Taktouka, a vegetarian recipe from Morocco

Name: Taktouka
Prep time: 15 min
Cook time: 40 min
Total time: 55 min
Yield: 4
Cuisine: Morocco
Ingredients: 4 green or red peppers; 5 ripe tomatoes, peeled and chopped; 3 garlic cloves, chopped; 1 tsp ground cumin; 1 tsp sweet paprika; ½ tsp mild chilli (optional); 4 tbsp olive oil; 2 tbsp chopped parsley and coriander; Salt

Taktouka

Local name: تكتوكة

Roasted peppers and tomatoes simmered with garlic, cumin and paprika into a soft, glossy relish. The Moroccan cooked salad made for scooping with bread.

Published on 25 November 2025·Updated on 26 September 2026

VeganGluten-free#peppers#tomato#cumin#salad#mezze

Method

Roast the whole peppers under the oven grill or over a flame for 15 to 20 minutes, turning, until the skin is blackened all over.
Shut them in a bag or covered bowl for 10 minutes, then peel, deseed and cut into strips.
Heat the oil in a sauté pan and fry the garlic for 30 seconds without browning.
Add the tomatoes, cumin, paprika, chilli and salt. Cook down for 10 minutes over medium heat.
Add the peppers and keep cooking for 15 minutes, stirring, until the mixture is thick and glossy.
Stir in the herbs off the heat, taste and adjust the salt. Serve warm or cold, with bread if you are not avoiding gluten.

Taktouka is the natural partner of zaalouk on a Moroccan table. It keeps for several days in the fridge and is arguably even better the next day.

The techniques this recipe uses

Sweat the aromatics
Medium heat, no browning: the onion should turn translucent and sweet, not toasted.
Reduce
Uncovered, water leaves and flavour concentrates. It is done when the sauce coats the back of a spoon.

Frequently asked questions

Can I use jarred peppers to save time?

The flavour of taktouka comes precisely from the skin charred under the grill, which brings the smoke. Jarred marinated peppers give a rather different, vinegary stew. If you must, rinse them and cook longer with the tomatoes to drive off the vinegar.

My taktouka is still watery. What now?

Simply keep cooking it uncovered. It should turn thick and glossy, with the oil beginning to separate at the surface. Very juicy tomatoes sometimes need ten minutes more than the fifteen given.

Does it keep, and is it served hot?

It keeps for several days in the fridge and tastes better the next day. Serve it warm or cold, never piping hot. Take it out half an hour ahead, or the chilled olive oil sets and masks the cumin.

Meatless Moroccan cooking, from bessara to tagine

Bessara, zaalouk and taktouka are plant-based by tradition; harira, tagine and couscous, often made with meat or smen, work just as well without.

Vegetarian Maghreb cooking, with nothing missing

What Morocco, Algeria and Tunisia share — semolina, pulses, olive oil — and how their everyday dishes stand up perfectly well without meat.

The tomato, three centuries to conquer the world

The tomato reached Europe in the sixteenth century and was distrusted for two hundred years. What each kitchen made of it, and the handling that matters.

Taktouka

Method

The techniques this recipe uses

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Nutrition per serving

Frequently asked questions

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