There are a few recipes that I always make when I am lazy or when I do not really feel like cooking too much for my dinner. This of course includes baked potatoes and hummus, pasta, and another favourite; letting my boyfriend do the cooking. But before I went vegan another dish that I loved was shakshuka. I am such a fan of tomato sauce with cumin and since shakshuka is basically that, I really enjoy it. Shakshuka can be made from scratch and then it is actually not that much of a quick dish since it involves making your own tomato sauce (which you can still totally do!). But for the sake of keeping this a minimal effort recipe, you can use canned whole tomatoes! These things are a lifesaver if you need food quick and you forgot to meal prep a tomato sauce that week.
But let me get to the point I was actually trying to make, shakshuka is amazing! However, shakshuka without egg, not so filling for a meal. This let me to try and find an egg replacement, which I found in silken tofu. The consistency of silken tofu after it has been boiled in tomato sauce really reminds me of egg whites and makes the dish complete.
Or so I thought! Lately I’ve been using kala namak on some of my food. Kala namak is a black salt that is found in the Himalayas, it is high in sulfur and hydrogen sulfide which makes your food smell of little egg farts (which is actually the perfect topping for a vegan shakshuka, I promise). The amount if sulfide found in the salt is so little that it’s not dangerous.
Actually, according to ayurveda, kala namak is seen as a cooling spice, and it’s sometimes used as a digestive aid and to relieve flatulence (yay no egg farts!).
Kala namak is a salt, so it has a salty taste (of course) and therefore I recommend not using other (normal) salt to flavour this dish. And if you don’t have or want to purchase kala namak, the shakshuka is still really good without it.
Vegan shakshuka
for 2-3
1 eggplant
1 onion, finely sliced
1 garlic clove
1 bell pepper
2 cans of whole tomatoes (400 gram)
2 tsp cumin, cilantro and turmeric
200 gram silken tofu, drained
Topping: fresh cilantro, parsley and kala namak (black salt)
Slice the eggplant and add to a pan with a little bit of water or oil, bake the eggplant for 10 minutes on medium heat until golden and soft, while slicing the onion, garlic and bell pepper. Add the onion and garlic and bake for 3 more minutes and add the bell pepper and give it a stir. Reduce heat, add the tomatoes and spices. Then add the tofu by crumbling little pieces into the mixture, add a lid to the pan and let simmer for 15 minutes.
Top with fresh herbs and kala namak (optional)
* To be totally honest, I said dinner but, I have made this shakshuka for breakfast several times as well
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