Turkish food

July 1, 2005 8:51 PM

Turkish food filter: I believe it was called "muharama" or something close. It was spread on pita and had a lot of garlic and possible walnuts. I've tried many spelling combinations in google and found nothing. What is it and what's the recipe?
posted by 445supermag to food & drink (9 comments total)

I believe that would be muhamarra, and it does indeed contain walnuts. Here's a recipe (which I haven't tried), as well as a thread on Chowhound. If you're in the San Francisco Bay Area, Haig's makes a prepared muhamarra that's available at some local grocery stores, and I presume at their store on Clement Street in SF as well.
posted by Hegemonic at 9:03 PM on July 1, 2005

Actually, it looks like the correct spelling is "muhammara." A Google search yields many recipes.
posted by Hegemonic at 9:05 PM on July 1, 2005

How about Muhommorah?
posted by cerebus19 at 9:05 PM on July 1, 2005

Tess Mallos' "The Complete Middle East Cookbook" (McGraw-Hill, 1979) mentions only one garlicky spread in the Turkish section: tarator, made with hazelnuts, garlic, breadcrumbs, olive oil, white vinegar and salt. She mentions that walnuts are sometimes used in place of the hazelnuts.
posted by DawnSimulator at 9:07 PM on July 1, 2005

I'm not sure that these recipes for muhammara match what I had, this was the color mashed garlic and these all have red peppers.
posted by 445supermag at 9:28 PM on July 1, 2005

I've seen the word spelled several ways: it's delicious stuff any way you spell it. I first had it at a Lebanese place, so it's not just Turkish. Here's how I make it... (also with red peppers, alas).
posted by misteraitch at 2:56 AM on July 2, 2005

445supermag, Greece and Turkey share some of the same dishes, often with different names, so you might want to also have a look at recipes for Greek Skordalia (images).
posted by taz at 6:05 AM on July 2, 2005

Mmmmmmmmmm
posted by growabrain at 4:04 PM on July 2, 2005

It's literally Arabic for "red stuff" and it isn't just a Greece and Turkey thing. Judging by how it has an Arabic name I wouldn't even say it is a Greek or Turkish thing, just something they picked up.
posted by Pollomacho at 7:23 AM on July 5, 2005