Middle Eastern dips and sauces are some of the best in the world, in my opinion. Often thick, rich in flavor, and healthy for you, they are also easy to make – and to modify – if you know what goes into them.
What is Muhammara?
Muhammara, a red pepper and walnut dip from Aleppo Syria, is another tasty Middle Eastern dip that, while typically made with bread crumbs, can be modified easily to be gluten-free / paleo in nature.
Muhammara’s three distinctive ingredients are roasted red peppers, walnuts, and pomegranate molasses. With a hint of lemon juice and the spice of garlic and chile flakes (or Aleppo pepper if you can find it), you have a dip that is pretty much out of this world, as far as I’m concerned.
Pomegranate molasses is fairly potent, and both sweet and tangy – adding a really interesting and delicious flavor to the dip. I like to start with just a tiny bit and gradually add more (up to 2 Tbsp) to the muhammara until it tastes good to me. I recommend you do the same.
If you cannot find pomegranate molasses (I have found it in Middle Eastern food markets), you can either skip it or make your own syrup by gently cooking a ½ cup pomegranate juice over low heat until it becomes thick. The amount of juice will reduce considerably; stop cooking when you have about 2 tablespoons full of syrup.
You can buy roasted red peppers packed in water. But, roasting red peppers is easy to do and can be done in advance. They also taste better fresh.
Muhammara ingredients – red pepper, garlic, red onion, walnuts, pomegranate molasses, spices, + lemon (not shown)
Toast walnuts at 300 degrees for about 10 minutes, until golden. Do not let burn.
Place all ingredients in blender and chop. Gradually increase speed and blend until smooth.
What can you do with muhammara?
- Serve it at a party with crudités and maybe a dish of colorful beet root hummus
- Add a dollop to a meal of grilled chicken and roast sweet potatoes
- Take some (and a breath mint) to work as a snack
- Mix it with some ground meat to and make meat balls
Muhammara
Ingredients
- 1 cup walnuts
- 3 roasted, skinned, and deseeded red peppers
- 1 Tbsp pomegranate molasses (plus more to taste)
- 2 Tbsp olive oil
- 1 tsp red pepper flakes (or a Aleppo pepper)
- 3 Tbsp chopped red onion
- 3 cloves garlic, chopped
- 1-2 Tbsp lemon juice
- ½ tsp cumin (optional – muhammara tastes fine without it)
- ½ tsp salt
Instructions
- Pre-heat oven to 300 degrees F. Toast walnuts on a pie tin or baking sheet for 10-12 minutes. Watch them carefully so they do not burn
- Place nuts and all remaining ingredients in the blender and puree until smooth.
- Pour muhammara in a dish and garnish with fresh mint or parsley.
- Serve with fresh vegetables or as a complement to grilled meat. It tastes best at room temperature.
- If you plan to roast the red peppers yourself, plan on an additional hour of preparation time.