AI-generated image
Slata mechouia
Grilled pepper and tomato salad
Tunisian grilled pepper and tomato salad, chopped and dressed with caraway
Slata mechouia means 'grilled salad', and in Tunisia it opens almost every family meal and Ramadan iftar: peppers, tomatoes, onion and garlic charred over coals until blackened, then peeled and chopped into a smoky relish with olive oil, caraway and coriander seed. It is scooped up with bread or served next to grilled food and couscous. A tuna and egg topping is common in restaurants; this version keeps it to vegetables and olives. Chef's tip: let the vegetables steam in a covered bowl after charring; the skins then slip off in seconds.
- Total time
- 45 min
- Difficulty
- easy
- Serves
- 4
Ingredients
- 3 tomatoes
- 1 onionunpeeled
- 4 cloves garlicunpeeled
- ½ tsp ground caraway
- ½ tsp ground coriander
- ¾ tsp salt
- 1 tbsp lemon juice
- 4 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
- 8 black olives (optional)
Shop this recipe on Amazon
What you'll need
Fresh ingredients (6)
Links open Amazon in a new tab. As an Amazon Associate, WhatToEat.Today earns from qualifying purchases.
Method
0/5 doneStep 1: Grill 4 long green peppers (or 2 green and 1 red bell pepper), 3 tomatoes, 1 onion, 4 cloves garlic and 1 green chilli over a gas flame, barbecue or under a very hot grill, turning, until blackened and blistered all over and soft: about 5 minutes for the garlic, 10–15 for the peppers and tomatoes, 20–25 for the onion.
25 minStep 2: Put everything in a bowl, cover with a plate and leave for 10 minutes to steam.
10 minStep 3: Peel off the charred skins; it does not matter if a few black flecks stay. Remove the pepper seeds. Common mistake: rinsing the vegetables under the tap — you wash away the smoky flavour.
Step 4: Chop everything finely together on a board, or pound lightly in a mortar, until it is a rough relish.
Step 5: Mix in ½ tsp ground caraway, ½ tsp ground coriander, ¾ tsp salt, 1 tbsp lemon juice and 4 tbsp extra virgin olive oil. Serve at room temperature with 8 black olives on top if you like.
Nutrition per serving
- Calories
- 160 kcal
- Protein
- 2 g
- Carbs
- 10 g
- Fat
- 14 g
- Fibre
- 4 g
Nutrition values are estimates.
KrazyBadal
Good to know
- How long does slata mechouia take?
- About 45 minutes in total: 20 minutes to prepare and 25 minutes to cook.
- How many people does it serve?
- 4 as written. Change the servings above the ingredients and every amount scales to match.
- Is it vegan?
- Yes. It has no meat, fish, dairy or eggs.
- Is it gluten free?
- Yes, as written. Check the labels on stock, sauces and spice mixes, which sometimes contain gluten.
- Can I make it ahead?
- Yes. It keeps well, so you can cook it earlier in the day or the day before and reheat it.
- What can I use instead of tomatoes?
- Tinned chopped tomatoes: a 400g tin for about 6 tomatoes (in cooked dishes, not salads).
- What can I use instead of onion?
- 2 shallots per onion.
Reviews
No reviews yet. Be the first to cook it.
Rate this recipe
Sign in to rate and review this recipe.
You might also like
Mix capsicum peanut salad
A crunchy salad of red, yellow and green peppers with roasted peanuts, cucumber, carrots and celery, dressed with lemon, dill, mint and celery leaves. Just before serving, olive oil mixed with sesame seeds is poured over the top. It's colourful, filling and full of protein.
Pepper, beans and fruit salad
A big, bright salad of red, green and yellow peppers, boiled peanuts, sweet corn, grapes, apple and coconut, tossed in a sweet-sour passion fruit and mint dressing. It is very popular at big parties: it looks festive, keeps its crunch and is easy to double. Serve it on a bed of crisp lettuce.
BsissaRoasted barley flour with olive oil
A tin of bsissa sits in many Tunisian kitchen cupboards, from Tunis flats to farmhouses in the south: a finely ground flour of roasted barley, roasted chickpeas and spices such as coriander, fennel and aniseed. In the morning a few spoonfuls are worked with olive oil and something sweet into a nutty, crumbly paste, or stirred with water into a thick drink, and it keeps you going until lunch. Travellers and pilgrims once carried it for the road. Roasting your own flour takes 15 minutes and makes a jar that lasts weeks. Sugar and dates keep it vegan; some families use honey. Chef's tip: roast the flours separately over a low heat and stir constantly; the moment they smell like toasted biscuits and turn light tan, tip them out of the pan.