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Muhammara (Roasted Red Pepper and Walnut Dip)
April 25, 2008 | 37 Comments
This post is for two fellow bloggers who inspire us with their grace and strength through adversity.
Briana Brownlow of Figs With Bri
Last month, she was looking forward to trip to a mountain spiritual retreat with family and friends. Bri lost her 41-year old mother to breast cancer. At 28, Bri was diagnosed with the same disease.
She fought it and kept it at bay for two years. She started her beautiful blog to express her commitment to an organic vegetarian lifestyle. We were thrilled when she agreed to judge this month’s CLICK (our photo event). At the retreat, she became really ill. Several scans and MRIs later, she found out that the cancer has returned and metastasized to her lungs.
If that wasn’t hard enough, a hacker brought down her site. She let us know through e-mail that she’s strong, positive and committed to healing through both Western medicine and alternative resources. She hopes to recover and update her site soon. Please send your thoughts and healing vibes Bri and Marc’s way.
Meg Wolff of Becoming Whole
She survived bone cancer, then breast cancer against all odds. Meg lost her leg to bone cancer 17 years ago, and learnt to walk all over again. She has another round of leg surgery scheduled for next week, yet manages to blog regularly and spread smiles and wisdom. Check out her books and her blog, where she documents how a macrobiotic diet saved her life. All the best, dear Meg.
Walnuts
It is sexy: red, a little spicy, smooth, and oh so slippery on the tongue and tingly on the lips. It’s like a long kiss that you don’t want to end: and the best part is this – it’s good for you.
SOLD. Barbara’s ode to Muhammara was at the back of our minds when we bought some red peppers last week. Like its other West Asian cousins – hummus and baba ghanouj – Muhammara is creamy, sensuous, and vegan.
There are as many recipes for Muhammara as there are chefs. Each one gives it his/her own twist – like coriander chutney in Indian kitchens.
There are some ingredients common to every recipe, though – peppers, walnuts, and pomegranate molasses. There is also usually a sour ingredient that varies depending on the region. The Lebanese may use yogurt, those in south Turkey may use tomato, while some others may use citrus.
Muhammara is a dip or spread that originated in Aleppo, Syria, where the famous Aleppo (or Halaby) peppers are grown. They are robust and mildly hot with a fruity flavor and smoky undertones – much like ancho chillies, and used in their dried form. Ancho chilli powder, paprika, or kashmiri chilli powder (deghi mirch) are good substitutes. This is what imparts the bright orange colour to the dish.
Traditonal Muhammara does not use red bell peppers – just dried ones from Aleppo. See this recipe by Claudia Roden. It is nuttier and less sweet – using just walnuts and tomato paste with dried Aleppo pepper flakes. West Asians who settled in Europe and the U.S. started using red bell peppers and regular chilli flakes in lieu of Aleppo peppers.
Pomegranate molasses is available in West Asian grocery stores. Sometimes it is sold as ‘pomegranate glaze’ or ‘pomregranate syrup’. It’s basically pomegranate juice cooked down to a thick syrup. The flavour is fruity and fantastic. This is one ingredient that can enhance a range of dishes. The closest flavour substitute would be dark balsamic vinegar combined with honey.
Roasted red peppers in a jar work fine for this dish, but roasting them at home yields a more concentrated flavour. Bell peppers have a lot of pesticides sprayed on them, so try and use organic ones. Or scrub and wash them well with a drop of soap and water.
Colourful bell peppers are an excellent source of Vitamin C, Vitamin A and antioxidants.
The red ones have additional cancer-fighting benefits.
Red peppers are one of the few foods that contain lycopene, a carotenoid whose consumption has been inversely correlated with prostate cancer and cancers of the cervix, bladder and pancreas. Recent studies suggest that individuals whose diets are low in lycopene-rich foods are at greater risk for developing these types of cancers.
For people worried about colon cancer, the fiber found in peppers can help to reduce the amount of contact that colon cells have with cancer-causing toxins found in certain foods or produced by certain gut bacteria. In addition, consumption of vitamin C, beta-carotene, and folic acid, all found in bell peppers, is associated with a significantly reduced risk of colon cancer.
Consuming foods rich in beta-cryptoxanthin, an orange-red carotenoid found in highest amounts in red bell peppers, pumpkin, corn, papaya, tangerines, oranges and peaches, may significantly lower one’s risk of developing lung cancer. (Source)
This is our version of Muhammara, combining elements from the recipes @ Epicurious, Leite’s Culinaria and Tigers and Strawberries.
MUHAMMARA
Toast
1 cup whole wheat or multigrain bread cubes (torn pita pieces work too)
on a skillet until they begin to crispen a bit. Put the toasted bread in a blender jar.
In the same pan, lightly toast
2/3 cup walnut pieces.
Just before taking the walnuts off the pan, add
1/2 tsp cumin seeds
heat them up just for a second, and add them to the blender jar with
2 tsp aleppo pepper flakes
**paprika, ancho or deghi/kashmiri chilli powder are good substitutes
2 cups chopped roasted red bell peppers (about 4 large bell peppers)
Grind to a coarse paste. Add
1 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
3/4 to 1 tsp hot chilli sauce (like Sriracha or Tabasco)
salt to taste
1 tbsp concentrated tomato paste (or lemon juice)
2 tbsp pomegranate molasses
**or a combo of dark balsamic vinegar and honey
Stir everything together. Adjust seasonings. Garnish with walnuts and serve as a dip, or as a spread.
Bri, Meg, hope you are able to try out and enjoy this dish as much as we did.
Muhammara is our entry for Cooking to Combat Cancer 2, hosted by Chris of Mele Cotte. She is a survivor herself, seven years clear of thyroid cancer. Thanks for organising this, dear Chris.
