Part of being from a Tunisian family (one of the very good parts 🙂 ) includes a table that starts with an enormous variety of small opening dishes. These are known as “S’latas” (literally Salads) and they each have unique and delicious flavors to work up your appetite before the main course. If you ask me, this is my favorite part of the meal and as far as I am concerned, I can stay in this eating stage, surrounded by “S’latas” happy and content. In my ideal eating world, there is not even a need for a main course; get me some awesome homemade bread, and I can spend a while with Tunisian opening dishes, and then just move straight to the dessert.
I already had a chance to introduce you to this table tradition and several Tunisian opening dishes such as “S’lata Mashwiya”, “Ajloog” and “Mazura”.
Today, “Makbuba” (also Makbouba) is my queen; in fact, I don’t know why it took me so long to have it officially on the blog. I make Makbuba weekly, usually on Thursdays and our whole household is crazy about it! Thanks to the peppers’ special preparation in this dish, Makbuba is such a true representative of Tunisian core flavors. Moreover, Makbuba is one of the most popular S’latas and not only in Tunisian cuisine; very similar versions of this dish are known in other North-African cuisines. On the Moroccan table it is known as “Matboucha” and on some Libyan and Algerian tables it is called “Mardouma” and “Marmouma”.
In all cases…
This fantastic and super flavorful dish plays a yummy role in many eating opportunities: Makbuba can be served along side to compliment many warm dishes, or it can be add as a topping sauce to sandwiches, patties, fried fish, and other Tunisian goods. Sometimes, it is even a cooking starter for a spontaneous dish, such as Shakshuka… The best way to eat Makbuba though is with fresh home-baked bread that soaks up all of its amazing flavors.
Until today, I never had a written recipe for Makbuba. It is one of those traditional dishes whereby measurements and amounts are not very important to the result and can easily vary and be modified based on your liking. If I am being honest here, it feels somewhat like a crime to have a written recipe for Makbuba; so even though I did my best weighing and measuring the ingredients for this recipe, after you follow and make it a couple of times, I urge you to go and make Makbuba with your own feel and taste to it. Keep true to the ingredients and cooking stages, but definitely have freedom with the amounts and measurements. You have my Tunisian blessing 🙂
You will need:
[Makes about 40 fl.oz / 1.2 liter]
¼ cup Olive Oil
1 lb./½ kg. Bell Peppers (or any other sweet kind)
3 lb./1.35 kg.Tomatoes and/or Cherry Tomatoes
10 cloves of Garlic
1-1½ Tbsp. Sugar
1½ tsp. Salt
1-1½ tsp. Hot Pepper flakes (dry)
1 Tbsp. Sweet Paprika
Let’s get to work!
Start by washing well and cleaning the tomatoes and peppers, and peeling the garlic cloves. We have a good amount of garlic in this recipe, so I hope you have a fun and efficient way to peel garlic cloves…
I work best with giving each clove a good BANG! with the side of my knife (be careful, hold it flat, and aim the blade away from your hand). Then, it is very easy to take the skins off.
Use a medium-sized pot and add the olive oil and dry hot pepper flakes. Allow them to warm up on low-medium heat and release flavors into the oil just for a few minutes. Meanwhile, handle the peppers: I like using both bell peppers and sweet small peppers, they give different flavors and textures in the Makbuba.
Different colored peppers also have different flavors, so take advantage of anything you like and have available. There is no doubt, Makbuba is about flavor, but it is also about texture. Our family likes a very chunky Makbuba, which proudly shows its ingredients after the long cooking process.
Cut the peppers into unified pieces. The peppers actually get to keep their shape even after the long cooking process, so think about a good biting size. I cut them into strips of 1½ inch in length and about ½ inch in width.
At this stage, when I cut the peppers I also chop the garlic roughly, just so it is ready to jump into the pot when it is time.
Raise the heat in the pot to medium-high and when the oil is hot, add the pepper strips. Allow the peppers to cook in the hot oil while stirring them every so often. After a few minutes, the peppers will become semi soft and enhanced in color, some maybe slightly brown.
Add the chopped garlic and lower the heat. Stir occasionally and be careful not to burn the garlic pieces.
Chop the tomatoes into small pieces. Just like the peppers, I like to have a good variety of tomatoes and also include colorful cherry tomatoes, which offer extra sweetness and diversity in the tomato taste. Since we are not peeling the tomatoes, parts the tomato skin can be found later in the Makbuba and it is never fun to come across a huge piece of a tomato skin; this is mainly why I like to chop the tomatoes into smaller pieces.
Raise the heat once again and add the chopped tomatoes into the pot. Allow the tomatoes to cook in its juice on medium-high heat for about 10-12 minutes.
Stir occasionally to achieve even cooking. After 10 minutes, reduce heat to medium level and add sugar.
Continue cooking on medium heat for 5 more minutes. Add salt and if you choose to add the optional sweet paprika in this recipe, this is the time to do so. The sweet paprika adds another layer of pepper flavor and gives the Makbuba a vivid red color.
Lower the heat to low medium and allow the Makbuba to cook for 30-40 minutes. Keep stirring to achieve even cooking and to help the Makbuba’s reduction process while steam escape.
The Makbuba is ready when it becomes thicker and enhanced in color.
Enjoy the Makbuba with a generous piece of fresh bread. It is the BEST!
To store the Makbuba allow it to cool a bit and move to a sealed glass container. If kept clean without cross contaminating, the Makbuba lasts for about a week in the refrigerator.
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Quick Recipe:
Makbuba – Pepper & Tomato Tunisian Table Sauce
Warm Olive Oil and Dry Hot Pepper Flakes in a medium pot.
Cut Peppers into unified strips and add to the hot oil.
Cook on medium-high heat for about 7 minutes and stir occasionally.
Add chopped garlic and cook on low-medium heat for a few minutes.
Chop tomatoes into small and unified pieces.
Add tomatoes to the pot and cook on medium heat for 10-12 minutes.
Add Sugar, stir and cook for 5 minutes.
Reduce heat to low add Salt, stir and cook for 30-40 minutes.
The Makbuba is ready when it becomes thicker and enhanced in color.
Serve with a generous piece of bread, on top of sandwiches, or along side favorite dishes.
Store the Makbuba after it cooled down in a glass sealed container in the refrigerator.
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