Taktouka (تكتوكة) — Moroccan Cooked Tomato and Roasted Pepper Salad

• 3red bell peppers (about 450 g total)
• 600 gtomatoes (ripe, grated or finely chopped)
• 4 clovegarlic (cloves, finely minced)
• 30 mlextra-virgin olive oil
• 15 gtomato paste (for deeper color and body)
• 2 tspground cumin
• 2 tspsweet paprika
• 0.25 tspcayenne pepper (optional for gentle heat)
• 1.25 tspfine sea salt (about 7.5 g)
• 0.25 tspblack pepper
• 10 gfresh cilantro (finely chopped)
• 15 mlfresh lemon juice (about 1 tbsp)

Instructions

1. 1

   Roast the peppers until the skins blister and blacken in spots. Place them directly over a gas flame or under a hot broiler, turning every 2–3 minutes for even charring, for about 10–12 minutes total.

2. 2

   Steam the roasted peppers to loosen the skins, then peel and seed them. Put the hot peppers in a bowl, cover tightly for 10 minutes, then peel off the skin, remove stems and seeds, and chop into 1 cm pieces.

3. 3

   Start the tomato base so it can reduce into a thick, glossy mixture. Heat the olive oil in a wide skillet over medium heat, add the minced garlic, and cook for 45 seconds while stirring so it softens without browning.

4. 4

   Cook down the tomatoes with the spices until the pan is nearly dry. Add the grated/chopped tomatoes, tomato paste, cumin, paprika, cayenne, salt, and black pepper, then simmer uncovered for 15–18 minutes, stirring every 2–3 minutes to prevent sticking.

5. 5

   Fold in the chopped roasted peppers and continue cooking to marry the flavors. Simmer for 8–10 minutes, stirring often, until the mixture is thick and spoonable and oil begins to glisten at the edges.

6. 6

   Finish with herbs and acidity, then rest briefly before serving. Turn off the heat, stir in the cilantro and lemon juice, and let the taktouka rest for 5 minutes so the flavors round out before serving warm or at room temperature.