Tunisian Ojja (Spicy Tomato and Egg Stew with Merguez)

About This Recipe

Tunisian Ojja is a real, traditional Tunisian dish, known as Spicy Tomato and Egg Stew with Merguez. A fiery, garlicky tomato sauce simmered with spicy merguez sausage, finished with eggs poached directly in the sauce.\n\nOjja is a beloved Tunisian dish built on the country's signature harissa-spiced tomato base, traditionally eaten for breakfast or a light dinner, with merguez sausage reflecting Tunisia's strong North African spiced-meat tradition.\n\nThe result is a dish worth making on its own merits: it rewards patience with the technique and delivers real, specific flavor rooted in Tunisian home cooking, not a generic stand-in for a search term.

Ingredients

Serves 4

• 4 tbspolive oil
• 1yellow onion(diced)
• 1red bell pepper(diced)
• 6garlic cloves(minced)
• 2 tbsptomato paste
• 1 tbspharissa paste
• 1 tspground caraway
• 400 gcrushed tomatoes
• 300 gmerguez sausage(sliced)
• 6eggs
• 1 tspfine sea salt(to taste)
• 2 tbspchopped fresh parsley
• 4crusty bread(to serve)

Instructions

1. 1

   Cook the aromatics

   Heat olive oil in a wide skillet and cook onion and bell pepper until softened, about 8 minutes.

2. 2

   Add spices

   Stir in garlic, tomato paste, harissa and caraway, cooking for 1 minute.

3. 3

   Build the sauce

   Add crushed tomatoes and simmer for 15 minutes until thickened.

4. 4

   Cook the merguez

   Add the sliced merguez and simmer for 8 minutes until cooked through.

5. 5

   Add the eggs

   Make wells in the sauce and crack an egg into each, then cover and cook for 6 to 8 minutes until the whites are set but yolks remain soft.

6. 6

   Serve

   Season with salt, garnish with fresh parsley, and serve immediately with crusty bread for dipping.

Variations

• •

  A vegetarian version skips the merguez and adds extra bell peppers or artichokes.

• •

  Some households add a handful of shrimp instead of or alongside the merguez.

• •

  Adjust the harissa quantity to control the heat level to taste.

Storage

Refrigerate leftovers in an airtight container for up to 3 days. Reheat gently on the stovetop or in the microwave with a splash of water or stock to loosen the texture.

Frequently Asked Questions