Make Ahead

Simple Muhammara

January 16, 2011
4.7
3 Ratings
  • Serves 4
Author Notes

Muhammara is a Syrian dip consisting of roasted red peppers, walnuts, garlic, and spices. It's generally made with pomegranate molasses for a sweet and tangy kick, but I prefer making a more savory version. - NeelNPatel —NeelNPatel

Test Kitchen Notes

The genius of this recipe is the truth in the name: simple! I amply seasoned the peppers for roasting, and followed all instructions to the letter. The balance of the sweetness of the roasted red peppers combined with the aromatic cumin, heat of the cayenne, crunch of the roasted walnuts, and the flavors of parsley and garlic make this an easy and lovely dip. The combination of sweet and heat is perfectly calibrated, although I can easily imagine that some cooks would be happy to add more cayenne. This is a winner, and handily deserves an EP! —Bevi

What You'll Need
Ingredients
  • 3 red bell peppers
  • olive oil
  • salt
  • freshly cracked black pepper
  • 1 clove garlic
  • 1 teaspoon ground cumin
  • 1 teaspoon cayenne pepper
  • 1/2 cup toasted walnuts
  • Handful chopped parsely
Directions
  1. Pre-heat oven to 425 degrees
  2. Slice red peppers vertically on all sides, resulting in 3-4 equal sized parts, discarding tops, ribs,and seeds.
  3. Place red peppers onto a baking sheet lined with foil and drizzle with about two tablespoons olive oil. Season generously with salt and freshly cracked black pepper.
  4. Bake peppers in oven for about 30 minutes, or until blistered and charred.
  5. Meanwhile, dry roast 1/2 cup walnuts on the stove at medium to medium high temperature, just until fragrant and slightly darkened. Reserve for later.
  6. Once peppers have cooked, remove from oven and cover with foil. Let sit for 5-10 minutes to help remove skin. Then peel away skin to reveal tender flesh.
  7. Place roasted peppers, walnuts, one clove garlic, spices, and half a handful of chopped parsley into a food processor. Process until smooth. Then check for seasonings. Red peppers will be sweet so make sure your dip is appropriately seasoned to balance out the sweetness. Sprinkle with remaining chopped parsley and serve with toasted pita, bread, or crackers.
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