How to make muhammara:
Muhammara is a blessing for the weight watchers and for everyone who are looking for healthy alternatives to the likes mayonnaise, ranch dressings etc. It has the power to make any bland dish into a show stopper. It is a healthy red coloured middle eastern dip whose roots come from Syria. Rich with healthy ingredients and the ease of preparation makes this middle eastern dip an excellent choice for everyday snacking or for any event. It is surely going to be a hit among family and friends, once tried. It is a perfectly satisfying yet nutritious accompaniment to go with your snacks, breads, sandwiches, grilled meats or as a sauce for stir fried meat or vegetables. In fact, if you don’t mind, it is best eaten without any accompaniment. It is so delicious. Made with walnuts, roasted red bell pepper and olive oil, this delicious, tangy, smoky and creamy spread will surely tantalise your taste buds to have it more and more and why to stop when it is bursting with goodness of vitamin C,E,K and omega-3 fats majorly alpha- linolenic acid in walnuts, oleic acid in olive oil which are anti inflammatory, supports good heart health and lowers the risk of chronic diseases. Walnuts are also known to support good gut health as well. Roasting the peppers brings out the sweetness in them and gives a smoky kick to the dip.
Recipe is very simple and straightforward as we just need to blend all the ingredients into a smooth paste and keep it refrigerated for 1-2 hr for all the flavours to blend in. However, there can be variations in the recipe to suit ones taste. In this version, we are soaking walnuts to remove anti-nutrients and make the nutrients more easily absorbable by the body. We are not using chilli here. Generally bread crumbs are added to make a thick spread which we are avoiding to make it gluten free and pomegranate molasses is also avoided in this recipe to avoid sugar and also the fact that is is not easily available. Instead lemon juice is used here. However molasses renders a wonderful tart flavour to the dip. We are adding apricots, dates here to incorporate sweetness in a healthy way. The outcome of this recipe is a thick, rich, creamy, flavourful spread. This spread can stay in refrigerator for 4-5 days and can be a saviour for those busy days. So lets start learning how to make muhammara dip.

Ingredients:
Walnuts (soaked in water for at least 2-3 hours)- 1 cup
Red bell pepper(red capsicum) – 1
Olive oil (extra virgin)- 1/4 cup
Lemon juice – Juice of 1/2 lemon( can add more )
Cumin powder – 2 tsp
Salt – to taste
Dates/apricots – 2-3 pcs

Recipe:
1) Soak 1 cup of walnuts for at least 2-3 hours.
2) Wash the capsicum. Poke 1-2 small holes and keep it on roasting. Keep on changing its position from time to time to get a nice roasted bell pepper.
2) Wash the walnuts nicely and put them in blender and grind well. Scrape sides and grind as finely as possible without adding water. We will use roasted bell pepper later which will have enough liquid to make a paste. In addition to it, we are going to add lemon juice and olive oil. So there is enough liquid.
3) After the red capsicum is fully roasted, cool it. Peel the charred skin and remove all the seeds. Chop it and put in in blender along with walnuts. Blend them few times.
4) Now add salt, cumin powder, juice of half lemon. Blend everything well until you get a thick paste.
5) Add 1/4 cup of extra virgin olive oil and blend everything well again until you find a smooth paste.
6) Transfer the paste to a jar and add chopped dates or apricots. In case the paste is still chunky you can add extra olive oil or lemon juice to make a smooth paste. Let the paste sit for 1-2 hours for the flavours to blend in nicely. If needed, it can be consumed instantly as well.
Your spread is ready to eat. Eat it just as it is or use in your sandwiches or with vegetables and feel blessed. Keep it refrigerated. It will stay good for 4-5 days when refrigerated. If not refrigerated, it should be consumed in one day.
Recipe with photos: