Shakshuka

This version of Shakshuka is made as a meze dish in the western parts of Turkey. It is such a simple and a delicious dish. Aubergine, potatoes and courgettes are fried in olive oil. A beautiful tomato sauce is made from plum juicy tomatoes in season with just garlic, olive oil, salt and pepper. Turkish yogurt and this lovely sauce is added on top of the vegetables. A good drizzle of extra virgin olive oil is added on top and decorated with parsley or basil leaves.

Ingredients

2 courgettes

2 eggplant

2 potatoes

3-4 large plum tomatoes

2-3 cloves garlic

1 tbs tomato paste

1 cup Turkish yogurt

salt&pepper

olive oil

basil leaves & its flowers

1. You can cut all your vegetables with a mandoline like I did in the picture. Then brush them with olive oil and cook both sides on a large pan or on a tray in the oven. Since they are pretty thin they will cook in minutes.
2. Or you can just prepare the vegetables the traditional way. Peel aubergine lengthwise leaving 1 cm skin in between gaps. Then slice them in cubes. Do the same to potatoes and courgettes. Place the fried vegetables on a paper towel .
3. In a hot pan add some olive oil and start to fry your vegetables starting with potatoes, courgettes and aubergines.
4. Halve the tomatoes and grate them in a bowl. Add olive oil in a pot , add garlic cloves add the tomato paste and cook it for a minute then add the grated tomatoes salt and pepper
5. Add 2-3 spoons of water and simmer the sauce low heat for 20 minutes.
6. If you sliced your vegetables, place them in a mold one by one. Add the sauce on the bottom of the dish, place the molded vegetables in the middle, add some yoğurt and decorate with basil leaves and its flowers.
7. If you cubed your vegetables, place them in a serving dish, whisk the yogurt to make it smooth, pour it on top of the vegetables. Then add the tomato sauce . Drizzle some extra virgin oil and add some parsley or basil leaves on top.