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Muhammara (Syrian Red Pepper Dip)

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Muhammara is a delicious, lightly spicy dip made from roast red bell peppers and walnuts. It's originally from the Levant countries of Syria and Lebanon.

Muhammara is a delicious, all-purpose dip. You can serve it with pita or crudités or on top of roast chicken. 

muhammara dip with pita chips and fresh vegetables

What is Muhammara?

The name muhammara comes from the word for red in Arabic - "ahmar" - the invitingly deep red/orange color is a hallmark of the dish.

Some variations of the recipe exist, but this is the traditional Aleppo style recipe with roasted red peppers, walnuts, and pomegranate molasses.

The only non-traditional aspect of this recipe is the use of a food processor to combine the ingredients - it's often made with a mortar and pestle. 

muhammara ingredients

Muhammara Recipe Ingredients

To make a traditional muhammara dip, you'll need the following:

  • 3 large red bell peppers
  • 1 cup plus 1 tablespoon walnuts, divided
  • 3 tablespoons pomegranate molasses, additional for garnish
  • 2 tablespoons olive oil
  • 3 cloves garlic, peeled
  • 1 tablespoon freshly-squeezed lemon juice
  • 1 teaspoon ground cumin
  • 1 teaspoon kosher salt
  • 1 teaspoon Aleppo pepper flakes (or other red pepper flakes)
  • ½ cup bread crumbs
roasted red bell peppers

How to Make Muhammara

Follow these simple steps to make a delicious muhammara:

  1. Turn the oven broiler on and place an oven rack in the upper ⅓ of the oven. 
  2. Toast the walnuts in a small skillet over medium-low heat for 10 minutes. 
  3. When the oven is hot, place the whole red peppers on a baking sheet and roast for 15 minutes or until charred. Halfway through roasting them, flip them over so both sides are charred.
  4. Remove the peppers from the oven and immediately place them in a paper bag or large Tupperware and seal them for 10 minutes, so their steam is trapped. This will loosen the skin and make it easier to peel them.
  5. Add the 1 cup walnuts, pomegranate molasses, olive oil, garlic, lemon juice, cumin, salt, and pepper flakes to a food processor. Pulse several times to combine.
  6. Remove red peppers one at a time and remove stem and seeds from each pepper and then gently peel off the skin and discard.
  7. Add the peppers to the food processor and blitz together till the mixture is smooth. Add the bread crumbs and pulse till combined. If the mixture is too loose, add a bit more bread crumbs and if it’s too thick, add a little more olive oil and lemon juice. 
  8. Spread the muhammara in a serving bowl. Drizzle with pomegranate molasses, garnish with pomegranate seeds, and 1 tablespoon chopped walnuts. 
muhammara dip in a bowl with a cutting board of vegetables and pita chips

Tips for Making Muhammara

The only finicky part of making this is roasting the red peppers and removing the skin - it cuts down on any bitterness if you get rid of the skin (although if you're running short on time - it's not absolutely necessary).

If you want to make it really easy for yourself, you can buy the red peppers pre-roasted and prepared

The red peppers give this the bulk of the flavor, but the pomegranate molasses and the toasted walnuts are what really take it over the top. If you can't find the pomegranate molasses, you can make your own by reducing pomegranate juice.


Yield: 6 servings (2 ½ cups)

Syrian Muhammara Recipe

Muhammara dip in a white bowl topped with pomegranate molasses.

This authentic muhammara recipe yields a lightly spicy dip made from roasted red peppers and walnuts.

Prep Time 10 minutes
Cook Time 15 minutes
Additional Time 20 minutes
Total Time 45 minutes

Ingredients

  • 3 large red bell peppers
  • 1 cup plus 1 tablespoon walnuts, divided
  • 3 tablespoons pomegranate molasses, additional for garnish
  • 2 tablespoons olive oil
  • 3 cloves garlic, peeled
  • 1 tablespoon freshly-squeezed lemon juice
  • 1 teaspoon cumin
  • 1 teaspoon kosher salt
  • 1 teaspoon Aleppo pepper flakes (or other red pepper flakes)
  • ½ cup bread crumbs

Instructions

  1. Turn the oven broiler on and place an oven rack in the upper ⅓ of the oven. 
  2. Toast the walnuts in a small skillet over medium-low heat for 10 minutes. 
  3. When the oven is hot, place the whole red peppers on a baking sheet and roast for 15 minutes or until charred. Halfway through roasting them, flip them over so both sides are charred. 
  4. Remove the peppers from the oven and immediately place them in a paper bag or large Tupperware and seal them for 10 minutes, so their steam is trapped. This will loosen the skin and make it easier to peel them. 
  5. Add the 1 cup walnuts, pomegranate molasses, olive oil, garlic, lemon juice, cumin, salt, and pepper flakes to a food processor. Pulse several times to combine.
  6. Remove red peppers one at a time and remove stem and seeds from each pepper and then gently peel off the skin and discard.
  7. Add the peppers to the food processor and blitz together till the mixture is smooth. Add the bread crumbs and pulse till combined. If the mixture is too loose, add a bit more bread crumbs and if it’s too thick, add a little more olive oil and lemon juice. 
  8. Spread the muhammara in a serving bowl. Drizzle with pomegranate molasses, garnish with pomegranate seeds, and 1 tablespoon chopped walnuts. 

Nutrition Information:

Yield:

6

Serving Size:

1

Amount Per Serving: Calories: 132Total Fat: 6gSaturated Fat: 1gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 5gCholesterol: 0mgSodium: 424mgCarbohydrates: 19gFiber: 1gSugar: 10gProtein: 2g

JJ

Saturday 8th of May 2021

About a year ago I went to restaurant serving mostly Syrian food. I love roasted red peppers and seeing this on the menu, I ordered it as a side. The main course was meh but this was amazing. Tonight is the 2nd time I've made your recipe. This is so easy to make and the only problem is that I might eat the whole batch in one sitting. THANK YOU!!!!!

Emily

Tuesday 11th of May 2021

I am so thrilled you like this recipe! I've had several similar experiences with muhammara at restaurants where it's truly the standout dish. It's such a great combination of flavors!

ElegantlyVegan Ⓥ

Monday 22nd of January 2018

Oh, I love Muhammara! I just haven't dared to try to make my own. It looks straightforward though.

Beautiful blog btw!

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