Middle Eastern walnut dip from The Chile Pepper Bible by Judith Finlayson
Enjoy this Middle Eastern walnut dip
Ingredients
- 2 bell peppers red, roasted (see tips in Step 1)
- 1/2 cup walnuts toasted
- 1/2 cup pine nuts lightly toasted
- 4 onions (green) white and some of the green parts, cut into chunks
- 2 cloves garlic peeled and coarsely chopped
- 2 tbsp lemon juice (fresh)
- 2 tbsp pomegranate molasses
- 1 tbsp chile peppers red finger chile, sliced
- 1/4 tsp cayenne pepper or 2 tsp Aleppo pepper
- 2 tsp cumin (dried) ground
- 1 tsp sea salt (omit or reduce for low-sodium diets)
- 1/4 cup olive oil (extra virgin)
Instructions
- To roast peppers: Brush peppers lightly with oil and place them directly on a hot grill on a preheated barbecue, or arrange them on a baking sheet and place under a preheated broiler. Grill or broil, turning 2 or 3 times, until the skin on all sides is blackened, about 20 minutes. Transfer to a heatproof bowl. Cover with a plate and let stand until cool. Using a sharp knife, lift off the skin, reserving any accumulated juices. Discard skin, stems and seeds.
- Peel, seed and cut roasted red peppers into quarters.
- In food processor fitted with the metal blade, combine roasted red peppers, walnuts, pine nuts, green onions, garlic, lemon juice, pomegranate molasses, finger chile, Aleppo pepper, cumin and salt. Pulse until finely chopped, about 15 times, stopping and scraping down the side of the bowl as necessary.
- Add olive oil and pulse until blended and desired consistency is achieved, about 6 times. (You want some texture to remain from the walnuts.)
- Transfer to a small serving bowl. Serve immediately or cover and refrigerate for up to 3 days. If refrigerated, before serving, let stand at room temperature to allow the flavors to bloom, about 20 minutes.
Notes
Courtesy of The Chile Pepper Bible: From Sweet & Mild to Fiery & Everything in Between by Judith Finlayson © 2016 www.robertrose.ca Reprinted with publisher permission. Available where books are sold.
Pomegranate molasses can be found in Middle Eastern markets, or buy Pomegranate Molasses
here. If you can't find it, you can take a bottle of pomegranate juice and simmer it over medium heat until it is reduced by at least half, and coats the back of a spoon.
here. If you can't find it, you can take a bottle of pomegranate juice and simmer it over medium heat until it is reduced by at least half, and coats the back of a spoon.