Matbucha is a Moroccan dish made with tomatoes, peppers, chiles, salt, black pepper, and onion. It can be served hot or cold and is popular in Morocco, the Middle East, and Israel. The dish is often served with bread, rice, or potatoes and can be used as a dip or mixed with tahini.
Matbucha is a Moroccan dish that some consider a type of hot sauce and others a relish or side dish; still others eat it as a salad. The dish is popular in Morocco, some areas of the Middle East and Israel, in particular. There are some minor variations, but the main ingredients of matbucha are tomatoes, peppers, chiles, salt, black pepper and, usually, onion. The sauce can be served hot or cold and is usually accompanied by bread, rice or potatoes. The primary flavor is slightly sweet from the tomatoes, with lots of spicy heat from the chiles.
Tomatoes are the basis for matbucha. These can be chopped tomatoes from cans, whole tomatoes from cans that have been cut into smaller pieces, or fresh tomatoes. In the case of fresh tomatoes, most recipes call for them to be peeled before being added to the mix. The easiest way to achieve this is to blanch the tomatoes just enough to loosen the skin, then shock them in ice water. The skins will be easy to remove after standing in cold water for one minute.
The next ingredient is bell pepper. Almost every recipe calls for the peppers to be roasted before being added to the matbucha. This can easily be accomplished with a grill or under a grill. It can also be done on an open top-range burner. The idea is to expose the peppers to heat until the skin turns black, after which they can be placed in a steamer-covered bag or bowl until the charred skin can be easily removed.
The other ingredients are added without preparation. The amount of chillies added depends on the tastes of the cook. There are incredibly hot versions of matbucha, as well as versions that are sweeter than anything else. All ingredients are added to a pot and cooked until the flavors combine and the texture is smooth and homogeneous.
Matbucha is often served with bread, and in Israel, Challah bread is a favorite. Some challahs are made with raisins within the dough, providing a sweet counterpoint to the heat of the sauce. Matbucha can also be served with rice or poured over potatoes. When served chilled, it can be a very spicy and versatile dip. There are also recipes where it is mixed with tahini or placed in a grilled cheese sandwich with feta.
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