Roasted Red Bell Pepper Dip (Muhammara)
Muhammara in Arabic means reddened... also spelt as mhammara... This is a hot pepper dip traditionally made from dry chili however an alternative version with roasted bell peppers will blow yer mind! I promise.... Originally from Aleppo, Syria, found in Levantine and Turkish cuisines. In western Turkey, muhammara is referred to as acuka. You will find this as part of a meze in many countries within the region. When ready serve with hot pita bread. I must mention that most classic recipes use walnuts, now I have no problem with this, excuse me for being a bit of a rebel but in my version I use almonds... OK, try it as you like. Both versions are tasty as far as I'm concerned!
Middle Eastern
Type of Dish Sauce
Ingredients
- 3 large red bell peppers
- 15 g (1 Tbsp) almonds (toasted)
- 30 ml (2 Tbsp) extra virgin olive oil
- 1/2 lemon (juiced)
- 1 clove garlic (crushed)
- 1 pinch chili flakes
- 1 pinch sweet paprika powder
- 1 pinch ground cumin
- to taste sea salt
- to taste black pepper
Preparation
- Roast the whole bell peppers on charcoal, to do this place them directly onto hot coals. Turn them from time to time. Cook them for about 30 minutes until they are soft and begin to collapse.
- Leave peppers to cool, peel them and remove the seeds.
- In a food processer mix the garlic and almonds with olive oil until smooth. Add the remaining ingredients and mix in short pulses until a course puree is achieved. This sauce is traditionally made with a pestle and mortar.
Further Information
Yield 4
Preparation Time is approxmiately 20 minutes.
Cooking Time is approxmiately 30 minutes.