Tunisian Kafteji (Fried Vegetable and Egg Hash)

About This Recipe

Tunisian Kafteji is a real, traditional Tunisian dish, known as Fried Vegetable and Egg Hash. Diced fried vegetables and potato chopped together with scrambled eggs, heavily spiced, a hearty and popular Tunisian street food.\n\nKafteji developed as a resourceful Tunisian street food using whatever vegetables were on hand, fried separately then chopped together with eggs and generous spicing, becoming one of the country's most beloved quick, filling meals.\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

• 2potatoes(diced)
• 1eggplant(diced)
• 1zucchini(diced)
• 1green bell pepper(diced)
• 1red bell pepper(diced)
• 300 mlneutral oil(for frying)
• 4eggs
• 1 tspharissa paste
• 1 tspground caraway
• 1 tspfine sea salt(to taste)
• 2 tbspchopped fresh parsley
• 4pita or crusty bread(to serve)

Instructions

1. 1

   Fry the vegetables

   Fry the diced potato, eggplant, zucchini and bell peppers separately in batches in hot oil until golden and tender, draining each batch on paper towels.

2. 2

   Combine and chop

   Once fried, roughly chop all the vegetables together on a cutting board into a coarse mixture.

3. 3

   Scramble the eggs

   Whisk the eggs and scramble them lightly in a splash of the frying oil.

4. 4

   Combine

   Fold the scrambled eggs into the chopped vegetable mixture.

5. 5

   Season

   Stir in harissa, caraway and salt, adjusting the harissa quantity to taste.

6. 6

   Serve

   Garnish with fresh parsley and serve warm with pita or crusty bread for scooping.

Variations

• •

  Add a few merguez sausage slices for a heartier version.

• •

  Some households add cooked chickpeas for extra protein and texture.

• •

  Serve with a fried egg on top instead of scrambling the eggs in, for a different presentation.

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