Gazan Dagga

Name: Gazan Dagga
Total time: 10 min
Yield: 4
Cuisine: Levantine
Ingredients: 4 tomatoes; 1 hot green chilli; 2 cloves garlic; 1/2 cup fresh dill; 2 tbsp olive oil; 1 tbsp lemon juice; 1/2 tsp salt

Crushed tomato with chilli, garlic, dill, and olive oil, served with bread.

Vegan

Cooking time: 10 min
Hands-on time: 10 min
Difficulty: Easy
Cuisine: Levantine
Calories: 120

Pounding rather than blending defines the dish: tomato stays coarse while garlic, chilli, and dill become one aroma.

Before you start

Before turning on the heatUse ripe but firm tomatoes and test the chilli heat before pounding the whole amount.
The twenty-minute promiseThe clock runs from the first cut to serving. There is no hidden soak or marinade and no pre-cooked ingredient unless it is clearly labeled canned or ready to eat.

Ingredients

4people

Amounts follow the number of people

For the dagga

4 tomatoes — ripe and quartered
1 hot green chilli — stem removed
2 cloves garlic — peeled
1/2 cup fresh dill — roughly chopped
2 tbsp olive oil — to finish
1 tbsp lemon juice — optional, depending on the tomatoes
1/2 tsp salt — for pounding

To double the recipe, use a wider pan or bowl and adjust salt, acid, and spices by tasting rather than arithmetic alone.

Equipment

Medium mixing bowl — It leaves enough room to mix, taste, and adjust.
Sharp knife and chopping board — Set it out before starting so the recipe stays within its short cooking time.

Method

Wash and dry the tomatoes and dill, peel the garlic, and stem the chilli.
2 min
You’ll know it’s ready when
The ingredients are drained, dry, and ready to mix.
Tip: Clinging water dilutes dressing, so drying is part of the recipe.
Pound the garlic, chilli, and salt in a mortar to a coarse paste.
2 min
You’ll know it’s ready when
The dressing is emulsified and tastes slightly stronger than it should on its own.
Tip: Taste the dressing on a leaf or bean from the salad, not only from the spoon.
Add the tomatoes in batches and pound until broken down with small pieces remaining.
3 min
You’ll know it’s ready when
Pieces are similar in size so each forkful holds more than one ingredient.
Tip: Keep leaves and herbs slightly larger than the beans or grains so they do not disappear.
Add the dill and pound only a few times so it mixes in without disappearing.
1 min
You’ll know it’s ready when
Every ingredient has a light coating and no dressing pools at the bottom.
Tip: Fold from the bottom of the bowl instead of pressing down on the ingredients.
Taste the acidity, add lemon if needed, and finish with olive oil.
2 min
You’ll know it’s ready when
The salad is balanced, crisp, and ready to serve.
Tip: Add fragile ingredients last so they keep their shape.