Lebanese Muhammara Roasted Red Pepper Walnut Dip with Pomegranate Molasses, Cumin and Flatbread

Roast the peppers: place whole red peppers directly over a gas flame or under a broiler. Char all sides thoroughly — the skin should be blackened and blistered all over, 10-15 minutes. Place in a bowl, cover tightly with plastic wrap, and let steam 15 minutes. The steam loosens the skin effortlessly. Peel away the charred skin, remove seeds and cores. The flesh should be sweet, smoky, and silky.

Ingredients

• 4 large red bell peppers (roasted and peeled — see instructions)
• 1.5 cups walnuts, toasted
• 3 tbsp pomegranate molasses (the tart-sweet backbone of this dip)
• 2 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil, plus more for drizzling
• 1 tbsp fresh lemon juice
• 1-2 dried red chilies (Aleppo pepper preferred, or 1 tsp red pepper flakes)
• 1 tsp ground cumin
• 1 tsp ground coriander
• 1/2 tsp smoked paprika
• 1 small garlic clove
• 2 tbsp breadcrumbs (for body)
• 1/2 tsp salt
• For serving:
• Warm pita bread or flatbread, torn
• Pomegranate seeds
• Extra walnuts, roughly chopped
• Fresh mint leaves
• A final drizzle of very good olive oil

Instructions

1. Roast the peppers: place whole red peppers directly over a gas flame or under a broiler. Char all sides thoroughly — the skin should be blackened and blistered all over, 10-15 minutes. Place in a bowl, cover tightly with plastic wrap, and let steam 15 minutes. The steam loosens the skin effortlessly. Peel away the charred skin, remove seeds and cores. The flesh should be sweet, smoky, and silky.
2. Toast the walnuts: spread in a single layer in a dry pan over medium heat. Toast 5-7 minutes, tossing frequently, until fragrant and golden. Watch carefully — walnuts burn quickly. Let cool.
3. Combine in a food processor: add the roasted peppers, toasted walnuts, pomegranate molasses, olive oil, lemon juice, chilies, cumin, coriander, smoked paprika, garlic, breadcrumbs, and salt.
4. Pulse, don't blend: pulse 8-10 times until the mixture is thick and slightly chunky — muhammara should have texture, not be completely smooth. Taste and adjust: more pomegranate molasses for tartness, more chili for heat, more lemon for brightness. The balance of sweet, sour, spicy, and nutty is everything.
5. Spread onto a wide, shallow plate. Use the back of a spoon to make a swirling well in the center. Drizzle generously with your best olive oil — it pools in the well and shimmers.
6. Scatter pomegranate seeds over the top — they pop with juicy tartness against the rich, smoky dip. Add chopped walnuts and fresh mint.
7. Serve immediately with warm pita. Muhammara originates in Aleppo, Syria, and is beloved throughout Lebanon and the Levant — one of the great dips of the Mediterranean world, deeply savoury with a complexity that reveals itself layer by layer.