Recipes for Tunisian potato shakshuka, a cooked tomato and pepper salad and homemade galettes.
By PASCALE PEREZ-RUBINPeople walk past the arch of Bab el-Bhar, also known as the French gate, at the entrance of the medina district in Tunis, last year(photo credit: REUTERS)
This week, I’ve chosen two easy dishes hailing from Tunisian cuisine that are quick to prepare and can be served as appetizers.In the first recipe, I’m going to teach you how to make galettes, small savory flat cakes. In the second recipe, I’ll explain how to prepare a spicy cooked vegetable salad with garlic and caraway seeds that can make any meal feel extra special.Translated by Hannah Hochner.Homemade galettesMakes 25 to 30 pieces■ 4.5 cups flour, sifted■ Salt■ 1 Tbsp. fresh yeast■ 2 tsp. oil■ 50 ml. water at room temperature■ 3 Tbsp. coarse saltDirections:1. Place the flour in a large bowl. Sprinkle some salt on top and form a hole in the middle.2. Add the yeast. While kneading, add water gradually. Knead until well mixed. Cover and leave to rise for 30 minutes.3. Flour your work surface and roll out the dough to a thickness of 1 cm. Cut out circles or squares and prick holes in dough with tines of a fork. Sprinkle coarse salt on top of galettes.4. On a greased baking pan, place the galettes at equally spaced intervals. Bake in at medium heat for 20 minutes or until golden brown.Cooked tomato and pepper saladMakes 5 to 6 servings■ 1 large green pepper■ 1 hot green pepper (if it’s not spicy enough, you can use two hot peppers)■ 2 large tomatoes■ 5 cloves garlic■ 3 Tbsp. oil■ ¼ cup water■ ¼ to ½ tsp caraway seeds, whole or ground■ Salt and pepper to tasteDirections:1. Rinse and clean the vegetables well. Cut each vegetable into four large pieces. Peel and chop the garlic cloves.2. Heat the oil in a pot. Add the vegetables, spices and water. Mix well. Cover and cook over medium flame for 10 minutes until vegetables soften and some of the water has evaporated.Tunisian potato shakshukaIn Moroccan homes, shakshuka is oftentimes served as the main course. This fast and easy dish can be made with tomatoes only, or alternatively you could also add sweet or spicy peppers to the tomato mixture. In the springtime when green beans abound, they can be added to shakshuka, too. The eggs are added at the very end to the bubbling tomato stew either whole or scrambled. Over the last few decades as Jews from many different cultures moved to Israel, dozens of new shakshuka versions have been created. Some people add pieces of spicy merguez, others add cheese and other additions. Not many people are familiar with the traditional Tunisian version, so here it is in all its glory.Makes 4-5 servings■ ¼ cup oil■ 1 large onion, peeled and chopped thinly■ 8 to 10 garlic cloves, peeled and rinsed, crushed or chopped■ 5 ripe medium tomatoes, rinsed and cut into medium-sized cubes■ Salt to taste■ 4 bell peppers, cleaned and rinsed and cut into small cubes■ 2 hot peppers, cleaned and rinsed and cut into small cubes■ 1 Tbsp. hot paprika■ ½ tsp. sweet paprika■ 500 gr. potatoes, cleaned and rinsed and cut into medium-sized cubes■ 3 eggsDirections:1. Heat the oil in a medium frying pan over a high flame. Add the onion and garlic and fry for two minutes. Add the tomatoes, stir, and reduce the flame. Cook for a few minutes until vegetables soften a bit. Stir every few minutes. Season with salt.2. Add the peppers, hot and sweet paprika. Stir and let cook a few minutes. Add the water and stir. Bring to a boil.3. Add the potatoes. Stir and cover. Cook for another 30 minutes.4. Crack the eggs into a bowl and beat them well by hand. Pour the eggs over the tomato sauce and cook for 5 to 10 minutes without stirring until eggs are cooked. Remove pan from fire and serve hot over couscous or white rice.
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