Mderbel

Ingredients

Vegetables

• 3courgettes, or 2 medium aubergines, cut into 1.5 cm rounds
• 1 tbspfine salt, for degorging
• 150 mlolive oil, for frying

Sauce

• 8garlic cloves, crushed with ½ tsp coarse salt
• 1 tspground cumin
• 1 tspsweet paprika
• ½ tspcayenne (optional)
• 2 tbsptomato puree
• 2ripe tomatoes, grated
• 3 tbspwhite wine vinegar
• 1 tspcaster sugar
• 150 mlwater

To finish

• 2 tbspdried mint
• 1 handfulfresh mint, torn
• black pepper
• bread, to serve

Directions

1. Salt the courgette or aubergine rounds and leave them in a colander for 30 minutes, then press them dry with a cloth; this draws out water so they fry rather than steam, and stops them soaking up all the oil.
2. Heat the olive oil in a wide frying pan over medium-high heat and fry the rounds in batches for 3 to 4 minutes a side, until deep golden and soft at the centre.
3. Lift them onto a rack, not paper, so they drain without going soggy, and pour off all but 4 tbsp of the oil.
4. Return the pan to medium-low heat, add the garlic paste and fry for 1 minute until it smells sweet rather than raw.
5. Add the cumin, paprika and cayenne and fry for 30 seconds, then the tomato puree, cooking it out for 2 minutes until it darkens to brick red.
6. Stir in the grated tomatoes, vinegar, sugar and water and simmer for 8 minutes, until the sauce has thickened slightly and the vinegar has lost its raw bite.
7. Slide the fried rounds back into the pan in a single overlapping layer, spoon the sauce over them, and simmer very gently for 12 to 15 minutes so they absorb it without breaking apart.
8. Crumble in the dried mint between your palms in the last 3 minutes, which is where the dish gets its backbone, and grind over black pepper.
9. Take off the heat, scatter with fresh mint, and cool to room temperature before serving; mderbel is a cold or tepid side dish and tastes markedly better the next day.

Technique

• The sweet-sour balance of vinegar, sugar and garlic is the point of mderbel, and it is what preserves the dish for several days in the fridge.
• Dried and fresh mint do different jobs: dried mint is cooked in for depth and slight bitterness, fresh mint is added off the heat for lift. Use both.
• Frying rather than roasting the vegetables is traditional and gives the soft, silky texture; roasting leaves them too firm to drink up the sauce.

Substitutions

• Aubergine and courgette are interchangeable, and a mix of the two is common. Sliced carrots or cauliflower can be treated the same way.
• For less oil, brush the rounds and cook them on a hot griddle pan; the texture is firmer but the sauce still works.

Variations

• Mderbel batata uses fried potato slices, a Ramadan side.
• A version from the west leaves out the tomato entirely for a pale garlic and vinegar sauce.
• Some cooks add a spoon of harissa and a pinch of caraway for a sharper, more Tunisian profile.

History

A cooked salad served cold as part of the spread of small dishes that opens an Algerian meal.

Frequently asked questions

What is Mderbel?

Mderbel is a salad & side from Algeria: fried courgette or aubergine stewed with garlic, vinegar and mint. A cooked salad served cold as part of the spread of small dishes that opens an Algerian meal.

How long does Mderbel take to make?

Mderbel takes 20 min plus 30 min salting of preparation and 35 min of cooking. The recipe makes 4 servings as a side. It is rated easy to make.

What can I substitute in Mderbel?

Yes, within limits. Aubergine and courgette are interchangeable, and a mix of the two is common. Sliced carrots or cauliflower can be treated the same way. For less oil, brush the rounds and cook them on a hot griddle pan; the texture is firmer but the sauce still works.

What is the most important thing to get right in Mderbel?

Salt the courgette or aubergine rounds and leave them in a colander for 30 minutes, then press them dry with a cloth; this draws out water so they fry rather than steam, and stops them soaking up all the oil.