Turkish cuisine · Salads & Mezze

Walnut Pepper Paste

Spicy paste from Gaziantep with pepper paste, walnuts, cumin and pomegranate molasses.

Ingredients · for 6 servings

• 150 g walnuts
• 3 tbsp pepper paste
• 60 g breadcrumbs
• 1 tsp cumin
• 2 tbsp pomegranate molasses
• 1 clove garlic
• 5 tbsp olive oil
• 1 tsp isot pepper
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 1 flatbread

Instructions

1. Toast the walnuts in a dry pan over medium heat for 3–4 min. until fragrant, let cool and grind coarsely in a food chopper.
2. Crush the garlic clove with the salt into a paste and stir together with the pepper paste in a bowl.
3. Add the breadcrumbs, cumin and isot pepper and work everything with a spoon into a thick, evenly red mass.
4. Stir in the olive oil in a thin stream until the paste glistens and comes away from the side of the bowl.
5. Fold in the pomegranate molasses and ground walnuts and let rest covered for 30 min. so the breadcrumbs absorb the liquid and the heat rounds out.
6. Spread it in wavy ridges on a shallow plate with the back of a spoon, drizzle with a little olive oil and serve with warm flatbread for dipping.