Matbucha is a slow-cooked North African tomato and pepper relish — sweet, smoky, garlicky, and meant to be served at room temperature alongside bread. The texture is up to you: I like mine chunky, but you can puree it for something more spreadable. Recipe adapted from Erez Komarovsky.
Ingredients
- 10-12 Roma tomatoes (I used a blend of large and yellow cherry tomatoes in the photos)very ripe, cubed
- 1 - 1 1/2 cups mild olive oil
- 1 Large Poblano pepperchopped in large chunks
- 2 dried Arbol peppers
- 3 whole star anises
- Sea saltto taste
- 20 fresh garlic clovespeeled
- 1 tablespoon sweet paprikaplus more to taste. Substitute with hot paprika
Directions
- Warm a pan on medium-low heat and add your tomatoes, olive oil, chili peppers, and star anises
- Season with sea salt and add garlic cloves.
- Cook for 1½ to 2 hours on low heat, frequently stirring and scraping your pan.
- Add sweet paprika and continue cooking until the tomatoes and peppers are soft and the sauce is thick.
- Taste and add more salt as needed.
- I like mine chunky, but you can puree the sauce for a more refined version.*Recipe adapted from EREZ KOMAROVSKY (YesChef)
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