Waitrose and Partners
Muhammara filo pie

Muhammara filo pie

The Syrian dish Muhammara – a dip made of walnuts, red pepper, breadcrumbs, and spices – is the inspiration for the filling of this celebratory, joyful pie. I added spelt to make this a filling vegan option that will satisfy everyone

5 out of 5 stars(1) Rate this recipe
VeganVegetarianHealthyLow in saturated fat
  • Serves6 (or 8 in a bigger spread)
  • CourseMain meal
  • Prepare25 mins
  • Cook50 mins
  • Total time1 hr 15 mins
  • PlusPreparation time 25 minutes + cooling

Ingredients

  • 250g quick cook Italian spelt
  • 75g walnuts
  • 465g jar Peppadew Roasted Red Peppers, drained and roughly chopped
  • 60g bread (from a crust or stale bread is fine), toasted and torn
  • 3 clove/s garlic, roughly chopped
  • 1 lemon, 2 tbsp juice
  • 2 tsp pul biber
  • 1 tsp paprika
  • 1 tsp ground cumin
  • 2 tbsp olive oil, plus about 4 tbsp for brushing
  • 270g pack filo (7 sheets)

Method

  1. Cook the spelt in boiling salted water for 15 minutes until soft. Drain well but don’t rinse. Slight overcooking and not rinsing encourages it to stick together – the opposite of what you want if using in a salad, but exactly what we want here.

  2. While the spelt cooks, toast the walnuts in a dry frying pan over a medium heat until lightly golden.

  3. Place the toasted walnuts, roasted red peppers, toast, garlic, lemon juice, pul biber, paprika, cumin and olive oil into a food processor. Add ¼ tsp salt, or more to taste, then blend to a rough paste.

  4. Tip the paste into a large mixing bowl and add the cooked spelt. Mix well to combine thoroughly. Taste and adjust the seasoning generously, then leave to cool completely. Meanwhile, preheat the oven to 190ºC, gas mark 5. Bring the filo pastry to room temperature. Have a 23-25cm loose-bottomed round tart tin ready.

  5. Lay 1 filo sheet out on the counter with one of the long sides nearest to you, then brush generously with olive oil. Lay another sheet on top. Spread about ¼ cooled filling over the filo, making sure it is right up to the edges and evenly distributed. Keep the remaining pastry under a clean, barely-damp tea towel, to prevent it from drying out.

  6. Fold a 3cm border in at both short ends, then make a fold about 3cm up from the long edge at the bottom and gently fold and roll the pastry over itself. Once at the top, carefully lift the ‘sausage’ and shape it around the inside edge of the tin.

  7. Making another 2 filo ‘sausages’, coiling them towards the centre in a spiral. It should be tightly packed in. Use the remaining 1 sheet of pastry on the last section. Brush with oil, fill and roll up as before, then tuck into the middle of the tin. Brush the top of the pie with a little oil.

  8. Bake for 45-50 minutes, until golden and crispy all over. Leave to cool in the tin for 5 minutes, then serve warm or at room temperature with herby yogurt or mayo (see tip), new potatoes and salad leaves or green beans, if liked.

Cook’s tip

This is lovely served with a herby yogurt or mayo. I use 1 tbsp each finely chopped dill, mint and parsley leaves and 6 tbsp Greekstyle yogurt or mayo, plus salt and pepper to taste. Or use vegan alternatives, if liked.

Nutritional

Typical values per serving when made using specific products in recipe

Energy

1,820kJ/ 433kcals

Fat

14g

Saturated Fat

1.8g

Carbohydrates

62g

Sugars

5.2g

Fibre

6.7g

Protein

12g

Salt

1g

Rating details

Rate this recipe

Select your rating

Overall rating (5/5)

5 out of 5 stars1 rating