Muhammara Tartare with Wild Mustard Pesto
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Time to read 2 min
20 min
20 min
2 pers
Mezze / Side Dish
Ancient Syria, reworked
Muhammara is a well-known dish across Bilad al-Sham, with deep roots in what is now northern Syria. Traditionally, it’s a spread made from roasted red peppers, walnuts, breadcrumbs, and pomegranate molasses, balanced, rich, and slightly sharp.
This version is not traditional. It takes the base of muhammara and reworks its texture, turning it into something closer to a tartare, finely chopped rather than blended. The result is lighter, more textured, and allows each ingredient to remain distinct.
Alongside it, a wild mustard pesto brings another layer, seasonal, sharp, and green, connecting the dish back to the land in a different way.
Foraging and Wild Mustard
In some of our future recipes, we’ll begin sharing more of the ingredients we forage for. Aya will be sharing her knowledge with Masa, and together we’ll be working more closely with wild plants—bringing them into the kitchen in ways that feel natural and considered.
Foraging is an important part of Palestinian food practices. It’s shaped by season, by familiarity with the land, and by knowing when and where things grow. It requires attention and care, and it connects cooking directly to what is available in that specific moment.
Wild mustard grows across Palestine during the cooler months, often appearing in fields and along roadsides after the rains. Its leaves, stems, and flowers are all used in cooking, each bringing a different level of intensity.
The flowers, used here, are milder but still carry that distinct mustard sharpness. Turning them into a pesto keeps their freshness intact while softening their edge with olive oil and pine nuts.
The Role of Olive Oil
Olive oil runs through every part of this dish. It helps roast the peppers, binds the muhammara, and forms the base of the pesto. It softens sharpness, carries flavor, and adds weight without heaviness.
In both components, the tartare and the pesto, olive oil is what allows the ingredients to come together without losing their character.
How-to-Video
Ingredients
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For the Wild Mustard Pesto
1 cup wild mustard flowers (15–20 g)
1 tablespoon pine nuts
1 teaspoon white wine vinegar
A pinch of sea salt¼ cup olive oil
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For the Muhammara Tartare
3 long red bell peppers
½ shallot, finely chopped
1 tbsp pomegranate molasses
4 tsp roasted, ground walnuts
3 tbsp breadcrumbs
Olive oil
¼ tsp ground cumin
A pinch of shatta or harissa
Fresh mint leaves, finely chopped
Chives, finely chopped
Jameed, for grating
Toasted sesame seeds
Sea salt
Directions
Making the Wild Mustard Pesto
Separate the yellow flowers from the mustard stems.
In a food processor, or using a mortar and pestle, combine the flowers with pine nuts, vinegar, salt, and olive oil. Blend until smooth.
Roasting the Peppers
Cut the peppers in half and remove the seeds. Place them on a tray, drizzle with olive oil, and season lightly with salt.
Roast until soft, slightly charred, and easy to peel.
Remove from the oven and peel immediately. Place on paper towels to drain excess moisture.
Preparing the Tartare
Finely chop the roasted peppers into small cubes.
In a bowl, combine the peppers with salt, shallot, walnuts, breadcrumbs, pomegranate molasses, olive oil, cumin, and mint. Mix gently until combined.
To Serve
Place the muhammara tartare in the center of a plate.
Sprinkle with toasted sesame seeds and chopped chives. Finely grate jameed over the top.
Add a spoon of wild mustard pesto and finish with a drizzle of olive oil.
Serve immediately.
