Name: Egga (Egyptian Baked Egg Dish)
Prep time: 20 min
Total time: 20 min
Yield: 8
Cuisine: African
Ingredients: 6 tablespoons unsalted butter (about 3 ounces; 84 g), divided, plus more for greasing; 3 medium yellow onions (about 12 ounces; 340 g), finely chopped (about 2 cups); 1 medium plum tomato (about 4 ounces; 113 g), seeded and diced; 1 medium russet potato (10 ounces; 283 g), cut into 1/2-inch pieces (about 1 cup); 3/4 cup all-purpose flour (about 3 1/4 ounces; 95 g); 1 tablespoon (about 1/2 ounce; 15 g) baking powder; 6 large eggs (12 ounces; 340 g); 1/4 cup (60 ml) whole milk; 1 teaspoon Diamond Crystal salt; for table salt, use half as much by volume; Freshly ground black pepper; 1 teaspoon ground cumin; 1 teaspoon ground coriander; 1 teaspoon ground turmeric; 1/2 teaspoon sweet paprika, optional; 1/2 teaspoon red pepper flakes or Aleppo pepper, optional; 1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg; 1/3 cup (10 g) finely chopped fresh cilantro leaves and tender stems1/3 cup (10 g) finely chopped fresh; Italian parsley leaves and tender stems1/3 cup (10 g) fresh dill, finely chopped; 1/3 cup (10 g) finely chopped fresh dill leaves and tender stems; 1/4 cup Egyptian pickled green olives (2 ounces; 57 g), pitted and coarsely chopped or sliced; 2 sun-dried tomatoes (5 g), optional; Pickles, such as Egyptian pickled olives, cucumbers, or turnips, for serving, optional; Warm aish baladi (Egyptian flatbread) or pita, for serving, optional

Egga (Egyptian Baked Egg Dish)

Packed with softened onions, fresh herbs, and seasoned with warm spices, egga—a baked egg dish—is Egypt's answer to the weekend brunch casserole.

20 min total 20 min prep 8 318 cal

Instructions

Tap a step to mark it done

1 Adjust oven rack to middle position and preheat oven to 375°F (190°C).
2 In a medium stainless steel, cast iron, carbon steel, or nonstick skillet, melt 2 tablespoons butter over medium-low heat. Add onions and season with salt and black pepper. Cook, stirring occasionally, until onions have softened and are light golden brown, 10 to 15 minutes. Transfer onions to a plate or bowl and set aside.
3 In the same skillet (no need to wipe clean), melt 1 tablespoon butter over medium heat. Add chopped tomatoes and cook, stirring occasionally, until tomatoes have softened and released their juices, about 2 minutes. Continue cooking, stirring occasionally, until juices have reduced and tomato has darkened slightly, 3 more minutes. Transfer tomato to plate or bowl with onions; set aside.
4 In the same skillet (no need to wipe clean), melt 3 tablespoons butter over medium heat. Add chopped potatoes and cook, stirring occasionally, until potatoes are light golden brown and tender, 10 to 12 minutes. Remove from heat; set aside to cool slightly.
5 In small bowl, whisk flour and baking powder to combine; set aside. In a large mixing bowl, beat eggs, milk, salt, black pepper, ground cumin, coriander, turmeric, sweet paprika (if using), red pepper flakes (if using), and ground nutmeg to combine. Whisk vigorously until mixture is frothy and pale yellow, 3 to 5 minutes. Whisk in flour and baking powder to combine.
6 Using a flexible spatula, fold in onions, tomatoes, potatoes, cilantro, parsley, dill, pickled olives, and sun-dried tomatoes (if using).
7 Lightly grease a 9-by-13-inch baking dish. Pour egg mixture into dish and bake until top is puffed, set, and lightly golden, and a toothpick or cake tester inserted in the center comes out clean, 20 to 25 minutes. Turn off the oven and let it cool slightly for 5 minutes. Using oven mitts or hot pads, remove dish from oven, place a wide serving dish over the baking dish and, using a kitchen towel if necessary, carefully flip the baking dish to invert the egga onto the serving dish.
8 Serve with pickles and warm aish baladi (Egyptian flatbread) or pitas, if desired.