Muhammara Recipe: Authentic Syrian Red Pepper and Walnut Dip

• 150 g sweet Syrian red pepper paste (debs fleifleh, about 4 heaped tbsp)
• 1 tbsp hot red pepper paste or 1 tsp flaky Aleppo pepper (adjust to taste)
• 150 g walnut halves (reserve a few whole halves to garnish)
• 50 g fine plain breadcrumbs or crushed unsweetened kaak rusks (about 4 to 5 tbsp)
• 2 to 3 tbsp concentrated pomegranate molasses
• 1 tbsp tahini (optional, for a rounder Aleppine texture) and 1 tbsp lemon juice
• 1 small garlic clove (mashed to a paste), 1 tsp ground cumin and salt only if needed
• 60 ml extra-virgin olive oil, plus 2 tbsp extra to drizzle on top

Preparation Steps

1. 1Toast the walnuts in a dry frying pan over medium heat for 3 to 4 minutes until fragrant without darkening, let them cool completely, then chop one-third coarsely by hand for crunch.
2. 2Pulse the remaining two-thirds of the walnuts with the breadcrumbs in a food processor until finely ground, stopping before the nuts turn oily.
3. 3Add the sweet and hot pepper pastes, pomegranate molasses, tahini, lemon juice, garlic and cumin, pulsing briefly while trickling in the olive oil; loosen with 1 to 2 tbsp cold water if the mixture feels too stiff.
4. 4Fold in the hand-chopped walnuts, taste before adding any salt (Syrian pepper paste is naturally salty) and let the muhammara rest cool for 30 minutes so the breadcrumbs hydrate and thicken.
5. 5Swoosh the dip onto a shallow plate with the back of a spoon, pool extra-virgin olive oil and a ribbon of pomegranate molasses in the grooves, garnish with walnut halves and serve with warm flatbread.