Turkish Menemen Recipe for Breakfast: Everything You Should Know About It

Turkish breakfast, kahvalti, is an important meal for every Turk and is what opens up the day to a plethora of many delicacies in the course of their day. It’s more of a ritual, whether on a Wednesday or Sunday. If you can't get enough of Turkish cuisines and are in love with savory scrambled eggs on fine morning sunshine the extra hearty and delicious Menemen is one dish you need to give a try.

If you’ve visited Istanbul a couple of times, you must have seen in restaurants or households that Menemen formed a crucial part of the dishes on the table.

What is a Turkish Menemen?

Menemen is a renowned tasty scrambled eggs dish combined with peppers, tomatoes and at times onions. This delicacy’s name comes from Menemen, a market town in Turkey situated just away from the highway running into North Izmir.

Turkish Menemen recipe has many variations depending on the region it's served in. The Istanbul variant may have some cheese, sausages, pastrami, ham, spinach, and other types of veggies. If you’d like to experiment with this delicacy, you can pair it up with toasted bread or avocado slices on top. The result can be so satisfying and is a healthy treat you'd want to make it part of your every morning.

How can you spice up Turkish Menemen?

Turks like to season their Menemen in a simple way using an assortment of dried herbs, such as oregano. If you like, you can also spice it up with chili flakes. Aleppo-style pepper is also a common seasoning to these scrambled eggs; it adds a subtle sweetness, which pairs up nicely with hot red pepper.

Preparation of Menemen doesn’t take up much time, which is why it can make a simple light snack during the mid-morning or mid-evening hours. It’s a single pan dish which takes a maximum of 20 minutes to make. You can serve it for dinner or brunch alongside crusty bread.

How Does Menemen Compare to Shakshuka?

Every Turkish cuisine buff knows what shakshuka is. You’re probably wondering if Menemen is similar to shakshuka. Well, these two share lots of similarities since they’re both egg delicacies. Their recipes use eggs, peppers, onions, and tomatoes as ingredients.

The difference between the two comes in preparation and seasoning methods. The most evident difference is in how the egg is prepared. In Menemen, the eggs are scrambled, while in its cousin dish, the eggs are undisturbed when mixed with chunky tomatoes.

What’s the Secret to Making Authentic Turkish Menemen?

The preparation method and the ingredients make all the difference in how tasty and delicious Menemen will be. If you want to make it hearty and satisfying, the first secret is making your own at home rather than eating one from a Turkish cuisine restaurant.

On ingredients

The quality of ingredients used has the biggest say in the type of Menemen you’ll end up with. Ensure that you use the fresh succulent green bell pepper with no blemishes and smooth skin. You may use green peppers as well. Holland or Anaheim can be excellent alternatives.

Select succulent tomatoes with skin smooth but gently curves in when pressure is applied on them. They should also have some weight for their size, meaning they’re delicious and juicy. Extra virgin olive oil is an excellent choice of oil to add flavor and richness to the final dish. Olive oil will sauté your veggies and add a delicate taste.

The traditional Menemen also include the use of butter. Butter is stirred into tomato sauce to create an extra creamy feel. If you aren’t fond of using dairy products, you can use only olive oil. vegan butter can also be a great alternative to butter if you love the creamy texture.

Most importantly, the eggs need to be fresh also. Avoid eggs that have been refrigerated for longer since they’ll luck that authentic satisfying taste of eggs.

On cooking

One key secret to satisfying rich Turkish Menemen is not overcooking the eggs. Gently scramble your eggs over low to medium heat until it's just set. They shouldn’t be overcooked or dry, instead, they should have a moist texture.

Serving Menemen

The Turkish Menemen recipe is very simple and straightforward to follow. In a few minutes, you should have your authentic Turkish delicacy ready for enjoyment. Find yourself a crunchy loaf of bread to serve Menemen with.

When ready to be served, you can top it up with chives or chopped parsley if you want. Sliced avocadoes can also increase the palatability and aesthetic appeal of the dish. Menemen is enjoyed when still hot. Serve it right away once ready to let its satisfying flavor hit your taste buds.

Turkish Menemen is among the many delicacies that Turks are proud of and you’ll probably come across in every setup serving Turkish cuisines. Take that invitation into a Turk’s home on your next visit to Istanbul and ask your host to prepare you this authentic Turkish delicacy. Alternatively, find the ingredients and get set to prepare home-cooked delicious Menemen.