Muhammara

Muhammara’s a rich and indulgent red pepper, pomegranate and walnut dip from Syria. It’s the dish that I think of when people talk about flavours dancing in your mouth. It’s a perfect dip to represent the strength and diversity of flavours from plants alone. You can add it to a mezze board, but it’s amazing spooned on to sandwiches or wraps.

Ingredients (serves 4)
3 red peppers
50g fresh breadcrumbs
½ tbsp lemon juice
1 tbsp pomegranate molasses
1½ tsp ground cumin
1 tbsp chilli flakes
1 garlic cloves (or I prefer 2-3 roasted as the flavour is less intense)
50g walnuts, finely chopped by hand
2 tbsp quality olive oil
Salt

To garnish (optional) pomegranate seeds and mint leaves

Method

1. Get your oven heating up to 200°C (or pop them in the air fryer if that’s easier).

2. Lay the peppers out on a tray and roast for 30-35 minutes, turning them every so often.

(If you prefer roast garlic to raw garlic, chuck a few unpeeled cloves in the oven and take them out when they’re soft)

3. Once they’re cooked through and the skin has blackened nicely, take them out, put them in a bowl and cover with cling film.

4. When they’re cool enough to handle, peel off the skin and scoop out the seeds.

5. Pat the peppers dry, then get them into a mortar.

6. Add in the breadcrumbs, lemon juice, molasses, cumin, chilli and garlic.

7. Work it all together with a pestle until it’s nicely combined, but you still want some texture in there, so don’t overdo it.

8. Stir through the walnuts, a quarter-teaspoon of salt and the olive oil.

9. Taste as you go, adding more pomegranate molasses and salt until the flavours really sing.

10. Spoon the dip into a shallow bowl, run the back of a spoon through it for that lovely wavy texture, then finish with a drizzle of olive oil.

11. Sprinkle with optional pomegranate seeds and mint