"Matbucha, a traditional moroccan dish, is so popular in israel that it can be found right next to the hummus on grocery store shelves, " Says giora shimoni. But ever since his neighbor carmit taught him how to make her spicy tomato and pepper-based matbucha, he "Didn't want to settle for store-bought matbucha anymore. " Luckily, her recipe, which he shares below, is both easy and versatileyou can use it as an appetizer salad served with crackers or pita, as a sandwich spread, or as a condiment for fish, meat, or tofu dishes. It even makes an unconventional, yet delicious topping for a wide range of latke recipes. You can tailor the heat in this recipe to your preference by tweaking the ingredients. Use bell peppers and sweet paprika for a milder flavor, dial up the heat to medium with hot paprika, or go all out on the spiciness by using a jalapeo along with hot paprika. Shimoni points out that "The matbocha's spiciness will depend upon the size and strength of the peppers used. " Since the heat level of individual peppers on a single plant can vary, it can be hart to predict how spicy they'll make a dish. But don't worryif your matboucha turns out spicier than you'd like, shimoni suggests adding a few more cooked tomatoes. Shimoni's recipe calls for either jalapeo or bell pepper, but you can certainly use both if you'd likeTo start a meal israeli-style, serve matbucha with a selection of salads and dips, such as homemade hummus, the roasted eggplant and tahini dip baba ghanoush, a cool cucumber and tomato salad, and freshly baked pita bread. Updated by miri rotkovitz.