Turkish menemen: A quick, nutritious breakfast bursting with flavour

Nutritionists claim that a breakfast with eggs as the main ingredient is one of the healthiest choices. It's a substantial portion of the protein that energises and keeps hunger at bay for a long time, significantly reducing the tendency to snack before the next meal. Furthermore, eggs are an excellent source of vitamins and minerals, providing the strength needed for the day's challenges. And when you add vegetables to them, the benefits are even more significant.

Vegetables are important ingredients of menemen, or Turkish scrambled eggs. You'll need tomatoes and green bell peppers, which contain plenty of antioxidants that neutralise free radicals and have even more health benefits. Tomatoes are rich in iron, potassium, and magnesium and are also a source of vitamins and folic acid. Peppers also contain vitamins and flavonoids with anti-inflammatory properties. These vegetables are also good sources of fibre. It's worth including fibre in your diet from the morning, as it supports the digestive system.

Anyone who has ever made scrambled eggs will not have trouble preparing the Turkish version. Start by peeling and preparing the vegetables. Then sauté them. Turks use olive oil, which gives the dish a characteristic flavour, but you can replace it with oil or butter. Only after the vegetables are sautéed do you add the eggs and mix everything thoroughly. To give the dish an oriental flavour, it’s good to use spices like cumin, fenugreek, or coriander.

Ingredients:

• 4 eggs,
• 4 fresh tomatoes or 1 tin of tomatoes in brine,
• 1 onion,
• 4-6 cloves of garlic,
• 1 green chilli pepper,
• cumin, fenugreek, paprika, salt, pepper to taste,
• finely chopped parsley for serving,
• olive oil, oil, or butter for frying.

Preparation method:

1. Heat the olive oil and sauté the finely diced onion in a deep frying pan. Meanwhile, scald the tomatoes, peel them, and dice them. Slice the pepper into thin slices, removing the seeds.
2. Peel the garlic cloves and press them through a garlic press. Add the garlic to the sautéed onion along with the rest of the vegetables. Mix everything and continue to sauté for a few more minutes.
3. Then, season the vegetables to taste and mix.
4. Finally, add the eggs and mix all the ingredients. Sprinkle the menemen with chopped parsley.