Matisha Mhamra, Moroccan Tomato Jam
Matisha mhamra is the sweet, dark tomato jam that finishes a Moroccan table, usually cooked down in oil and sweetened with honey and heaps of sugar. Neither is necessary. Tomatoes reduce to jam on their own moisture, and a few mashed dates carry the sweetness with their fiber attached. Cinnamon, ginger, and a thread of saffron give it the warm, almost dessert-like edge that defines the dish, while a toast of tomato paste keeps it savory enough to eat with dinner. Cook it low and slow, let it cool, and keep it in the fridge for a week; it only improves.
Ingredients
- 3 cups Canned crushed tomatoes, no-salt-added
- 1 tbsp Tomato paste
- 1 whole Yellow onions, grated
- 2 cloves Garlic, minced
- 1/2 tsp ground ginger
- 1/2 tsp cassia cinnamon, ground
- 1 pinch Saffron, a few threads
- 3 wholes Medjool dates, pitted and mashed
- 1/4 tsp Black peppercorns, ground
- 1 tbsp Sesame seeds, toasted
Method
- Sweat the grated onion and garlic in a wide pan with 2 tbsp (30 ml) water over medium heat until the water cooks off and the onion is soft, about 6 minutes. A wide pan matters here: the whole dish is an exercise in evaporation, and a narrow pot traps steam and stalls the reduction.
- Push the onion aside and toast the tomato paste in the bare pan until it darkens to brick red, about 2 minutes. This is the caramelizing step that gives the jam a savory floor under all the sweetness.
- Add the crushed tomatoes, ginger, cinnamon, saffron, and black pepper. Simmer uncovered, stirring often, until the mass has reduced by more than half and pulls away from the pan in a sheet, about 40 minutes. The sweetness comes from concentration, not sugar, so give it the time.
- Stir in the mashed dates in the last 10 minutes. They melt into the jam and round out the acidity; added earlier, they sink and scorch on the pan bottom.
- The jam is done when a spoon dragged across the pan leaves a clear trail. Off the heat, stir in most of the sesame and scatter the rest on top. It thickens further as it cools. Serve at room temperature with whole grains or spooned alongside a tagine.
Nutrition
Estimated per serving: 70 calories, 2 g protein, 3 g fiber, 25 mg sodium. Computed from USDA FoodData Central reference values for the main ingredients. This is an approximation, not a laboratory measurement. How these are computed.
Cost per serving is estimated from US national-average retail prices for cheap staple forms, using BLS dried-bean prices and USDA produce prices. Prices vary by store and season, so treat it as a guide, not a receipt. How this is computed.
