Matbucha (Spicy Tomato and Pepper Dip)

This week I was in the mood to make matbucha — a North African spicy tomato and pepper dip that’s a staple in a lot of Moroccan homes like mine. It’s so flavorful. The tomatoes are jammy and caramelized and the peppers give it the perfect kick. The best time to make it is right now in the late summer when the tomatoes are at their peak.

This is the ultimate dip for a summer weekend. Enjoy it with challah at the dinner table or scoop it up with some chips poolside. You can also heat up the matbucha in a skillet and crack a few eggs over it to make a lovely shakshuka for Sunday brunch.

Enjoy,
Arielle

Serves 6

12-14 plum tomatoes
1 red bell pepper
1-2 long hot peppers or jalapeño peppers (depending on your spice preference)
3 garlic cloves, grated or crushed
2 tablespoons sweet paprika
Olive oil
Salt

Make the paprika oil: place 2 tablespoons of paprika into a bowl. Cover with 4 tablespoons of olive oil. Stir and set the paprika oil aside.

Prep the tomatoes: use a knife to score an “x” on the bottom of each tomato. Place the tomatoes in a large bowl and cover them with boiling water. Let the tomatoes soak in the water for about 5-10 minutes. Take a tomato and use the edge of a knife to peel its skin off. Repeat peeling the remaining tomatoes and discard the tomato skins.

Next, use your hands to squeeze as much of the juices out of each tomato. You can do this over a large bowl to reduce the mess. This will help the tomatoes cook down faster. Once the tomatoes are drained of their juices, finely chop them on a cutting board.

Cook the tomatoes: place a wide skillet over medium high heat and add the tomatoes (do not add olive oil yet). Stir the tomatoes and bring them to a simmer. Reduce the heat to medium low and continue cooking down the tomatoes over a simmer, stirring them occasionally until most of their juices have evaporated, about 45 minutes.

In the meanwhile, turn your oven on to the broil setting and place the oven rack on the top third of the oven. Place the bell pepper and long hot peppers onto a sheet pan and broil them in the oven. After 5 minutes, rotate the peppers and continue broiling. Repeat broiling and rotating the peppers until they are charred on all sides. The long hot peppers will be ready in about 7-9 minutes and the bell pepper takes about 10-15 minutes.

Once broiled, transfer the peppers out of the oven and immediately cover them in the sheet pan with plastic wrap. The peppers will steam and it will be easier to peel them. Set the peppers aside for 3-5 minutes and then remove the plastic wrap. Use your hands to peel the charred skins off of peppers and remove all the pepper seeds. Wash the peppers with water, pat them dry, and finely chop the peppers.

Once the tomatoes have cooked and most the liquid has evaporated, add the crushed garlic and stir. Cook for 1-2 minutes. Add the chopped peppers, 1 teaspoon of salt, and 3 tablespoons of paprika oil. Mix well and continue cooking the matbucha for about 15-20 minutes or until the matbucha is reduced and almost jammy. Taste and adjust for seasoning and add another tablespoon of oil if needed.

Enjoy the matbucha with challah or as a dip with some pita chips.

The matbucha can last for up to a week refrigerated in an airtight container.

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