This is one of my favourite dips at the moment and it's also very popular at apéritif and cocktail hour around these parts. I love the smokiness of the roasted red bell peppers and the texture that the walnuts bring. The intensity of the pomegranate, garlic and chili flavours also make this an incredibly moreish dip.

There are endless variations of muhammara out there, as some people like to add tahini and others like to add yogurt to the mix. I have always found Greg Malouf's version to be perfect, and so it's the one that I make most often.


Muhammara - Red Pepper, Walnut & Pomegranate Dip

Adapted from Saha 2005

Ingredients

3 large red bell peppers, roasted

150g of walnuts, shelled & roughly chopped

1 cup of fresh breadcrumbs, lightly toasted

1 red bird's eye chili, deseeded & chopped

2 cloves of garlic, minced

1 tbsp pomegranate molasses

1 tablespoon of hot water

½ tsp of caster sugar

70ml of extra virgin olive oil, plus extra to serve

The juice of a large lemon

Method

1. Grill the bell peppers on cast iron skillet grill or barbeque, turning them often until the skin is blistered and blackened. Place the peppers in a bowl and cover with plastic wrap as this allows them to continue to steam and soften further.

2. When they are cool enough to handle, carefully peel away the blackened skin and remove all the stalks, seeds and white membranes. Do not rinse the peppers, as this will remove the desired smoky flavour.

3. Roughly chop the peppers and place them in the food processor with all the other ingredients, except for the oil. Process the mixture to a rough paste. While the motor is still running pour in the oil in a slow, steady stream and blend until thick and creamy.

4.  Allow the muhammara to cool and refrigerate until required. Prior to serving drizzle with a little extra olive oil and serve with some warm cardamom flatbread.




A Mediterranean Feast of the
Mythic Islands of Malta & Sicily

June 7th-17th, 2011
Ten day fully escorted gastronomic tour

 
Download 'A Mediterranean Feast' 2011 Tour Brochure ( 111kb pdf)

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