The butternut squash muhamarra at Ana restaurant inside District Winery, opening this week. (Photo by Reema Desai)

Dish of the Week: Muhammara
Where To Find It: Ottoman Taverna, Ezme, Cafe 8, Kapnos DC, Ana , Bread Furst

In the world of Middle Eastern spreads, hummus usually gets most of the glory—at least here in the United States. This is an unfortunate fact given just how damn delicious and diverse the dips (and food in general) of this region are. Case in point: Muhammara.

At the most basic level, muhammara is a combination of roasted red peppers, walnuts, and olive oil, all thrown together in a food processor and pureed until smooth and addictive. It’s an easy base to riff upon, and other versions can include things like Aleppo pepper, garlic, cumin, breadcrumbs, almonds instead of walnuts, and pomegranate molasses. For the most part, the dish is vegan but at times things like feta cheese are added to fatten it up a bit. Believed to have originated in Aleppo, Syria, this vibrant red dip is typical of Turkish and Levantine cuisines today.

Unsurprisingly, then, muhammara makes a lovely appearance on many Turkish menus throughout D.C. Ottoman Taverna (425 I St. NW) features the walnut and red pepper spread as part of their cold meze section, while Ezmè (2016 P St. NW) serves it up with a selection of its homemade bread. A similar situation can be found at Cafe 8 (424 8th St. SE), where pomegranate and harissa muhammara is sandwiched between labneh, hummus, and baba ghannouj in the decadent spreads section of their menu.

The spread has started to creep out a bit from the strictly Middle Eastern eateries in recent months. Although Chef Mike Isabella’s Kapnos (2201 14th St. NW) is billed as a Greek establishment, welcome scoops of the Levantine muhammara can be found accompanying fairytale eggplants and pearl onions in the establishment’s wood-roasted lamb chop dish. Newcomer Ana (385 Water St. SE), the in-house restaurant at District Winery opening on Wednesday, August 30th, is getting into wonderful world of muhammara. The non-traditional version here is made with butternut squash and garnished with candied lemon, though the results are still incredibly delicious.

And for those looking to take the goodness of muhammara home, the scrumptious red dip often appears in the take-out salad section in Bread Furst (4434 Connecticut Ave. NW). Check the day of, however, because the menu often varies and this combo of red pepper and nuts sells out fast.

Previously On Dish Of The Week:
Ice Pops
Creamy Burrata
Watermelon Salad, Everywhere
Lomo Saltado
Boozy Vegetables Edition