North Africa · Street food
Kafteji (Fried Summer Vegetable Hash with Runny Eggs)
A rustic, hand-cleaved melody of fried summer vegetables, fiery peppers, and runny eggs bound with caraway and olive oil.
The story
Born in the bustling street stalls of Tunis and popular throughout the Cap Bon peninsula, Kafteji is the quintessential midday working-class street food. It is enjoyed alongside crusty baguettes, often paired with grilled merguez or fried calf liver in casual neighborhood canteens. The essential technical element is the taktika, wherein freshly fried whole vegetables and soft-yolked eggs are chopped in a wide bowl using two curved cleavers, emulsifying the juices without mashing the vegetables into purée.
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