Turkish breakfast · One pan
Menemen Recipe (Turkish Scrambled Eggs with Tomatoes)
Peppers first. Cook tomatoes down. Barely stir eggs.
Recipe by Farwa ZeeshanTested in the NineFoods home kitchenMenemen is the Turkish breakfast pan of green peppers, tomatoes and eggs, scooped up with bread. It goes watery when the tomatoes are added raw and the eggs are stirred in at once. The fix is softening the peppers first, cooking the tomatoes until thick and jammy, then folding the eggs gently and stopping while they are still soft.
The 3 laws of menemen
Why this recipe works
All at once
Peppers need longer.
Raw tomatoes
Removes water.
Hard scrambling
Soft, silky curds.
Shopping and prep list
Ingredients
Menemen
The NineFoods egg gauge
When do I stop?
Look at the eggs in the pan.
Method · 3 stages
Step by step
Peppers
- Melt butter with oil, soften the peppers.
Tomatoes
- Add tomatoes and salt; cook until thick.
Eggs
- Add eggs, fold gently 2 or 3 times. Use the gauge above.
- Finish with pul biber.
Chef's troubleshooter
What went wrong? Pick the symptom
Why
Tomatoes not reduced.
Fix next time
Cook tomatoes down first.
Why
Overcooked.
Fix next time
Pull off while still glossy.
Why
Pale tomatoes.
Fix next time
Use ripe tomatoes and enough salt.
Why
High heat.
Fix next time
Keep the heat medium.
Swap smart
Ingredient roles and substitutes
| Ingredient | Job in the dish | Swap with |
|---|---|---|
| Long green peppers | Sweetness | Green bell pepper |
| Fresh tomatoes | Base | Canned chopped tomatoes |
| Butter | Richness | Olive oil |
| Pul biber | Warmth | Paprika |
After the meal
Serve, store, reheat
Serve with
Fresh bread, olives, cheese and Turkish tea.
Store
Best fresh.
Reheat
Not recommended.
How we tested this recipe
Tested in a home kitchen, not a studio
Recipe developed and tested by Farwa Zeeshan, who cooks and tests every NineFoods recipe on a regular home stove.
- Cooked from start to finish with the exact quantities above for 2 servings, using both the metric and US cup measures.
- Every one of the 3 stages was timed at the stove; heat levels and the 'look for' cues are what we saw in the pan.
- The doneness check (when do i stop) and the troubleshooter come from batches that went wrong, and how we fixed them.
- Reheating and storage advice was checked on leftovers, not guessed.
Keep cooking
Related recipes and guides
Quick answers
Menemen FAQ
Does menemen have onion?
It is a famous Turkish debate; both versions are authentic.
What is menemen?
Turkish eggs cooked with tomatoes and peppers.
Is menemen like shakshuka?
Similar, but in menemen the eggs are scrambled, not poached.
What bread goes with menemen?
Crusty Turkish bread or simit.