Menemen recipe: Turkish scrambled eggs, tomato and pepper dish

Introduction to Menemen recipe, the undisputed king of Turkish breakfasts

Before you ask, I’ll tell you. No, menemen recipe isn’t something you eat at 7 in the morning, or when you’re rushing to work. Menemen is a traditional breakfast dish, strictly for special occasions.I don’t know why I waited so long to share the menemen recipe with you. It’s inexpensive (even with farm eggs), nutritious, light, tasty, healthy, and sustainable — as long as we use farm eggs and prepare it in the summer when the main ingredients are in season. But I intend to make up for it by giving you none other than the recipe of my father, the great painter, tireless educator, hilarious and very sporty Alp Bartu (sorry for the long-windedness, but it’s my little cameo dedicated to him, since today is his birthday). In our house, menemen is his specialty, and for as long as I can remember, on Sunday mornings, Dad Alp would set to work with true dedication, first cutting the long green Turkish peppers (sivri biber in Turkish) into thin rounds, then dicing the ripe tomatoes, and then he would begin to compose this simple dish as if it were one of his paintings, which is surprisingly delicious. Each time I make it, I am transported to Bartu’s house, just like in the famous scene from the movie Ratatouille with the critic Anton Ego. If you haven’t seen it, I highly recommend it. It was even included among the 10 most iconic food scenes in cinema.

When to eat menemen?

In Turkey, we usually eat a savory breakfast. As I mentioned earlier, menemen is a dish typically eaten on weekends when breakfast is served around 9:00–9:30 a.m. This allows us to prepare and enjoy the dish properly. However, we know that in some countries, such as Italy, savory and/or hearty breakfasts are not the norm. What can we do? The answer is simple: follow the example of the many Turks who eat menemen for lunch or dinner. Believe me, I’m not suggesting this just to get you to eat it. Menemen is so popular that many restaurants and lokantas offer it on their menus at all hours. In Istanbul, there are small restaurants that serve only menemen, also known as menemenci, where you can find dozens of variations on the classic recipe.If you don’t want to wait for a trip to Istanbul, though, you can make it yourself right away thanks to my dad’s delicious recipe.

How many versions of menemen are there?

As with all national recipes, the basic recipe varies from home to home. Below, you will find the most common additional ingredients:

• Onion: My dad never cooked menemen with onion, but if you like the flavor, I recommend adding it.
• A pinch of oregano goes very well with it.
• Fresh parsley can be added at the end of cooking.
• For something special, try sucuklu menemen, which is made with Turkish salami. Use no more than two to three slices per person because it is very flavorful and spicy. Alternatively, you can use the spices that characterize this salami, such as fenugreek, garlic, and cumin. When I make it for dinner, I like this amazing vegetarian version.

I will soon share the recipe for vegan menemen, which is just as good as the original!