Mechouia
Mechouia, which literally means "grilled" or "charred" in local Arabic, is the salad every Tunisian family prepares at the end of summer, when bell peppers and tomatoes reach full ripeness in the gardens. It's often the first dish on an iftar table during Ramadan or at any festive meal, served alongside fresh bread meant to be dipped directly into the mixture. The defining technique is charring the vegetables whole, directly over fire — a method that caramelizes the natural sugars and imprints a penetrating smoke that cut-up vegetables wouldn't have time to absorb during cooking. The step of steaming in a bag or covered bowl right after charring isn't optional: without it, the burnt skin would stick to the flesh and be nearly impossible to remove without destroying the vegetable's texture underneath. All the ingredients are then hand-chopped, not blended, precisely to preserve that smoky flavor in distinct pieces, not in a homogenized paste that would dilute it.
The vegetables are charred whole, directly over flame or grill, not cut into pieces
The blackened skin creates smoke and flavor that cut vegetables wouldn't have time to absorb
The charred vegetables go straight into a bag or covered bowl, to steam in their own heat
The trapped steam loosens the skin and lifts it easily off the flesh, without scrubbing or tearing
The vegetables are chopped with a knife, not puréed in a blender
The uneven, chunky pieces keep the smoky texture of the vegetables, unlike a homogeneous paste
Tuna, boiled egg and olives are added on top, not mixed into the salad
Each ingredient stays visually and texturally distinct, in a layered composition, not a blended one
Ingredients 4 servings
- 4 green bell peppers
- 4 firm, ripe tomatoes
- 2 green chili peppers (optional, to taste)
- 3 garlic cloves, unpeeled
- 4 tbsp olive oil
- Juice of 1 lemon
- 1 can tuna, drained
- 2 hard-boiled eggs, sliced
- Black olives, for serving
- Salt, to taste
How to make it
- 1CHAR THE VEGETABLES: char the bell peppers, tomatoes, chili peppers and garlic (unpeeled) directly over a flame, grill or under the oven broiler, turning often, until the skin blackens completely on all sides.
- 2STEAM: put the hot vegetables in a plastic bag or a covered bowl, let sit 10-15 minutes, so the steam softens the skin.
- 3PEEL: remove the vegetables, peel off the charred skin, seeds and stems, gently squeeze out excess liquid.
- 4CHOP: finely chop the pepper, tomato, chili pepper flesh and the peeled garlic with a knife, in a bowl.
- 5SEASON: add the olive oil, lemon juice and salt, mix gently.
- 6ASSEMBLE AND SERVE: spread the mixture on a platter, arrange the drained tuna, sliced boiled egg and olives on top, serve with fresh bread.
Nutritional info
per serving (~350 g)
Estimated nutritional values.
Pairs perfectly with
