I first tried making muhammara years ago in Dubai because I wanted an alternative to hummus and didn’t know what to do with that big pomegranate syrup that had been sitting in my cupboard for 6 months. Wow, I was blown away: this spread – which is very popular in Syria but also in other Middle Eastern countries – is really tasty. For those of you familiar with Mediterranean cuisine, it is the Levant’s answer to a romesco sauce. The main ingredients are walnut and red peppers – the original recipe calls for Aleppo chilli peppers, but I substitute them for red bell peppers and add some spices instead. You could totally play around with this depending on your taste. Like most of my favourite go-to recipes, it’s simple to prepare and super versatile: you can spread it on crackers or pita bread and also use it as a condiment to veg, fish or chicken.
For those of you who find roasting peppers daunting, don’t. Just grab the bell peppers, throw them on a baking sheet in a 200C oven and leave them in there for 30-40 minutes, turning them halfway. They should be slightly burnt. Let them cool and then the skin comes off REALLY easily, it’s child’s play. I have a really good marinated roasted pepper recipe here if you are interested.
If roasting peppers is not something you have time for, just use the ones you buy in a jar – it’s all good.
If you want a demo of this recipe, check out my IGTV channel – this is the video where I demo it:
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Ingredients
- 1 cup of roasted red bell peppers, seeded and skinned (around 3)
- 1/4 cup of bread crumbs (I use gluten free)
- 1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper
- 1/2 teaspoon smoked paprika
- 1 tsp cumin
- 1 cup walnuts
- 2 tablespoon pomegranate molasses
- juice of 1 lemon
- 1 tbsp parsley, chopped
- 1 tbsp chives, minced
- salt and pepper
- 1/4 cup olive oil
Instructions
- Blend all ingredients in a blender until smooth
- Place in a bowl and refrigerate for 30 minutes and covered up to a week
- Serve with vegetables, pita bread or crackers
