Muhammara

1Preparation

1. Wash the red peppers and pat them dry.
2. Heat the oven to 230°C.
3. Peel the garlic cloves.

2Cooking

1. Roast the whole peppers on a tray in the oven, turning them halfway, until the skins blister and blacken in many places.

   ♨️ oven 230°C⏱ 25 min timer
2. Toast the walnuts in a dry pan, stirring, until fragrant and slightly darker, then tip them onto a plate to cool.

   🔥 medium heat⏱ 5 min timer
3. Put the hot peppers in a bowl, cover it tightly and leave them until slightly cooled and the skins loosen.

   ⏱ 10 min timer
4. Peel the peppers, remove the stems and seeds, then blot them with paper towel so they are not too wet.

   ⏱ 5 min timer
5. Pulse the walnuts and garlic in a food processor a few times until coarsely crumbled.

   ⏱ 1 min timer
6. Add the peppers, red pepper paste, pomegranate molasses, lemon juice, cumin, Aleppo pepper and salt, and pulse briefly to a thick paste that still has small bits of walnut.

   ⏱ 1 min timer
7. Stir in the breadcrumbs and olive oil with a spoon until the mixture holds together and spreads without running.

   ⏱ 1 min timer

3Serving

1. Spread the muhammara on the serving plate and make a shallow well in the middle with the back of a spoon.
2. Pour the olive oil into the well and scatter over the broken walnuts and parsley.
3. Serve at room temperature with flatbread.

💡 Tips & common mistakes

• Common mistake: blending until it is smooth like a purée. Good muhammara keeps a little walnut texture, so use short pulses.
• Taste before serving and balance it: if it is too sweet add lemon, if too sharp add a little more red pepper paste.
• The flavour improves after an hour in the fridge, and it keeps covered for up to 4 days.

🔁 Substitutions

• Use well-drained jarred roasted red peppers to save time.
• If you have no red pepper paste, use 1 tablespoon of tomato paste plus an extra pinch of chili flakes.