Last Updated on June 13, 2022
Muhammara Recipe
Muhammara (pronounced moo-hum-mara) is a popular Syrian Shami dish that is served as a Mezza, ie, appetizer.  Its literal meaning is “reddened” which refers to the reddish color of the dip that comes from red peppers. Muhammara Recipe is quite simple to make, yet quite rich in taste, and mezza lovers would rejoice over it.
Lebanese Muhammara Recipe
There are a number of variations to preparing a successful and tasty Muhammara, and in this post we’re featuring a recipe that we adopted from different recipes and fine tuned to the ecstasy of our taste buds. Thanks to our friends Nabil and Souheila for sharing their version.
Muhammara Recipe Ingredients: 5 servings
- 2 large red peppers (or 3 medium sized)
- 1/4th of a small onion
- 2 garlic cloves
- 1 teaspoon cumin
- 1/2 teaspoon coriander
- 1 teaspoon paprika
- 1/2 teaspoon chili powder
- 1/4 teaspoon of salt
- 1/2 teaspoon of Arabic 7 Spices
- 1.5 cups of walnuts
- 2 tablespoons of pomegranate molasses
- 1/2 lemon juiced
- 1/2 cup of bread crumbs
Preparation of Roasted Red Peppers Dip
Roast the peppers in the upper layer of the oven (closest to the flames) at high broil, for about 8 minutes. Turn them every 2 minutes so they don’t char too much. Once done, peel away the charred skin and remove the seeds.  Drop the peppers in the food processor, along with the other ingredients and let it spin for 7-10 minutes. The texture of the dip should be a grainy paste.
Serving Muhammara
Pour in a serving bowl, garnish with a bit of walnuts and a sprinkle of olive oil. Serve warm or cold with toasted pita bread as a dip.  Muhammara is usually served as a Mezza appetizer, along with other Mezza dips and dishes.
PS. The leftovers last 2 to 3 days in the fridge.
For the Adventurous:
We were surprised to find in a Lebanese cooking book the suggestion to use chilli peppers instead of red peppers, and to soak them in hot olive oil instead of roasting them. Another variation is to use raw red peppers instead of roasted ones. You could also add with the mixture a couple of roasted red hot chili peppers. If you end up trying either variation let us know how it turned out.
I discovered this recipe while looking for vegan dips to make for my daughters baby shower. Your Muhammara recipe did not disappoint! This is a keeper. Everyone loved it.
Where can I get Arabic spices from?
Lisa Arabic spices could be ordered online these days, if you have Amazon there is a ton of them. Or if you have local middle eastern stores in the neighborhood they usually carry them.
My Grandmother always made Muhammara with a mix of roasted red peppers and a few chilli peppers in the mix to as he would say “remind people they are alive.” 🙂
But this recipe was perfect for my taste and my families! Thank you for sharing.
Thank you for the feedback Umm Nour and i agree about the chilli pepper 🙂
made this today from your recipe and it was absolutely delicious!
magicalsummer thank you for the feedback and I’m glad you’ve enjoyed the muhammara