My friends William and Cindy are living in Bahrain. Bahrain is a small island country in the Persian Gulf, just east of Saudi Arabia and south of Iran and Iraq.
Cindy is a professor at the Bahrainian Teachers College, where she teaches computer applications courses on how to use technology in the classroom, and William has just started teaching Culinary Arts at the U.S. high school in Bahrain.
I’ve been living vicariously through them by reading their bi-weekly emails about living in Bahrain. As you might imagine, they have experienced many challenges with setting up a household overseas. My favorite parts of their emails are when William explains what he is making for dinner, which always sounds delicious to me.
When I asked them to share a Bahrainian recipe to share with you, they sent one for a delicious bell pepper dip, called Muhammara. This is what Cindy told me about it, “Our friend Sarah made this wonderful Syrian dish for us…it could be considered a dip but we ate it “as is” by the spoonful. It’s not quite Bahrainian but it seems that few things are in the food world; at least it’s a true Middle Eastern dish.”
When we prepared the recipe in the Betty Crocker Kitchens, we thought it would be a perfect appetizer to serve during the Super Bowl game next week.
Muhammara (Spicy Bell Pepper Dip)
2 red bell peppers, quartered
2 chopped cups walnuts
1 small white onion, finely chopped
2 tablespoons pomegranate molasses (from a Middle Eastern store or restaurant: see photo below)
1 teaspoon paprika
½ teaspoon salt
½ teaspoon ground cumin
¼ teaspoon red chili pepper flakes
Juice of ½ lemon
1. In food processor bowl with metal blade, place bell peppers; process until smooth. Remove to a medium bowl.
2. In food processor bowl with metal blade, place 1 cup of the walnuts; process until paste forms(mixture will not be smooth); add to bowl with bell peppers.
3. Stir in remaining 1 cup walnuts and remaining ingredients. Adjust the spices and chili peppers as desired. For the best flavor, cover and refrigerate overnight.
2 1/3 cups dip
Tips:
If mixture looks a bit watery, add some soft bread crumbs or dry bread crumbs to soak up the excess juice.
Drizzle a little olive oil over the top for a richer flavor.
Serve with pita chips. To make pita chips, cut flat bread into wedges; brush with olive oil. Sprinkle with cracked pepper, salt and garlic powder. Place on cookie sheet. Bake at 375°F. 10 to 12 minutes or until crispy and golden brown.
Here is another recipe for Muhammara using roasted red peppers.