Registered by TÜRKPATENT as Hatay Cevizli Biber / Hatay Muhammarası under geographical indication No. 1584, this meze is associated with Hatay's breakfast tables, everyday meals and celebratory gatherings. The registration allows fresh or dried red pepper and recommends roasting or baking the peppers for flavour. This home version follows the registered six-serving quantities, uses fresh roasted red bell peppers, and includes the listed optional pomegranate molasses, garlic, mild pul biber, sugar and black pepper for a rounded sweet-tart finish.
Hatay Cevizli Biber — Recipe Card
Hatay Roasted Red Pepper and Walnut Meze
Makes 6 servingsUS cup = 240 ml · tablespoon = 15 ml · teaspoon = 5 ml. Cup and weight conversions are approximate. Australian cooks: use a 15 ml measuring tablespoon.
Ingredient quantities and servings are scaled. Cooking times, pan sizes, frying oil depth, and temperatures stay the same; cook larger batches as needed.
Ingredients
How to make Hatay Cevizli Biber
Roast the peppers
Heat the broiler or oven to 240°C/465°F. Rinse and dry the peppers, then place them on a foil-lined rimmed tray. Roast for 15–20 minutes, turning every 5 minutes, until the skins are blistered and blackened in patches and the flesh is soft.
Steam, peel and drain
Move the hot peppers to a bowl, cover and leave for 10 minutes. Peel away the skins, remove the stems, seeds and pale ribs, then place the flesh in a sieve for 5 minutes. Press gently to release excess liquid; do not rinse away the roasted flavour.
Prepare the walnut base
Reserve 10 g (about 1 tbsp) of the walnuts and 15 ml (1 tbsp) of the olive oil for serving. Put the remaining walnuts and the stale bread crumbs in a food processor and pulse until evenly coarse.
Blend to a thick meze
Add the drained peppers, remaining 85 ml olive oil, tahini, pomegranate molasses, salt, cumin, garlic, pul biber, sugar and black pepper. Pulse, scraping the bowl as needed, until the mixture is thick and homogeneous but still has a fine walnut texture. Avoid blending it completely smooth.
Rest and serve
Transfer to a covered container and rest in the refrigerator for 20 minutes. Taste after the rest, then spread on a shallow serving plate. Chop the reserved walnuts, scatter them over the centre and drizzle with the reserved olive oil. Serve cool or let it stand briefly and serve at room temperature.
Bring this recipe to your kitchen with a printable copy.
Print recipeRecipe from MyTurkishRecipes · https://myturkishrecipes.com/turkish-walnut-pepper-dip-hatay-cevizli-biber. Quantities reflect your selected serving scale. Cooking times are estimates; follow the doneness cues.
Make it work in your kitchen
Ingredient Substitutions
These swaps change flavor or texture as described. Keep the original ingredients for the closest version of the dish.
Pul biber
Use the same amount of mild paprika for color and a gentler flavor. For heat, add a small pinch of chili flakes, then taste; chili flakes can be much hotter.
Pomegranate molasses
If unavailable, omit it and add lemon juice gradually to taste. This is a flavor adjustment, not a like-for-like replacement: the result will be less fruity and less sweet.
A few helpful kitchen notes
Registered variation
The geographical-indication specification permits 150 g dried red pepper instead of 300 g fresh pepper. Soak dried peppers in hot water until soft, remove stems, seeds and ribs, drain thoroughly and use them in place of the roasted fresh peppers.
Heat level
Medium with 10 g mild pul biber. For a mild version, omit the pul biber; for a spicy version, replace part or all of it with hot pul biber. Pepper-flake heat varies, so check the label before adding the full amount.
Allergens
Contains walnuts (tree nuts), sesame in the tahini and wheat in the bread. Check every packaged ingredient and avoid cross-contact when cooking for someone with a food allergy.
Wheat and gluten
The base recipe is not gluten-free because it uses ordinary bread crumbs. Do not label the dish gluten-free unless every ingredient and preparation surface has been assessed for the diner's needs.
How to store and reheat Hatay Cevizli Biber
Transfer the meze to an airtight container and refrigerate within 2 hours at 4°C/40°F or below. Use within 3–4 days. Stir before serving and add the garnish only after stirring. Freezing is not recommended because the pepper, tahini and oil can separate as they thaw.
Hatay Cevizli Biber: questions and answers
Is Hatay Cevizli Biber the same as muhammara?
The registered Turkish name joins the two terms as Hatay Cevizli Biber / Hatay Muhammarası. Regional and household versions differ, but roasted or softened red pepper and walnut are central to this Hatay preparation.
Can I make it without a food processor?
Yes. Pound the drained peppers, walnuts and garlic in a large mortar, then work in the bread, tahini, seasonings and olive oil. A hand-cranked meat grinder is another method reflected in older Hatay recipes.
What should the texture be?
It should be thick enough to spread and hold spoon ridges, with a fine walnut texture rather than a silky purée. If your peppers release a watery ring, drain them longer before blending.
