Kefteji, a Tunisian national dish, can be found on nearly every greasy spoon in Tunisia. Of Turkish origin, it is commonly served in souks and street-side restaurants.

The delicious, but simple, meal consists of potatoes, green peppers, and pumpkins that are fried separately and topped with eggs. The mixture is chopped-up with a large knife, seasoned with tomato sauce, and, finally, served with parsley and onion - decorated in a dish with fried eggs and pieces of liver. Kefteji can be eaten in a baguette or by itself in a dish. In outdoor restaurants and fast-food eateries, it is more commonly eaten as a sandwich.

The mode of preparation for Kefteji is the same everywhere, but the meat and vegetable content may vary. While some prefer their Kefteji with onions, others who do not. Kefteji can be served with liver, fish, or sausages known as Merguez.

The Kefteji recipe:

Ingredients (for 4 people):

3 large potatoes

4 sweet green peppers

1 small onion diced into small pieces

1 tablespoon tomato paste

500g pumpkin, peeled and seeds removed

4 eggs

1 tomato

2 cloves garlic, mashed

½ teaspoon salt and black pepper

2 table spoons extra virgin olive oil

Plenty vegetable oil for frying

1 tablespoon Ras el-Hanout (a blend of Middle Eastern spices)

50 gr parsley for decorating the dish

1 teaspoon of harissa (or more if you are feeling adventurous!)

Directions:

To start, you must peel the potatoes and the pumpkin (or squash, depending on your taste), and then cut them into slices or sticks. Fry the potatoes, turning them over often so that they do not turn golden-brown. The squash will cook very quickly, so cook it after the potatoes. Peel a small zucchini, remove its stalks, cut it into slices or 5 cm cubes, and fry in the same pan that you used for the potatoes for about 10-15 minutes until it is soft and slightly browned. Once the potatoes are fried, place them in a colander to remove the excess oil. Remove the stalks from the peppers. Then, in the same frying oil, fry the peppers. Put the vegetables aside in a bowl, and fry the eggs. Cut them up and mix with the vegetables.

Meanwhile, prepare the tomato sauce by mixing the other ingredients mentioned above (tomato paste, tomatoes, salt and pepper, garlic, onions, Ras el-Hanout spice, and harissa), and let them cook on low heat for about 15 minutes. It should not be too runny, but add a small glass of water if necessary.

In a large bowl, combine lemon juice, parsley, salt, peppers, eggs, and onions. Cut the fried potatoes as well as the squash into small pieces. Mix all the vegetables in the bowl with the lemon juice and parsley, and add the tomato sauce. Mix and flavor with salt.

Fry more eggs and use them to decorate the dish with a sprinkle of finely chopped parsley.