Spice up your next cocktail party with this simple to make yet delish dip by Yotam Ottolenghi.
When I catered for a friend’s birthday party her request was cocktail / finger food. On the menu was this rich and tasty capsicum dip originating from Syria and Lebanon, known as Muhammara. Perfect for a cocktail party served with bread or crackers. It tastes amazing with poached eggs on toast for brekkie, or on sandwiches.
There are many recipes out there, but I could not go past Yotam Ottolenghi. The recipe calls for Aleppo chili flakes which are available at specialist grocers and Herbies the BEST most AMAZING spice people if you are in Australia. I had none so I substituted the Aleppo chili flakes with normal chili flakes, and I am pleased to say it worked out well. Finding pomegranate seeds in winter was another challenge hence again I omitted these.
How to make Chef Yotam Ottolenghi's Muhammara Dip
Ingredients
- 5 red capsicums (red bell peppers)
- 50 grams fresh breadcrumbs
- 1/2 tbsp lemon juice
- 1 tbsp pomegranate molasses
- 1½ tsp ground cumin
- 1 tbsp Aleppo chilli flakes
- 1 garlic clove peeled and crushed
- 50 grams walnuts finely chopped
- 2 tbsp olive oil plus extra to finish
- Pinch salt
Instructions
- Heat the oven to 200C. Put the capsicums on a tray and roast for 30-35 minutes, turning occasionally, until they are cooked, and the skin is blackened.
- Transfer to a bowl, cover with clingfilm.
- Allow to cool completely. Peel and discard the inner seeds.
- Blitz in a food processor but allow the capsicum to have some texture, you don’t want a smooth looking paste.
- Add the breadcrumbs, lemon juice, molasses, cumin, chili and garlic. Blitz a few more times.
- Stir through the walnuts, pinch of salt and the olive oil. Spoon the dip into a shallow bowl, drizzle with more olive oil and serve at room temperature.