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Shrimp ojja

Shrimp ojja is a Tunisian dish for 4 people, ready in 35 minutes and rated easy, at €4.20 per serving. It's a harissa spiced tomato sauce where shrimp cook first, then eggs poach right in the sauce. The key is letting the sauce thicken well before cracking in the eggs, so they poach instead of drowning.

Tonight we're heading to Tunis with a shrimp ojja, a red skillet of tomatoes, harissa, and eggs poached right in the sauce.

Shrimp ojja
Total time
35 min
Difficulty
Easy
Cost per person
€4.20
Calories per person
650 kcalcalculated by Kiloach, your weight coach
Season
Winter, Spring, Summer, Fall
The kids
They generally like it

Ojja is a tomato sauce with real character, thickened by slow cooking and lifted by harissa, cumin, and paprika. Softened bell peppers add sweetness that tames the heat, the shrimp cook just long enough to stay tender, and the eggs poached right in the sauce bring a creamy texture perfect for mopping up with bread.

It's the kind of dish that shakes up an ordinary weeknight without any extra effort. Kids can get their portion with scrambled eggs instead of poached, and everyone eats straight from the same skillet set in the middle of the table, which also makes it an easy, no fuss dish for having people over.

The ingredients

4 people

Fish counter

  • Shrimp, peeled 400 g

Fruits and vegetables

  • Red bell peppers 2
  • Garlic 4 cloves

Pantry

  • Crushed tomatoesoften in the pantry 400 g
  • Harissaoften in the pantry 1 tbsp
  • Cuminoften in the pantry 1 tsp
  • Paprikaoften in the pantry 1 tsp
  • Olive oiloften in the pantry 4 tbsp
  • Saltoften in the pantry 1 pinch

Dairy

  • Eggs 4

Bakery

  • Baguette 4 slices

Allergens Shellfish, Eggs, Gluten

The step by step recipe

  1. Slice the bell peppers into strips and soften them in the olive oil with the crushed garlic. 10 min

    Let them get a little color, they add sweetness to balance the harissa's heat.

  2. Add the tomatoes, harissa, cumin, and paprika, then simmer until you get a thick sauce. 10 min

    Taste before adding more harissa, brands vary a lot in strength.

  3. Slide the shrimp into the sauce and let them cook. 3 min

    They're done as soon as they turn pink, not a minute more.

  4. Make four small wells, crack an egg into each one, cover, and let them poach. 5 min

    Salt the white, not the yolk, or it will leave spots.

  5. Serve straight from the skillet with slices of bread for dipping.

    You can scramble the eggs instead if you want a more compact version for kids.

Our tips to get it right

  • Mince the garlic finely before cooking it, it should melt into the sauce rather than sit in chunks that can burn.
  • If the sauce still looks thin after ten minutes, keep it uncovered a bit longer to let it reduce before adding the shrimp.
  • Use a wide skillet rather than a deep pot, the eggs poach better spread out in a single layer.

The variations

  • Swap the shrimp for diced merguez sausage for a more traditional, spicier ojja.
  • For a vegetarian version, skip the shrimp and stir drained chickpeas into the sauce instead.
  • For kids, scramble the eggs into the sauce instead of poaching them whole, just like the final tip suggests.

What to serve it with

  • Fresh bread or baguette for dipping
  • Cucumber salad with mint
  • Mint tea

Storage

Ojja keeps for 2 days in the fridge in a sealed container, though the poached eggs lose their texture as they cool. Reheat gently in a skillet over low heat. Freezing isn't recommended since the shrimp and eggs are already cooked.

Questions about this dish

Can you use frozen shrimp instead of fresh?

Yes, just thaw them completely first and pat them dry so the sauce doesn't turn watery. The cooking time stays the same, about 3 minutes.

How do you tone down the heat if you don't want it too spicy?

Cut the harissa in half and add a bit more sweet paprika to balance it out. You can also serve some plain yogurt on the side to cool things down.

Can you make the sauce ahead of time?

Yes, the harissa tomato sauce can be made up to a day ahead and reheated before adding the shrimp and eggs. Just don't cook the eggs in advance, they need to poach right before serving.

What kind of bread works best for dipping?

A fresh baguette works fine, but a heartier country style bread holds up better against the thick sauce. You just want a crumb that soaks up the sauce without falling apart.

How long does it take to make a shrimp ojja?

Count 35 min in total, prep and cooking included. The recipe is rated “easy”.

How many calories are in a shrimp ojja?

About 650 kcal per serving, for a recipe meant for 4 people. Calories are calculated by Kiloach, your weight coach, the app that partners with Mon Chou.

How much does a shrimp ojja cost?

About €4.20 per serving, or €16.80 for 4 people, based on average supermarket prices.

What allergens does this recipe contain?

This recipe contains shellfish, eggs, gluten. Always check the labels of the products you buy.

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