This Matbucha recipe makes the delicious tomato and pepper salad that originated in Moroccan cuisine and became one of the classic salatim, or appetizer salads, popular in Israeli food culture and is often served as part of a mezze spread.
While this delicious salad originated in Moroccan cuisine, it was brought to Israel by Moroccan Jews and adapted into one of the "Israeli salads" (salatim).
This dairy-free, vegan salad is frequently used as a dip for plain pita slices and can be found at pretty much any table where you'll find pita, hummus, and tahini.
Some people even use it as a base for their homemade shakshuka or as a sauce on pasta.
It's also a popular appetizer salad on mezze platters in many Israeli restaurants and at events.
And it's adaptable, so you can adjust the level of spiciness to your own taste!
Like other Middle Eastern foods, traditional recipes often call for quite a bit of oil. Personally, I cook with as little oil as possible, so this recipe contains less than most traditional matbucha recipes.
Also, while traditional recipes call for fresh tomatoes, I use canned tomatoes because they save time and effort.
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What ingredients are needed to make this matbucha recipe?
canned peeled tomatoes
red bell peppers
jalapeno peppers
paprika
white granulated sugar
granulated garlic
salt
cumin, optional
chili pepper flakes (optional, if you want spicy)
oil
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
What is Matbucha?
Matbucha is a cooked Moroccan tomato and pepper salad made by slowly simmering tomatoes, bell peppers, chili peppers, garlic, and seasonings until they become thick and flavorful. It was brought to Israel by Moroccan Jews and became a staple of Israeli salatim, or appetizer salads.
What do you serve with Matbucha?
Matbucha is traditionally served cold or at room temperature as part of a mezze spread. It's delicious as a dip with warm pita bread and can be served alongside hummus, tahini, falafel, malawach, or jachnun.
Can you use Matbucha for shakshuka?
Yes! Matbucha makes a flavorful, time-saving base for homemade shakshuka because it's already made with cooked tomatoes, peppers, garlic, and seasonings. Heat the matbucha in a skillet, crack in the eggs, and cover until the eggs are cooked to your liking.
Is Matbucha spicy?
Matbucha can range from mild to quite spicy, depending on the type and amount of chili peppers used. You can easily adjust the heat to your preference by using fewer hot peppers, removing their seeds, or replacing some of them with sweet bell peppers.
Can you use Matbucha as a pasta sauce?
Absolutely. Matbucha can be spooned over pasta or stirred into cooked pasta for a flavorful tomato and pepper sauce. It's an easy way to use leftover matbucha for another meal.
Can you freeze Matbucha?
Yes. Matbucha freezes well. Let it cool completely, then transfer it to an airtight freezer-safe container or bag and freeze for up to 3 months. Thaw it overnight in the refrigerator and stir well before serving.
Do the ingredients have nutritional value?
Tomatoes
Tomatoes are botanically a fruit, but they are generally treated like a vegetable.
Native to South America, they're a dietary source of lycopene, an antioxidant that has been linked to many health benefits, including reduced risk of heart disease and cancer, and are a great source of vitamin C, potassium, folate, and vitamin K.
Usually red when mature, tomatoes can also come in a variety of colors, including yellow, orange, green, and purple, and there are many subspecies with different shapes and flavors.
Peppers
Bell peppers come in different colors, such as green, red, orange, and yellow (the most common)...and, believe it or not, white, brown, striped, and purple.
Peppers are native to Mexico, Central America, and South America. Spanish explorers brought pepper seeds back to Spain with them in 1943. From Spain, peppers spread from there to Europe and Asia.
Red peppers are actually ripened green peppers, and because they do so gradually, you may see peppers that are both green and red at the same time.
Red peppers are sweeter in flavor than the green ones, which are more acidic and a little bitter. Red peppers can be used in the production of paprika.
"Permagreen" doesn't turn red but rather stays green even after it ripens.
Orange and yellow peppers are their own varieties and have a gentle, sweet taste.
Bell peppers contain almost no protein at all and are almost entirely made of water, with a small percentage of carbohydrates.
They are rich in vitamins C, B6, K, A, and E as well as some minerals and antioxidants. The different colored peppers contain different vitamins and nutrients, and they are all very low in fat.
