Gulf Shakshuka: Spiced Eggs in Tomato Sauce

Shakshuka — eggs poached in a spiced tomato sauce — is one of those dishes claimed by half the Mediterranean and Middle Eastern world, and no one is entirely sure who made it first. The name is Arabic, likely derived from a word meaning "mixture" or "shaken." North Africans, particularly Tunisians and Libyans, have strong claims to the dish. So do Yemenis, who make a version called shakshouka that predates the more famous Israeli adoption. The Ottomans probably spread it across their empire. The truth is that eggs cooked in tomato sauce is such an obvious, satisfying idea that it almost certainly arose independently in multiple places.

In the Gulf, shakshuka arrived through multiple channels — from Levantine and Yemeni communities, from Egyptian and North African expats, and eventually from the global food media that turned it into a brunch trend in the 2010s. Gulf cooks adapted it by adding their own spice blends. This version uses bezar — the signature Gulf spice mixture of cumin, coriander, black pepper, cinnamon, and sometimes dried chilies — in place of the cumin-paprika-cayenne combination typical of North African versions. The result is warmer and more aromatic, less smoky, with a spice profile that sits comfortably alongside other Gulf breakfast dishes like balaleet and foul medames.

The beauty of shakshuka is its simplicity. One pan, a handful of ingredients, twenty-five minutes from stove to table. It is the kind of recipe that forgives improvisation — you can add feta, olives, preserved lemon, or whatever is in the fridge — and still delivers every time.