Menemen

Name: Menemen
Prep time: 30 min
Total time: 40 min
Yield: 2
Ingredients: 6 large eggs, at room temperature; 3 tbsp Turkish or extra-virgin olive oil; 2 sivri biber (long green Turkish peppers, mildly hot) OR 1 green bell pepper + 1 jalapeño as substitute (~150 g total), seeds removed and finely diced; 4 ripe tomatoes (~500 g), peeled and roughly grated on a box grater (the skin holds back, only the pulp grates through — this is the Turkish technique); 1 tbsp tomato paste (salça) — optional, deepens the red; 1 tsp pul biber (Turkish red pepper flakes, Aleppo or Maraş-style) — adds warmth without harsh heat; 0.5 tsp dried oregano; 0.5 tsp salt + freshly ground black pepper; 30 g feta-style beyaz peynir, crumbled (optional, regional Aegean addition); 1 small handful flat-leaf parsley, finely chopped, to finish; 1 small bunch chives or spring onion green, finely chopped (optional); To serve: 4 thick slices of fresh ekmek country bread OR 2 simit (Turkish sesame bagels), Turkish black tea (çay) brewed strong; Note on regional debate: this version is WITHOUT onion (Istanbul-style); if making the Aegean-style, add 1 small onion finely diced and cook 4 min before the peppers

Menemen is the quintessential Turkish breakfast — eggs cracked directly into a pan with tomatoes, green bell pepper, and sometimes onion, everything cooked in olive oil. The dish comes from the Aegean region and carries an eternal culinary debate: with or without onion? In Istanbul, authentic menemen has no onion; in the Aegean and Anatolia, onion is mandatory. Menemen is not an omelette — the eggs are not beaten separately but added directly into the pan with the vegetables and stirred lightly, remaining creamy. Eaten from the pan with simit (Turkish bagel) or fresh ekmek bread, accompanied by Turkish black tea.

Total time40m

Active time30m

Servings2

DifficultyEasy

Cost$

Add to my meal plan

🌿

Rich in vitamins

Fresh and healthy

⭐

Traditional recipe

Authentic taste

Ingredients 2 servings

6 large eggs, at room temperature
3 tbsp Turkish or extra-virgin olive oil
2 sivri biber (long green Turkish peppers, mildly hot) OR 1 green bell pepper + 1 jalapeño as substitute (~150 g total), seeds removed and finely diced
4 ripe tomatoes (~500 g), peeled and roughly grated on a box grater (the skin holds back, only the pulp grates through — this is the Turkish technique)
1 tbsp tomato paste (salça) — optional, deepens the red
1 tsp pul biber (Turkish red pepper flakes, Aleppo or Maraş-style) — adds warmth without harsh heat
0.5 tsp dried oregano
0.5 tsp salt + freshly ground black pepper
30 g feta-style beyaz peynir, crumbled (optional, regional Aegean addition)
1 small handful flat-leaf parsley, finely chopped, to finish
1 small bunch chives or spring onion green, finely chopped (optional)
To serve: 4 thick slices of fresh ekmek country bread OR 2 simit (Turkish sesame bagels), Turkish black tea (çay) brewed strong
Note on regional debate: this version is WITHOUT onion (Istanbul-style); if making the Aegean-style, add 1 small onion finely diced and cook 4 min before the peppers

How to make it

1PEEL AND GRATE THE TOMATOES: cut a shallow cross in the bottom of each of 4 ripe tomatoes; drop into boiling water 30 seconds, then transfer to ice water; the skins peel off easily; halve each tomato horizontally and rub the cut sides against the coarse side of a box grater placed over a bowl — the flesh grates through and the empty skin remains in your hand; this Turkish technique gives a pulpy, juicy tomato base with no skin pieces.
2COOK THE PEPPERS: heat 3 tbsp olive oil in a heavy 24 cm skillet (cast iron or earthenware sahan is traditional) over medium heat; add 150 g finely diced green peppers and cook stirring often 5–6 minutes until softened and slightly blistered at the edges but still bright green — do not let them brown.
3ADD TOMATO PASTE: stir 1 tbsp tomato paste into the peppers and cook 30 seconds — the salça deepens the colour and umami; (Skip this step if not using paste.).
4ADD GRATED TOMATOES: pour in the grated tomato pulp + 1 tsp pul biber + 0.5 tsp oregano + 0.5 tsp salt and a generous twist of black pepper; bring to a simmer and cook 6–8 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the tomato has reduced by half and looks jammy — the bottom of the spatula should drag a clear line through the sauce that does not fill in immediately.
5PREP THE EGGS: while the tomatoes cook, crack 6 eggs into a bowl one at a time — DO NOT beat them; the eggs go into the pan whole or barely broken, with yolks intact at first.
6ADD THE EGGS: when the tomato is jammy, lower the heat to medium-low; slip the eggs gently into the pan, spaced around the surface; let them sit 30 seconds undisturbed to set on the bottom.
7SCRAMBLE LIGHTLY: with a wooden spoon, push the eggs gently through the tomato in slow figure-eight motions — DO NOT vigorously stir; the whites should set into ribbons and the yolks should break and streak through the sauce in golden swirls; cook 90 seconds–2 minutes only — the menemen should remain glossy and barely-set, NOT scrambled-egg-dry; take off the heat while still slightly wet — it continues cooking in the hot pan.
8SERVE FROM THE PAN: scatter 30 g crumbled feta + chopped parsley (and chives if using); bring the pan straight to the table — menemen is always eaten from the pan with bread torn and dipped into the sauce; serve with strong Turkish black tea; best eaten within 5 minutes of cooking, while warm and glossy.