Sweet, jammy burst tomatoes make every dish pop, including my version of çılbır, or Turkish yogurt eggs. A lifelong fan of dinner for breakfast (as a kid, I ordered spaghetti at 8 a.m. on a family vacation and would set my alarm to beat my sister to leftover Chinese food), this is my kind of savory Sunday brunch. Bread is optional but oh-so tasty dragged through the tangy tahini yogurt with a little bit of everything piled on top. Oh, and don’t fret about the heaping spoonful of Aleppo chili; it’s fruity and mild, more flavor than fire, mellowed even further by the cold, creamy yogurt.
Recipe excerpt from Open Sesame. Reprinted with permission by Sasquatch Books. Photos by Charity Burggraa.
Ingredients
Servings 2
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 8 ounces cherry tomatoes such as Sungold
- 1/2 teaspoon salt plus more for seasoning
- 1/2 cup plain full-fat Greek yogurt
- 3 tablespoons tahini
- 1 medium or large garlic clove grated
- 2 tablespoons freshly squeezed lemon juice
- 1 1/4 teaspoon ground Aleppo chili
- 1 to 2 teaspoons toasted sesame oil
- 2 large eggs
- Everything Bagel Seasoning for sprinkling
- Freshly ground black pepper
- 6 cucumber slices 1/2 inch thick
Crusty bread, warm flatbread, or toast, for serving (optional)
Nutritional Facts
Nutrition Facts
Aleppo-Spiced Tahini Yogurt
Amount per Serving
Calories
444
% Daily Value*
Fat
27
g
42
%
Saturated Fat
5
g
31
%
Trans Fat
0.02
g
Polyunsaturated Fat
8
g
Monounsaturated Fat
12
g
Cholesterol
166
mg
55
%
Sodium
721
mg
31
%
Potassium
1752
mg
50
%
Carbohydrates
33
g
11
%
Fiber
9
g
38
%
Sugar
18
g
20
%
Protein
21
g
42
%
Vitamin A
1829
IU
37
%
Vitamin C
62
mg
75
%
Calcium
259
mg
26
%
Iron
5
mg
28
%
* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.
Instructions
- 1 Heat the olive oil over medium high in a pan with a lid, then add the tomatoes. Cover, turn the heat down to medium or medium low, and stir every few minutes, adding a small splash of water if they get too dry or sticky. When the tomatoes are very soft and slumped, 15 to 20 minutes, press them with a wooden spoon to release their juices. Season with a pinch of salt.
- 2 While the tomatoes cook, mix the yogurt, tahini, garlic, lemon juice, Aleppo chili, and 1/2 teaspoon salt in a small bowl.
- 3 Divide the yogurt mixture between two plates, spreading a wide, thick bed, and top each with half the tomatoes and their juices.
- 4 Wipe out the pan you cooked the tomatoes in. Heat the pan over medium, add the sesame oil, and fry the eggs until the edges are crispy and the centers are gooey, flipping once so the yolk is enclosed.
- 5 Slide an egg on top of each yogurt bed and sprinkle the finished dish with everything bagel seasoning and a few cranks of pepper. If your bagel seasoning is salt-free, season the eggs with a pinch of salt. Pierce the yolks and let them mingle with the tahini yogurt.
- 6 Serve with chunky cucumber slices and hunks of crusty bread for dipping.
