Tunisian Ojja with Merguez and Potatoes
Ojja is not an omelette — the eggs go onto the cooked vegetables and are folded slowly over low heat, then taken off while still slightly wet. The residual heat finishes them, and leaving them on the heat turns them rubbery.
- Prep
- 12 min
- Cook
- 22 min
- Total
- 34 min
- Calories
- 320
Ojja is a Tunisian dish eaten for breakfast or dinner, and it started as a way of using up leftover vegetables. What separates it from any other fried egg is the harissa and the tabil — and the soft texture that needs precise timing.
Method
-
1
The potatoes
Fry the potato cubes in the olive oil over medium heat for 8 minutes until cooked and coloured.
⏱ 9 min -
2
Onion and peppers
Add the onion, peppers and garlic and stir for 5 minutes, then the harissa, paprika and tabil for a minute.
⏱ 7 min -
3
The tomatoes
Add the grated tomatoes and salt and cook for 6 minutes until the water has evaporated and the oil floats to the surface.
⏱ 7 min -
4
The merguez (if using)
Add the sausage or minced meat and stir for 4 minutes.
⏱ 4 min -
5
The eggs
Turn the heat to its lowest setting, crack the eggs over the vegetables, and fold with slow, wide movements until they begin to set.
⏱ 3 min -
6
Lift at the right moment
Take the pan off the heat while the eggs are still slightly wet — the residual heat will finish them. Scatter the parsley and serve at once with bread.
⏱ 2 min
Cooked it? Rate it
Your rating tells the next cook whether this recipe is worth their time.
✓ Thanks — your rating is in.
Tips that actually matter
- Lift it while the eggs are still wet. Leaving them on the heat turns them rubbery.
- Very low heat for the eggs — high heat sets them instantly.
- The tomato water must evaporate before the eggs, or the ojja turns runny.
- An excellent dish for leftover vegetables — anything in the fridge can go in.
People also ask
What is the difference between ojja and shakshuka?
In shakshuka the eggs stay whole in wells inside the sauce. In ojja the eggs are folded through the vegetables and mixed in, making it closer to a farmhouse omelette.
What is merguez?
A spicy Tunisian sausage of beef or lamb, seasoned with harissa and cumin. Substitute: any spicy sausage, or minced meat with extra harissa.
Can it be vegetarian?
Yes — the base recipe is vegetarian anyway, and the merguez is an optional addition.
Cook mode
Tunisian Ojja with Merguez and Potatoes
-
1
The potatoes
Fry the potato cubes in the olive oil over medium heat for 8 minutes until cooked and coloured.
-
2
Onion and peppers
Add the onion, peppers and garlic and stir for 5 minutes, then the harissa, paprika and tabil for a minute.
-
3
The tomatoes
Add the grated tomatoes and salt and cook for 6 minutes until the water has evaporated and the oil floats to the surface.
-
4
The merguez (if using)
Add the sausage or minced meat and stir for 4 minutes.
-
5
The eggs
Turn the heat to its lowest setting, crack the eggs over the vegetables, and fold with slow, wide movements until they begin to set.
-
6
Lift at the right moment
Take the pan off the heat while the eggs are still slightly wet — the residual heat will finish them. Scatter the parsley and serve at once with bread.
Comments
Cooked it? Tell us how it went, or ask a question — we read every comment.