Muhammara is a roasted red pepper dip from the Middle East with walnuts, pistachio and pomegranate molasses. It tastes sweet, sour, smoky, salty, and is a little bit spicy. For a nut-free version, use sunflower seeds instead of walnuts and pistachios. Serve with fresh pita bread, crackers, vegetable sticks, or Belgian endive. Or use it as a spread on sandwiches.

Ingredients (For 280 g):

• 2 red bell peppers
• 50 g walnuts, roughly chopped
• 20 g pistachios
• 2-3 TBSP (30-45 ml) pomegranate molasses*
• 3 TBSP bread crumbs*
• 1 TSP lemon juice
• ½ TSP salt
• 3/4 TSP chili powder
• 1 clove of garlic, minced
• ¼ TSP ground cumin
• Chopped pistachios and pomegranate molasses as a garnish

Instructions:

1. Roast the bell peppers on a baking sheet in the preheated oven at 210°C circulating air (410°F) for 20-25 minutes. Let them cool down. Then peel away the core, seeds, and the black skin.
2. Blend all ingredients in a food processor only roughly, because a little texture is nice. Adjust flavour if needed.
3. The leftovers can be stored in an airtight container in the fridge up to three days. Is eaten at room temperature.

*Homemade bread crumbs:
Put some bread slices on an additional baking sheet while roasting the bell peppers. Take out when the bread is hard. Let cool down. Then grate them to bread crumbs.

*Homemade pomegranate molasses:
One pomegranate contains 1 TBSP pomegranate molasses. After peeling, mix the pomegranate in a food processor. Put the juice through a sieve and then heat it up in a small saucepan over medium heat without lid until it reaches a low boil. Then reduce the heat to a steady simmer and cook until the consistency is syrupy (around 15 minutes). Set aside to cool.