As part of IsraPalooza, celebrity chef Nir Mesika ran a cooking class with the below recipe.

Ingredients:

1 medium size eggplant

1 red bell pepper

4 medium size vine ripe tomatoes

3 tbsp extra virgin olive oil

2 tbsp canola oil

1 jalapeño pepper, sliced

1 small white onion, small dice

3 garlic cloves, peeled and sliced

2 tbsp smoked paprika

1 tbsp cumin

6 organic eggs

½ teaspoon sugar

salt and pepper

sumac powder

cilantro

For the charred vegetables:

Make a few holes in the eggplant with a sharp knife, then burn the skin on an open flame on high heat about 10 minutes each side or until the skin is charred and the inside is soft. Put aside to cool down. Char the red bell pepper the same way, burning it both side and let cool. Peel the eggplant and scoop out the flesh, reserve for the sauce. Remove the seeds from red pepper, slice and reserve.

For the tomato sauce:

Bring a small pot of salted water (about 1 tablespoon) to a boil. Mark an X on the tomato skins and blanch them for 1 minute, until you see that you can take the skin off. Place in ice water to cool and then peel. Small dice the tomatoes and set aside.

In a large pan, heat olive oil and canola oil. Add the garlic cloves and sauté until they get a nice brown color. Add the jalapeño pepper and then the white onion. When the onions are well caramelized, add the eggplant and red pepper, mix together and then add tomatoes. Bring to a boil and cook about 5 minutes, stirring occasionally and making sure it does not burn, until the tomatoes break down. Reduce the heat, cover and cook the stew on low for 40-45 minutes until you achieve the consistency of a tomato sauce for pasta. Then add the smoked paprika, cumin, salt, pepper and sugar. Mix well and then add the eggs one by one next to each other, cover the pan and cook for 8 more minutes to get a perfectly runny egg yolk. If you prefer your eggs cooked well, cook for 4 more minutes.

To serve:

Season the shakshuka with sumac, a few leaves of fresh cilantro, and drizzled olive oil. Serve with warm challah bread for dipping.