Muhammara Recipe

If you have never heard of muhammara, I would say:" where have you been"? Muhammara originates from Aleppo, and no other city can claim it. Aleppo, the second largest Syrian city, is quite unique in its Islamic, Roman and Greek architecture and rich cultural heritage. Its uniqueness is also prevalent its cuisine which can be described as the umami of the Middle East combing sweet and sour and spicy… just the way I like it. This dip comes in many variations, depending on the region ... is varies slightly even from one village to another. I would say mine is perfect, but I will wait to receive judgment by you, my followers.

This dip forms part of the Syrian meze which includes many of the following which I encourage you to experiment cooking such as Hummus, mutabal, beet root mutabal, swiss chard mutable, fattoush, snake beans, lib kousa, kibbeh and fasouliah.

I am always happy to share with you all my secrets, and I love this one with toasted pita bread and a dash of cumin.

Servings: 1

Preparation Time: 10 minutes

Start to finish: 15 minutes

Ingredients:

• 1 1/2 each Red pepper, cut 1" thick

• 1 1/2 tablespoons red pepper paste

• 2 cloves garlic

• 1 tablespoon cumin powder

• 1 cup breadcrumbs

• 1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil

• 1 tablespoon sugar

• 2 tablespoons pomegranate molasses

• pinch salt

• 3 tablespoons tahini

• 1 cup walnuts, diced

• 1 red onion

Method:

· Fry the onions in 2 tablespoons of olive oil just until they soften and leave aside.

· In a food processor add all the rest of the ingredients including the fried onion and process for 30 seconds until you have a paste.

· If it is too thick, you could add more olive oil or fresh red peppers.

· Spread on a plate and top with olive oil and crushed walnuts.

Notes:

· If buying ready made chilli paste go easy on the salt as most times it is heavily salted.

· If you like the muhammara thick, then add more tahini or breadcrumbs.

· If you prefer it softer, then reduce the breadcrumbs or add more sweet red pepper.

· Store in an airtight container for up to 2 weeks in the fridge.

Per Serving : 2597 Calories; 211g Fat (70.1% calories from fat); 56g Protein; 145g Carbohydrate; 20g Dietary Fiber; 0mg Cholesterol; 1004mg Sodium.