Nigella Roast Red Peppers With Pomegranate Molasses And Dukkah Recipe

This zesty Nigella Roast Red Peppers with Pomegranate Molasses and Dukkah is made with sweet red peppers, pomegranate molasses, pistachios, coriander seeds, and cumin seeds. This recipe creates a tender, smoky, and tangy dish. It’s the perfect stunning appetizer or a light side dish for a summer meal, making enough to serve 4-6 people as part of a spread.

Nigella Roast Red Peppers with Pomegranate Molasses and Dukkah Ingredients

For the Dukkah:

• 65g shelled pistachios
• 2 x 15ml tablespoons sesame seeds
• 2 teaspoons coriander seeds
• 2 teaspoons cumin seeds
• ½ teaspoon fennel seeds
• ½ teaspoon pink peppercorns
• 1 teaspoon sea salt flakes (or ½ teaspoon fine sea salt)

For the Dressing:

• 3 x 15ml tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
• 2 teaspoons pomegranate molasses
• ½ teaspoon sea salt flakes (or ¼ teaspoon fine sea salt)
• 1 fat clove of garlic

For the Peppers:

• 6 large or 9 small red peppers (approx. 1.25kg)
• 2 x 15ml tablespoons olive oil
• 60ml hot water from a just-boiled kettle

To Serve (Optional):

• 2–3 x 15ml tablespoons pomegranate seeds

How To Make Nigella Roast Red Peppers with Pomegranate Molasses and Dukkah

1. Make the dressing: In a small jar, combine the extra-virgin olive oil, pomegranate molasses, and salt. Press on the garlic clove with the flat side of a knife to bruise it, then remove the skin. Add the bruised garlic to the jar, seal it, and shake very well. Set aside to infuse.
2. Preheat oven and prep peppers: Heat the oven to 220°C (200°C Fan). Cut the red peppers in half and remove the stalk, seeds, and white pith.
3. Arrange the peppers: Place the peppers cut-side down on a large lipped baking sheet. Add the 2 tablespoons of olive oil and use your hands to mix and coat them, leaving them cut-side down again.
4. Roast the peppers: Pour the 60ml of hot water into an empty corner of the tin. Place in the oven and roast for about 40 minutes. The peppers should be very tender and scorched in places. Check them after 30 minutes; if they look like they are burning, add a little more water to the pan.
5. Toast the pistachios: While the peppers are roasting, make the dukkah. Toast the pistachios in a dry pan over medium heat for about 3 minutes, shaking the pan. Tip the nuts into a shallow dish to cool.
6. Toast the seeds: In the same pan, toast the sesame seeds for 2 minutes, shaking often, and tip them into a separate small dish to cool.
7. Toast the spices: Finally, toast the coriander, cumin, and fennel seeds along with the pink peppercorns. This will only take a couple of minutes until they are aromatic. Shake the pan constantly. Tip these into a third dish to cool.
8. Grind the spices: Add the sea salt to the mixed seeds (coriander, cumin, etc.) and grind them coarsely. You can use a spice grinder, a bullet blender, or a pestle and mortar. This should be a “fine, spicy rubble,” not a powder. Transfer this to a jar or bowl.
9. Prepare the nuts: Take 1 tablespoon of the toasted pistachios and chop them roughly with a knife. Add these to the dish with the whole sesame seeds. Grind the rest of the pistachios.
10. Combine the dukkah: Add the ground pistachios, the hand-chopped pistachios, and the toasted sesame seeds to your jar of ground spices. Mix or shake well to combine.
11. Peel the peppers (optional): If you want to peel the peppers, transfer them from the oven to a bowl. Cover the bowl tightly with a plate or plastic wrap and let them cool. This traps the steam and makes the skins easy to lift off with your fingers.
12. Serve the dish: Arrange the warm or cooled peppers on a platter. Shake the dressing jar well (you may need to stand it in warm water if the oil has solidified) and pour it over the peppers. Scatter with pomegranate seeds, if using, and sprinkle generously with the homemade dukkah.

Recipe Tips

• Use Water in the Pan: Pouring hot water into the corner of the baking sheet creates steam. This is key to helping the peppers soften and become tender, and it prevents them from just burning to the bottom of the pan.
• Toast Seeds Separately: Do not toast all the dukkah ingredients at once. Sesame seeds burn quickly, while pistachios need more time. Toasting each part separately ensures everything is perfectly golden and aromatic, with no burnt bits.
• Make the Dressing Early: The recipe suggests making the dressing first. This gives the bruised garlic clove time to sit in the oil and molasses, infusing the whole dressing with a gentle, savory garlic flavor.
• Steam for Easy Peeling: If you want to peel the peppers, you must trap the steam right when they come out of the oven. Placing them in a bowl and covering it tightly is the most important step for making the skins lift off easily.

