Matbucha is a cooked tomato salad, originally from Morocco and very popular in the Jewsih Moroccan kitchen. The word Matbucha (mat-bu-hah) means “cooked salad” in Arabic. It’s a mix of tomatoes, roasted bell peppers, garlic and chili peppers. This is cooked together for a long time to magically transform into a sweet and spicy tomato salsa-like spread which tastes amazing with fresh Challah or warm Pita. I love the simplicity of the ingredients and the incredible taste that develops while cooking.
Make it at home and get ready to collect the compliments
The process is so simple, you roast some bell peppers, grate the tomatoes and chop the garlic and chillie peppers very small (I just do all that with a few pulses in the food processor). Heat up 1/4 cup of good olive oil and when it’s hot, carefully pour in the tomato mix.
Let it cook for about 30-40 minutes while stirring every few minutes, until most fluids are evaporated and it gets a nice red color
Add in spices, roasted peppers and stir it all in there
Let it cook on medium heat for at least one hour until it thickens and gets a strong red color
The longer you cook it, the better. It’s ready when all the fluids are gone and you get a very thick spread like consistency
That’s it, keep it in room temperature and serve as a wonderful side dish rich in North African flavors.
Try it with my Challah bread, it’s really the best combination of soft sweet bread with sweet and spicy Matbucha.
- 11 Tomatoes
- 2 Red hot chillie peppers
- 2 Red bell peppers
- 8 Garlic cloves
- ¼ Cup oilve oil
- 3 Tbsp Tomato paste (200g)
- 2 Tbsp Paprika
- ½ Tsp Spicey Paprika
- 1 Tsp Sugar
- 1 Tsp Salt
- Preheat oven to 180 degrees and line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
- Cut the peppers length wise in the middle and remove seeds and stem
- Place the peppers, cut side down on the baking sheet and place in the oven for 30 minutes, or until the top is completely wrinkly with black spots and peppers are soft
- Remove from the oven and place inside a plastic bag or bowl covered with lid for 30 minutes (or more, if you like)
- Remove the peppers, one by one and peel the skin gently with your fingers. Cut them in cubes and set aside.
- Cut the chilli peppers and garlic into finely chopped pieces (or process in food processor)
- Grate the tomatoes and mix together with the garlic and chilli peppers (or just add the tomatoes to the processor and pulse together with the rest)
- In a wide skillet, heat ¼ cup of olive oil and when hot, gently add the tomatoes, garlic and chili mix
- Cook for at least 30 minutes, until almost all fluids are evaporated, occasionally stirring
- Add tomato paste, paprika, spicy paprika, sugar, salt and cubed roasted bell pepper, mix well
- Simmer on medium-low heat for as long as you can, at least 1 hour until it becomes a thick paste, but can also go for 2-3 hours if it's on low heat. Stir frequently.
- Serve in room temperature and keep in an airtight container or glass jar in the refrigerator
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