Starter Syrian
Red muhammara with roasted peppers, walnuts and pomegranate
Vegetarian
Editorially prepared
A Syrian roasted pepper and walnut dip with sweet-sour pomegranate molasses. Thick and lightly textured, it is served without reheating as part of a mezze spread. A white yoghurt web gives it a Halloween finish.
Plan this meal
Set your servings and add the meal. Open your plan to choose more meals and find your combined shopping list.
Find your selected dishes and combined shopping list in the collection.
COOK YOUR WAY
Take this recipe to the kitchen
Start a session to tick off ingredients and steps and use timers.
Ingredients
4 servings · metric units
Toast larger quantities of walnuts and breadcrumbs in batches so they form a thin layer in the pan. This will increase the preparation time. Divide the dip between several shallow bowls and decorate each separately.
Substitutions
Substitute amounts are adjusted to your selected servings.
- Instead of pomegranate molasses2 tsp lemon juice
Use together with the honey in the other substitution, replacing all the molasses. It adds fresh acidity but lacks pomegranate's fruity depth.
- Instead of pomegranate molasses1 tsp honey
Mix with the lemon juice in the other substitution and add when blending. Together they replace the molasses in this batch; the flavour will differ but remain sweet-sour.
Shopping for this recipe
Your list uses the selected servings and fridge. Stock quantities are unknown — check you have enough.
Optional ingredients and substitutions
You’ll need
kitchen scales and measuring spoons · knife and chopping board · kitchen paper · frying pan and spatula · large plate for cooling · food processor or mini chopper · shallow serving bowl · spoon · small piping bag or food bag · cocktail stick
Method
0/6 stepsPrepare the ingredients
Prepare the ingredients, allowing about 6 minutes. Pat the peppers thoroughly dry with kitchen paper so they are not dripping with liquid. Peel and roughly chop the garlic. Measure the remaining ingredients; keep the yoghurt in the fridge until decorating.
Prepare the ingredients Toast the walnuts
Heat a dry frying pan over a medium-low heat for about a minute. Add 80 g of walnuts and toast for 4–5 minutes from adding them, stirring frequently, until fragrant and lightly coloured. If they are still pale and lack aroma, toast a little longer without letting them darken. Transfer to a large plate, leaving room for the breadcrumbs. Remove any crumbs from the pan.
05:00Toast the walnuts Toast the breadcrumbs
Add 25 g of breadcrumbs to the same dry pan. Toast over a low heat for 2–3 minutes from adding them, stirring constantly, until pale golden. If still pale, continue briefly, stirring. Immediately transfer to the empty part of the plate and spread thinly to stop them toasting further. Turn off the heat.
03:00Toast the breadcrumbs Cool the toasted ingredients
Allow about 10 minutes from spreading the breadcrumbs on the plate for both the walnuts and breadcrumbs to cool to room temperature. Check both before blending; if still warm, spread them out further and leave for a few more minutes.
10:00Cool the toasted ingredients Blend the muhammara
Put 300 g of peppers, the cooled walnuts and breadcrumbs, and 1 pcs of garlic into the food processor. Add 1 tbsp of pomegranate molasses, 2 tbsp of olive oil, ½ tsp of cumin and ½ tsp of smoked paprika. Pulse briefly, switching off the machine before scraping down the sides. Stop when you have a thick, spreadable dip with small pieces of walnut and no large pieces of pepper. If larger pieces remain, scrape down again and pulse briefly. Season with salt and optional chilli, then stir.
Blend the muhammara Draw the web and serve
Transfer the dip to a shallow bowl and level the surface. Stir 1–2 tbsp of yoghurt until smooth and put it in a small piping bag or food bag with a tiny corner snipped off. Pipe a thin spiral from the centre towards the edge. Drag a cocktail stick outwards from the centre at several points, wiping it after each stroke, to form a web. Serve without reheating as part of a mezze spread, with toasted bread and raw vegetables alongside.
Draw the web and serve
My note for next time
Saved automatically in this browser. This note is not sent to the editors. 0/2000
Tips
- You can make the dip 12–24 hours ahead. After blending, transfer it to a lidded container and refrigerate without the yoghurt decoration. Take it out about 20 minutes before serving, stir, then decorate. This additional time is not included in the main version.
- Dry the peppers particularly well: excess liquid will loosen the dip and make the web harder to draw.
- Avoid prolonged continuous blending. Short pulses will preserve small pieces of walnut.
- If the yoghurt has separated, pour off the whey before stirring. Runny yoghurt will spread across the surface.
Storage
Keep the dip in an airtight container in the fridge at 4°C or below for up to 2 days. Ideally, store it undecorated and add the yoghurt just before serving. Put out small portions at a time; do not leave the yoghurt-topped dip out of the fridge for longer than 2 hours.
Timing
Hands-on: 26 min · Cooking: 9 min · Resting: 10 min
The total allows for tasks done in parallel. The individual times can overlap.
