Zaalouk is a Moroccan dip that’s traditionally made with eggplant, peppers, and tomatoes that are roasted and chopped (or sometimes mashed) until they fall apart. But, in chef Nir Mesika’s family, “ours is made of strips of charred peppers. Not blending it leaves the texture intact,” he shares. “It tastes like home and carries the old traditions of our family.”

He first learned to prepare zaalouk from his mother Yaffa, whose mother Mazal was born in Casablanca. “Zaalouk remains a central part of my culinary identity today,” Nir adds. 

While he calls Tel Aviv home these days, he also owns Dao, a restaurant in Koh Phangan, Thailand, where zaalouk is on the menu. “We’ve reimagined it into a signature dish: Pan-seared Grouper topped with zaalouk, served with a carrot tuile and a Moroccan-style fish bouillabaisse,” Nir says.

This zaalouk recipe can be served as a dip, but Nir also likes to spoon it onto toasted sourdough and top it with a goat cheese like Sainte-Maure, oregano and cilantro leaves, and a drizzle of olive oil.

This recipe first appeared on Asif: Culinary Institute of Israel, our partners from 2021 to spring 2026. Cafe Asif remains open.