Kima with Eggs (Kimë me Vezë)

Kima with eggs (Kim me Veze) is a traditional Albanian breakfast stew served warm over a bowl of pasta or rice. Think of this as Shakshouka with minced meat but a runnier stew.

This recipe is part of my Globe Cooking Mad project, and I am sharing an Albanian breakfast recipe.

Jump to:

• 📝Albanian Cuisine
• 🍳What is Kime me Veze?
• 🛒Ingredients
• 🔪How to make it?
• 💡Serving Suggestions
• ☝️Recipe FAQS
• Albania on the world map
• More recipes using ground beef
• 📖 Recipe Card
• 💬 Comments

📝Albanian Cuisine

Albania, officially the Republic of Albania, is a small but fascinating country in Southeastern Europe. Its food is often grouped under the Mediterranean diet, with influences that echo both North African and Levantine flavours. To really appreciate Albanian cuisine, you have to peek into its layered history.

Over the centuries, Albania was ruled or influenced by Greece, Serbia, Italy, and the Ottoman Turks. Each left behind traces in the kitchen, which is why you'll find familiar favourites like baklava, revani, spinach pies, and rice pudding on Albanian tables. Many desserts, in particular, share similarities with those from neighbouring regions.

The national dish, Tavë Kosi, is a comforting casserole of lamb, rice, and yoghurt. As much as I wanted to try this, sourcing all the ingredients proved tricky. Instead, I went with another classic: Kima me vezë (kima with eggs).

🍳What is Kime me Veze?

Kimë me Vezë literally translates to "meat with eggs." It's a rustic Albanian dish where ground or minced meat is gently simmered in olive oil with onions, garlic, and tomatoes, then seasoned with paprika and black pepper for warmth. Toward the end, eggs are cracked right into the stew and cooked under a lid until set-almost like a Balkan cousin of shakshuka.

This hearty one-pan meal is versatile enough to serve with bread, pasta, or even rice. I paired it with shell-shaped pasta and served it separately for breakfast. Simple, tasty, and very filling!

🛒Ingredients

🔪How to make it?

Albanian kima with eggs comes together in just one pot, so cleanup is a breeze. Start with a thick-bottomed, deep saucepot that can handle a good simmer.

• You start with some quality olive oil in which you saute the finely chopped onion until translucent.
• Next, add some minced garlic and sauté for a minute until it starts to brown and release its aroma.
• Add the ground beef and brown the meat on high heat. Do not add water at this stage.
• Once the meat is browned and no longer releasing liquid, add chopped tomatoes, diced carrots, salt & pepper, paprika, and about a cup of hot water-just enough to barely cover everything.
• Midway through cooking, toss in the chopped red pepper, stir, and cover again to let the stew simmer.
• When the sauce has reached the desired consistency, add the eggs one by one into the stew (you may want to break the egg into a bowl first to avoid any shell falling into the stew or even to ensure the egg is not spoiled).
• Cover and let it simmer until the eggs are done. Serve with boiled pasta, bread or rice.

💡Serving Suggestions

This hearty one-pan meal is versatile enough to serve with bread, pasta, or even rice. I paired it with shell-shaped pasta and served it separately for breakfast. Simple, tasty, and very filling!

It reminded me of Saudi Mutabbaq-another dish where meat and eggs come together, but tucked into thin, crisp layers of pastry instead of a stew. Both are humble, everyday meals that make the most of simple ingredients.

And because no traditional spread is complete without something sweet, you could follow up with Algerian Bradj; chewy semolina cookies with a date filling that pairs beautifully with tea or coffee. For a bigger feast, round it out with rice like Afghan Kabuli Palaw, another dish with a rich history and deep flavours.

☝️Recipe FAQS

Albania on the world map

More recipes using ground beef

📖 Recipe Card

Recipe adapted from Albanian Cuisine. The next country on my list is Algeria!