Matbucha is a Moroccan dish, especially popular in the Moroccan Jewish community , which was once large and thriving in North Africa. When good numbers of Moroccan Jews migrated to Israel, they brought their love of this dish with them and it is now wildly popular in Israel too.

What is matbucha sauce made of?

Matbucha is made with tomatoes, peppers, garlic, olive oil, and paprika . It's traditionally a spicy dip, its heat coming from either jalapeño peppers or other fresh hot peppers, or by adding dry hot pepper like Aleppo pepper (Affiliate link), hot pepper flakes or cayenne.

What is the history of matbucha?

Matbucha likely originated in the cuisines of the Maghreb region in North Africa , which includes countries like Egypt and Tunisia, but it's most strongly associated with Moroccan cuisine.

You can serve this sheet pan matbucha as a dip with warm challah, toasted pita, or fresh vegetables . You can spread it on grilled vegetable or cheese sandwiches, or spoon it on top of roasted chicken, fish, or tofu.

How do you pronounce the word matbucha?

The process of bringing to life a product that most people have never heard of, let alone how to pronounce it ( mat-boo-HA ) is a tough one.

Where did shakshuka come from?

It is believed to have a Tunisian origin . Shakshuka means "a mixture" or “shaken” in Tunisian dialect. Shakshuka is a staple of Tunisian, Libyan, Algerian, and Moroccan cuisines traditionally served up in a cast iron pan with bread to mop up the sauce (most important).

Is matbucha spicy to eat?

Matbucha is a condiment made with slow-cooked tomatoes, hot peppers, garlic, olive oil, and paprika. It's a spicy tomato dip popular in the North African region, and one I grew up eating weekly for Shabbat dinners.

Why is it called Romesco sauce?

Origins of Romesco Sauce Romesco originates from Tarragona in Southern Catalonia. The term 'romesco' comes from the Mozarabic “remescolar,” meaning "to mix." This sauce was first made by fishermen in the 15th century using simple ingredients like garlic, dry peppers, olive oil, dry bread, and wine.

Is hoisin sauce made of?

Ingredients. The key ingredient of hoisin sauce is fermented soybean paste . Some hoisin sauce ingredients include starches such as sweet potato, wheat and rice, and water, sugar, soybeans, sesame seeds, white distilled vinegar, salt, garlic, red chili peppers, and sometimes preservatives or coloring agents.

Shifka Peppers and Their Place in Cuisine. In Hungary, the locals call it a shifka pepper while the rest of the world calls it a Bulgarian carrot pepper because of its origin and its remarkable resemblance to a carrot. Some people call them “Hot Carrots” as well.

What does matbucha taste like?

Matbucha is a traditional Jewish Moroccan cooked tomato mezze. It's almost like a tomato jam but savory and spicy .

How do you eat Chinchalok?

Place it in a steamer and steam for 12 mins. Pair it with rice or porridge. It will be a little too salty to eat on its own.

How do you eat Tomalito?

You can eat tomatillos raw or cooked -- I prefer cooking them to tone down their distinctly sour flavor. The tomatillos you find at the supermarket are mostly imported from Mexico. You may be able find some at your local farmers' market from late July through September.

How old is Yehudi religion?

Yahwism, from which Judaism derived, began to be a widely-practiced religion first in the northern Kingdom of Israel during the time of the Omrides (c. 884-835 BCE); Judaism evolved out of it likely around the 6th/5th century BCE with its characteristic practices and prohibitions widely practiced first in the second ...

Matbucha (aka Salade Cuite, a Moroccan-Jewish Recipe) (2024)

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Matbucha is an incredibly rich condiment that is indispensable on the Moroccan-Jewish mezze table.

Estimated reading time: 6 minutes

What is Matbucha?
- How to pronounce Matbucha?
Matbucha’s Origins
How to Cook Matbucha?
How to Serve Matbucha?
How to Store
- The Fridge
- The Freezer
More Old Jewish Recipes

Matbucha (aka Salade Cuite, a Moroccan-Jewish Recipe) (1)

What is Matbucha?

Also known as Salade Cuite (cuite = cooked) to French speaking communities in the Maghreb, matbucha is a slow cooked tomato based condiment that can be used in so many delicious ways.

It’s a very easy recipe to cook up, and if you make a large batch and bottle it up, can be enjoyed a long time after.

