Menemen with Eggplant and Goat Cheese Recipe
This is a variation on the breakfast classic from Turkish homes: eggs braised with vegetables, but with the addition of soft eggplant and creamy goat cheese. The dish is filling, full of vegetables, and also works great as a quick one-pan lunch. In many Turkish families, this more “loaded” menemen appears on weekends, when there is time to sit down at the table in peace.
A classic Turkish-style menemen enriched with creamy goat cheese and soft eggplant, turning a simple egg dish into a satisfying, vegetable-packed meal that works for both breakfast and a quick lunch.
Chef's tips
Don’t rush the eggplant at the beginning – give it time to soften and brown slightly, as this adds a lot of flavor. If your tomatoes are very juicy, cook the sauce a bit longer so it thickens and doesn’t water down the eggs.
How to serve
Serve directly from the pan placed in the center of the table, with plenty of fresh bread for dipping into the yolks and sauce. You can add a simple salad of cucumbers, tomatoes and onions on the side for a more complete meal.
Ingredients
- eggs - 4 piece
- eggplant - 1 piece
- bell pepper - 1 piece
- tomatoes - 3 piece
- goat cheese - 80 g
- onion - 1 piece
- garlic - 2 cloves
- sweet paprika - 0.5 teaspoons
- hot paprika - 1 teaspoon
- butter - 20 g
- olive oil - 1 tablespoon
- salt
- black pepper
- parsley chopped - 2 tablespoons
Preparation
- Cut the eggplant into small cubes, sprinkle lightly with salt and set aside for 10 minutes to release some liquid, then rinse and pat dry with paper towels.
- Dice the onion finely, cut the bell pepper into thin strips, scald the tomatoes with boiling water, peel off the skins and cut into cubes. Finely chop the garlic.
- Heat the olive oil with the butter in a large pan over medium heat. Add the eggplant and fry for 7–8 minutes, stirring often, until it softens and is lightly browned.
- Add the onion and fry for 3–4 minutes over medium heat, until it softens and becomes slightly translucent without browning too much.
- Add the bell pepper and fry for another 4–5 minutes, until it softens. Add the garlic, sweet paprika and hot paprika, and stir for another 30 seconds until the spices become fragrant.
- Add the tomatoes, season with salt and pepper. Simmer over medium heat for 5–7 minutes, until the tomatoes break down and the sauce thickens slightly.
- Make 4 small wells in the vegetables in the pan. Crack one egg into each well, trying not to break the yolks.
- Cover the pan with a lid and cook over low heat for 4–6 minutes, until the whites are set and the yolks remain slightly runny (or longer if you prefer them fully set).
- Finally, crumble the goat cheese over the top, sprinkle with parsley, adjust the seasoning with extra salt and pepper if needed, and serve immediately with bread.
Storage
Resztki przechowuj w szczelnym pojemniku i zjedz najpóźniej następnego dnia, najlepiej po delikatnym podgrzaniu na patelni pod przykryciem. Jajka po podgrzaniu będą bardziej ścięte, ale nadal smaczne.
