Humour | Şaka
Well, this is my first attempt at making a Turkish dish.
I’m not an excellent cook I actually forgot to add salt to this recipe😭 but I attempted to make Menemen. I’ll admit I’m not a great cook, but I really enjoyed the dish; it’s truly incredible, and I would definitely make it again. Anyway, that was my fun and amusing experience making a Turkish dish (by the way, peeling tomatoes is a real test of patience!)🤣
I don't know how big the tomatoes you used were but menemen is generally supposed to have a softer, slightly runnier consistency. You should be able to comfortably dip a piece of bread into it and scoop some up without much effort. That's pretty much the consistency you're aiming for.
Yup especislly pick big and ripe tomatoes so that u have juice and flavor. And, don't cook it till u kill it, that is a common mistake too. Definitely try adding finely cut green pepper/paprika, Turkish sucuk, or red pepper flakes (not sure if this is the name, but Im refering to a spice)
Uh also for peeling, try cutting the surface of tomatoes (not too deep, only the skin) around the green spot in a + shape, then put them in a bowl or something, pour near boiled water on them, till water level passes them, then let them sit for a few minutes. Skin will peal off easily.
( You can also cut them in half and let them sit in the pan, after a while the skin lets go easily, as some friends in the comments stated)
It seems to have quite a lot of seasoning; here in São Paulo (Brazil), food isn't usually seasoned so strongly, so I avoided using as much of the spices called for in the recipe I tried to keep it as mild as possible. We aren't really in the habit of adding a lot of chili or hot pepper to our food here😭😃
yeah it's supposed to kind of wet bread with that tomatoey buttery water and make you feel euphoric. sometimes though the tomato is a little dry so you can add boiling water while cooking. also i can't really be sure but alongside with thin pointy green peppers you should add onions, for some reason people argue that onions aren't a must but it absolutely will taste better, fry them alongside with the peppers and make them caramelize a little bit! that's how i do it at least.
OHHHHH, I think that might be what I did wrong the water I added was cold, so it probably stopped the egg and tomato from cooking. Thanks so much for the tips!😭😃
How long have you cooked the tomatoes? If you cooked it long enough to evaporate all their water that might be the problem too.
I like to cook them until they release all their juice, then re absorb most of it, and then I squish them with a potato masher so it ends up being both juicy and have a good consistency.
I recall cooking it for about 5 to 7 minutes before adding the eggs; I also added a little water, and I mashed the ingredients using a fork then I added the eggs and stirred everything together😅
I think the tomatoes were too small, which is why it turned this color when mixed with the egg. Oh, and I plan to add bell pepper and onion next time; I saw a recipe that even calls for paprika😭😆
Looks beautiful. Next time don't bother peeling the tomatoes. Cut tomatoes in half and put them directly. After couple minutes it'll peel itself with gentle pull. Then smash them all.
Next time you need to peel tomatoes, rinse them under very hot water before removing the skin. Also as someone else mentioned; you need to add more tomatoes, and you don’t have to peel them for menemen. Glad you enjoyed!
Do you happen to know the approximate ratio of tomatoes to eggs? I was wondering about that when I went to make it, but I couldn't find any information on it and yes, this dish is really goooooooddd😃
More tomatoes and peppers first fried in olive oil about 5 6 tbsp add your eggs and dont overmix it. First mix the white parts gently then do two three strikes foe the yellows thats it
Yes also here you see here its not mixed. yolk is not mixed with the rest. . Personally id just First fry peppers, in chunks Once they are browned add tomates, After a while mix it, tomates should be soft enough for you to mash them with fork Crack your eggs mix the whites around the yolks Finally break the yolks and cook it for 10 more seconds. Like be very gentle with the yolks. Or you can just break them when youre eating if youre comfortable eating it runny as in soft boiled.
I was thinking about adding onion and bell pepper next time; that seems like the right way to go but I appreciate the tip about crushing the tomatoes; I’ll give that a try next time😃
Lmao, it needs to be somewhat runny and you may need to eat it with bread because fork couldnt catch most of the food. search "menemen nasıl yapılır" It means how to cook menemen in Turkish.
I ended up not adding it because it would have become too salty; I find that adding it while it’s still in the pot helps, and it doesn’t end up being quite as salty😅
this is a sad looking menemen my friend but it's very nice you tried. you can add some green pepper and onion. i usually grate tomatoes and cook it longer with onion and pepper. add only the yolk, some cheese on top. dont cook it too much and voila! maybe very little tomato paste and garlic before the egg. yummy
edit: this is how i usually cook menemen. there is no right or wrong way to make it. dont let other people tell you how to cook menemen. take these comments as suggestions. there are many different types of menemen. i"m sure you'll find a recipe that you'll love
i hope you like it. cook onions and green peppers until they caramelize and maybe burnt a bit :D with lots of butter. and finish with lots of cheese and mix it after adding egg yolks. you will get a beautiful pink color. dont overcook it and eat it with bread.
If you can find, i would say the thin long paprikas (does not have to be the spicy kind) fit better than bell, and fry the paprikas in some oil or butter first for a long time before adding tomatoes and eggs
But how long should I let it cook? As for peppers, there’s one here called pimenta de cheiro it’s not spicy or anything like that; it’s used solely to add aroma and a bit of flavor. I think it might work well
If you can find diced canned tomatoes you can try them, slice the green pepper in a thin way, then cook them with butter and a bit of olive oil then the tomatoes, be generous with tomatoes and smash them and cook till they loose their water like 50/50 and this is the time for eggs, according to your taste you can add chili flakes, black pepper and salt, some stirs up the egg completely, some keeps the yolks intact and dips the bread, some prefers to grind kaşar cheese on top at the end it’s all up to you.
OHHHHH, I see thank you so much for teaching me the recipe! I will definitely try to follow your recommendations. Thank you from the bottom of my heart😃
Looks good for a first attempt! I think it's a bit overcooked, though, and it needs more tomatoes.
Start by frying the green bell peppers first, since they give the dish its characteristic flavor. Onions are optional. You can sauté them along with the peppers or leave them out. It's a matter of taste, and I personally include them.
Depending on your taste, you can peel the tomatoes beforehand. Dice them as finely as possible and add them only once the peppers (and onions) have fried for about 5 minutes.
Don't cook the tomatoes too briefly. They really need to break down completely. It's common to mash them thoroughly with a potato masher while they simmer in the pan. If they get too dry, add a little water, but use it very sparingly.
Don't forget salt and pepper. I always add them right before the eggs go in.
After adding the eggs, don't stir too much. Wait a few seconds, then use a wooden spoon to poke holes into the mixture so the runny parts can flow into the gaps. That gives you a creamier texture while the base stays set.
It's ready when the surface looks right: neither too runny nor too firm. The version in your picture is definitely too firm.
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u/SNOTBUBBLEARCHITECT 16h ago
More tomatoes please