Move over Hummus muhammara is making its presence known and we are totally here for it! Let’s be fair, hummus has had its time, and for whatever reason, muhammara, which incidentally has always been there lurking in the rafters, is finally getting its moment in the spotlight. Why we hadn’t heard about it, sure beats me, it’s probably the best dip I’ve ever tasted outside of sundried tomato pesto with 125 year aged parmesan (I made that up, but if you do find some, feel free to DM me, I’ll come running)… but sometimes it’s the recipes that have been most taken for granted that make it to the trophy room in the end.
What the fudge is Muhammara…
This dip is reminiscent of Romesco sauce from Italy, but it is actually a traditional Syrian creation – not surprisingly arising from the region Aleppo as per one of its most prominent ingredients – Aleppo pepper. It’s not often this country pops up on the map for its culinary achievements, so I thought it only fair to broadcast it when it does. It’s hearty and can be used as both a dip and a sauce interchangeably. I’ve used it as a base for whole roasted cauliflower and also served it alongside smashed baked potatoes, and many a time I’ve served it up as an appetizer at gatherings. It also makes an unexpectedly tasty sauce at burger night! Its versatility and powerful flavour make it a wonderful addition to any recipe collection, plus it’s a surefire crowd-pleaser and it’s actually pretty good for you too!
The word ‘muhammara” is derived from Arabic and means “reddened”
Google
So no matter how you serve it, you’re in for a delicious experience and you can finally stop only serving hummus to your hippy friends…. like me.
Also try this if you are looking for interesting appetizers: Beetroot, whipped feta, kefir & rose salad
Getting the most from your Muhammara
Things you can do to make your dip packed full of flavour and exceptional every time
- Bread: I recently tried making this with gluten-free bread crumbs… it was tasty enough but it lacked the normal depth it presents with. So I highly recommend using good quality sourdough as your bread base, and not that fluffy tip-top stuff, or that fake sourdough from Woolies – I mean properly good quality bread from your local baker. It really does make a difference. Living in the Perth South region, I would recommend Hunter Bread or Wild Bakery – but feel free to leave your other recommendations in the comments below!
- Peppers: I’ve never tried this with anything other than red peppers, I don’t think it would work with green as they are too bitter, and I can’t imagine yellow or orange would yield quite the same flavour – but maybe a combo of all three might work – you’d probably end up with a brown dip though which I can’t imagine would appear that appetizing. Also in an ideal world, you’d make this dip by first roasting your organic farm-grown capsicums (why? Because they genuinely do taste better) and then pickling them yourself before making this dip… and when I win the lottery and get to buy my fantasy ranch, this is what I’ll do. Until then I’ll dream of it and continue to use my jarred pre-pickled friends.
- Tomato: Now this dip doesn’t actually traditionally require tomatoes, especially not the modern tomato paste. I’ve added it because it’s easy to come by and I feel it adds a little something something to the overall flavour. I have also used up to 5 sundried tomatoes instead of the past and I very much recommend this. Especially if you’re going to use it as a sauce instead of a dip.
- Garlic: I think it needs at least one fresh clove in it, but as you’ll see from all of my recipes I’m a bit of a freak for garlic, I genuinely would bath in confit garlic if it wasn’t so socially unacceptable. And on that note, I’ve also used both confit (no I didn’t bathe in it first) and even a whole head of roasted garlic in this recipe and it’s certainly a welcome addition to the flavor party. I just don’t always have those things on hand though, so didn’t include it here because we are all busy and adding those extra steps to the making of what should be a really simple through-together dish doesn’t seem fair to it, or the impending cook!
A note on ingredients:
Thankfully this is probably one of the easiest creations on the blog to date, so if all you have time to do is check it all in a food processor and blend away, you’ll get great results like that. There’s a few little tips and tricks, however, that do help to push the flavour intensity up a notch.
Aleppo pepper – is a sweet and almost fruity like flavoured pepper flake and it is very mild in heat. You can get away without using this spice if you can’t find it, but it does add something to the overall taste, so its worth hunting down if you can. I usually get mine from the gourmet shop across the road but you’d probably find it in most Indian grocery stores and anywhere else that sells Middle Eastern ingredients.
Pomegranate molasses – sounds fancy but it’s basically just boiled-down pomegranate juice and you can usually find this in your regular supermarket. If you can’t get a hold of it however, you’d be best to replace it with a combination of something tart and sweet so I can imagine a tsp of honey and tamarind paste would make a fine replacement.
Roasted red pepper – I used the jarred kind, both because they are easy to find and less expensive than fresh peppers these days… but I have also used a combination of freshly roasted and jarred, you just need to compensate by adding a little vinegar.
Cumin – doesn’t need to be toasted but it certainly wouldn’t hurt if you did toast the seeds and grind them fresh.
Sumac – I don’t always add this, mainly because I forget sometimes, it’s not essential but it does add a nice extra tartness to the overall flavour, and it should be relatively easy to find in the supermarkets these days.
Bread – The original versions of this recipe use breadcrumbs and you can totally do this too if you don’t have any fresh or slightly stale bread on hand. I’m a bit of a bread snob so I buy woodfired sourdough every week from the local and I reckon it’s the bee’s knees.
Walnuts – I’ve made this with both roasted and raw walnuts, I quite liked both versions, so it’s up to you if you want to go the extra step. I love me a good roasted walnut flavour though. Hopefully also you are able to find fresh enough walnuts, especially if you are going raw, because there’s nothing worse than bitter stale old walnuts – plus they aren’t very good for you once rancid like that.
Olive oil – I use extra virgin just because that’s what I usually buy, I don’t imagine it would hurt to use another oil, but I’d hazzard a guess it wouldn’t taste quite the same if you did, plus olive oil has many health benefits, so it’s best to stick with the OG if you can.
Muhammara
Equipment
- 1 food processor doesn't even have to be a good one!
Ingredients
- 375 grams roasted capsicum (from a jar or preserved but can be fresh)
- 1 tbsp aleppo pepper
- 1 tbsp pomegranate molasses
- 1 tsp cumin
- 1 tsp sumac
- 3 cloves garlic
- 1 tbsp tomato paste
- 75 grams bread (crusts cut off preferably sourdough)
- 75 grams walnuts (toasted)
- 4 tbsp olive oil
- 1/2 juice lemon
- 1 pinch salt (or to taste)
- 1 pinch pepper (or to taste)
Instructions
- Add all ingredients to a food processor and blend until smooth.
- Serve immediately or refrigerated with crusty bread and crudites, or alongside roast cauliflower and baked potatoes.
Did you make this recipe?
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Until next time. Keep following, liking, sharing, commenting and cooking, and may your every spoonful be tastier than the last!
