Matbucha
Matbucha is a slow-cooked tomato and garlic spread that’s rich, savory, and versatile. Use it as a dip, sandwich spread, or shakshuka base.
Ingredients
- 1½ kg ripe tomatoes, peeled and diced (about 3.3 lbs)
- 1 green chili pepper
- 10 garlic cloves, peeled
- ¼-⅓ cup olive oil
- 1½ teaspoons salt, or to taste
- ½ teaspoon sugar
- 1 tablespoon sweet paprika
Instructions
- Peel the tomatoes and chili (optional, but recommended for a smoother texture). Dice the tomatoes and finely chop the chili. Peel and thinly slice the garlic cloves.
- In a wide pan, heat the olive oil. Add the garlic and chili and sauté for about 1 minute, just until fragrant.
- Stir in the sweet paprika and cook for another 30 seconds.
- Add the chopped tomatoes, salt, and sugar. Stir everything together. The flavors will deepen as it cooks, so don’t fully adjust the seasoning yet — wait until it’s thick and nearly done to fine-tune the balance.
- Cover the pan and cook over low heat for at least 2 hours, and up to 3, stirring occasionally.
- Somewhere around the 1.5 to 2 hour mark, once the tomatoes have broken down mash it gently with a spatula or potato masher.
- Uncover and continue cooking for about 30 more minutes, or until it reaches your desired consistency. If it looks too dry before the flavor has developed, add a splash of water and keep cooking.
326kcal