Israeli Smoked Chile Eggplant Casserole (Shakshuka Bake)

About This Recipe

This casserole draws on two real pillars of Israeli home cooking: shakshuka, eggs poached in a spiced tomato sauce, and the deep Israeli tradition of roasting eggplant until smoky and collapsed, as in the classic dip. Combining them into a baked casserole rather than a stovetop skillet dish lets the eggplant roast separately until genuinely caramelized before it joins the tomato-chile sauce, giving the finished bake more depth than a quick-simmered shakshuka. Roasting the eggplant cubes at high heat until deeply browned, rather than boiling or steaming them, is the step that prevents the casserole from turning watery and bland — eggplant holds a lot of moisture, and dry-roasting drives much of it off while concentrating flavor. That roasted eggplant folds into a chile-spiked tomato sauce built the same way as a classic shakshuka base, with cumin, smoked paprika and a chopped fresh chile for real heat. Eggs are cracked directly into wells in the sauce and baked just until the whites are set but the yolks stay soft, finished with fresh herbs and a scatter of crumbled feta.

Ingredients

Serves 4

• 1 largeeggplant(cut into 2cm cubes)
• 4 tbspolive oil
• 1onion(chopped)
• 1red bell pepper(diced)
• 3 clovesgarlic(minced)
• 1fresh red chile(finely chopped, seeds removed for less heat)
• 1.5 tspground cumin
• 1 tspsmoked paprika
• 800 gcanned crushed tomatoes
• 1 tspfine sea salt
• 6eggs
• 0.5 cupcrumbled feta
• 3 tbspfresh cilantro or parsley(chopped)

Instructions

1. 1

   Roast the eggplant

   Toss eggplant cubes with 2 tbsp olive oil and a pinch of salt. Roast at 220C (425F) for 25 minutes, flipping halfway, until deeply browned and tender.

2. 2

   Build the sauce

   Meanwhile, heat remaining olive oil in a large ovenproof skillet over medium heat. Cook onion and bell pepper 7 minutes until soft, then add garlic and chile and cook 1 minute.

3. 3

   Season and simmer

   Stir in cumin and smoked paprika, cook 30 seconds, then add crushed tomatoes and salt. Simmer 10 minutes until slightly thickened.

4. 4

   Fold in the eggplant

   Stir the roasted eggplant into the tomato sauce, combining well.

5. 5

   Add the eggs

   Make 6 wells in the sauce with a spoon and crack an egg into each. Transfer to a 190C (375F) oven and bake 10-12 minutes until the whites are set but yolks are still soft.

6. 6

   Serve

   Scatter with crumbled feta and fresh herbs, and serve straight from the skillet with crusty bread.

Variations

• •

  Extra vegetables: add zucchini cubes alongside the eggplant for a more substantial bake.

• •

  Dairy-free: skip the feta and finish with a drizzle of tahini sauce instead.

• •

  Spicier version: use two fresh chiles or add a pinch of cayenne to the tomato sauce for more heat.

Storage

Best eaten fresh since baked eggs don't reheat well. If needed, refrigerate the eggplant-tomato base without the eggs up to 3 days, then reheat and add fresh eggs before baking.

Frequently Asked Questions