Muhammara — Syrian Red Pepper and Walnut Dipمحمرة
From Aleppo: roasted red peppers and walnuts pounded with pomegranate molasses into something sweet, smoky, sour and faintly hot all at the same time. The most underrated dip on any mezze table.
Ingredients
- 4large red peppers
- 150 gwalnuts, plus a few to finish
- 40 gcoarse breadcrumbs, ideally from stale flatbread
- 3 tbsppomegranate molasses, plus a little to finish
- 2garlic cloves
- 1½ tspAleppo pepper (pul biber), or ¾ tsp chilli flakes
- 1 tspground cumin
- 1 tbsplemon juice
- 4 tbspolive oil, plus more to finish
- ½ tspsalt, or to taste
Method
Roast the peppers properly
Put the whole peppers directly over a gas flame or under a very hot grill and turn them until the skin is black and blistered all over — not patchy, all over. This is where the smoke comes from, and a pale pepper makes a flat muhammara. Put them in a bowl, cover, and leave for 15 minutes.
Peel and drain
Rub the blackened skin away with your fingers and pull out the stems and seeds. Do not rinse them under the tap, however tempting — you will wash the smoke straight down the sink. Let the flesh drain in a sieve for 10 minutes so the dip does not come out watery.
Toast the walnuts
Toast the walnuts in a dry pan or a 180°C oven for 8 minutes until they smell nutty. Let them cool. Toasting takes the raw bitterness out.
Blitz, but not to a purée
Put the peppers, walnuts, breadcrumbs, pomegranate molasses, garlic, Aleppo pepper, cumin, lemon juice and salt in a food processor. Pulse — do not run it. You want a coarse, slightly rough texture with some bite from the walnuts. A smooth muhammara is a sad one.
Loosen with oil
With the motor pulsing, add the olive oil a spoonful at a time until it is thick but spreadable. Taste and adjust: more molasses for sweetness and depth, more lemon for sharpness, more Aleppo pepper for warmth.
Rest it
Cover and refrigerate for at least an hour, ideally overnight. It is noticeably better on day two. Serve at room temperature, spread into a shallow bowl, with a swirl of olive oil, a drizzle of pomegranate molasses and a few broken walnuts on top.
Or let us cook it
Muhammara
£6.50We make this every day at 12–14 Station Parade, Willesden Green. Dine in, collect or delivery.
Call 07450 254441Questions
What does muhammara taste like?
Sweet and smoky from the roasted peppers, sour from the pomegranate molasses, earthy from the walnuts, with a low warmth from Aleppo pepper rather than a sharp heat. It is richer and more complex than hummus and far less common on British menus.
Can I use jarred roasted peppers?
You can, and it will be quicker, but it will not taste the same. Jarred peppers are packed in brine or vinegar and have no smoke. If you do use them, drain them very well and add a pinch of smoked paprika to compensate.
What is Aleppo pepper and what can I use instead?
A mild, fruity, sun-dried chilli from northern Syria, also sold as pul biber in Turkish shops. It is warm rather than hot. If you cannot find it, use half the quantity of ordinary chilli flakes plus a pinch of sweet paprika.
PAPA Restaurant & Cafe · 12–14 Station Parade, Willesden Green, London NW2 4NN · 07450 254441