Muhamarra with Dukkah

Muhamarra is a nutty roasted red pepper dip. You can make this by itself or add some dukkah to take it to another level. This is great to store in the fridge and just spread on some toast or wholewheat crackers when you are feeling peckish.

Dukkah is a popular Middle Eastern mix of sesame seeds, nuts and whole spices. It’s a flavourful crunchy topping that can be used as a crust for seafood and chicken dishes, to coat roasted veggies or simply as an additional element on salads, dips and sauces.

Instead of store bought crackers & chips, try it with my healthy Chia and Sesame Chips. It’s a really quick & easy recipe.

Try these Middle Eastern dishes:

1. Orange Tahini Yogurt with Mint and Pomegranate

2. Shakshuka

MUHAMARRA

What you need:

3 red peppers

1/4 cup walnuts, slightly toasted

1 tbsp lemon juice

1 tsp red chilly flakes (optional)

2 cloves garlic, chopped roughly

¼ cup extra virgin olive oil

½ cup breadcrumbs

Sea salt and pepper

Putting it all together:

1. Cut the peppers in halves and remove seeds. Coat in olive oil and season. Roast in a baking dish in a preheated over till charred and cooked all over. Allow to cool then peel and discard the skin.

2. In a food processor, blend all of the above ingredients. If your mixture is too thin, add some more bread crumbs. If too thick, add a tablespoon of water. Adjust the tartness, salt and chilly as per your taste. You can also add a dash of Tabasco if you like.

3. Top with a layer of the dukkah and garnish with fresh herbs.

4. You can store in the fridge to serve later. However, always keep out for a while and serve at room temperature.

THE DUKKHA

What you need:

½ cup raw almonds

½ cup raw hazelnuts or pistachios

¼ cup black sesame seeds

½ cup white sesame seeds

1 tsp dried thyme

1/3 cup coriander seeds

¼ cup cumin seeds

Sea salt flakes and cracked pepper

Putting it all together:

1. Toast the nuts in a dry frying pan over medium heat.

2. Turn off heat and add the sesame seeds. Keep stirring

3. Once cooled, add the sesame nut mix to a blender and blitz till coarse.

4. Put nuts with salt and pepper and dried thyme in a bowl and set aside

5. In the same pan, toast cumin and coriander seeds over medium heat for 2 mins.

6. Allow to cool then blend until the seeds are powdered.

7. Add ½ to ¾ of this to the nut mixture. Adjust the ratio of spices to your taste, adding more salt if you prefer it salty.

8. Once cool, store in a container.