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Arab Style Red Chili Dip with Onions - Muhammara Recipe

Red Chili Dip
This red chili dip is easy to make because you just combine all the ingredients. Sumac might be an ingredient that you have not used before. It gives sourness to recipes, rather like lemon juice. Sumac comes from the berries of a Mediterranean wild bush. These berries are dried and then crushed to make a reddish purple powder, which is fruity but sour. If you cannot find sumac you can use lemon juice instead or even a touch of lime juice in the recipe. It will be slightly different to the traditional recipe but still sour and sharp, as it is supposed to be.


Muhammara Recipe

Arab food is varied and delicious and you can could the regional dishes from Afghanistan, Turkey, India, Morocco, Yemen, Somalia and more places in the Middle Eastern world as Arab style recipes. A long time ago, the Arab diet was based on barley, wheat, rice, meat, and dates. Yogurt was also very popular. Modern Arabian cuisine features meat, fish, chicken, herbs and spices, dairy products, vegetables, nuts and dressings. Dressing and sauces often contain parsley, olive oil, garlic, tanihi (sesame paste), lemon juice, or thinned yogurt. Dips are popular and enjoyed with kabobs, meat dishes and more. A red chili dip or chili pepper dip is something that would feature in an Arab meal.

Muhammara Recipe

Sour Tomato and Chili Pepper Dip

Because Arab cuisine encompasses so many regions, there are a lot of differences in what people eat in different areas. Some dishes are native to some Arabian countries but unheard of in others. Cinnamon is often used in Arab meat dishes, unlike in many western cuisines, as well in desserts. Fried dough and rice pudding are popular Arabian desserts and ground nuts are often used in pastries and cakes. Fruit juices are popular in many Arab countries and saffron is used in beverages, rice dishes, candies and more.

Arab Chili Dip Ingredients

 
  1. 3 tomatoes, de-seeded and finely chopped
  2. 1 cup parsley, finely chopped
  3. ½ red onion, finely chopped
  4. 1 teaspoon sumac
  5. 2 tablespoons lemon juice
  6. ½ teaspoon crushed cayenne pepper
  7. 2 small red chilies, de-seeded and very finely chopped
  8. 1 teaspoon grenadine syrup or pomegranate paste
  9. 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil Salt, to taste

Arab Red Chili Dip Preparation

  • Mix the onion with the salt and sumac, then stir in all the other ingredients and let the dip chill for an hour in the refrigerator.
  • Serve it with any kind of kebab, with crackers or with chips for dipping.

Muhammara Recipe Nutrition Facts

Servings: 9
Amount per serving  
  1. Calories 39
  2. Total Fat 0.4g 1%
  3. Saturated Fat 0.1g 0%
  4. Cholesterol 0mg 0%
  5. Sodium 37mg 2%
  6. Total Carbohydrate 8.4g 3%
  7. Dietary Fiber 1.1g 4%
  8. Total Sugars 3.4g  
  9. Protein 0.9g  
  10. Vitamin D 0mcg 0%
  11. Calcium 15mg 1%
  12. Iron 1mg 4%
  13. Potassium 150mg 3%

Spicy Red Chili Dip

Arab Style Red Chili Dip with Onions

This chili pepper dip is bright red, which makes it look instantly appealing and tempting. The sumac is an ingredient you might not have used before it is used a lot in Arabic cuisine, mainly to give a sour flavor. This red chili dip is great with tortilla chips, potato chips or as an accompaniment to a salad. This is one of our easy party appetizers and if you are serving kabobs, this chili pepper dip is really good with them, especially if they are lamb kabobs. There are lots of dip recipes to choose from if you are having a party and you might like to make a selection of different ones - perhaps a smooth, creamy dip, a hot vegetable dip and this spicy chili pepper dip.