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Muhammara

There are many versions of this exquisite Turkish and Syrian relish. Serve it with bread as an appetizer, or as an accompaniment to a cooked vegetable salad, or with broiled fish or meat.

Recipe information

  • Yield

    serves 6-8

Ingredients

1 1/4 cups shelled walnuts
1 1/2–2 tablespoons tomato paste
1 slice whole-wheat bread, crusts removed, lightly toasted
1/2 cup extra-virgin olive oil
2 tablespoons pomegranate syrup (also called “concentrate” or “molasses”)
1 teaspoon coarsely ground red-pepper flakes or a pinch of ground chili pepper
1 teaspoon ground cumin
2 teaspoons sugar
Salt

Preparation

  1. Blend all the ingredients to a rough (not too smooth) paste in the food processor.

Cover of Claudia Roden's The New Book of Middle Easter Food, featuring a blue filigree bowl filled with Meyer lemons and sprigs of mint.
Reprinted with permission from The New Book of Middle Eastern Food, copyright © 2000 by Claudia Roden, published by Knopf. Buy the full book on Amazon or Bookshop.
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