pomegranate ezme – a turkish classic
the swiss army knife of side dishes; part dip, part salsa and part salad. when served alongside warm flatbread and hummus it makes a great opener to a meal, but it is also a fantastic side, especially when paired with grilled dishes as it adds a great splash of sweet, acidic and fresh flavour. ezme means “crush” in turkish, and that is an important part of the process.
ingredients:
1 small pointed red pepper, deseeded and finely diced
1 small red onion, peeled and finely diced
2 ripe plum tomatoes, deseeded and finely diced
½ red chilli, deseeded and finely chopped
4 tbsp pomegranate seeds (about half a fruit)
2 tbsp flat parsley, finely chopped
3 tbsp olive oil
1 tbsp pomegranate molasses
squeeze of fresh lemon juice
pinch of sumac
pinch of chilli powder
good pinch of salt
method:
start by dicing the pepper, onion, tomato and finely chopping the red chilli.
next, chop the parsley and deseed the pomegranate.
on a large chopping board, combine the above ingredients and chop well together.
continue to chop until the mix has released a lot of liquid and the consistency is similar to salsa.
transfer to a bowl with all the juice and combine well with the olive oil, pomegranate molasses, lemon juice, chilli powder, sumac and salt to taste.
