El Marqa — Print Recipe — The Culinary Codex

A deeply spiced tomato-based sauce simmered with garlic, cumin, and dried fish or meat, served as the universal accompaniment to couscous and rice dishes across Mauritania.

Ingredients

6 ripe tomatoes, chopped
2 onions, diced
4 cloves garlic, minced
100g dried fish, flaked
2 tbsp tomato paste
2 tsp cumin
1 tsp black pepper
1 scotch bonnet pepper
2 tbsp vegetable oil
1 tsp salt
2 cups water

Instructions

1 Heat oil in a saucepan over medium heat. Saute onions until softened, about 5 minutes.
2 Add garlic and cook for one minute. Stir in tomato paste and spices, cooking until darkened.
3 Add chopped tomatoes, dried fish, whole scotch bonnet, and water. Stir to combine.
4 Bring to a boil, then reduce heat and simmer for 20 minutes until thickened and flavors meld.
5 Remove scotch bonnet. Taste and adjust salt and cumin to preference.
6 Serve warm as a sauce alongside couscous, rice, or flatbread.

Did You Know?

Every Mauritanian household has its own secret marqa recipe, with the ratio of dried fish to tomato being the most hotly debated element.