How to Make Menemen, Turkish Style Scrambled Eggs Breakfast Recipe

Make yourself some Turkish-style scrambled eggs for breakfast.

I always love to wake up early in the morning knowing that a particular delicious breakfast meal is on my head. And every time I open the fridge, I feel more prepared for my task if I see an array of fresh white eggs seemingly wanting to be picked up and greeting me “gunaydın” - meaning ‘good morning’ in Turkish. More so, if I see some suitable egg companions available such as red tomatoes, onions and peppers, then I’ve got no time to waste but to go find my good old family-sized stainless steel skillet.

Yes, I’m now ready to go and hit for the stove. Guess what?

Certainly, I’m bound to prepare a delicious and very appetizing breakfast - menemen, a Turkish-style scrambled egg dish. Its so simple and easy-to-cook which makes it is as one of the most popular breakfast dishes in Turkey.

One good thing with menemen is that all the must-have ingredients can easily be found in anyone’s fridge. And aside from the very common ingredients, menemen is so easy to make that anyone who usually gets intimidated to do some cooking in the kitchen can easily make a yummy-licious scrambled eggs for breakfast in just a few minutes, hassle-free. It’s because all the main ingredients in menemen have strong varied flavors that when they are mixed together, they can create a very appetizing dish that makes you want for more.

So why not try to do it for yourself? This very simple breakfast recipe can surely start your day with a big smile not just on your face but also on your hungry tummy.

Here’s how to prepare a sumptous Turkish-style scrambled egg dish:

Ingredients

• 1 medium sized onion, diced
• 2 medium sized red tomatoes, peeled, seeded, and diced
• 2 green peppers, diced
• 1 red pepper, diced (optional)
• 6 large eggs
• 2 tablespoons green onions, chopped
• 3 tablespoons olive oil (or any other vegetable oil)
• 1 clove garlic, diced
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1 teaspoon paprika
• a pinch of freshly ground black pepper to taste

Preparation

In a big pre-heated skillet, sauté onions in olive oil until tender.

Add the garlic, peppers, and tomatoes and cook for about 4-5 minutes or until tomatoes become soft and tender.

Add the green onions and paprika. Stir for just about a minute.

Meanwhile, beat the eggs lightly with salt and some freshly ground black pepper. Pour the beaten eggs all over the mixture in the pan. Stir until eggs are slightly scrambled and cooked.

Serve with slices of ekmek, a traditional Turkish bread or with pide, a Middle Eastern flatbread and a cup or hot Turkish tea.

Yields 3-4 servings.

Afiyet olsun! (Have a good appetite!)

Note:

It is best to use a stainless steel skillet or non-stick frying pan to cook this dish.

Depending on your preference, you can also use canola, corn or sunflower oil instead of olive oil. Others use butter instead of vegetable oil, so its all up to your preference and taste.

Though optional, red peppers may also be used together with green peppers.

You may also substitute parsley with green onions .

This dish can be served for breakfast, afternoon snack or even for a light dinner.

Menemen is a vegetarian dish.