Preparation

• Step 1

  Fill up a medium pot with water about ¾ the way up and add 1 tablespoon of salt. Place the pot over high heat and bring it to a boil, about 10 to 15 minutes. Fill up a medium bowl halfway up with cold water and add a handful of ice. Set aside. Score an “X” on the bottom of each tomato with the tip of a knife. Once the water is boiling gently place the tomatoes into the water and boil for about 10 seconds or until the tomato skins loosen up from the tomatoes. USe a slotted spoon to transfer the tomatoes from the pot into the bowl with ice water. LEt the tomatoes cool for about 3 to 5 minutes until easy to handle. Peel the skin off of each tomato and discard the tomato skins. Chop the peeled tomatoes into 1 inch cubes.

• Step 2

  Place a medium saucepan over medium high heat. Place ¼ cup of canola oil into the pan and add the garlic. Fry until the garlic is golden, about 2 to 3 minutes. Add the chopped tomatoes, harissa, honey, lemon juice and salt into the pan. Stir the mixture to combine and continue cooking for about 3 minutes. Lower the heat to low and cook for 1 hour, stirring every few minutes to prevent the mixture from scorching.  

• Step 3

  In the meanwhile, place the remaining ¼ cup of canola oil into another medium sized saucepan over medium heat. Add the green chili peppers and the bell peppers into the pan and saute for about 5 to 8 minutes until the peppers are bright in color. Remove the pan from the heat and set aside. 

• Step 4

  Once the tomato based mixture has cooked for 1 hour, add the fried peppers and frying oil into the tomato mixture. Continue cooking this mixture on low heat for about 2 to 4 more hours stirring every 20 minutes or so until the mixture is thick like a chutney. The longer the mixture cooks, the richer and more flavorful the matbuch a will be. 

• Step 5

  Transfer the matbucha and serve it immediately with a side of challah. Or transfer the matbucha into a heat proof container and let it cool for about 1 hour. Store it in the refrigerator overnight and enjoy it the next day either cold or at room temperature.