My first taste of matbucha was at aShabbat dinner in Tel Aviv, at the home of a colleague. It was so absolutely delicious, a combination of soft stewed tomatoes and grilled peppers, cooked until soft, with a just a touch of heat. I remember having to remindmyself to practise some restraint, it was so good, it wasn’t easy not to appear greedy! After all, there were lots of other delicious salads and dips on the table too. Andgefilte fish,don’t forget gefilte fish – one of my favourites until today!

s you may know, I’ve been to Morocco a number of times. And I was pleasantly surprised to find matbuchanot as uncommon as I might have thought, thinking that it might have been an old forgotten recipe. And best of all, it tasted just like the ones I had in Israel. My recipe here belongs to Nadia’s aunt, Nadia being the colleague mentioned above.

Matbucha (aka Salade Cuite, a Moroccan-Jewish Recipe) (2)

How to pronounce Matbucha?

The first two syllables are easy enough, it’s the last that requires a little practice.

Mat – boo – kha

The ch in the final syllable is pronounced in the same way that you would pronounce them in the name of the German composer, Bach. So not a straight h. Not ha, but kha.

Matbucha’s Origins

The origin of matbucha can be traced back to around the late 18th century, when tomatoes were introduced to North Africa by the Brits.

Much like their Italian counterparts, cooks in North Africa started cooking down the bountiful harvest in order to preserve the tomatoes. Salade cuite was the result, served up as a cooked salad.

Sometime in the middle of the 20th century, immigrating Jews from the region took the recipe back to their new home in Israel. Each family had its own version, resulting in the variety we have today, some hot, some with lots of spices, some very basic, but all of them, glorious in their own right!

Ready made matbucha is easily found in the chillers in shops in Israel and I’m told that you can also find it easily in kosher shops in the US, right next to other dips like hummus and guacamole. But,you’ve heard me say this before, nothing beats homemade. And it really is a super easy recipe to make and best of all, can be made up to 2 days ahead and kept in the fridge and served chilled. Which makes it perfect for Shabbat. And Ramadan. This is a multicultural blog, after all.

Matbucha (aka Salade Cuite, a Moroccan-Jewish Recipe) (3)

How to Cook Matbucha?

Firstly, let me tell you that no two matbucha recipes are the same. Every family is going to have its own version of this much loved maghrebi recipe.

It’s still an ever-present condiment in Morocco and you will find it served throughout the country. And each eatery will have its own version. It is one of my must-have sides when I’m Morocco, which used to be very often.

The traditional salade cuite was fairly spicy as the fresh tomatoes were cooked down alongside green chillies (peppers). This is how I like to make mine, with a handful of whatever green chillies I happen to have in hand. And since I grow so many varieties every summer, there’s always a wonderful choice!

Matbucha (aka Salade Cuite, a Moroccan-Jewish Recipe) (4)

All you really need to cook matbucha is:

tomatoes (fresh when in season, canned, otherwise)
green chillies (or bell peppers for a milder version)
garlic
olive oil
salt

Everything else is optional. So on top of the ingredients mentioned above, you can have flavourings like:

smoked paprika (hot or sweet)
cumin
caraway
fresh herbs
even preserved lemons for a tangier depth
sundried tomato paste (this is my secret ingredient for many tomato based recipes)

In my recipe here, I’ve given a combination of green chillies and 1 red capsicum (bell pepper). You can use red or green, it doesn’t matter. When I make a big batch, I use both colours, alongside the chillies.

You can reduce the number of chillies if you like. Or use mild varieties.

Matbucha (aka Salade Cuite, a Moroccan-Jewish Recipe) (5)

How to Serve Matbucha?

You can serve or use matbucha in so many different ways:

How to Store

As your matbucha is made primarily with tomatoes, it is fairly acidic. This makes it an ideal candidate for long term storage. Place in sterilised jars, and give them a water bath for 20 minutes. Leave to cool and then store in a dark place.

The jars will be perfectly fine for up to a year. If you need more information on how to give your salade cuite a water bath, drop me a comment.

If not given a water bath, matbucha can be stored in the fridge for up to a week or frozen.

The Fridge

Place your finished product in a clean jar, top with a layer of olive oil and cover tightly. You can then use however much you want. Top up with oil as necessary.

The layer of oil helps to keep out air, and therefore, prolong the life of your salade cuite.

The Freezer

I like to use little plastic pudding basins for this. I can then freeze exactly the amount I think I will need, leaving a little space at the top for expansion.

To use, just heat up in the microwave or on the stove top, adding a little water to the mix.

Ok then, shall we get in the kitchen?

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If you make this recipe, post it on Instagram and tag me@azlinbloor.