Sataraš-Bećarac/Pepper, Tomato, & Egg Skillet

First off, let’s get something out of the way. In the Balkans, there are many many names for the same dish. What’s Sataraš to me may be Bećarac for you. Technically speaking, Sataraš is a vegetable skillet stew made with yellow onion, bell pepper, and fresh tomatoes. Bećarac is the same dish but with eggs. On the other hand, my family has always called this dish, by definition Bećarac, Sataraš and that’s how I call it today. All this to say what is Sataraš to me, may be Bećarac to you. Phew, now that we have that out of the way, let’s move on to the recipe.

This dish is my comfort food of all comfort foods. During the summer months, when there plenty of fresh, delicious vegetables available, we would eat Sataraš. And always with a side of feta cheese or homemade white, firm, cow’s milk cheese if we happen to be back home during our summer break. My favorite part of eating this delicious dish is dipping the bread in what essentially comes a tomato sauce and eating it that way. I love plenty of eggs in my Sataraš and we always make it with eggs.

While this recipe isn’t really so much a recipe since the ingredients are really really simple and require all of 3 steps, the technique is more important I think. When preparing this dish, I determine how much I am preparing and then decide if I need to add water to my skillet or not. If using a lot of vegetables for a larger serving, the water is probably not necessary. But if making a small serving, say for 1 or 2 people, you may want to add some water so there’s plenty of sauce. As I mentioned above, this is my favorite part of this dish so I always add just a little bit of water when making this dish. On the other hand, if making a large serving, the water may not be necessary because the vegetables themselves release plenty of liquid when cooking, so plenty of vegetables = plenty of liquid.

We tend to eat this for breakfast or lunch as a main dish but this can be enjoyed any time of day and makes a perfect side dish to a meat entrée. Don’t forget the cheese, feta cheese is my absolute favorite addition to this dish and pretty much is a non-negotiable for me. In fact, if I don’t have cheese to go with this, I won’t make it.

I hope this summer you give this recipe a try with all of the delicious tomatoes and peppers that are at their peak.

Looking for more meal ideas? Check out the entrée section!

Sataraš-Bećarac/Pepper, Tomato, & Egg Skillet

Recipe by The Balkan HostessCuisine: Balkan, European

Servings

4

servings

Prep time

5

minutes

Cooking time

20

minutes

A summer staple across the Balkans.

Ingredients

• 2-3 medium tomatoes, chopped

• 1 large yellow onion, chopped

• 3-4 medium bell peppers, chopped

• 2-3 eggs

• 1 cup (200 ml) water

• Oil

• Salt & Black Pepper (biber)

• Feta cheese, optional

Directions

• In a large skillet add oil (about 2 tablespoons), the chopped vegetables, and water. Season with salt and black pepper and turn the heat to medium-high.
• Once the vegetables begin to cook, cover the skillet with a lid and turn down the heat to medium-low. Let the vegetables cook down and release their juices, stirring every few minutes. Continue cooking and stirring until the peppers and onions are fork-tender. Always ensure there is adequate liquid in the skillet (spoonable amounts) and add more little by little if you need to while the vegetables cook down.
• Once the vegetables are all tender and cooked, add in the eggs and stir to incorporate everything together. Cook for another 2 minutes, stirring.
• Turn off the heat after 2 minutes and taste. Adjust for seasoning and serve hot with a side of feta cheese and bread.

Notes

• Store leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 2 days.
• This makes a wonderful side dish!

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