Basya Tsybukmakher
Preparation
Muhammara sauce—Syria is considered the birthplace of this puréed sauce, but thanks to its wonderful flavor and aroma, it is very popular in Egypt, Libya, Israel, Turkey, and many other places. This sauce is equally good with meat, fish, or simply bread.
In fact, it is not all that difficult to make. The main “stars” of the sauce are walnuts and roasted bell peppers. The remaining ingredients give the sauce the necessary thickness and its distinctive, vibrant flavor.
Place the bell peppers in an oven preheated to one hundred eighty degrees for 10-15 minutes (or microwave them at full power for 10 minutes). Then transfer them to a bowl, cover, and let stand for 5 minutes.
The peppers will then be easy to peel; remove the membranes and seeds. Cut into pieces of any shape.
Pour olive oil into a frying pan, add the finely chopped garlic and onions, and fry over medium heat until golden. (To preserve the garlic’s aroma, you can leave it unfried.)
Toast the walnuts in a separate frying pan for 3-5 minutes.
Grind the cumin seeds in a mortar or coffee grinder.
Place the bell peppers, walnuts, hot pepper, garlic, and all the remaining ingredients except the onions in a blender. Blend until smooth, then, with the blender still running, add the fried onions along with the oil.
Enjoy your meal!Kitchen measures
| Ingredient | Cup | Tbsp | Tsp |
|---|---|---|---|
| Wheat flour | 140 g | 10 g | 3 g |
| Sugar | 200 g | 12 g | 4 g |
| Salt | 290 g | 18 g | 6 g |
| Butter | 230 g | 15 g | — |
| Powdered sugar | 120 g | 10 g | 3 g |
| Honey | 320 g | 22 g | — |
| Cornstarch | 140 g | 10 g | — |
| Cocoa | 140 g | — | — |
| Oil | 200 g | — | — |