It is a very beautiful recipe that my dear older sister Myriam taught me.
“Sarah, you must understand, If you mix it? It won’t be a Matbukha anymore. Do Not Mix It. ”
And here I am preparing it and making sure not to mix it. To tell you the truth, it took me one or two times before getting the move. You should watch the video down below. And then voila! If you got the move and you make sure the vegetables are all the same size and also not too big, not too small, then patience and care will do the trick!
I truly make it twice a month as one prep lasts me about two weeks. It’s a cooked salad that I prepare for my shabbat table, and help me fill the sandwiches beautifully for the weekly lunch box.
Matbucha
3 large tomatoes
2 green peppers
2 red peppers
1 tablespoon of tomato puree
6 crushed garlic cloves
1 tablespoon paprika
1 tablespoon of salt
1 tbsp sugar
1/3 cup olive oil,
1/3 cup water
1 serrano if you want it a little spicy.
By Aunty Myriam,
The secret of the matbucha? As she explains, it is to let it cook as long as possible without stirring, even a little, until all the vegetables are tender and have the texture of a jam! About 1:30
The only thing you can do to combine the ingredients is to gently shake the pot here and there during the cooking time.
You also want to cut the tomatoes into 8 and the peppers into 6! We want them all the same caliber.
Unlike the shakshuka, the Matbukha uses nice chunks.
Everything starts out of the stove. Use a pot yhat is just to feet the ingredients. The tomatoes go first, all around, then the peppers on top, and then, you will have to create a small well in the middle to insert ½ of the amount of oil, the tomato paste, the sugar , along with the salt, garlic, paprika, finally rhe water amd Serrano if you decide to use some.
Start cooking it on a high heat for about 3-4 minutes, just enough to get the heat starting. Gently insert the back of a wooden spoon in the center of the well to combine the ingredients without touching the peppers and / or the tomatoes. Lower the heat to minimum and let it cook without the lid. You still want a little sizzling. Don’t get too far from it, as every once in a while or when you can hear it, You will probably have to go either to add some olive oil or maybe just to give it a shake. You will be surprise if you make it often, how the juice of the vegetables can be different. Sometimes, your pot will be full of juice. Sometimes, you will have to add some oil during the cooking time.
During that time, make sure the heat is not too high. It needs to cook slowly all the time but still with some sizzling in the pot. Be careful never to mix. The ingredients of the well will combine slowly during the cooking time. It should take around 1:30 total for the matbukha to be fully cooked.
You will have to help it just by shaking the pot every time it’s starting to sizzle. Once it is finally cooked, you can’t miss that shiny look from the bell peppers. Take it off from the heat, and let it completely cool down. Now, mix it at your ease. It looks like a gorgeous jam of bell pepper with some interesting bites.Store it in a mason jar. You can freeze it. It is just delicious. Very close to the shakshuka, the matbucha has more of a chunky texture. For the bell pepper lovers, this is just the perfect cooked salad.
Please don’t hesitate to reach me if you see any misspellings.
You should watch how I made mine. To get the move!!
