This salad takes me back to my grandmother’s, Mama Solica’s Kitchen.
Matbucha, the star of the Moroccan salads, was placed in small bowls around her table.
Just thinking about making Matbucha often scares people. Know that once you make the salad for the first time, it will be with you forever.
Matbucha can last for 2 weeks in the refrigerator. You can always freeze it, put it in lasagna or have it as a base for Shakshuka, but in my opinion it is best as is, with a piece of Challa.
WHAT YOU NEED
- 7 ripened tomatoes (medium to large)
- 7 fresh garlic cloves
- ½ tsp red chili flakes
- 1½ tsp paprika
- 2 tsp sugar
- ⅓ tsp cayenne pepper
- ½ cup olive oil
- ¾ tbsp salt
- 2 jalapenos
- 1 red or green pepper
HOW TO MAKE
- Preheat the oven to 450F/220C (for roasting the peppers)
- In a pot, add all the tomatoes and cover them with water.
- Boil for 10 minutes, uncovered.
- Remove from the heat, pour the water out, cover the pot, and let cool for about 20 min. You will see the skin is cracked and more liquid in the pot - leave it in.
- Peel the tomatoes. Cut out the green center part of the tomato.
- On medium-high heat, cook the tomatoes for 15 mins while mashing them with a masher.
- Add the chili, paprika, cayenne pepper, sugar and salt. Keep cooking.
- On a cutting board, smash each garlic with the side of a wide knife and add to the pot with ¼ cup of olive oil.
- Place the jalapenos and red pepper on a baking pan without parchment paper (parchment paper can burn in high heat).
- Roast the pepper in the oven for 30 minutes then check if the side facing up is charred. If it is, flip the peppers to char the other side. The jalapenos will roast faster so remove them from the oven with tongs after 20 mins total.
- Wrap all the peppers with parchment paper for at least 10 minutes. This will help you to peel the skin.
- Peel the peppers, chop and add them with ¼ cup of olive oil to the pot.
- Continue cooking on medium-low heat uncovered for 45 mins and stir occasionally. I like cooking it on high heat for the last 3 mins to give it a dry texture and a stronger sweet flavor.
- Turn on your gas burners on high heat and place the peppers on top of the open flame. Flip the pepper with tongs once one side is charred.
- Place the peppers on a cutting board, scrape the charred skin with a knife, remove the seeds and chop into small pieces. Add to the pot with tomatoes with ¼ cup of olive oil.
- Continue cooking for 45 minutes. Stir occasionally.
- Add salt to taste and transfer to a serving bowl.
