Matbucha

Matbucha is the Moroccan-Israeli cooked salad that belongs on every mezze table, a slow-simmered mash of roasted peppers and tomatoes. It came to Israel with Moroccan Jewish families, who turned the humble pepper and tomato into something sweet, smoky, and jammy, served at nearly every Shabbat meal. Spoon it onto pita, eat it with eggs, or use it as a sauce — matbucha does it all.

Roasted peppers and tomatoes, slow-simmered to jam

Charring the peppers first gives the salad a deep, smoky undertone, while a long, lazy simmer concentrates the tomatoes into sweetness. The garlic and paprika bloom in olive oil, perfuming the whole kitchen with warm, heady spice. It is thick enough to stand a spoon in, with a gentle heat that lingers on the tongue. Serve it chilled or at room temperature with pita and a bowl of labneh, and it will disappear before you finish the first pita.

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