Muhammara Stuffed Eggplant Rolls - Turkish Red Pepper and Walnut Puree

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Muhammara Stuffed Eggplant Rolls - Turkish Red

Pepper and Walnut Puree

 

Recipe By :Spice: Flavors of the Eastern

Meditteranean by Ana Sortun

Serving Size : 8 Preparation Time :0:00

Categories :

 

Amount Measure Ingredient -- Preparation

Method

-------- ------------

--------------------------------

1 whole eggplant -- peeled

3/4 cup olive oil -- plus 1 tablespoon

for garnish

2 large red bell peppers -- about 1

pound total, roasted and peeled

4 scallions -- root ends trimmed

and finely chopped, reserve 1 tablespoon for garnish

1 teaspoon chopped garlic -- about 1

large clove

1/3 cup walnut -- halves, lightly

toasted

1/3 cup pine nuts -- lightly toasted,

plus 1 tablespoon for garnish

1/2 cup toasted bread crumbs -- finely

ground

1 tablespoon freshly squeezed lemon juice

-- almost 1/2 lemon

1 tablespoon pomegranate molasses

1 tablespoon Aleppo chilies -- plus 1/2

teaspoon for garnish

1 tablespoon Urfa chilies -- plus 1/2

teaspoon for garnish

1 teaspoon ground cumin

1 tablespoon yogurt

3/4 teaspoon salt -- plus more to taste

 

Preheat the oven to 350*F.

 

Slice the eggplant lengthwise as thinly as you can (no

thicker than 1/4

inch) into 8 slices. Discard the rounded ends or roast

for another use.

 

Place the eggplant slices on a heavy baking sheet and

brush them

generously using 1/2 cup of the olive oil or more

(give or take a couple

of tablespoons, depending on the size of the eggplant)

on both sides. The

eggplant should absorb the oil and not look dry. Place

the eggplant slices

in the oven and roast them until soft, about 10

minutes. Set aside to

cool.

 

Remove as many seeds form the red peppers as you can

and place them in a

small mixing bowl. Add the scallions, garlic, walnuts,

pine nuts, brad

crumbs, lemon juice, pomegranate molasses, Aleppo and

Urfa chilies, cumin,

yogurt, and the remaining 1/4 cup of olive oil. Stir

to combine.

 

Using a food processor fitted with a metal blade,

puree the ingredients

until smooth. Season to taste with salt.

 

Lay each eggplant slice down and place a heaping

tablespoon of the pepper

mixture at one end of the eggplant.

 

Roll up the eggplant, making a little bundle or

roulade. Cut the roulade

in half, making bite size pieces. Serve at room

temperature, garnished

with some toasted pine nuts or walnuts, chopped

scallions, a drizzle of

olive oil, and a squeeze of lemon. Sprinkle with

Aleppo and/or Urfa

chilies if you like things spicier.

 

Makes about 2 cups to serve 8 as hors d'oeuvres.

 

S(Formatted by Chupa Babi in MC):

" 12.19.06 "

Copyright:

" 2006 "

Yield:

" 2 cups "

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- - - - - - - - - -

 

Per Serving (excluding unknown items): 299 Calories;

27g Fat (77.5%

calories from fat); 5g Protein; 13g Carbohydrate; 3g

Dietary Fiber; trace

Cholesterol; 263mg Sodium. Exchanges: 1/2

Grain(Starch); 1/2 Lean Meat; 1

Vegetable; 0 Fruit; 0 Non-Fat Milk; 5 Fat; 0 Other

Carbohydrates.

 

NOTES : Muhammara is simultaneously tart, spicy,

sweet, salty,

sour and bitter, capturing every sensation on

your palate.

It is a deep rusty-red color; the word

muhammara means

'brick-colored' in Arabic. The warm, earthy

chilies, sweet

bell peppers, and bright pomegranate and

citrus tome are

truly flavors of the sun.

 

Pomegranate molasses is a syrupy reduction of

pomegranate

juice that has a unique, tart-sweet flavor is

a gorgeous,

deep reddish-purple color. It's as thick as

maple syrup

and has both sweet and sour flavors that

combine the best

of balsamic vinegar with tart fruit. I often

use it to add

tartness to long-braised beef. You can find

pomegranate

molasses at Middle Eastern markets or online

at

www.zingermans.com.

 

Muhammara, a classic mezze, is found all over

the eastern

Mediterranean with many variations, especially

on the nut

that is used in thickening it. This is another

demonstration of the Arabic technique of

thickening sauces

with nuts and/or bread (see Turkish Taratour

Sauce or

Garlic and Almond Soup).

 

My interpretation (author) of muhammara is

wrapped in thin

slices of roasted eggplant and can be passed

as an hors

d'oeuvre or served without the eggplant with

crusty French

bread or toasted pita bread chips. Muhammara

tastes even

better on the second day, so I encourage you

to make it in

advance. You should roast the eggplant,

however, just

before serving it.

 

Nutr. Assoc. : 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 196 0 0 0 0 0 0 0

 

 

 

 

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