Whip up this incredible Smoky Muhammara for a delicious start to the week! Enjoy it with toasted pita bread or as a spicy dip with kebabs, grilled meats and fish.

This recipe calls for pomegranate molasses which is Middle Eastern in origin but with an abundance of pomegranates here in India there is no reason to buy expensive imported versions ans there is every reason for this to become a staple in your kitchen!

Ingredients for Muhammara:

3 red capsicums

100g shelled walnuts

1 tsp whole coriander seeds

2 tbsp pomegranate molasses

2 tomatoes, tough top removed

1 clove of garlic

4 tbsp extra virgin olive oil

Juice of half a lemon

Pinch of chilli flakes

Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste

Ingredients for pomegranate molasses:

4 kg fresh pomegranates or 1 l pomegranate juice

1/2 tsp sea salt

Instructions for pomegranate molasses:

Cut the pomegranate in half and juice them in a juicer or by removing the, squeezing them to remove the juice and then straining through a muslin cloth. You need approximately 1 litre of juice.

Boil the juice over high heat for 20 minutes. Then add in salt, turn down the heat to a medium-low flame and simmer for around 1 hour until thickened. You want it to be the consistency of honey. Keep an eye on it to ensure it doesn’t burn.

Let it cool and pour into a sterilised jar or bottle. This can be stored for moths in the fridge and poured over anything.

Instructions for Muhammara:

First you need to char the peppers to get that really smoky flavour. The best way to do this is to char the skin of the pepper on the outside over the gas stove until the skin is blistering and black.

Alternately, heat the over to 450°F or 232°C and place the whole capsicum directly on a baking sheet and roast for 20 to 25 minutes or until blackened on the outside.

Remove from the heat and cover with foil or place in a ziplock bag whilst still hot. After 10 minutes, peel away the skin and remove the core and seeds. Set aside and allow to cool further.

Toast the walnuts in a dry pan until they have taken on some colour, around 3 to 5 minutes on a medium flame. Add the coriander seeds and cook for a further 1 minute until nicely brown with the coriander seeds releasing their fragrance.

Add pomegranate molasses, toasted walnuts, coriander seeds, tomatoes, garlic, olive oil, lemon juice and a pinch of chilli flakes to a blender or food processor, and pulse (instead of blend) to combine. Add roasted peppers, season with salt and black pepper and pulse a few more times to combine. This gives it a rough texture instead of turning it into a puree, but if you prefer it smooth, you can blend instead.

Taste and adjust the flavour, add more salt if needed, lemon for sharpness, garlic or chilli flakes for heat and pomegranate molasses for sweetness and depth.

Serve in a bowl with a little extra olive oil or pomegranate molasses drizzled over the top with a handful of pomegranate seeds and chopped walnuts.

Store leftovers covered in the refrigerator for up to 3 days. Let it cool to room temperature before serving.