Homemade Muhammara (Red Pepper and Walnut Dip)

Originated from Syria and a very important part of Levantine and Israeli cuisine. The word muhammara means “red” and it very adequately describes the vibrant color you’ll get from making the dip. 

My first time exposure to this delicious dip was in Baltimore, MD where I use to travel often for work purposes. Right near the harbor, there is an excellent family owned restaurant called Lebanese Taverna. They serve the most tastiest Mediterranean platter which consist of baba ganoush, hommus, falafels and muhammara with freshly baked pita. The sweet, savory and creamy texture of Muhammara is something your tastebuds will never forget. It so hard to stop eating once you start.

Few of my friends were coming over for brunch and the planned menu was Mediterranean. I knew I had to recreate this stellar dish for them. After reading through numerous recipes, I used Minimalist Baker’s recipe as a guide. This dip can be made in less than 30 minutes with minimal prep. My friends definitely were a huge fan of this sweet, savory and nutty dip. A great pairing would be pita chips, warm pita, pretzels,crackers or vegetables.

I would love to hear about your experience making it, if you snapped some shots of it, share it with me on Instagram so I can repost on my stories!

Ingredients:

• 3 red bell peppers*
• 1/2-1 cup raw chopped walnuts
• 2-3 Tbsp bread crumbs or panko bread crumbs
• 1 tsp cumin seeds or ground cumin
• 1 Tbsp pomegranate molasses*
• 1/2 lemon juiced
• 2 tsp crushed red pepper flakes*
• 1 tsp grated ginger
• Za’atar for topping (optional)
• Salt as per taste

Directions:

1. To roast bell peppers:

• Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Place your red bell peppers on a sheet pan and coat them with olive oil or nonstick spray.
• Bake for 20 minutes, flipping halfway until you get a nice roast on the skin.
• Once baked, remove from the oven and start to take the skin off. You can leave the skin on if you prefer. Otherwise with a fork or by hand remove the skin.
• Cut in half and de-seed the inside of the peppers. Be careful when handling hot/warm peppers.

2. In a food processor or blender, add your walnuts, bread crumbs, pomegranate molasses, red pepper flakes, ginger, lemon juice, cumin, and salt. Pulse until all the ingredients are combined

3. Add roasted bell peppers and pulse few times until mixed.

4. Ensure it does not become pureed. This dip tastes best when left a bit grainy.

5. Sprinkle za’atar and serve it warm or cold with pita or vegetables.

Tips:

*Jarred roasted bell peppers can be substituted for fresh bell peppers

*Pomegranate juice can be substituted for pomegranate molasses. If you really can’t find the molasses, then lemon juice and honey would be alternative.

A quick way to make molasses, heat 1/3 cup of pomegranate juice , bring it to a rolling simmer and keep it simmering for about 20 minutes. It should reduce in quantity and start to thicken up.

*Cayenne pepper or Paprika can be substituted for crushed red pepper flakes. It can be overpowering therefore use it at your taste discretion.

*If you are a fan of garlic, then add 1-2 garlic cloves after processing the walnuts mixture.

*Let it chill before serving. However, if you are crunch on time you can serve it warm/room temperature.

*If you are unable to find Za’atar, a great substitute is Knorr Taste of Middle East World Flavor Seasonings, which can be easily found at your local Walmart or grocery stores.

Cheers & Enjoy!

Chawli (Black Eyed Peas) and Kala Chana (Brown Chickpeas)

Let’s talk about Black Eyed Peas, no not the band, although I love all of their songs. So what are Black Eyed Peas? A legume and depending on which part of the world you are from there are many different names like Cowpea, Hoppin’ John, Lobia, Chawli etc. Aside from Indian cuisine, it is widely used in traditional soul food. In Europe, its dressed with olive oil and vinegar to be used as a salad. Whichever way you prefer, its packed with calcium, protein, fiber and very diabetic friendly. I am a huge fan of legumes, black eyed peas rate pretty high on the list.

