I recently discovered Muhammara at a friend's house -- she had a tub of it and I checked out the ingredients and liked what I saw -- walnuts (a great source of Omega-3s and mono-unsaturated fats - I am always looking for new ways to incorporate them into my diet) and pomegranates (great source of anti-oxidants and I love new uses for this fruit when it is in season!). I re-engineered the dip at home and below is my version. This is one of those easy recipes to throw together from ingredients that you probably usually have in your fridge and can easily store in your pantry (and are all available at Trader Joes). This dip is originally from Syria and is traditionally served with bread but can also be used with kebabs, grilled meat or fish.
Muhammara Dip from Claudina's Kitchen
Ingredients
- 3 cloves garlic
- 1/2 c. walnuts, toasted
- 1- 11oz. jar roasted peppers or 2 medium red, orange, or yellow bell peppers freshly roasted, seeded and peeled
- 1 piece of whole wheat bread, shredded or 1/2 c. bread crumbs
- juice of one lemon
- 2-3 t. pomegranate extract (NOTE: extract not available at TJ's but you can use 3-4 T. pomegranate juice instead and omit the water and 1 T. of the oil)
- 2 T. olive oil
- 1 T. water
- 1 t. cumin
- 1/2 t. crushed red pepper
- 1/2-3/4 t. kosher salt to taste
Instructions
- If using jarred peppers, rinse and dry.
- Lightly toast walnuts
- Pulse garlic in food processor until minced.
- Add peppers, walnuts, 1 T. pomegranate extract or 2-3T. juice, bread pieces/crumbs, cumin, 1/4 t. red pepper, 1/2 t. kosher salt. Process to a smooth dip.
- Add additional pomegranate, red pepper, and salt to taste. Add addition water or olive oil to desired thickness.
Serve with warmed pita bread/pita crackers and veggies (carrots, peppers, cucumbers, cauliflower are all nice with this dip).
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