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Sunny-Side-Up Eggs with Zhug, Chickpeas and Yoghurt
Fancy spicy eggs for dinner?
Jonathan Louis Ng
February 04, 2025
It’s 30 minutes to dinner time. You’re craving for something nutritious, filling and tasty. Unfortunately, you’ve neglected to buy groceries recently and your fridge is mostly bare of fresh produce. You rummage around and find:
a half-eaten tub of Greek yoghurt,
a few chillies,
a bunch of coriander,
and some eggs.
What do you do?
a) Panic.
b) Calculate how long it takes to go to the grocery store and back.
c) Consider ordering food delivery.
d) Check your pantry for inspiration.
If you’re anything like me, you picked e) All of the above.
I’ve learned from experience that having a stocked pantry gives you plenty of flexibility and makes it easy to adapt to these kinds of situations. I took out a can of chickpeas (I always have them because they’re so versatile) and was immediately inspired to make something with a Middle Eastern flavour profile.
Have you heard of zhug (zhoug, schug)? It’s a chunky, herby, Yemenite hot sauce that’s made like a pesto and reminiscent of a chimichurri, containing chillies, coriander, garlic and spices, and goes over anything.
Start by toasting coriander seeds, cumin seeds and black peppercorn. Once they’re fragrant, transfer them to a mortar and pestle and grind to a powder. Add in salt, garlic and chilli and pound them to a paste. Add chopped coriander a bit at a time and pound well. Mix through olive oil and lemon juice and you have a condiment that goes well with chickpeas, eggs, or anything really. Make extra and it’ll keep for a few weeks.
On a plate, spoon a few dollops of yoghurt. The yoghurt adds creaminess, tanginess and brightness to the dish, and helps “cool” some of the heat from the zhug.
It’s time for the chickpeas, which add a lot of protein and body to the dish. Drain chickpeas from a can, then toss with some smoked paprika and salt for colour and flavour. Heat olive oil in a pan and toss in the chickpeas, cooking for a few minutes. Spoon out the chickpeas over the yoghurt, leaving space for the eggs.
In the same pan, fry two eggs per person over medium-high heat so that the edges are crispy but the yolk is still runny, then place onto the plate. Season with a pinch of salt and black pepper, then liberally spoon zhug all over and serve.
Use a fork or spoon and try to get a bit of everything into every bite. Mix the yoghurt, egg yolk and zhug to get a spicy, creamy sauce to coat the chickpeas with. If you have some bread lying around, you wouldn’t be remiss in using it to scoop up any remaining sauce on the plate.
The Recipe
Beginner · Active 20 mins · Total 20 mins · Serves 2
This dish uses ingredients you might find in your fridge and pantry and combines them into a meal that comes together in under half an hour and is packed with the bold flavours of the Middle East. It brings together crispy-edged sunny-side-up eggs, smoky chickpeas, cooling yogurt, and zhug—a fiery, herby Yemenite sauce that transforms everything it touches. The contrast of heat, tang, and creaminess makes each bite unforgettable. Bonus: zhug keeps well, so make extra and drizzle it over anything from roasted veggies to grilled meats. Don’t forget some bread to scoop up every last bit of goodness.
Thanks for reading! If you liked this post, please share it with someone else who also loves to cook. And if you prepare any of our featured recipes, drop us an email or DM and send us images. Alright, I’ll see you all next week.
Jonathan
Looking for more inspiration? Check out the recipe archive.
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