Bell peppers generally have a long life, especially if kept in refrigeration.
A little about Israeli cuisine
Some people complain about cultural appropriation in cuisine when food from one country is attributed to another country.
However, national cuisine in itself is often a mingling of food from a variety of cultures, often due to a change of ruling countries and a shifting of borders.
When people move from country to country, they will take their cultures with them, and their descendants may adapt their traditional cuisine with that of their new home, and if they don't, others might.
When one lives in a melting pot, such as the US or Israel, it is just unrealistic to expect that food from a particular culture won't mingle with that of other cultures.
That being said, "Israeli cuisine" is basically Middle Eastern (as opposed to Eastern European food) that was brought to Israel by Jews when they fled or were expelled from Muslim countries and moved to Israel mostly after the declaration of the State of Israel (collectively known as Mizrahi Jews).
Recipes were passed from generation to generation, and although decades have passed, the foods are still known by the culture they came from, and everyone seems to have their own way of making them.
That said, there are many variations of pretty much any "Israeli" recipe because of background, custom, or even just taste. When choosing a recipe, one has to know what actually constitutes a main ingredient-what makes the dish what it is-and what is left up to individual taste.
So, find the recipes you like with the ingredients you prefer, add your own twists, and בתאבון (pronounced: b'te'ah'vone, literally translated, "with appetite")!
Moroccan Jews in Israel
The majority of Moroccan Jews in Israel are the descendants of Jews that immigrated to Israel from Morocco.
Before the establishment of the State of Israel, the British put a quota on the number of Jews that could immigrate to Israel, so most of the immigration was considered "illegal." However, many Jews risked their lives to flee their countries of origin, including Arab and Muslim countries, such as Morocco.
Because the Muslims were against the establishment of the State of Israel, after the declaration of the state and the civil war that followed, life became more difficult for the Jews of Morocco because the Muslims would attack Jews as a result. This brought about a wave of immigrants to Israel from Morocco, as did every Arab-Israeli war that followed.
So, during the 1950s and for decades afterward, waves of Moroccan Jews immigrated to Israel.
Morocco was once the home of the largest Jewish community in the Muslim world. However, by the time of the Yom Kippur war, the majority of Morocco's Jews had immigrated to Israel, and they brought their delicious cuisine with them.
What is needed to make Israeli matbucha?
I hardly ever meal plan, so I like to keep a cupboard full of seasonings, spices, veggies, and canned goods in my kitchen to use whenever the mood strikes.
But these are all you need to have on hand to make this recipe even last-minute!
peeled tomatoes
red bell peppers
jalapeño peppers
paprika
white granulated sugar
granulated garlic
salt
cumin, optional
chili pepper flakes (optional, if you want spicy)
cooking oil
Like Middle Eastern food? Try these!
Matbucha Recipe
Delicious and easy, savory and spicy Moroccan tomato and pepper salad that's one of the popular Israeli salads (salatim).
Ingredients
- 2 - 28 ounce cans of peeled tomatoes, diced small
- 2 red bell peppers, diced small
- 2 medium jalapeno peppers, diced small
- 2 tablespoons paprika, per taste
- 1 tablespoon white granulated sugar
- 1 ½ tablespoons granulated garlic
- 2 teaspoons salt
- 1 teaspoon cumin, optional
- 1 teaspoon chili pepper flakes or to taste (optional, if you want spicy)
- ⅓ - ½ cup oil
- ⅔ cup water
Instructions
- Cover the bottom of a large sauce pan or skillet with the oil.
- Lightly fry the diced red peppers and jalapeno pepper on medium heat.
- Mix in the paprika, sugar, garlic, cumin, salt, and chili pepper flakes if desired.
- Add tomatoes and water.
- Cook on medium low for ½ - 1 hour, while mixing occasionally so that the mixture thickens but does not stick to the bottom (add more water, a little at a time, if needed) and mashing the vegetables occasionally with a fork or potato masher, until the liquid has mostly evaporated and you are left with a thick sauce.
- Let cool.
Nutrition Information:
Yield:
12Serving Size:
1Amount Per Serving: Calories: 32Total Fat: 1gSaturated Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 1gSodium: 369mgCarbohydrates: 6gFiber: 2gSugar: 3gProtein: 1g
