Matbucha: Moroccan Tomato and Pepper Dip
This is a delightfully easy to make traditional Moroccan dish that is so popular in Israel that it can be found right next to the hummus on grocery store shelves. The heat in this recipe can be tailored the to your preference by tweaking the ingredients. Use bell peppers and sweet paprika for a milder flavour, dial up the heat to medium with hot paprika, or go all out on the spiciness by using a hotter chilli like jalapeño, serrano, or more of my favourite, the bird’s eye chilli along with hot or smoked paprika.
Ingredients
6 medium tomatoes, ripe, cored and chopped into 1-inch pieces
25 cloves garlic, peeled and finely chopped
1/2 cup olive oil
3 small green jalapeño peppers, seeded and diced, (or 2 medium green bell peppers, chopped if you’re a timid spicy person)
3-5 bird’s eye chillies (these are very hot, use cayenne if you want less heat)
2 tablespoons paprika, I like to use smoked
2 tablespoons Greek basil
3-5 whole star anise
Sea salt, al gusto (approximately 1 1/2 teaspoons)
Freshly ground black pepper, al gusto (approximately 1/2 to 1 teaspoon)
Juice of one lemon
Directions
Heat the olive oil in a large pot over medium heat. Stir in the garlic, tomatoes, the chilli peppers.
Season with paprika, black pepper, and sea salt.
Cook, stirring occasionally for 20 minutes until the vegetables are tender. Reduce heat to low, stir in the basil, cover, and cook until the liquid evaporates and the sauce thickens, about 2 hours more.
Mash the garlic with the back of a wooden spoon as the garlics become soft while stirring the mixture.
Stir in the lemon juice. Serve warm with pita bread or some other Arabic flatbread or crusty bread.
Optional: refrigerate overnight before serving.
