DISH RESEARCH · Main dish
Mbakbaka
Also known as: مبكبكة
Lamb and macaroni cooked together in a spiced tomato broth.
About Mbakbaka
The Aljarani family's Libyan-American recipe blog describes mbakbaka as a one-pot dish many Libyans grew up eating. This version selects the lamb option, with onion, tomato paste and dry macaroni.
Cayenne, black pepper and cinnamon season the tomato mixture. Chickpeas, sliced potatoes and cubed carrots remain optional additions, preserving the choices supplied by the family recipe rather than treating every vegetable as essential.
The pasta cooks directly in the meat-and-tomato liquid, bringing the components together in one pot. The source presents it as a familiar, hearty household meal, without prescribing an additional garnish, side dish or final serving temperature.
Allergens in this recipe
Contains: Wheat (gluten).
Other allergen details are unconfirmed.
Ingredients vary by restaurant. Confirm your allergens with staff before ordering.
Ingredients in Mbakbaka
The Aljarani family's Libyan lamb mbakbaka.
- Lamb chunksProtein
- OnionAromatic
- Tomato pasteBase
- Cayenne pepperSeasoning
- Black pepperSeasoning
- SaltSeasoning
- CinnamonSeasoning
- WaterLiquid
- Dry macaroniBase
- OilCooking mediumIngredient page not linked
- ChickpeasBase · Optional
- PotatoesBase · Optional
- CarrotsBase · Optional
Ingredient details & uncertainties
Allergen information is incomplete. Unconfirmed details do not establish that an allergen is absent.
- Lamb chunks: Recipe-specific ingredient evidence; Allergen details unconfirmed. Actual lamb option13 selected over chicken/meatless; no meat substitution reconstructed.
- Onion: Recipe-specific ingredient evidence; Allergen details unconfirmed
- Tomato paste: Recipe-specific ingredient evidence; Allergen details unconfirmed
- Cayenne pepper: Recipe-specific ingredient evidence; Allergen details unconfirmed
- Black pepper: Recipe-specific ingredient evidence; Allergen details unconfirmed
- Salt: Recipe-specific ingredient evidence; Allergen details unconfirmed
- Cinnamon: Recipe-specific ingredient evidence; Allergen details unconfirmed. Actual19 generic cinnamon, ground/stick form unprovided.
- Water: Recipe-specific ingredient evidence; Allergen details unconfirmed. Explicit boiling water20 and29.
- Dry macaroni: Recipe-specific ingredient evidence; Wheat (gluten) source-confirmed. Actual dry pasta21/recipe title macaroni; conventional wheat pasta candidate, full product/egg formula unknown.
- Oil: Recipe-specific ingredient evidence; Allergen details unconfirmed. Method-only26 generic oil, botanical identity unspecified.
- Chickpeas (optional): Recipe-specific ingredient evidence; Allergen details unconfirmed. Explicit optional22, fresh/dried/pre-cooked form unprovided.
- Potatoes (optional): Recipe-specific ingredient evidence; Allergen details unconfirmed. Explicit optional23, sliced in source.
- Carrots (optional): Recipe-specific ingredient evidence; Allergen details unconfirmed. Explicit optional24, cubed in source.
Origins & food traditions
Cuisines & regions
- Libyan Cuisine
- Libyan cuisineCatalogue link pending review