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Ćimbur
Ćimbur: Bosnian eggs cooked in a bed of soft, sweet onion
Bosnian home cooks make ćimbur when there are eggs, onions and not much else, and it is a favourite weekend breakfast, or a quick sehur before dawn during Ramadan. Lots of sliced onion is cooked gently in butter until meltingly soft and sweet, then eggs are cracked into little hollows and covered until the whites set, so you scoop up runny yolk, silky onion and a dusting of paprika with warm bread or somun. A bowl of plain yogurt on the side is common. A common mistake is rushing the onions over a high heat, so they scorch on the edges while staying crunchy inside; patience over a medium-low flame is what makes the dish. Chef's tip: if the onions start to catch before they are soft, add a splash of water and keep going.
- Total time
- 20 min
- Difficulty
- easy
- Serves
- 2
Ingredients
- 1 oz butter
- 3 onionsabout 450 g, thinly sliced
- ½ tsp salt
- 4 eggs
- 1 pinch black pepper
- ½ tsp sweet paprika
- 5 ½ oz plain yogurt (optional)to serve
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Method
0/4 doneStep 2: Spread the onions evenly and make four hollows with a spoon. Crack 4 eggs into the hollows.
1 minStep 3: Cover and cook over a low heat for 3–5 minutes, until the whites are fully set and the yolks done the way you like them.
4 minStep 4: Season with 1 pinch black pepper, dust with ½ tsp sweet paprika and serve straight from the pan with 5 ½ oz plain yogurt.
1 min
Nutrition per serving
- Calories
- 330 kcal
- Protein
- 15 g
- Carbs
- 16 g
- Fat
- 23 g
- Fibre
- 3 g
Nutrition values are estimates.
KrazyBadal
Good to know
- How long does ćimbur take?
- About 20 minutes in total: 5 minutes to prepare and 15 minutes to cook.
- How many people does it serve?
- 2 as written. Change the servings above the ingredients and every amount scales to match.
- Is it vegetarian?
- Yes. It has no meat or fish.
- Is it gluten free?
- Yes, as written. Check the labels on stock, sauces and spice mixes, which sometimes contain gluten.
- What can I use instead of butter?
- The same weight of ghee or coconut oil (for frying and most baking).
- What can I use instead of onions?
- 2 shallots per onion.
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