Spicy Tomato Mezze (Matbucha)

I can’t write a post about matbucha, Moroccan cooked tomato, garlic and pepper salad, without writing about Yeruham. The cooked salad and my hometown in the Negev, the desert of Israel, go together. The aroma of tomatoes simmered with garlic and charred peppers is the aroma of the town. Every building and house you walk into on Friday noon smell of matbucha.

Just a little background: I was born and raised in Yeruham. I left it when I was thirteen years old. My maternal grandparents settled there 60 years ago when they made aliyah from Morocco. They didn’t choose to settle in the Negev, the young government of Israel placed them there – it’s long, complicated story.

Throughout my youth and early adulthood, I resented my sleepy hometown for the usual reasons most people dislike small towns: for being small and in the middle of nowhere. However, when my children were small, and as I grew older, wiser, and well-traveled, I began to understand what people see in this place.

I completely gave up my judgments and learned to appreciate the desert when my sister, Inbar, died. No place in the world could have comforted me the way this place did while I was grieving and aching. The silence of the desert muted my dark thoughts, the sunny bright days showed me the light, and the kindness and warmth of the locals warmed my heart. It was the only place I felt safe and at peace with the hell that I was going through.

My hometown is like Salada Matbucha. It’s not pretty, it has no fancy name, no sophistication – but it’s got soul and the ability to comfort when life smacks you in the face, hard.

Matbucha is just one of many cooked salads that Moroccan Jews make for Shabbat and holiday meals. If I had to choose one Moroccan dish to represent Jewish Moroccan culture, this would definitely be it. It’s more like a tomato and pepper jam than a salad, but that’s what Moroccan Jews call it.

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Yeruham in the winter
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“Home Bread” is a traditional bread eaten by Moroccan Jews with matbucha, and which they would NEVER pass up on making for Shabat.
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This is my mother’s kitchen. I don’t know how she keeps her kitchen spotless when she cooks. I admire her for that.
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A couple of notes:

The key to a good matbucha is ripe tomatoes and time. It’s easy to make though it needs attention and minimum 2 hours. Just so you know before you start.

I made a few slight changes to the traditional recipe:

  1. When one pound of tomatoes costs more than five pairs of socks at Old Navy, I use canned plum tomatoes – something my mom, God forbid, would never do.
  2. I use olive oil instead of canola oil. My mom doesn’t approve, but olive oil is healthier.
  3. When I don’t have time to char the peppers on the stove, I cook them directly in the pot. The matbucha comes out less smoky but still delicious.

How to char the peppers:

If you have electric burners, char the peppers directly on the burner. If you have gas flames, put a grilling rack over the stove burner on high heat and place the peppers on it. Occasionally turn them over (use tongs) when their skin is blackened. Let the peppers cool before peeling their skin. It’s easier to peel them with wet fingers, so have a small bowl with water nearby and dip your fingers every now and then. DON’T wash the peppers!

Spicy Tomato Mezze (Matbucha)

Matbucha is a traditional Jewish Moroccan cooked tomato mezze. It's almost like a tomato jam but savory and spicy. It's my favorite Moroccan dish.
Prep Time10 minutes
Cook Time2 hours
Total Time2 hours 10 minutes
Course: Appetizer, Dinner, Mezze, Salad, Side Dish
Cuisine: Healthy, Moroccan
Servings: 4
Author: Shelly

Ingredients

  • 2 pounds ripe plum tomatoes or 2 cans of whole peeled plum tomatoes
  • 8 – 10 medium garlic cloves, peeled
  • 2 – 3 hot green peppers (not bell peppers)
  • Salt
  • ½ cup olive oil or avocado oil
  • 1 tablespoon sweet paprika
  • ½ teaspoon turmeric
  • ½ teaspoon sugar

Instructions

  • Peel the tomatoes (soak them in boiled water or with a sharp knife or tomato peeler) and quarter them. Put them and the garlic in a large heavy bottom saucepan over medium heat. Cut the peppers into strips and add them to the pot. Sprinkle salt and stir.
  • Lower the heat and simmer, uncovered, for about 1 hour – stirring occasionally to prevent the tomatoes from scorching.
  • Put the oil, paprika, turmeric and sugar into a jar and mix.
  • When most of the liquids in the pan have evaporated, add the oil-spice mixture and stir. Continue to simmer, but now, instead of stirring, use a potato masher or a big fork to mash the tomatoes occasionally. cook for 1 hour or until all of the liquid has evaporated completely and the texture of the matbucha resembles an oily jam.

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6 Comments

  1. אני עוקבת אחרי הבלוג המקסים הזה כבר יותר משנה ונהנת מאוד מהמתכונים ומהסיפורים, אבל הפוסט הזה ריגש אותי במיוחד. הוא מלא בתובנות מרתקות ונוגע ללב.
    תודה רבה על השיתוף, על הכנות ועל השמחה במטבח!
    ענת

    • תודה!!! התגובה שלך ריגשה אותי מאד. תמיד כיף לשמוע חיזוקים. בבקשה תמשיכי לעקוב!

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