Sambal Tumis Shakshuka-Style Eggs

Intro

Sambal tumis brings a cooked, rounded chili flavor that suits eggs especially well, giving the sauce depth without raw sharpness. This skillet cooks down tomatoes and aromatics first, then gently sets the eggs right in the sauce so the whites stay tender and the yolks remain lush.

Ingredients

• For the sauce base: 2 tbsp neutral oil, 1 small onion thinly sliced, 1 red bell pepper thinly sliced, 2 cloves garlic minced, 3 tbsp sambal-tumis, 1 tsp sugar, 1 14-oz can crushed tomatoes, kosher salt
• For the eggs: 4 to 6 large eggs
• To finish: cilantro, scallions, warm toast or flatbread, lime wedges

Instructions

1. Heat a wide skillet over medium heat and add the oil. Add the onion and bell pepper and cook for 6 to 8 minutes, stirring occasionally, until they soften fully and the onions begin to take on a little color at the edges. This longer first step gives the finished sauce sweetness and body before any tomato goes in.
2. Add the garlic and sambal tumis and cook for 30 to 45 seconds, stirring constantly, until the oil turns orange-red and the mixture smells deeper and slightly sweeter. Stir in the sugar and crushed tomatoes and season with a pinch of salt.
3. Simmer the sauce over medium to medium-low heat for 8 to 10 minutes, stirring now and then, until it thickens enough that a spoon dragged across the pan leaves a brief trail. If it still looks loose and watery, keep cooking; the eggs need a thickened sauce so they can sit on top rather than sink.
4. Make wells in the sauce and crack in the eggs. Cover the pan and cook gently for 4 to 6 minutes, depending on how runny you like the yolks, until the whites are set but still tender.
5. Finish with cilantro and scallions and serve straight from the skillet with toast or flatbread and lime. The yolks should mix back into the sambal-tomato base as you eat, making the sauce richer with every bite.

Why This Works

Sambal tumis brings cooked chili depth and sweetness that fit naturally into a tomato-based egg skillet, while slow reduction of the sauce keeps the final texture lush rather than watery.