MUHAMMARA - A smoky Middle Eastern dip

We’re excited to introduce another guest writer for Sprig & Vine: this time it’s Sarah Edwards of Copper + Cloves, which is a lovely site where Sarah (who’s originally from London) shares her love for seasonal healthy food using ingredients and produce locally available in India, where she now lives. Here, she’s sharing her recipe for the Middle Eastern dip muhammara. She also shows us how we can, so simply, make pomegranate molasses (a sharp, sweet, jewel-hued sauce that brightens up this recipe) at home and skip the expensive jarred stuff.

I love the punchy flavours of this relatively unknown bright red dip which has its origins in the Middle East; but while hummus and baba ganoush get all the airtime, I think muhammara is the underdog secret star. It’s a delicious mix of smoky flavours from the charred red capsicum, lemony spice from the coriander, and buttery depth from the walnuts. It’s delicious as a dip, but also so versatile! I like to put a generous helping on a plate and pile up roasted vegetables on top, alongside some herby, nutty, pearl millet; or I smother it on top of sourdough with some roasted brinjals and fresh coriander leaves. Genuinely there are so many possibilities.

This recipe calls for pomegranate molasses which is Middle Eastern in origin, but with an abundance of pomegranates here in India — there is no reason to buy expensive imported versions, and there is every reason for this to become a staple in your kitchen! Pomegranate molasses is super easy to make and it is the perfect sharp but sweet addition to any salad dressing or marinade, and its beautiful deep red colour means it is perfect for drizzling to make your food look stunning. It might seem like an extra step, but it’s so worth it.

For the pomegranate molasses

Well, the good news is it’s not that hard to make it at home. You only need two ingredients. It is a bit messy to work with pomegranates, so please do not wear white when deseeding or squeezing them! Alternatively, you can buy freshly squeezed pomegranate juice, and skip steps 1-4.

You will need:

4 kg fresh pomegranates or 1 litre of pomegranate juice

½ tsp. sea salt

Method:

1. Cut the pomegranates in half. Taking one half, hold it upside down over a bowl and beat it with a wooden spoon so that the seeds fall into the bowl. Remove any white pith that also falls into the bowl.

2. Repeat the same for all pomegranate halves.

3. When all seeds are in the bowl, squeeze them with your hands.

4. Strain the mulched seeds into a saucepan. Use the back of a spoon and extract as much juice as possible.

5. Boil the strained juice over a high heat for 20 minutes

6. Add in salt and bring it to medium to low heat and simmer for around 1 hour to 1.5 hours until thickened. You want it to be the consistency of honey. Keep an eye on it to ensure it doesn’t burn!

7. Let it cool and pour into a sterilised jar or bottle. This can be stored for months in the fridge and poured over anything.

You can drizzle it over muhammara like shown here, and it also goes specially well with a smoky eggplant dip (find the recipe here on a post I wrote for The Tonic). It also goes well with salads, roasted vegetables, grain bowls, or simply swirled into yogurt.

SMOKY MUHAMMARA

INGREDIENTS

3 red bell peppers
100g shelled walnuts
1 teaspoon whole coriander seeds
2 tablespoons pomegranate molasses
2 plum tomatoes
1 small clove of garlic
4 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
Juice of ½ a lemon
Pinch of chilli flakes
Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper

INSTRUCTIONS

First we need to char the peppers to get that really smoky flavour. The best way to do this is to char the skin of the pepper on the outside over the gas stove until the skin is blistering and black. (Alternatively, heat oven to 450°F or 232°C and place whole capsicum directly on a baking sheet and roast for 20-25 minutes or until blackened on the outside). Cover with foil to let steam and cool for 10 minutes. Then peel away the skin and remove the core and seeds. Set aside and allow to cool.
Toast walnuts and coriander seeds in a dry pan until they have taken on some colour, around 3-5 minutes on a medium flame. You don’t want them to turn black, just nicely brown with the coriander seeds releasing their fragrance.
Add pomegranate molasses, toasted walnuts and coriander seeds, tomatoes, garlic, olive oil, lemon juice, and a pinch of chilli flakes to a blender or food processor, and pulse (instead of blend) to combine. Then add roasted peppers, season with salt and black pepper, and pulse a few more times to combine. This keeps a little texture instead of turning it into a purée, but if you prefer it smooth, blend away.
Taste and adjust flavour as needed, adding more salt if needed, lemon for sharpness, garlic or chili flakes for heat, and pomegranate molasses for sweetness and depth. I love the flavour of coriander seeds so I sometimes add an extra spoonful or two!
Serve in a bowl with a little extra olive oil or pomegranate molasses drizzle over the top with a handful of pomegranate seeds and chopped walnuts. Store leftovers covered in the refrigerator up to 3 days. Let the muhammara come to room temperature before serving.

Hello I’m Sarah from Copper and Cloves. I’m from London originally but I have lived in India for two years. I am a passionate home cook and love creating recipes that celebrate all the amazing Indian produce that I’ve come to learn about. I’m all about making fresh nourishing food as tasty as possible. Find me on Instagram @copperandcloves and www.copperandcloves.com

If you liked this recipe, you may also like: Hummus, Labneh, Dukkah Spice Blend, Beetroot Salad with labneh, Harissa Roasted Carrots, Moroccan Couscous Salad.