Zviti
Aperçu
Zviti is a very hot Algerian dish from Bou Saada in M'Sila province, and it is defined as much by how it is served as by what goes into it. A semolina flatbread called rakhsis is crumbled into a tall wooden mortar, the mehrez, along with grilled peppers, tomatoes, garlic and a large quantity of chilli, and everything is crushed together with a wooden pestle. The mortar then goes to the table. Zviti is not portioned onto plates: everyone gathers around the mehrez and eats directly from it, and in some places it is presented on a special table with a hole cut in the middle to hold the pestle upright. It also goes by the name slata mehrez, which translates as the mortar salad. The heat is the point and Algerians are entirely open about the effect. Eating zviti involves sweating and gasping, and the description of it as a fire dish is affectionate rather than a warning. Some restaurants reduce the chilli or work olive oil and butter through it to soften it, which regulars regard as missing the idea. It is eaten as an accompaniment rather than a course, with a glass of lben, the fermented buttermilk, to cool the mouth between mouthfuls.
Note de Patrimoine AFN
Zviti, also called slata mehrez, is documented as a dish of Bou Saada in M'Sila province, Algeria, and takes its alternative name from the mehrez, the tall wooden mortar in which it is crushed and from which it is eaten communally.
Ingrédients
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Préparation
- 1
Mix the semolina and salt. Add the oil.
- 2
Gradually add water and work it into a dough. Knead until firm.
- 3
Divide into four pieces.
- 4
Flatten each into a pancake about 1cm thick.
- 5
Cook on a hot cast iron griddle or skillet for 3 to 4 minutes per side.
- 6
Crumble the pancakes while hot.
- 7
Put the fennel seeds, coriander seeds, salt and garlic into the mortar and crush.
- 8
Add the rehydrated red peppers and the coriander leaves and crush again. Then add the green peppers and tomatoes.
- 9
Mix, then gradually add the crumbled pancake, alternating with the diluted tomato paste, crushing as you go.
- 10
Pour over a drizzle of olive oil and mix. Serve in the mortar, with lben alongside.
Notes de l’Africook
- Crumble the flatbread while it is still hot. Cooled rakhsis goes hard and will not break down properly under the pestle.
- Add the bread and the diluted tomato paste alternately rather than all at once. That is what lets the bread absorb the liquid evenly instead of forming dry pockets.
- Grill the peppers and tomatoes properly until the skins blister. The smokiness that gives is a large part of the flavour, and raw vegetables make a flatter dish.
- A large mortar and pestle is the right tool. A food processor produces a puree and loses the coarse texture the dish depends on.
- Serve it in the mortar and eat communally, which is how it is done. Lben, the fermented buttermilk, is the standard drink alongside.
Questions fréquentes
How hot is zviti supposed to be?
Very. Six dried red peppers plus green peppers in a dish this size is a genuine Algerian heat level, and the dish is openly described as one that makes you sweat. Some restaurants soften it by reducing the chilli relative to the tomato or adding olive oil and butter. Regulars regard that as a different dish.
What is rakhsis?
Rakhsis, also written rakhssas, is the semolina flatbread that forms the base of zviti. It is a simple dough of fine semolina, oil, salt and water, flattened to about a centimetre and cooked on a dry griddle. It is crumbled while hot and crushed into the other ingredients, so it is never eaten as bread in its own right here.
Do I need a mortar to make zviti?
For the authentic result, yes. The tall wooden mehrez is what the dish is named after and it produces a coarse, uneven texture that no machine reproduces. A large mortar and pestle of any kind is the practical alternative. A food processor turns it into a smooth puree, which is a different thing entirely.
What is zviti served with?
It is an accompaniment rather than a main course, eaten alongside other dishes. Lben, the North African fermented buttermilk, is the standard drink with it and does real work in cooling the mouth. It is eaten communally straight from the mortar rather than portioned onto plates.
Avis
2 avis
making those semolina pancakes sommer on my old cast iron skillet reminded me of my mom in the kitchen on Sunday mornings. I rolled them 1cm thick and cooked them 4 minutes each side, but had to add two extra garlic cloves with the grilled tomatoes to get the bite right. my broer finished his plate in two minutes flat
We crushed the coriander seeds and fennel seeds in the mortar first. The smell when the grilled peppers and garlic were combined with the semolina bread from the cast iron skillet was mashallah wonderful. The six dry red peppers gave it quite a kick but very good for dinner.