So what about those Kala Chana? First of not sure why they are called kala chana but in reality they are dark brownish. Never understood that translation nore found any credible information about it. Kala Chana is another legume which is rich in protein, and iron. It is used in many Indian dishes and could be made into different varieties. One variety you will find is during North Indian festivities, when it is served with puri halwa. Interestingly, the soluble fiber in black chickpeas binds the bile acids and prevents it from being absorbed by the body, thus reducing cholesterol levels. Daily consumption of around 3/4 cup of chickpeas helps to decrease LDL cholesterol and total cholesterol triglycerides. So just like our friend black eyed peas, this legume is also diabetic friendly.

The below variations of black eyed peas and brown chickpeas are just some ways to enjoy this legume. I am a fan of simplicity and love a dish that is packed with flavors. These can be enjoyed on a lazy cooking day or rainy days. Of course, if you don’t have both of these legumes on hand, you can utilize one or the other.

I hope you like and try at least one of these methods.

Black Eyed and Brown Chick Peas Curry

Ingredients:

• 1/2 cup black eyed peas , soaked overnight and drained OR 1 can of black eyed peas.
• 1/2 cup brown chick peas, soaked overnight and drained
• 1-2 Tbsp Oil*
• 2 cups water
• 1 cup diced tomatoes or paste
• 1/2 cup diced carrots* (optional)
• 1/2 cup diced bell peppers/capsicum*(optional)
• 1/4 tsp cumin seeds
• 1 tsp of turmeric powder
• 1 tsp chili powder or paprika
• 1 tsp garam masala
• 1/4 tsp black pepper
• 1- 1.5 tsp ginger , chopped or grated
• 1 Tbsp lemon juice
• 1/3 cup of chopped coriander/cilantro* (optional)
• Salt to taste

Directions:

1. Take both of the soaked peas , salt, 2 cups of water and add it to a pressure cooker. Cook for at least 3 whistles.
2. Allow the pressure cooker to cool down before opening the lid. Drain the peas to discard all the water.
3. Heat oil in a pan, add cumin seed, let them crackle and ginger.
4. Add the tomatoes and saute on a medium setting for about 2-3 minutes.
5. Add all the spices (turmeric, chili powder, garam masala, black pepper, salt) and cook for additional 2 minutes until all the spices get incorporated into the tomato mixture.
6. Add the cooked peas, along with water and cook for 5 minutes on medium setting. Stir occasionally.
7. Garnish with coriander , add the lemon juice and serve it hot with rice or roti

Tips:

*Vegetable or Canola Oil taste best, however Olive oil will taste good as well. Also, adjust the amount if cooking in large quantity.

*If you like it spicy, adjust the amount of chili powder and garam masala. You can also adjust the ginger amount to your taste buds.

*If you eat onion and garlic, saute chopped onion and garlic before adding your tomatoes.

*Carrots and Bell Peppers are completely optional, I happened to have them in the fridge so decided to add it in.

*I like using fresh tomatoes in this recipe, however tomato paste or sauce works perfectly fine in this recipe.

*Normally I soak these black eyed peas for at least 12 hours before cooking, however if you are short on time, the canned black eyed peas work perfectly well.

*You can eliminate one of the peas if you do not have them on hand. This can be made without one or the other.

Mixed Peas Salad

Ingredients:

• 1/2 cup black eyed peas , cooked
• 1/2 cup brown chick peas, cooked
• 1/2 cup bell peppers (any colors)
• 1/2 cup tomatoes, chopped
• 1/4 cup of coriander/cilantro, chopped
• 2 Tbsp of jalapeños
• 2 Tbsp lemon or lime juice
• 1 tsp chili powder
• 1 tsp dhana jiru (coriander cumin powder)
• 1 Tbsp chaat powder
• 1/4 tsp crushed black pepper
• Salt to taste

Directions:

1. Pressure cook the legumes as mentioned above. Traditionally when I cook legume, I make large batch so I can use the cooked legumes multiple ways.
2. Mix all the ingredients together. Adjust the spices and salt according to your taste.
3. This mixture can be made and stored upto 1 day in the fridge.

Tips:

*Adjust the spices according to your taste. For milder version, omit the jalapeños.

*This salad can be prepared 1 day in advance in case you are serving for a party. Can be served alone or with tortilla chips.

*If you eat onions, add 1/3 cup of red onions to the mixture.

Cheers and Enjoy!