Muhammara (Food and Crafts for All Occasions)

Muhammara

Muhammara is a Mediterranean dip made of roasted red peppers, thickened with ground walnuts and breadcrumbs. Since my husband is allergic to walnuts and somewhat to pecans, I make my muhammara with almond meal. I’m planning to try some other ground nuts as well. I think my next choice will be pistachios.

As for the major ingredient, peppers, you can grill them yourself or buy them cooked (grilled or roasted) and peeled in jars. Check Trader Joes, they have very nice jarred red peppers.

If you grill peppers yourself, simply put them on a hot grill and let them get charred and tender inside. When done, place them in a Ziploc or a container with a lid and let them sweat there for about 7-10 minutes. This makes peeling them as easy as peeling ripe bananas. Now peel the skin off, remove the seeds and the peppers are ready to go.

Another important component of muhammara is pomegranate molasses. It has a sweet-n-tart flavor with light candy-like notes and thick syrupy consistency. You can find it in a variety of stores like, for instance, PFY, HT Oaktree market and stores specialized in Mediterranean cuisines. No luck with the stores - try Amazon, they have it plenty.

What I like the most about this recipe, as well as the previous one, is that you don’t need to use stove or oven. All the cooking happens outdoors, leaving your house nice and cool, which is great with the weather like now.

You will need:

2 large roasted red bell peppers, peeled (about 8 oz total)
2 cloves garlic, peeled
4 Tbsp panko breadcrumbs
4 Tbsp almond meal
2 tsp pomegranate molasses
½ - ¾ tsp ground cumin
A generous pinch of cayenne
2-3 tsp olive oil
Salt, to taste

Put all the ingredients in a food processor and pulse until they turn into a smooth thick paste. Add more almond meal or breadcrumbs if the muhammara is on a thin side.