Using Technology to return to the Stone Age by Bee @ Forgive Me My Nonsense
Filed Under: aleppo pepper, bell-peppers/capsicum, Chillies/Peppers, Pomegranate, pomegranate molasses, red peppers, roasted-red-peppers, vegan recipes, vegetarian recipes, Walnut
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37 Comments
lots of Good Wishes to Bri & Meg!
can’t get enough of that dip, am yet to use aleppo pepper though!
All the best to Bri and Meg for everything.
That was a wonderful write-up Jai and Bee. Lots and Lots of good wishes to Bri and Meg!
A very poignant write up. My get well wishes to Bri and Meg. Also, your pepper dip looks great. I will have to make it.
Strengthening thoughts and the healing warmth of white light are flowing towards Bri and Meg from me. Hugs to both of them and to you, too.
Bri and Meg,
You are great inspiration to so many. Wishing you a speedy recovery. Blessed be.
Jai and Bee,
It is always a pleasure to visit your blog. Keep up the good work that is nothing short of soul food
It is so nice to see so many plant-based recipes in this beautiful blog.
Wishing Bri and Meg, a speedy recovery.
Bri and Meg are in my prayers. I’m sure they will continue to fight and look forward to hearing about their positive outcomes! Wonderful dip, Jai and Bee. Love the colors.
My prayers and well wishes to Bri and Meg. I was drawn in too, while I saw this at Barbara’s. Velvety and rich.
My well wishes to Bri & Meg. Wonderful dip
My best to Bri and Meg, for now and the future.
The muhammara is new to me, but the roasted pepper-walnut combination sounds irresistible.
My prayers to bri n Meg..and nice reading your post Jai n Bee..
Dear Bee & Jai,
You are SO sweet, thank you. I appreciate your write-up and thank everyone for their kindness and well wishes. Beautiful vegan recipe and photo.:-) oxoxox! (((big hugs to Bri)))
My very best wishes and love to Bri and Meg. Kudos to these two very strong people. I am sure they both are gonna’ love this dip. Looks incredibly smooth and yummy!
beautiful photo and what a gorgeous colour. And a lovely tribute to Bri and Meg’s struggles. I made muhammara a few months ago and froze some of it – it really did taste just as good if not better when I defrosted it
My best wishes to Bri and meg. Nice post bee.Love to come to your space often.
Thanks for sharing a nice recipe.
My good wishes for them both and thanks to you two for enlightening us.
All the best wishes for Bri and Meg. The muhammara looks so colorful and delicious. Lovely pictures as usual. In the first picture the walnut looked like the letter ‘Om’. Lovely.
Best wishes and thoughts to Bri and Meg.
Bri & Meg, you are in my prayers. Best wishes.
I made Muhammara last week. i served it as a dip with Idlis.
Talk about Fusion Cooking!!
What a moving post. I am hoping for the best for Bri and Meg both. And as always, your writing and photos are fabulous.
Best thoughts to two very courageous women who inspire strength in the rest of us.
Hi there,
What a lovely Muhammara. I ve never tried, but your version sounds delish. Plus I love the cucumber presentation. Scrumptious. …. Dont give up cooking from other blogs. I am hosting an event dedicated just to this type of cooking. Come and join us, Bee. I would love to have you being cooked from.
Muhammara and Pomegranate molasses, and red peppers and good health, and your good vibes for your friends Bri and Meg…well! Thats a lot you pack into ONE post. The Muhammara looks so yum, and quite easy to make, once we have a recipe such as yours. Your post was so informative, and heartfelt too, so the mind and the heart are all keeping active while I was here
.
Bri and Meg! Do catch our good vibes and best wishes, and take care. Will be at your sites soon.
Thank you Bee, and keep posting.
My heartiest wishes and prayers to Bri and Meg…
…Bee, that dip looks very tanatlizing,simply can’t have enough of red pepper
‘tantalizing’…there’s something seriously wrong with my typing nowadays
What a lovely post and lovely photos and a great recipe. I love your posts and look forward to them. They are always different and so informative.
My best wishes and prayers are with your friends.
What a beautiful post. My thoughts go out to Bri and Meg. I haven’t had the time that I’d like to go through my list of blogs and didn’t know about Bri’s site. Ahh! All that hard work because of a silly hacker. Arg.
Your Muhammara looks great! I have never heard of it, but I love the sounds of it and your presentation is quite inviting.
Thanks for your support and participation in CCC2!
My very best wishes and love to Bri and Meg.
Muhammara looks AWESOME!
Hi Jai and Bee,
See this why I love your work so much. It’s not just cooking and excellent photography, you are silently and positively influencing the people around you to be more caring and creating awareness at various levels. Keep up the good work guys. The recipe looks very good.
Prayers and best wishes to your wonderful friends.
Beautiful post! My prayers and thoughts are with Bri and Meg, amazing stregnth!
Lovely pictures and the dip looks delicious!
Oh this looks so good. I love a good dip!
A shock to hear about Bri, whose blog I love, and Meg. Our thoughts are with them and will be with them in their journeys ahead. What great inspiring women they are.
My best wishes to Bri and Meg.
This looks so beautiful… abd the play with colours is awesome.
Consider my thoughts and healing vibes sent to Bri & Marc.
I know of Meg and she is a daily inspiration.
What an absoluely touching post…beautiful & well worded! GREAT entry for Chris’s & so bursting with flavour & feelings! Thanks for picking up the Arte y Pico award…sorry I didnt leave this message last night; it got really late. You guys have done more for the blogging community than words can fully express. BIG THANKS!!
Lots of thanks to Bri and Meg for the wonderfull reciepe.
Carry on the good work,
Thanks,
Ranjit kumar Chanchal