Ojja Tunisienne — One‑Pan Tunisian Egg & Tomato Skillet

Name: Ojja Tunisienne — One‑Pan Tunisian Egg & Tomato Skillet
Prep time: 10 min
Cook time: 25 min
Total time: 35 min
Yield: 4 servings
Cuisine: Tunisian
Ingredients: 3 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil; 1 large yellow onion; 1 medium bell pepper; 3 clove garlic; 1 tsp ground cumin; 1 tsp sweet or smoked paprika; 1.5 tbsp harissa; 800 g canned crushed tomatoes; 1 tbsp tomato paste; 1.5 tsp kosher salt; 0.5 tsp black pepper; 0.5 tsp granulated sugar; 6 large eggs; 15 g fresh parsley; 8 slices stale crusty bread (baguette or similar); 1 wedge lemon

A budget-friendly, one‑pan Tunisian tomato stew finished with eggs. Uses canned tomatoes, onion and pantry spices to feed four for very little — served with crusty bread for dipping.

35 min

start to finish

10 min

hands on

Easy

difficulty

servings

4 servings

Ingredients

Contains egg, gluten. Cooking for an allergy? Check the label on every packet you use — brands differ, and we can only tell you what the recipe calls for.

Roughly, per serving

320 kcal12g protein24g carbs18g fat

An estimate, not a lab analysis.

Method

Heat the olive oil in a large 10–12 inch (25–30 cm) skillet over medium heat.
Add the sliced onion and cook, stirring occasionally, until soft and translucent.
If the onion starts to brown too quickly, lower the heat; soft, sweet onions build the sauce flavor.
Add the diced bell pepper and continue to cook until the pepper softens.
Add the minced garlic, cumin and paprika and cook, stirring, until fragrant.
Stir constantly for 30–60 seconds so the garlic doesn't burn.
Stir in the harissa and tomato paste (if using) and cook, stirring, for one minute to release their flavors.
Pour in the crushed tomatoes, add salt, pepper and sugar (if using), stir to combine and bring to a gentle simmer.
Simmer the sauce uncovered until it thickens slightly and flavors meld.
Taste and adjust heat with more harissa or a pinch of sugar to balance acidity.
Using the back of a spoon, make six shallow wells in the simmering tomato sauce.
Crack one egg into each well, keeping yolks intact, then season the exposed whites lightly with a little salt and pepper.
Cover the skillet and cook until egg whites are set but yolks remain soft (longer if you prefer firm yolks).
Start checking at 5 minutes for runny yolks; 8–10 minutes will give firmer yolks.
Scatter chopped parsley over the finished ojja and remove the pan from the heat.
Toast or warm the bread and serve the skillet at the table, tearing bread to dip into the sauce and eggs.
A squeeze of lemon brightens the dish just before eating.

Worth knowing

If you don't have harissa, stir 1 tsp chili flakes (adjust to taste) into the sauce with an extra 1 tsp tomato paste or paprika.
Use stale or day‑old bread — it soaks the sauce without falling apart.
For a heartier meal on a tiny budget, stir a drained can of chickpeas into the sauce before simmering.

Make it yours

Cooking without dairy, without an oven, for someone who won't touch chilli, or for six instead of four? Have the recipe rewritten around it — quantities, steps and all.

VegetarianBudgetQuickOne pan

More Tunisian cooking

An original Restaurant Pro recipe — our own composition in the idiom of Tunisian cooking, not any restaurant's recipe. Written to be vegetarian as listed.