Eggplant Shakshuka with homemade labneh

👨‍🍳 Method

For the homemade labneh ✓ Homemade · or skip – back to store-bought

1. 1
   Mix the yogurt with the salt.
2. 2
   Line a strainer with a double layer of cheesecloth set over a bowl, pour in the yogurt and tie up the ends of the cloth.

   ColanderCheeseclothBowl
3. 3
   Refrigerate 24 hours, until the labneh is thick.

   Refrigerator

   💡The longer the yogurt strains, the thicker the labneh: a day for a spread, and another day or two for balls.
4. 4
   Spread on a plate, make a well and drizzle the olive oil over it and sprinkle with the za'atar.

   Plate

For the Fried onion

1. 5
   Heat the olive oil in a wide pan over medium heat.

   StoveFrying pan
2. 6
   Add the onion and fry 5–8 minutes, stirring now and then, until the onion is soft and translucent and starts to turn golden at the edges. If it browns too fast, lower the heat.

   Stove

   💡Add by cooking time: what needs long (onion, carrot, meat) goes in first, and what burns fast (garlic, dry spices) goes in last, only until fragrant.
3. 7
   Add the garlic and fry about 30 seconds to 1 minute, just until fragrant. Don't let the garlic brown.

   Stove

   💡Garlic burns quickly and turns bitter. Add it only after the onion has softened, over medium heat, and add the next ingredient as soon as it smells fragrant.

To assemble

1. 8
   Fry the eggplant in a little oil 5–7 minutes, until golden, and remove to a plate.

   Stove
2. 9
   Add the paprika, chili and cumin and stir for a minute, until fragrant.
3. 10
   Add the tomatoes and season with salt and black pepper. Turn down the heat and simmer for 10 minutes, until the sauce thickens.

   Stove

   💡The sauce is ready for the eggs when a spoon dragged across the bottom of the pan leaves a trail. A sauce that's too thin cooks the eggs in water, not in sauce.

   💡A gentle simmer, not a boil: a hard boil dries the food out and clouds it, a slow simmer cooks it evenly.
4. 11
   Return the eggplant to the sauce and stir.
5. 12
   Make wells in the Dressing and crack an egg into each one. Cover and cook 5–8 minutes, until the whites are set and the yolks are still runny.

   StoveLid

   💡Crack each egg into a small cup first and slide it into the well: that way the yolk doesn't break, and a stray bit of shell is easy to remove.
6. 13
   Sprinkle the labneh and parsley on top and serve immediately.
7. 14
   Serve with the pitas and bread.