato, toughest, goes in first; the eggplant and zucchini, softer, fry in turn, so none burns while another cooks
The fried vegetables are finely chopped with a knife, right on the cutting board, not puréed
The small but distinct pieces give the characteristic texture — a coarse mash, not a homogeneous paste
The eggs are beaten separately and poured over the warm chopped vegetables, right in the pan
The vegetables' residual heat cooks the egg as it's stirred in, forming a compact mass, not a separate omelet
Harissa and cumin are added at the end, stirred in quickly, not cooked from the start
The spices' flavor stays fresh and sharp, instead of fading through prolonged cooking
Ingredients 4 servings
- 2 potatoes, peeled and cubed
- 2 small eggplants, cubed
- 2 zucchini, cubed
- 1 green bell pepper, cubed
- 2 tomatoes, cubed
- Oil, for frying
- 4 eggs
- 1 tsp ground cumin
- 1 tsp harissa
- Salt, to taste
- Fresh parsley, chopped, for serving
How to make it
- 1FRY THE POTATOES: heat the oil, fry the potato cubes 6-8 minutes, until browned, remove onto paper towels.
- 2FRY THE EGGPLANT AND ZUCCHINI: fry the eggplant 4-5 minutes, then the zucchini 3-4 minutes, remove separately.
- 3FRY THE REST: fry the bell pepper and tomatoes briefly, just 2-3 minutes, enough to soften slightly.
- 4CHOP: finely chop all the fried vegetables on a cutting board, with a knife, into a coarse mixture, not a purée.
- 5COOK THE EGGS: beat the eggs with the cumin, harissa and salt, pour them into a pan with a little hot oil, add the warm chopped vegetables, stir quickly over low heat, until the egg is fully set.
- 6SERVE: scatter fresh parsley on top, serve warm, with fresh bread.
Nutritional info
per serving (~350 g)
Estimated nutritional values.
Pairs perfectly with
