تكتوكة/Shlada Machwiya/ Méchouia ) / Taktouka!


This post will be about one of my childhood memories!  Each time we sit down at the table to eat, it seems as though, it's not ME but it's my MOTHER (passed away many years ago), who is serving us one of her mouth-watering lunch or dinner. The reason I feel that way is that I cook so many of the same dishes and recipes that my mother used to make.  All her old traditional recipes that she learned from my grandmother and that my grandmother learned from her mother etc....  Same dishes, same mum and grand-mum styled-home-cooked food, same taste and aroma!  I can't let go all these food childhood memories and how could I? My mother was one such MOTHER! Each time I am in the kitchen cooking a meal I grew up on, this meal brings my mother to me in spirit and I feel she's smiling down on me!

Taktouka is a Moroccan cooked tomatoes and green pepper salad  made of  a mixture of cooked tomatoes, roasted green peppers, mixed and cooked with pure olive oil, garlic, fresh coriander, fresh parsley and spices which make all the difference!  Taktouka is a very popular and traditional Moroccan side dish-salad , usually served with fried fish or fish Tajines and of course with nice Moroccan bread.  It can also be served as spicy dip that can be seen accompanying a main dish seafood or grilled steak or grilled chicken or all sort of brochettes or Kabab.

I remember this dish always disappeared fast, no matter how much my mother made! Everyone likes it and what's not to like? Roasted green peppers with that taste of a lovely smoky, sweet and sublime flavour or the fresh tomatoes slow cooked in a broth containing cumin, olive oil, and garlic with a hint of Soudaniya?   If you would like to try Taktouka, always make sure to have some nice bread around to eat with!

Serves 6-8 people / Pour 6-8 personnes:

Ingredients:

-8 fresh ripe tomatoes, peeled  / 8 tomates fraîches mûres, pelées

 -1 hot pepper (roasted, peeled, seeded and chopped).  For spicy food lovers / 1 piment fort (grillé, épépiné et haché finement). A ajouter seulement si vous aimez le piquant

-3 green peppers (roasted, peeled, seeded and chopped) / 3 poivrons verts grillés, épépinés et hachés finement

 Click below for the recipe how to roast peppers! / Cliquez ci-dessous pour lire la recette: comment faire griller les poivrons!
How to roast peppers ? / Comment faire griller les poivrons?

-4 cloves of garlic, finely chopped or pressed /4 gousses d'ail hachées ou pressées

-1 tablespoon chopped fresh parsley leaves / 1 c à soupe de feuilles fraîches de persil hachées

-1 tablespoon chopped fresh coriander leaves / 1 c à soupe de feuilles fraîches de coriandre hachées

-Some salt to taste / Un peu de sel selon le goût

-1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper / 1/4 c à thé ou café de poivre noir moulu

-1 tablespoon ground cumin / 1 c à soupe de cumin en poudre

-1 tablespoon red paprika or Tahmira or Ta7mira / 1 c à soupe de paprika rouge ou Tahmira ou Ta7mira

-3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil / 3 c à soupe d'huile d'olive extra-vierge

-Pinch of Soudaniya or dried chili powder./ Une pincée de Soudaniya ou chili en poudre

Method / Préparation:

1-De-seed the tomatoes and place the seeds into a sieve over a bowl.  / Epépiner les tomates et tamiser les graines au-dessus d'un bol.

2. Reserve the sieved juice and discard the seeds. / Réservez le jus tamisé et jeter les graines.

3. Chop the tomatoes as finely as possible. / Hacher finement les tomates.

4. On a medium heat, in a sauce pot or a deep skillet, saute garlic and salt in the oil for about 3 minutes, then add tomatoes, peppers, coriander, parsely and all spices, stirring occasionally, for about 10 minutes then add the tomato juice.  Reduce the heat to low, stirring frequently and smashing the softened tomatoes and peppers with a spoon.  Allow to cook at least for 30 minutes and until the liquid is reduced. / Sur un feu moyen, dans une casserole ou une  poêle profonde ou autre récipient similaire, faire revenir l'ail et sel dans l'huile pendant environ 3 minutes, puis ajouter les tomates, poivrons, coriandre, persil et  les épices, en remuant de temps en temps pendant environ 10 minutes puis ajouter le jus de tomate reservé.  Réduire le feu et laisser cuire en remuant constamment, en brisant les tomates et les poivrons avec une cuillère.  Laisser cuire jusqu'à réduction du liquide.

5.Adjust seasonings if necessary, a bit of more salt or ground black pepper if you wish.  ! / Ajuster l'assaisonnement si nécessaire en ajoutant un peu de sel ou un peu de poivre noir moulu.

6.Serve with fried fish or Moroccan fish Tajines or main dish seafood or grilled steak or grilled chicken or all sort of brochettes or Kabab. / Servir avec du poisson frit ou Tajine marocain au poisson ou un plat principal aux fruits de mer ou tout simplement avec des steaks grillés viande ou poulet, ou bien avec des brochettes ou Kabab.

7-Enjoy and don't forget it's a bread dip! / Bssa7a w ra7a et n'oubliez pas de l'accompagner avec un bon pain!
For more Salads Recipes Moroccan Style / Pour  Consulter plus de Recettes de Salades Marocaines
Moroccan Salads/Appetizers/Starters/Sides

Comments

Mary Bergfeld said…
Family recipes are treasure that come with memories attached. This sounds wonderful. I hope you have a great day. Blessings...Mary