Libyan Mbakbaka
This Libyan Mbakbaka recipe is a true classic that’s hearty and comforting and delivers beautifully balanced flavors. With its rich sauce and tender chunks of meat, imbakbaka is a rustic and satisfying one-pot Libyan pasta dish you’ll love!
Mbakbaka, also known as imbakbaka, is an incredibly filling and easy to make Middle Eastern pasta dish that’ll remind you of the Italian minestrone. With tender chunks of meat and a tasty sauce, it’s the ideal family meal you can have without slaving away in the kitchen for hours!
If you’re a fan of this, you should definitely give my Egyptian Koshari a try. It’s a hearty and comforting dish that brings together lentils, rice, and pasta in a surprisingly delicious way.
❤️ WHY YOU’LL LOVE THIS RECIPE
- Authentic: This recipe is a true representation of traditional Libyan cuisine. The rich spices and tender meat combine to give you an authentic dish.
- Hearty and Versatile: This Mbakbaka is a hearty dish that is also quite versatile. You can easily customize the spices and meat to suit your preferences, making it a perfect choice for the whole family.
- Comfort Food: With its rich sauce, tender meat, and flavorful spices, this Imbakbaka is the very definition of comfort food. It’s a dish that will warm your soul and satisfy your hunger on a cold day.
- Easy to Make: Despite its impressive flavors, this recipe is surprisingly easy to make. With just a few simple steps, you can have a delicious Libyan meal ready in no time.
🍊 INGREDIENTS
More details about the ingredients and measurements are in the recipe card below!
- Meat Cubes (Beef or Lamb): These will be the star of the show, bringing a robust meaty flavor to the dish. The key is to cut them into small, tender cubes so they become melt-in-your-mouth delicious as they cook.
- Tomato Paste: This will add a rich, concentrated tomato flavor to the dish. It’s a quick way to get that depth of tomato essence that we’ll be building on with the fresh tomatoes.
- Onion: Thinly sliced, the onion will almost melt into the sauce, adding a subtle sweetness and depth of flavor to the dish.
- Green Chili: This will add a bit of heat and a pop of color to the dish. If you’re not a fan of spicy food, you can remove the seeds and white membranes from the chili to make it milder.
- Garlic: Minced garlic will infuse the whole dish with its aromatic flavor. It’s a key ingredient in this recipe, so don’t be shy about using it!
- Puree Tomatoes: These will form the base of our sauce, so it’s important to puree them to a smooth consistency. They will add a fresh and bright flavor to contrast the richness of the meat.
- Ditalini Rigati Pasta: This small, ridged pasta is perfect for this dish. Its shape and texture mean that it holds the sauce well, and every bite is packed with flavor.
- Green Bell Pepper: Chopped, the green bell pepper will add a touch of freshness and a slight bitterness to balance out the flavors in the dish.
🔪 HOW TO MAKE LIBYAN MBAKBAKA
Step 1
Cook Meat and Onion: In a large pan, heat the olive oil. Once hot, add the meat cubes and cook them until you see brown patches, this will add a lot of flavor to our dish. Next, add the sliced onion and cook until it becomes translucent, this will help to release its natural sweetness.
Step 2
Add Ingredients: To the meat, add the minced garlic and green chili. Cook for a minute, then add the tomato puree. Let the mixture simmer for a couple of minutes, then add the tomato paste and spices. Let it cook on medium-low for about two minutes.
Step 3
Add Bell Pepper and Water: Once the spices are well incorporated, add the green bell pepper and stir for a minute. Next, pour the boiling water over the mixture. Let it cook on medium heat. The meat will take around 30 minutes to cook.
Step 4
Add Pasta and Serve: Add the pasta to the pan once the meat is cooked. The pasta will take around 16 to 18 minutes to cook. Serve the Mbakabaka on a serving plate with a salad or bread on the side. Enjoy your meal!
👩🏽🍳 PRO TIPS
- Choose your meat: You can use beef or lamb for this recipe. I recommend getting meat cubes and cooking them until you see brown patches on the meat. For a quicker option, you can use chicken, but remember, the cooking time will be less, and you’ll only need three to four cups of boiling water.
- Vary your pasta: The recipe calls for ditalini rigati pasta, but you can use other types of pasta. Just keep in mind that if the pasta is larger, it will take a longer time to cook. In that case, you might need to add more boiling water.
- Make it vegetarian: You can also make this dish meatless. Simply skip the meat and reduce the amount of water to three and a half cups. Use the type of pasta mentioned in the recipe.
- Spice it up: If you like your Mbakabaka spicy, feel free to add more green chili or red chili flakes to suit your preference.
