Muhammara

Muhammara

This dressing is what I love most in the kitchen; a multi tasker!

As well as being slightly intimidating from a pronunciation perspective, muhammara (muu-ham-arra) can (in my experience) be viewed with a little caution. Its gorgeously unusual name, combined with its rusty red colour, and otherwise rather unknown ingredients, make for a mysterious condiment but in fact, it is wonderfully easy to make and fantastically versatile.

Fundamentally a roasted red pepper and walnut sauce, muhammara is sometimes dubbed ‘Lebanese ketchup’ and I’d encourage you to view it as a sauce with many uses…

• Make a show-stopping side dish by roasting potatoes with garlic and cumin seeds, before layering up with muhammara and crumbled feta. Served with a crisp green salad, some delicious bread and a spiced and roasted whole cauliflower (or slow roasted shoulder of lamb) and you’ve got a delicious twist on a Sunday lunch - perfect for Spring.

• Enjoy as part of a veg sticks and crisp platter with a pot of Sabzi hummus and your homemade muhammara – they make a delicious combination for dipping when you have friends visiting.

• Add a couple of tablespoons to a jam jar, with some good olive oil, a generous dash of lemon and a drizzle of maple syrup. Shake well and use as a salad dressing – this is particularly wonderful to dress roasted vegetables.

• A pasta sauce! Toss through cooked pasta with a couple of ladles of the pasta cooking water, some delicious oil and a handful of parsley and parmesan. Add frozen peas and broccoli for the last 2 minutes of your pasta’s cooking time, if you’d like to up the veg count.

• Spread it in a sandwich or on a pizza for a rich twist on a classic tomato sauce!

Ingredients

Makes 1 litre

• 220g drained weight roasted peppers (either jarred or of course you can roast yourself. Don’t worry if you have slightly more or slightly less)

• ½ large red chilli if medium heat, or a whole if you like spice

• 50g flaked almonds (or whole - I’d just suggest using what you have)

• 100g walnuts

• 80ml lemon juice

• 1tsp pul biber

• 30ml pomegranate molasses

• 120ml good quality rapeseed oil

• 5 cloves confit garlic

• 1 tsp cumin

• ½ tsp sumac

• Salt and pepper to taste

• Water, to loosen

Method

Toast almonds and walnuts in a dry roasting tray in a medium oven until golden and aromatic in scent.

Blend the nuts until a fine powder.

Deseed the peppers and keep any juices.

Add the pepper flesh and juice to the toasted nuts in the food processor.

Add the rest of the spices and wet ingredients and blend well.

Taste and adjust seasoning – this dressing should be rich from the nuts but with a delicious tang from the molasses and lemon.

Add water if required to reach desired consistency – think thick tomato sauce that is suitable for drizzling on roasted veg