The first time I made these Turkish menemen eggs (Turkish-style soft scrambled eggs), it wasn’t really planned. It was the night before a big trip and both my fridge and pantry were looking a little bare. I hate buying groceries before I leave for vacation, so I had to make due with something I could whip up from around the house. I made spaghetti for dinner the night before and found myself with half a bottle of marinara left sitting in the fridge. I couldn’t think of any clever ways to use it up, so I started flipping through some cookbooks for inspiration.
The author, Rebecca Seal, called for a few ingredients I didn’t have (namely Turkish tomato paste and Turkish red pepper paste), but she does a great job of explaining these ingredients in the index so I was able to make substitutions with what I had on hand. These Turkish scrambled eggs truly couldn’t be easier. You start by sauteing onion, bell pepper, and a few spices over low heat until softened. Next, garlic and diced tomatoes are simmered while you use a wooden spoon to mash up some of the tomatoes. Lightly beaten eggs and feta cheese are folded into the mixture and gently cooked until just barely set. Garnish with some scallions and a drizzle of high-quality olive oil, then serve with toasted pita chips.
I made these Turkish style eggs with the marinara sauce that first night and it was a total hit. Since then, I’ve been making it a bit more “from scratch” by using canned tomatoes, dried herbs and spices, and sugar to replace the marinara. I love it either way, so feel free to make swaps to the recipe below to use up what you have in the pantry. I also do something a bit unorthodox, which is to add a tiny pinch of cinnamon to the eggs. I know this sounds crazy, but it gives the whole dish a really exotic flavor; you’d never guess that the rich flavor comes from cinnamon!
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Here’s the Recipe!
