Matboucha

Efi’s mom, Batya, shared this recipe with me. I can eat this salad by the spoonful’s so I am very pleased that it is an easy recipe. The cooking time is long but the preparation takes no time at all!

1 kg soft tomatoes

2 whole garlic

2 whole chillies

2 red peppers

1 tbls paprika

1 tbls olive oil

salt

After washing the tomatoes make a cross slit at the bottom and add to a bowl with boiling kettle water. This helps to peel the tomatoes skin. When you see the corners start curling you can remove and just simply rub the skin off.

Chop roughly and add to pot and start cooking at a very high temperature and then lower the heat right down to a simmer. Do not cover the pot with a lid at anytime during cooking. Let the tomatoes cook for 1,5 hours till it’s almost as thick as jam (do not add any liquid during the cooking process).

Grill the red peppers over a flame till the skin is black and transfer quickly to cling film to sweat. Should you not have a gas stove (like me), grill the peppers till blackened.

Peel the skin and seeds from the pepper, chop roughly and add to tomato. Mix the paprika, salt and olive oil in a cup and add to the pot.  Cook for a further 1 hour.  After the cooking time there should be no excess liquid, if there is then extend the cooking time till there is no liquid and you are left with a thick jam like substance.

Cool and store in the refrigerator, it will keep for approximately 3 days.

Eat it with anything you heart desires, you will be lucky to have anything left in your fridge after the 3^rd day!