How Do I Love Thee Muhammara
Try this recipe for a smoky, spicy, and dippable spread. Serve with pomegranate molasses for a complex flavor experience.
Try this recipe for a smoky, spicy, and dippable spread. Serve with pomegranate molasses for a complex flavor experience.
- salt and pepper to taste
- 1 lemon, juiced
- 2 slices whole grain bread toasted
- 80 grams raw walnuts roughly chopped
- 1 teaspoon smoky paprika
- 1 teaspoon aleppo or cayenne pepper
- 1 teaspoon dry-roasted cumin seeds
- 2 cloves of roasted or smoked garlic smashed
- 2 red bell peppers blackened, skinned, with veins and seeds removed
- 1 1/2 tablespoons pomegranate molasses plus extra to drizzle on top
- 20 milliliters olive oil
- Carbohydrate 35.382819997399 g
- Cholesterol 0 mg
- Fat 1.03284999939571 g
- Fiber 6.04619980917694 g
- Protein 2.87427999931125 g
- Saturated Fat 0.116339999902007 g
- Serving Size 1 1 Serving (308g)
- Sodium 92.2225729150802 mg
- Sugar 29.3366201882221 g
- Trans Fat 0.505899999939337 g
- Calories 153 calories
Step-by-step
- To a food processor, add the dry ingredients (bread, walnuts, paprika, pepper, and cumin seeds), followed by the garlic and cooked red peppers.
- Blitz, stopping at regular intervals, until well combined. Scrape down the sides.
- Add the liquids, then blitz again until well combined. Taste. You can increase the sweetness by adding more molasses, or amp up the sourness with a touch more lemon juice. Salt to taste, and serve with a drizzle of pomegranate molasses.
- Use muhammara as a dip, a spread, or in place of pizza sauce. You can even add some stock and a touch of yogurt to make it into a spicy soup.
Pomegranate molasses does the heaviest lifting in this blend, providing a concentrated dose of tart fruit acids and natural sugars that balance the bitter compounds found in walnut skins. Skeptics often watch emulsions like this break down into an oily paste, but the toasted whole grain bread functions as a crucial structural starch, absorbing moisture while releasing amylose to hold the oil and pepper juices in suspension. Roasting the red bell peppers until their skins completely char achieves more than mere smoky flavor; the high heat breaks down complex pectin walls, softening the flesh so it integrates smoothly without shedding excess water into the processor bowl. Raw walnuts contribute necessary tannins and fats, though processing them too long will release trapped oils and cause the emulsion to separate into a greasy paste. To prevent this mechanical failure, pulse the dry ingredients first to create a uniform crumb before introducing any liquids. Aleppo pepper offers a moderate heat level around 10,000 on the Scoville scale alongside fruity undertones, making it superior to standard cayenne for replicating the authentic flavor profile of this Levantine spread. Once processed, let the mixture rest at room temperature for twenty minutes to allow the dry bread crumbs to fully hydrate and marry with the lemon juice and pomegranate acidity. Stored in an airtight glass container in the refrigerator, this dip remains stable for up to five days, though the garlic pungency will mellow significantly after the first twenty-four hours.
