Authentic Vegetarian Ratashouka
A bowl of this authentic, vegetarian Ratashouka tastes amazing when its paired with a slice of toasted bread.
Authentic Vegetarian Ratashouka
Friends – I have had some TRIALS with this recipe. Being a huge fan of the Pixar film, Ratatouille, I have been sporadically trying to replicate that beautifully presented dish at the end of the film. I insisted on trying it at home with my parents one time. Though it was in an effort to break up the monotony of getting delicious, home-cooked Indian meals every night (just….hahaha I can’t even defend that one – make fun, as needed). One evening my husband and I tried our hand at making ShakShouka during an online cooking class via CocuSocial. It was a great experience and I highly recommend their virtual classes. We enjoyed the ShakShouka so much that I chose to combine it with the infamous French dish from Ratatouille.
We love adding color to our recipes, which makes this vegetarian Ratashouka a no-brainer.
Picking Veggies for your Authentic Vegetarian Ratashouka
Do you know what my biggest problem is with this dish? How on earth do people get zucchinis and eggplants of the same size so the cut-up circles all come out the EXACT SAME SIZE? I don’t know. I also realized that mercilessly judging vegetables and wasting some at the expense of pretty sizing was not worth it. Let alone needing to buy a mandolin to get those uber-thin slices. The rest was just more than my lazy heart was willing to deal with. I cannot see pulling that whole Ratatouille recipe off after work on a weeknight and sitting down to eat at a decent time.
Because of my persistence, I insisted on making it one MORE time very recently. I successfully took way too much time and, in an effort to take some good photos of my completed meal, severely burned my hand. Whomp whomp.
Throw all of the ingredients into a giant dish to make a delicious vegetarian Ratashouka for a large family or to meal prep for the week.
An Ideal Meatless Monday Recipe
As luck would have it, my fiancé and I had recently taken the virtual cooking class I mentioned earlier. If you don’t know what Shakshouka is, it’s a delightful, middle eastern, brunch dish that puts together a stew of vegetables and poached eggs. Thinking of combining the two, I came up with a recipe that I lovingly referred to as, “Authentic Vegetarian Ratashouka.” A FAR easier dish to prepare (in comparison to what you see in the Pixar movie), that is a little heartier with the eggs and is a great addition to any #meatlessmonday.
This dish is really just a merging of the two recipes combined with a great tomato-based sauce. It’s warming and definitely a comfort food item that we luckily put together on an unusually not-crazy-hot, rainy night. Also also! It happens to go SUPER well with a great, crusty, rosemary bread for dipping. But…I mean I’m not telling you what to do or anything.
*whispers* Get the bread.
If you make this recipe, I’d love to see pictures of your creations on Pinterest, Instagram, Facebook, and TikTok! Hashtag them #thehappyhaandi. And tag me @thehappyhaandi.
Ratashouka (Ratatouille & Shakshuka)
Equipment
- 1 Pot
Ingredients
- 1 Eggplant (medium)
- 1 Zucchini
- 1 Yellow Squash
- 28 oz Canned Whole Tomatoes
- 5-6 Eggs
- 1 Yellow Pepper
- 1 Purple Onion
- 3-4 Garlic Cloves
- 1/4 tsp Oregano (dried)
- 2 tbsp Za'atar seasoning
- 2 sprigs Fresh Rosemary
- 2 tbsp Olive Oil
- Salt, to taste
Instructions
For the Ratashouka:
- Cube up the vegetables into small-ish, equal pieces - the important thing here is that they’re relatively the same size so they cook down well. Dice the onion and tomatoes and reserve for later. *Boil the eggs*
- Grab a wide pan with tall sides, we’re looking for a pan that will be large enough for all the cooked-down vegetables plus the eggs. Go ahead and pour some olive oil into the pan, and when it gets hot add the onions.
- Once the onions become translucent, add the pepper and fry until both become brown. Next add each different vegetable to the pot - zucchini, yellow squash then eggplant allowing them to brown a bit before adding the next.
- Once everyone is in the pan, cook them down by adding a 1/4 cup of water, place a lid on top, and allow them to become soft. About 5 minutes.
- Next, go ahead and add the large can of tomatoes along with the diced tomato. I find the diced tomato adds a little character to the stew.
- Add each of the seasonings except the za’atar and add salt to taste (always go under, you can add more after a taste).
- Allow the whole thing to come to a simmer, pop the lid on and continue to cook at medium heat for about 10 minutes. Give it a stir once in a while - we’re looking to see it thickening up and not be soupy.
- Next, add your de-shelled boiled eggs. I like to put a little slit in the top with a knife - something that I feel helps them become incorporated into the sauce.
- Let simmer further, with the lid off, for about 3-5 minutes and add the za’atar, if desired.
- Finally, let it cool off while you toast up some bread and get in there!
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