- Opt for a tomato sauce: Instead of freshly pureeing tomatoes, you can use pasta sauce, which is around one cup. Just be cautious with the salt as most pasta sauces are already salt-season.
📋 VARIATIONS
- Meat: You can use your choice of beef, lamb, or even chicken for this. The rich, deep flavors of the meat are a perfect match for the robust seasonings in the dish.
- Pasta: Try this with different types of pasta. The pasta will give a different texture and can change up the dish in a fun way.
- Spicy: If you’re a fan of heat, this variation is for you. Add more green chilies or red chili flakes to make a spicy version of imbakbaka.
- Vegetarian: For those meatless days, you can make a delicious vegetarian version of this dish. The use of vegetables will give a different flavor profile.
🍽️ HOW TO SERVE
- For a hearty dinner, serve a generous portion of the Mbakabaka with a side of crusty bread and a mixed green salad. The bread is perfect for soaking up the flavorful sauce, and the lightness of the salad provides a refreshing contrast to the rich dish.
- If you’re hosting a family get-together, consider a Libyan feast by serving Mbakabaka with other Middle Eastern dishes like Basobusa for dessert. This will give everyone a chance to enjoy a traditional Libyan meal and the sweet Basbusa will be a perfect way to end the dinner on a high note.
- As a part of a buffet, Mbakabaka can be served in a large chaff dish to keep it warm. Offer a variety of toppings on the side, such as chopped cilantro, grated cheese, and a dollop of sour cream, allowing guests to customize their own dish.
💬 FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS
Libyan mbakbaka is a delicious one-pot pasta dish that is packed with bold flavors. It is a popular and hearty meal in Libyan cuisine.
Yes, you can use your choice of beef or lamb for this recipe. The rich, deep flavors of the meat are a perfect match for the robust seasonings in the dish.
If you can’t find Ditalini Rigati Pasta, you can use any other type of small pasta. Just make sure that it is uncooked when you add it to the dish.
Yes, you can use canned tomato puree instead of fresh tomatoes. If you use canned tomato puree, make sure to check the salt content and adjust the amount of salt you add to the dish accordingly.
🌡️ STORING
- Fridge: If you have any leftover Mbakbaka, allow it to cool completely before transferring it to an airtight container. It can be stored in the refrigerator for up to 3 days.
- Reheating Instructions: Reheat the Mbakbaka in a saucepan over medium heat, stirring occasionally. Once it is heated through, it will be as delicious as when it was first made.
📣 MORE MIDDLE EASTERN DISHES
⭐ PLEASE RATE AND REVIEW
If you have tried this recipe and liked it, please give it a 5-star rating and leave a comment below with your experience!
Libyan Mbakbaka
Ingredients
- 400 grams meat cubes beef or lamb
- 4 tablespoon tomato paste
- 2 tablespoon olive oil
- 1 large onion thinly sliced
- 1 green chili
- 4 garlic minced
- 2 medium tomatoes pureed
- ¼ green bell pepper chopped
- 211 grams uncooked Ditalini Rigati Pasta 2 cups
- 1 teaspoon coriander powder
- ½ teaspoon turmeric powder
- ½ teaspoon black pepper powder
- ⅛ teaspoon cinnamon powder
- ½ teaspoon garlic powder
- Salt to taste
- 5 cups boiling water
Instructions
- In a large pan, add the olive oil, when hot add the meat cubes and cook until you see brown patches on the meat.
- Add the sliced onion and cook until translucent.
- To the meat add the minced garlic and green chili, cook for a minute then add the tomato puree.
- After cooking the mixture for two minutes, add the tomato paste and the spices, cook on medium low for two minutes. Add the bell pepper and stir for a minute.
- Pour the boiling water over the mixture and let it cook on medium heat. The meat will take around 30 to 40 minutes to cook.
- Add the pasta when the meat is cooked. The pasta will take 16 to 18 minutes to cook.
- Serve the Mbakbaka on a serving plate with salad or bread on the side.
Video
Notes
- You can use other types of pasta but if it’s large it will take longer time to cook, so you might need to add more boiling water.
- Instead of red meat you can go for chicken, the cooking time will be less, and instead of 5 cups of boiling water, you can go for three to four.
- If you like it spicy add more green chili or red chili flakes.
- Instead of freshly pureed tomato, it’s ok to use pasta sauce, around one cup, but careful with the salt since most pasta sauce has salt in them.
- You can make this dish meatless, the amount of water will reduce to three and a half cup using the type of pasta mentioned in the recipe.
