Muhammara, Syrian Red Pepper Dip, is a ridiculously easy blender recipe with fabulous flavor that will only take 5 minutes to whip up!
Why does everyone bring hummus to parties?
Because it is easy to make, tastes good and can be made days in advance and kept in the fridge.
Making this delicious and unique roasted red pepper spread takes less time than driving to the market and buying a tub of hummus.
Last summer I made a triple batch of muhammara for a party and before I could say Jack Spratt the bowl I had brought was empty and women kept sidling up to me and asking what was in my Muhammara, oh yes, and how to pronounce it.
All Levantine countries have their own red pepper dip but to me the Syrian version is particularly addictive with the addition of sour pomegranate molasses and toasted walnuts. I would serve this middle eastern style with other mezzedes like my labneh with fresh pita bread.
Can I still make it if I am missing some ingredients?
Absolutely! You can switch out the walnuts for pecans, almonds or even cashews. Hint: if you toast the nuts the level of flavor intensifies.
Missing pomegranate molasses ? Okay so sub in a tbsp of orange marmalade or tamarind paste. Or make your own by simmering down unsweetened pomegranate juice until it is thick and coats a spoon.
No sun dried tomatoes?
Just double the amount of red peppers. It will still taste amazing.
Now I will share with you a family secret. Please don’t spread it around. When we fly into Ben Gurion airport once a year and climb into our rental car all disheveled and coffee stained from the trip: where do you think we drive to??? Straight into the waiting arms of our family? If you guessed that you’d be wrong. We drive straight to the lovely village of Abu Ghosh to a little restaurant off the beaten path. Is it the best place to eat in Abu Ghosh? Absolutely not. But when we arrive the owner greets us with a “We missed you. Have you come from the airport just now?
We sit at our table and without consulting a menu or ordering, the table fills with delightful salads, hummus, tiny freshly fried felafel, bitter green olives, Turkish Salad, pickled beets, Mutabbal (eggplant salad) and more until about 15 different dishes have been strewn across the table top and there is no more room. The waiter rests stacks of soft pillowy pita on top of plates that already adorn the table.
At the end of the meal when empty plates far outnumber the full and we are trying valiantly to take just one more bite of hummus; the owner brings tiny cups of bitter arabic coffee and sends to the nearby bakery for baklava. Only then, having fed us, does he come and sit with us; filling us in on the good and the bad that has befallen his family that year.
When the second cup of coffee is done and we are literally licking the muddy dregs, we begin that centuries old dance in the middle east, bargaining over the bill.
No, it is not what you think. He wants to treat us to our first meal in the land. Usually we let him and then leave a tip that covers both the bill and more.
Sometimes you want to go
Where everybody knows your name,
And they’re always glad you came;
You want to be where you can see,
Our troubles are all the same;
You want to be where everybody knows your name
-Cheers Theme Song,
Check out my new Aquafaba page! For tips, tricks and to see all of my Aquafabulous recipes.
Let's mix it up a little. Your friends are all expecting you to bring hummus and baby carrots. Bring this red pepper spread and amaze them. On days I don't want to cook I have been known to cook up a batch of pasta and while the pasta is cooking throw together a bath of Muhammara. Toss the two together and voila dinner.
- 1 1/2 cup roasted red peppers
- 1/2 cup sun dried tomatoes in oil drained
- 1/4 cup pomegranate molasses link in shop
- 1/2 cup walnuts lightly toasted
- 1/2 tsp cinnamon
- 1 tsp paprika
- 1/4 cup fresh mint
- 1 tsp cumin
- 2-3 cloves garlic
- 1/3 cup GF breadcrumbs I use Ians GF panko, In my estimation the best around
- 1/4 cup olive oil
- lemon juice to taste
-
Toast your walnuts for a couple of minutes in a dry pan over medium heat.
-
Place all the ingredients (including the walnuts) in a food processor or blender and puree until smooth. Taste and adjust for your personal taste by adding more spice (paprika) or thin it with olive oil. I personally like to throw in a splash of the liquid that comes with the red peppers.
-
Garnish any darn way you want. I garnish it every which way. Some of my favorite garnish are toasted pine nuts, fresh mint and a squeeze of fresh lemon.
Serve with pita, toasted bread or a spoon.
-
Will keep covered in the fridge for 3 days. Just wake it up with little lemon juice and give it a good stir before serving.
I am definitely going to make this instead of hummus the next time I’m supposed to bring dip to a party. Sometimes, when we just want to netflixandchill, we have dips (such as guacamole, hummus, bean dip) and crudités for dinner, eaten on the couch, naturally. This muhammara is going to be a part of that from now on. What can I use instead of pomegranate molasses? I would love to try it but I don’t have a snowball’s chance in heck of finding here.
It will still taste lovely with out. I thought that market that sells those scrummie dried white mulberries in Tromso might have it. Feel free to leave it out. It will still taste wonderful. Sometimes I make my own if I find cheap pomegranate juice at Job Lot. I just simmer it down until it is the right texture and then keep it in the fridge.
This is a great recipe. I used 4 red peppers and roasted them myself. I doubled the walnuts. Toast them in the oven, dry cast iron pan. This step is the most important. It gives the depth that makes this dish.
This sounds amazing. Thank you for sharing your tweaks.