Tunisian · Vegetarian
Kafteji
A traditional Tunisian mixed vegetable dish featuring fried potatoes, peppers, pumpkin, and onions mixed with scrambled eggs. This rustic comfort food combines seasonal vegetables with aromatic spices like Ras el Hanout for authentic North African flavors.
The Method
Instructions
First things first, grab your potatoes and peel them carefully. Once peeled, cut them into nice, chunky cubes about 5 centimeters in size. This size will give you that perfect balance between soft inside and crispy outside when fried.
Next, pour about 1 to 2 centimeters of olive oil into a large pan. You want enough oil so the potatoes can fry beautifully but not so much that they're swimming. Heat the oil over medium high heat until it's really hot, just before it starts to smoke. Carefully add the potato cubes and fry them for around 20 minutes, turning them every now and then so they get that gorgeous golden brown color on all sides. When they're done, scoop them out and place them on some kitchen paper to soak up the excess oil. This step helps keep them nice and crispy.
While the potatoes are frying, let's move on to the peppers. Cut your green peppers in half and remove all the seeds and membranes , this makes eating them way more pleasant. Rub a little olive oil on the cut sides of the peppers; this will help them char beautifully under the grill. Place them cut side down on a baking tray and pop them under a hot grill. Keep an eye on them and grill until the skin turns dark and bubbly all over. This might take about 10 minutes or so. As soon as they're done, while they're still hot, transfer the peppers into a plastic sandwich bag and seal it up. Let them steam in the bag for about 15 minutes , this step makes peeling off the skin super easy and reveals that tender, smoky flesh underneath.
Now, while your peppers are steaming, heat some more olive oil in a different pan over medium heat. Peel your onions and slice them into thin rings; this lets them cook evenly and become sweet and tender. Fry the onions for about 15 minutes, stirring often so they don't stick or burn, until they turn a lovely golden brown. Right near the end, sprinkle in the Ras el hanout spice mix , this fragrant North African blend will add a warm, complex flavor that really sings in this dish.
Time to handle the pumpkin! Cut it into 5 centimeter cubes, just like the potatoes, so everything cooks evenly. Using the same pan you fried the potatoes in (you can carefully pour out any leftover oil if there's too much), fry the pumpkin cubes for about 10 to 15 minutes. You want them to get soft and develop a little bit of golden color on the edges. When they're ready, transfer them to kitchen paper to drain any excess oil.
Once all your vegetables are cooked, pour out any remaining olive oil from the pan and return all the cooked veggies back into it. Give everything a good mix so the flavors start to meld together. Now whisk your eggs in a bowl until they're smooth and pour them over the vegetable mixture in the pan. Pop a lid on the pan to help the eggs cook through gently from the top without drying out. This will give you a lovely tender texture.
When the eggs have set nicely, slide the whole pan's contents onto a large chopping board. Season generously with salt and freshly cracked pepper. Then, take a big knife and chop everything together, mixing it well. This rustic chopping and mixing step is what brings the dish together, giving you a deliciously comforting and colorful blend of flavors and textures. Enjoy this warm, hearty taste of Tunisia!
Next, pour about 1 to 2 centimeters of olive oil into a large pan. You want enough oil so the potatoes can fry beautifully but not so much that they're swimming. Heat the oil over medium high heat until it's really hot, just before it starts to smoke. Carefully add the potato cubes and fry them for around 20 minutes, turning them every now and then so they get that gorgeous golden brown color on all sides. When they're done, scoop them out and place them on some kitchen paper to soak up the excess oil. This step helps keep them nice and crispy.
While the potatoes are frying, let's move on to the peppers. Cut your green peppers in half and remove all the seeds and membranes , this makes eating them way more pleasant. Rub a little olive oil on the cut sides of the peppers; this will help them char beautifully under the grill. Place them cut side down on a baking tray and pop them under a hot grill. Keep an eye on them and grill until the skin turns dark and bubbly all over. This might take about 10 minutes or so. As soon as they're done, while they're still hot, transfer the peppers into a plastic sandwich bag and seal it up. Let them steam in the bag for about 15 minutes , this step makes peeling off the skin super easy and reveals that tender, smoky flesh underneath.
Now, while your peppers are steaming, heat some more olive oil in a different pan over medium heat. Peel your onions and slice them into thin rings; this lets them cook evenly and become sweet and tender. Fry the onions for about 15 minutes, stirring often so they don't stick or burn, until they turn a lovely golden brown. Right near the end, sprinkle in the Ras el hanout spice mix , this fragrant North African blend will add a warm, complex flavor that really sings in this dish.
Time to handle the pumpkin! Cut it into 5 centimeter cubes, just like the potatoes, so everything cooks evenly. Using the same pan you fried the potatoes in (you can carefully pour out any leftover oil if there's too much), fry the pumpkin cubes for about 10 to 15 minutes. You want them to get soft and develop a little bit of golden color on the edges. When they're ready, transfer them to kitchen paper to drain any excess oil.
Once all your vegetables are cooked, pour out any remaining olive oil from the pan and return all the cooked veggies back into it. Give everything a good mix so the flavors start to meld together. Now whisk your eggs in a bowl until they're smooth and pour them over the vegetable mixture in the pan. Pop a lid on the pan to help the eggs cook through gently from the top without drying out. This will give you a lovely tender texture.
When the eggs have set nicely, slide the whole pan's contents onto a large chopping board. Season generously with salt and freshly cracked pepper. Then, take a big knife and chop everything together, mixing it well. This rustic chopping and mixing step is what brings the dish together, giving you a deliciously comforting and colorful blend of flavors and textures. Enjoy this warm, hearty taste of Tunisia!
Pairs Well With
