Israelian Spread {Matbucha} is a cooked tomato & roasted bell peppers dish, usually served as an appetizer in Israel and throughout the Middle Eastern culture. The name matbucha literally means “cooked salad” in Arabic. We love this smokey & slightly sweet spread over bread…
But you can certainly serve it as a cold salad, dip or spread. I only recommend sweet red bell peppers for this dish as it intensifies the smokiness creating a deliciously rich, slightly sweet and creamy spread. Feel free to adjust the spiciness by adding or omitting the dried chili peppers. Although the amount called for in this recipe only leaves a slight heat wave that is not too hot or too spicy. If you can’t locate dried chili peppers you can use crushed pepper flakes instead. This does slightly remind me of a classic Ukrainian Ajecka salad only this is much more richer in texture and more smokier in flavor, You need to try this delicious spread! It’s excellent served cold or warm and tastes amazing. Don’t forget to comment and rate below:)
Ingredients for Israelian Spread {Matbucha}:
1.) Line a large baking sheet with foil and preheat the oven to 450 degrees F.
2.) Wash and slice the bell peppers in half lengthwise. Remove the seeds and membranes.
3.) Place side down onto the baking sheet. Bake for 30-45 min or until charred skins.
4.) While the peppers are roasting combine the remaining ingredients except for the olive oil and paprika into a medium sized saucepan. Bring to a boil; reduce heat to low and simmer. Stir occasionally to prevent any sticking.
5.) When peppers have finished roasting; transfer pieces onto aluminum foil and wrap securely. Keep peppers in foil until cooled (about 5-10min). This helps with the peeling process.
6.) Once peppers have cooled in the foil, peel the skins off the peppers and coarsely chop; add to the tomato mixture.
7.) Continue to simmer mixture for 30 minutes over medium low heat. Be sure to have a lid on at all times as the tomato mixture can splatter during the simmering process.
8.) After 30 minutes add the olive oil and paprika to the tomato mixture and continue to simmer for an additional 30 minutes. Stirring in-between to prevent any sticking.
Serve!
Israelian Spread {Matbucha}
Ingredients
- 6 large Red Bell Peppers
- 3 dried chili peppers
- 1 14.5 oz can diced tomatoes
- 1 15 oz can tomato sauce
- 1 6 oz can tomato paste
- 2 tbsp sugar
- 1/3 cup olive oil
- 1 tbsp paprika
Instructions
- Line a large baking sheet with foil and preheat the oven to 450 degrees F.
- Wash and slice the bell peppers in half lengthwise. Remove the seeds and membranes.
- Place side down onto the baking sheet. Bake for 30-45 min or until charred skins.
- While the peppers are roasting combine the remaining ingredients except for the olive oil and paprika into a medium sized saucepan. Bring to a boil; reduce heat to low and simmer. Stir occasionally to prevent any sticking.
- When peppers have finished roasting; transfer pieces onto aluminum foil and wrap securely. Keep peppers in foil until cooled (about 5-10min). This helps with the peeling process.
- Once peppers have cooled in the foil, peel the skins off the peppers and coarsely chop; add to the tomato mixture.
- Continue to simmer mixture for 30 minutes over medium low heat. Be sure to have a lid on at all times as the tomato mixture can splatter during the simmering process.
- After 30 minutes add the olive oil and paprika to the tomato mixture and continue to simmer for an additional 30 minutes. Stirring in-between to prevent any sticking.
4 comments
Great shakshouka recipe! I have others I use at request on occasion, but this is my go-to for my family. Goes beautifully with the flat bread I make @ the same time. Quick, super easy, a 24/7 recipe fave! Thanks so much for your post!
this dish is without eggs but thank you for the feedback!
Is peeling the peppers necessary? The skin should be soft and easy to eat, right? It’s just a matter of preference?
The roasted peppers are an important step in this recipe as it gives much flavor to this dish, so peeling is necessary when roasting the peppers.