What To Serve Roast Red Peppers

These zesty roast red peppers are a fantastic side dish for grilled meats like lamb chops or chicken kebabs. They are also perfect as part of a mezze platter, served alongside warm pita bread, hummus, olives, and feta cheese. You can also pile them onto crusty sourdough toast with a bit of goat cheese for a wonderful lunch.

How To Store Roast Red Peppers Leftovers

• Refrigerate: Store the finished (dressed) peppers in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days. They are excellent served cold or brought back to room temperature.
• Dukkah: Store the leftover dukkah in a sealed, airtight jar in a cool, dark pantry. It will stay fresh for several weeks and is wonderful on avocado toast or salads.
• Freeze: Freezing the finished pepper dish is not recommended, as the texture of the peppers will change.

Nigella Roast Red Peppers with Pomegranate Molasses and Dukkah Nutrition Facts

• Calories: 220 kcal
• Total Fat: 18g
• Saturated Fat: 2g
• Cholesterol: 0mg
• Sodium: 250mg
• Total Carbohydrate: 12g
• Dietary Fiber: 4g
• Sugars: 7g
• Protein: 4g

Frequently Asked Questions

• What is dukkah? Dukkah is an Egyptian and Middle Eastern nut and spice blend. It’s often used as a dip with bread and olive oil, or as a crunchy, flavorful topping for vegetables, meat, and fish.
• Do I have to peel the peppers? No, peeling is completely optional. The charred skins are perfectly delicious to eat. Peeling them just gives the final dish a softer, silkier, and more uniform texture.
• What can I use instead of pomegranate molasses? Pomegranate molasses has a unique sweet-tart flavor. If you cannot find it, you could mix a teaspoon of honey or maple syrup with a tablespoon of balsamic glaze to get a similar tangy and sweet result.

Try More Recipes:

• Nigella Catalan Toasts Recipe
• Nigella Deviled Eggs Recipe
• Nigella Fermented Hot Sauce

Nigella Roast Red Peppers with Pomegranate Molasses and Dukkah

Author: Clara Bennett Cooking Method:Roast Red Peppers with Pomegranate Molasses and Dukkah Cuisine:Middle Eastern-Inspired Courses:Side Dish

Difficulty:BeginnerPrep time: 15 minutesCook time: 40 minutesRest time: 20 minutesTotal time:1 hour 15 minutesCooking Temp:100 CServings:6 servingsEstimated Cost:25 $Calories:240 kcal Best Season:Available

Description

A zesty and savory side dish of tender, smoky Nigella Roast Red Peppers topped with a tangy pomegranate molasses dressing and a crunchy, homemade pistachio dukkah.

Ingredients

For the Dukkah:

• 65g shelled pistachios
  
• 2 x 15ml tbsp sesame seeds
  
• 2 tsp coriander seeds
  
• 2 tsp cumin seeds
  
• ½ tsp fennel seeds
  
• ½ tsp pink peppercorns
  
• 1 tsp sea salt flakes

For the Dressing

• 3 x 15ml tbsp extra-virgin olive oil
  
• 2 tsp pomegranate molasses
  
• ½ tsp sea salt flakes
  
• 1 fat clove of garlic, bruised

1 fat clove of garlic, bruised

• 6 large red peppers (approx. 1.25kg)
  
• 2 x 15ml tbsp olive oil
  
• 60ml hot water

Instructions

1. Make Dressing: Combine all dressing ingredients in a jar. Shake well and set aside.
   
2. Prep Peppers: Preheat oven to 220°C (200°C Fan). Halve the peppers and remove seeds and stalks. Place cut-side down on a baking sheet.
   
3. Prep Peppers: Preheat oven to 220°C (200°C Fan). Halve the peppers and remove seeds and stalks. Place cut-side down on a baking sheet.
   
4. Roast: Drizzle peppers with 2 tbsp olive oil. Pour 60ml hot water into the pan. Roast for 40 minutes until tender and scorched.
   
5. Make Dukkah: While peppers roast, toast the pistachios, sesame seeds, and other spices in a dry pan in separate batches.
   
6. Grind Dukkah: Grind the spices (coriander, cumin, etc.) with salt. Grind most of the pistachios. Chop 1 tbsp of pistachios by hand.
   
7. Grind Dukkah: Grind the spices (coriander, cumin, etc.) with salt. Grind most of the pistachios. Chop 1 tbsp of pistachios by hand.
   
8. Combine Dukkah: Mix the ground spices, ground pistachios, chopped pistachios, and whole toasted sesame seeds in a jar.
   
9. Serve: Arrange the (peeled or unpeeled) roasted peppers on a platter. Shake the dressing well and pour it over the top. Sprinkle generously with the dukkah and optional pomegranate seeds.

Notes

• Dukkah: This recipe makes extra dukkah. Store the rest in an airtight jar.
• Peeling: To peel the peppers easily, place them in a bowl and cover them tightly while hot. Let them steam and cool, then the skins will lift off.