Muhammara is a super quick store cupboard recipe, for which you probably already have everything you need at home. Sweet roasted red peppers are pureed with crunchy toasted walnuts, punchy garlic, breadcrumbs, spices, and fruity pomegranate molasses, to make a versatile dip, spread or side dish for your mezze feast.
Why You Want to Make This
Easy
This dip comes together in 5 in a food processor or blender, making it the perfect emergency staple. Sure, you could use fresh peppers and roast them yourself, then peel and get the seeds out, but why would you?
Don’t get me wrong, I’m usually all for making things from scratch, but not having a gas hob or other open flame around, does complicate charring the skin of anything. Plus it’s pretty messy. I tried it in a house that did have a gas hob once. Once. For a reason. The cleaning was no fun.
Red roasted peppers are easily available in pretty much every supermarket these days. Even Lidl in Ireland has them, and that says a lot! And they are delicious. So go grab a jar, to have on hand for this dip whenever the mood strikes you. And after you had this once, it will strike you again and again.
Versatile
I’m making this particular Muhammara for the Mezze Feast you will see in a post soon. Still a few recipes to go, until it all comes together. It goes fantastic with hummus, as dip, side dish, with pasta (I’ve used it instead of red pesto and loved it), on meat, with your next BBQ, or just spread on warm toasted bread.
Healthy
I mean, look at the Ingredients:
Peppers mean the base is made from vegetables. And while I was personally not a fan of peppers for ages (apparently I’m weird), this dip finally convinced me that they can taste really good. I even started eating them in other dishes after trying this for the first time.
Walnuts are nutrient rich with healthy fats and give delicious crunch.
Garlic, in many cultures used for its medicinal properties, is used here mainly for flavour. Not much, just enough to give a bit of a punch.
Parsley with its lovely minerality adds fresh herbs notes to Muhammara, plus vitamins of course.
Lemon juice for vitamin C and acidity and a little olive oil for creaminess and healthy fats.
Pomegranate molasses is basically reduced pomegranate juice, giving it a very distinct and intense sweet-sour-fruity flavour. I found it at my favourite health food shop.
But these days some supermarkets have it too. If you can’t find it, good balsamic vinegar is a decent substitute.
Breadcrumbs – I’m using panko breadcrumbs here, as that’s what I had on hand, but you could just process some leftover stale bread until you have crumbs and use that instead. It’s great to use up leftovers.
Spices wise, cumin would be classic here. But as mentioned before, my body isn’t keen on it, so I’m substituting ground coriander. Use whichever you prefer.
I added mild red pepper flakes, Aleppo chili would be very traditional, if you can find them. They are mild and fruity, which makes them perfect for this Muhammara.
If you prefer it on the spicy side, feel free to add some hotter types of chili flakes.
The Process
Add everything except the breadcrumbs to the small bowl of your food processor or your blender. Process until you have a coarse paste. You might have to scrape down the sides once.
Don’t overprocess. You still want bit of crunchy walnuts instead of a smooth paste.
Transfer into a bowl, stir in the breadcrumbs. Season and have a taste. Adjust seasoning to your liking.
And you are ready to serve your fresh Muhammara.
Meal Prep
Muhammara keeps in the fridge for about 3-4 days. I kept mine for my work week, to enjoy as a Mezze plate for several days. I was a very happy bunny that week, looking forward to dinner every day.
The recipes for the upcoming Mezze Feast so far:
Now I’d love to hear from you in the comments!
Have you tried this? Did you enjoy it?
What other recipes would you like to see?
If you enjoyed this recipe, please share. It helps me a lot.
Muhammara
Equipment
- Food Processor or Blender
Ingredients
- 2 cups roasted red peppers roughly chopped
- ½ cup walnuts toasted
- ¼ cup panko breadcrumbs
- 2 cloves garlic crushed or grated
- 1 tbsp lemon juice
- 3 tbsp pomegranate molasses
- 1 tsp red pepper flakes
- 1 tsp ground coriander or cumin
- 1 tbsp chopped parsley
- 2 tbsp olive oil
- Salt and Pepper to taste
Instructions
- Add the roasted red peppers, toasted walnuts, crushed garlic, lemon juice, pomegranate molasses, red pepper flakes, and ground coriander (or cumin) to the small bowl of your food processor or blender.
- Pulse the mixture until you achieve a coarse paste. You might need to stop and scrape down the sides of the bowl a few times to ensure all the ingredients are well incorporated. Be careful not to overprocess; you want to maintain some texture and crunch from the walnuts.
- Taste the Muhammara and season with salt and pepper to your liking. Adjust other seasonings if necessary; you can add more lemon juice for brightness, more pomegranate molasses for sweetness, or more red pepper flakes for heat.
- Once the mixture has the right balance of flavours and textures, transfer it into a bowl.
- Stir in the panko breadcrumbs. This will help thicken the Muhammara and give it a slightly more substantial texture.
- You're now ready to serve your fresh Muhammara. Garnish it with chopped parsley and a drizzle of olive oil for an extra layer of flavour and a pop of colour. Serve it as a dip with pita bread, crackers, or fresh vegetables, or use it as a spread on sandwiches or wraps.
Notes
Protein per Portion: Approximately 2 grams
Carbohydrates per Portion: Approximately 8 grams
Fat per Portion: Approximately 10 grams
Fiber per Portion: Approximately 1 gram
Sugar per Portion: Approximately 2 grams
Sodium per Portion: Approximately 182 milligrams
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