Shakshuka (Anda Masala)
Ingredients
- 4 eggs
- 2 medium onions, finely chopped
- 4 medium tomatoes, finely chopped or 1 can crushed tomatoes
- 1 green chilli, slit
- 1 tsp ginger-garlic paste
- 1 tsp cumin seeds
- ½ tsp turmeric
- 1 tsp coriander powder
- ½ tsp red chilli powder
- ¼ tsp garam masala
- 1 tbsp oil
- Salt to taste
- Fresh coriander and cream (optional) to finish
- Toast or roti to serve
Steps
- 1
Make the masala base
In an oven-safe skillet or pan, heat oil on a stovetop (induction). Add cumin seeds, onion, and green chilli. Cook until onion is golden, 8 minutes. Add ginger-garlic paste, cook 2 minutes. Add tomatoes and all spices. Cook until the gravy thickens and oil separates, about 10 minutes. Season with salt.
- 2
Make wells for the eggs
Use the back of a spoon to create 4 wells in the tomato masala, spaced evenly.
- 3
Crack in the eggs
Crack one egg carefully into each well, keeping the yolks intact.
- 4
Bake
Transfer the skillet to a preheated oven at 180 °C. Bake for 10–12 minutes for set whites with runny yolks, or 14–15 minutes for fully set yolks.
- 5
Finish and serve
Sprinkle garam masala over the eggs. Add a drizzle of cream if desired. Scatter fresh coriander. Serve immediately from the skillet with thick toast or warm roti.
Tips for Best Results
💡 Bring masala to simmer before adding eggs
A hot, bubbling masala when you crack in the eggs helps the whites start setting from the bottom while the oven handles the top.
💡 Check at 10 minutes
Oven temperatures vary. Check at 10 minutes — the whites should be opaque with no clear liquid remaining, but the yolks should still jiggle when you nudge the pan.
💡 Use a cast iron skillet if you have one
Cast iron retains heat evenly and goes from stovetop to oven seamlessly. Any oven-safe pan works, but cast iron gives the best result.
About this recipe ↓About this recipe ↑
Eggs in the Oven: Better Than the Pan
Anda masala — eggs cooked in a spiced tomato-onion gravy — is a pan dish in most Indian kitchens. You cook the masala, crack eggs in, cover the pan, and hope the whites set before the yolks overcook. It is a race between two different cooking rates on a single heat source.
The oven solves this beautifully. The gentle, surrounding heat sets the egg whites slowly and evenly while leaving the yolks soft and runny. Meanwhile, the tomato gravy concentrates and deepens. It is the same dish, noticeably better.
This recipe takes inspiration from shakshuka (eggs poached in spiced tomato) but uses Indian spicing — cumin, coriander, and green chilli — making it feel right at home as a no-gas anda masala.
More details ↓More details ↑
Oven Eggs Are a Revelation
Once you try eggs baked in the oven, the pan version feels imprecise. Explore more oven recipes and the full no-gas cooking collection.
