Ingredients
Equipment
Method
Roast the Vegetables
- Preheat your oven to between 200°C and 210°C (390°F - 410°F).
- Place the whole red bell peppers, halved white onions, and a whole head of garlic on a baking tray.
- Drizzle with olive oil and season with salt and pepper.
- Roast in the oven for approximately 50 minutes until the skins are charred and the vegetables are soft.
Steam the Peppers
- Once removed from the oven, place the hot roasted peppers in a bowl and cover tightly with plastic wrap.
- Let them sit for about 10 minutes; the steam will loosen the skins, making them very easy to peel.
Prepare the Walnuts
- While the peppers steam, place the walnuts in a food processor.
- Pulse them until they are broken down but still retain some "crunch" and texture.
- Do not over-process into a powder.
- Remove the walnuts and set aside.
Clean the Roasted Veggies
- Peel the skins off the roasted peppers and remove the seeds.
- Peel the roasted onions and trim the ends.
- Squeeze the roasted garlic cloves out of their skins.
Puree
- Place the cleaned peppers, onions, and garlic into the food processor and blend until the mixture is smooth.
Mix the Base
- Transfer the vegetable puree to a mixing bowl.
- Add the breadcrumbs (ka'ak), red pepper molasses, the previously processed walnuts, chili powder, cumin, citric acid (or lemon juice), tahini, and olive oil.
Combine
- Mix all the ingredients thoroughly.
- Note that no additional salt is needed at this stage, as the red pepper molasses usually contains enough salt to season the entire dish.
Plate and Garnish
- Spread the Muhammara onto a serving plate.
- Use the back of a spoon to create a decorative swirl or well.
Final Touches
- Garnish the dish with fresh mint leaves, very thinly sliced radishes, walnut halves, chopped walnuts, pomegranate seeds, a pinch of dried za'atar (or oregano), and a final generous drizzle of olive oil.
- Serve with pita bread.
