Mechouia (Roasted Pepper Salad)

• Tomato 4 ripe
• Garlic 4 cloves
• Olive oil 80ml
• Paprika 1 tsp
• Salt 1 tsp
• Caraway seed 1 tsp
• Coriander seeds 1 tsp
• Pepper 6 red
• Onion 1 large
• Lemon juice 30ml

How to Make It

• 1

  Roast 6 red peppers, 4 ripe tomatoes, 1 large onion (halved) and 4 unpeeled garlic cloves under a hot broiler for 25 minutes, turning them every 5 minutes, until the skins are charred and blistered on all sides. Take out the tomatoes and garlic after 15 minutes, once their skins split and they are soft.

• 2

  Place all the roasted vegetables in a bowl and cover with plastic wrap for 10 minutes to steam and soften the skins.

• 3

  Peel off all charred skin from the peppers, tomatoes and onion, and squeeze the garlic out of its skins. Remove the pepper stems and seeds, then finely chop the peppers, tomatoes and onion with a knife and drain off any excess tomato juice.

• 4

  Toast 1 tsp caraway seed and 1 tsp coriander seeds in a dry skillet over low heat for 1 minute, then grind them in a mortar with the roasted garlic and 1 tsp salt to a coarse paste.

• 5

  In a large bowl, combine the chopped peppers, tomatoes and onion with the garlic-spice paste, 1 tsp paprika and 30ml lemon juice, mixing gently so the salad stays chunky.

• 6

  Stir in 80ml olive oil until evenly coated.

• 7

  Let the salad rest for 30 minutes at room temperature so the flavors meld.

• 8

  Serve at room temperature, drizzled with an extra dash of olive oil if desired.