Muhammara is a roasted pepper appetizer with Turkish origins. If you ever visit Turkey you will quickly understand that all meals begin with appetizers or “meze” usually accompanied by raki, a drink distilled from grapes and flavored with anise. Meze, an appetizer or small plate, can become an entire meal and a great way to sample the unique, earthy flavors of Turkish cuisine. This sauce is very similar to a Romesco sauce. So get creative and use this red pepper paste as a pasta sauce, try it with eggs or with roasted vegetables like cauliflower. Sometimes I just eat it from the bowl with a spoon too!
Muhammara
-
- Prep Time
- Minutes
Ingredients
- 2 large red bell peppers
- 1 clove garlic, minced
- 1 small onion, finely chopped
- 2 TBSP hot pepper paste*
- 1/4 cup bread crumbs. toasted
- 1/2 cup walnuts, roasted and ground
- 1 lemon, juiced
- 2 tsp pomegranate syrup or honey
- 1 TBSP plain yogurt
- 1-2 tsp cumin seeds ground or 1 tsp regular cumin
- salt to taste
- 1/4 cup olive oil
- toasted pitas or flatbread
- * can find hot pepper paste at Middle Eastern markets or substitute tomato paste and a dash of hot sauce
Instructions
- Roast the red bell peppers over a flame until the skin is blackened. I place the peppers over a high flame on the gas cooktop. Turn the peppers continuously until completely black and charred. This will give the muhammara a dense, smoky flavor. Place in a brown bag for 10 minutes. Remove skin and seeds and place in food processor. Pulse until smooth. Set aside.
- Roast the walnuts in the oven at 350 until lightly toasted. Grind them to a fine consistency.
- Chop the onion and garlic. I do this step in the food processor also. Add bread crumbs, walnuts, and hot pepper paste* or tomato paste and dash of hot sauce. Add mashed peppers. When well mixed add lemon juice and pomegranate syrup or honey, yogurt, cumin and salt to taste. Blend well. Drizzle in olive oil while food processor or blender is running.
- Will keep in the refrigerator for several days. Serve at room temperature with pitas or flatbread or your favorite crackers.
- Servings : 8
- Recipe Type : All Recipes, Appetizers, vegetarian
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