When I think of pomegranates, so many beautiful stories and memories come to mind.. Growing up, my grandma had a few pomegranate trees in her backyard, and it was one of my favourite treats! I remember me and my brother coming back from school on hot summer days, so excited to find refreshing bowls of pomegranate seeds waiting for each of us in the fridge. For Rosh Hashanah dinners, my uncle Shluli would have the role of deseeding enough pomegranates to feed everyone around the table (sometimes there were 30 of us..!) – he would always have a big smile on face and would be singing us songs while he peeled the pomegranates, as he knew it was everyone’s favourite.. But I think my favorite story about pomegranates is the one about my mom’s garden – years ago, my mom brought home 3 young pomegranate trees – she planted them in the garden, and we all got so excited to watch them grow. A few weeks later it was Rosh Hashanah – when pomegranate trees are usually filled with fruit, as well as the markets – but our trees were still young, and it would have taken them another year or two before they start producing fruit. One morning as my family was having a beautiful brunch in the back yard (my mama is an amazing cook and a master of breakfasts), we noticed there were 3 (!) big pomegranates hanging on one of the trees.. what?? how could it be? where did these come from? we were all so excited and confused.. As we approached the tree we noticed a very thin string attached to those pomegranates, and heard my mom’s friend laughing out loud at the table – what a sneaky guy…! We all had a good laugh and enjoyed eating those pomegranates… and sure enough, those 3 young trees have been providing beautiful pomegranates for my family the past decade..
This recipe features pomegranate molasses, and can be enjoyed as a dip, or as a unique spread to upgrade your sandwich.
Prep time: 15 minutes
Cook time: 30 minutes
Makes 2 cups
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(Gluten free optional)
Ingredients
- 3 large red peppers (about 1½ lbs) OR 1½ cups roasted peppers
- 1 cup walnuts
- ¾ cup bread crumbs*
- ⅓ cup diced red onion
- ¼ cup extra virgin olive oil
- 3 tbsp pomegranate molasses
- 1 garlic clove
- 1 tsp cumin powder
- ½ tsp sea salt
- ¼ tsp ground pepper
- ⅛ tsp chili flakes
- A pinch of sumac (optional)
- A handful of pomegranate seeds for garnish (optional)
- A handful of roughly chopped parsley, for garnish
*I like to make my own bread crumbs by pulsing 1 slice of stale bread in the food processor. Use a gluten-free bread or bread crumbs for a gluten-free option
Instructions
If making your own roasted peppers (skip if you are using store-bought roasted peppers):
Preheat oven to 450°F.
Place whole peppers on a baking sheet and roast for 30 minutes. The peppers should soften and get a nice dark colour – some spots may even turn black, which is great.
Once roasted, remove peppers from the oven and transfer (while hot) into a container with a lid, to allow them to “sweat”.
Set aside for 20-30 minutes, until cool enough to handle.
Once cooled down, peel the roasted peppers and remove the seeds.
If making your own bread crumbs – place the bread slice in the food processor first and pulse into crumbs.
Add walnuts and process.
Add the rest of the ingredients, except for the garnishes, and process in the food processor.
Set in the fridge for 30 minutes before serving (or overnight is best) to allow all the flavours to come together.
Garnish with fresh parsley and pomegranate seeds.
Enjoy this lovely dip with tortillas chips, veggie sticks, pita bread or Seeded Crackers.
Making this recipe? I’d love to see your creation! Send me a photo or tag Roni’s Kitchen on social media
