Acuka Recipe
Learn to make Acuka, a super delicious and nutritious red pepper walnut breakfast spread that is packed with spices and flavors. This vegan red pepper dip is super simple and quick to make, ready in under 10 minutes.
Acuka, the red pepper walnut spread is an excellent inexpensive Turkish spread to have on hand to indulge whenever you feel hungry! Spread it over toasted bread and top it with cheese and serve it for breakfast or a snack. Acuka was my go-to spread recipe during my college years.
The main pantry-stable ingredients in acuka are red pepper paste and walnut. The dish is an excellent source of protein, fat, fiber, vitamins, and minerals.
Like mutabal, you can serve acuka as a dip or appetizer on a meze plate. You can also serve it as a sauce.
This Middle Eastern and Mediterranean savory dish, acuka, is known by different names such acuka tarifi, acika, muhammara, meze muhammara, muhammara dip, acuka muhammara, adjika, or ajika. And every region has a slightly different version of the original recipe.
What is acuka?
Acuka, also known as muhammara, is a flavorful spread or dip commonly found in Turkish and Middle Eastern cuisines. It’s made from a blend of roasted red peppers, walnuts, breadcrumbs, olive oil, and a combination of spices like red pepper flakes, cumin, and sometimes pomegranate molasses. The result is a rich and slightly spicy condiment with a sweet and nutty undertone. Acuka is often served with bread, and crackers, or used as a sauce for grilled meats and vegetables.
Ingredients
- Vegetable paste. I used a mix of sweet red pepper paste and tomato paste. You can also add in some roasted red pepper.
- Walnuts. I used ground and crushed walnuts. I ground most of it and kept some chunks. It adds a super delicious nutty flavor to the acuka. Use a food processor for a smooth consistency.
- Olive oil. Use high-quality extra virgin olive oil. It adds flavor and keeps the spread moist.
- Breadcrumbs. It helps to bind the spread together. Skip it for a gluten-free version of this spread.
- Garlic. I used fresh garlic. It added a delicious garlic flavor to the dish. You may use garlic powder instead or skip it.
- Seasonings. Red pepper flakes, cumin, thyme, paprika, black pepper, and salt. You may add any type of spices and herbs you like the best.
- Garnish. I used some walnuts, sesame seeds, and dry parsley.
How to Make Acuka
Follow along with my easy instructions to see how to make acuka in your own kitchen.
Step 1. Saute the pastes. Heat the oil over medium heat and add pepper paste and tomato paste, saute for 2 minutes. Make sure to stir around constantly, so it does not get burned.
Step 2. Saute the garlic. Add the grated garlic to the mix and saute for an additional 1 minute.
Step3. Season. Turn off the heat and add in the rest of the ingredients and mix it all in. At this point, taste and adjust the seasonings to your preference.
Step 4. Garnish and serve. Transfer the spread over a serving bowl and garnish it with walnuts, sesame seeds, and dry parsley. Serve it with a fresh veggies plate and bread. Enjoy!
Tips
- Toast the walnuts. This extra step will add additional flavor to the dish.
- Use less salt. Store-bought red pepper paste and tomato paste already have enough salt.
- Make ahead. You can make this delicious recipe in advance and store it in the fridge for up to one week.
- Serv it chilled. It tastes delicious either way chilled or warm.
- Make it in cast iron. For a much deeper and darker color, you can make Acuka in a cast iron skillet just like I did.
- Make it smooth. If you prefer the texture of the acuka super creamy and smooth, make sure to ground the walnut well. Otherwise, ground it coarse for some fun texture like mine.
Substitutions and variations
- Substitute walnut. Use any other type of nuts you like such as cashews, almonds, or hazelnut
- Make tomato paste spread. In this case, try to make up for pepper paste by adding more spices including paprika.
- Use your favorite spices and herbs. Feel free to customize the flavor to your liking. For example use oregano, chili powder, mint, all spices, and coriander.
- Use pomegranate molasses. This is another addition that goes so well in this recipe. Add 1 tablespoon in step 2.
- Use hot red pepper paste. This will add unique flavor to the dish and make it super spicy.
- Add in roasted red peppers. You may use 1 or 2 freshly roasted red pepper or from the jar. Add it in step one along with the tomato and pepper paste. Keep sauteing till all liquid is gone.
- Alter the amount or ingredients. Feel free to adjust the amount and type of ingredients to your preference or dietary needs.
- Skip oil. To make acuka kalori low, you can always use less oil in the recipe or even completely skip it.
Storage and reheat
Store acuka in an airtight container (preferably a glass jar) in the fridge for up to one week. Add a tablespoon of oil over it so it does not get dry in the fridge. You may choose to freeze it for up to 3 months. When ready to serve it, let it defrost in the fridge the night before. You can always serve it as chilled as it is. Or you may microwave it for a few seconds.
How to serve it
- Acuka is commonly served as a spread for breakfast over bread with cheese. However, you can serve it as a dip and sauce too.
- Serve it as a red pepper dip in your meze platter along with bread and fresh veggies
- Serve it as a sauce with sandwiches, fish, chicken, or meat.
I hope you get to enjoy this super healthy spread recipe as much as we do!
Did you make this easy homemade Acuka recipe? Let me know how you liked it. I love to hear from you!
Please rate, comment, and share this Turkish cuisine breakfast spread recipe on Pinterest. Thank you!
Acuka Recipe
Ingredients
- 3 tbsp. pepper paste
- 1 tbsp. tomato paste
- 1 cup ground/crushed walnuts
- ⅓ cup extra virgin olive oil
- ¼ cup breadcrumbs
- 2 cloves garlic grated
- ½ tsp. red pepper flakes or to taste
- 1 tsp. cumin
- 1 tsp. thyme
- 2 tsp. paprika
- ½ tsp. black pepper or to taste
- ½ tsp. salt or to taste
- Garnish. I used some walnuts sesame seeds, and dry parsley
Instructions
- Saute the pastes. Heat the oil over medium heat and add pepper paste and tomato paste, saute for 2 minutes. Make sure to stir around constantly, so it does not get burned.
- Saute the garlic. Add the grated garlic to the mix and saute for an additional 1 minute.
- Season. Turn off the heat and add in the rest of the ingredients and mix it all in. At this point, taste and adjust the seasonings to your preference.
- Garnish and serve. Transfer the spread over a serving bowl and garnish it with walnuts, sesame seeds, and dry parsley. Serve it with a fresh veggies plate and bread. Enjoy!
Notes
- Toast the walnuts. This extra step will add additional flavor to the dish.
- Use less salt. Store-bought red pepper paste and tomato paste already have enough salt.
- Make ahead. You can make this delicious recipe in advance and store it in the fridge for up to one week.
- Serv it chilled. It tastes delicious either way chilled or warm.
- Make it in cast iron. For a much deeper and darker color, you can make Acuka in a cast iron skillet just like I did.
- Make it smooth. If you prefer the texture of the acuka super creamy and smooth, make sure to ground the walnut well. Otherwise, ground it coarse for some fun texture like mine.
- Substitute walnut. Use any other type of nuts you like such as cashews, almonds, or hazelnut
- Make tomato paste spread. In this case, try to make up for pepper paste by adding more spices including paprika.
- Use your favorite spices and herbs. Feel free to customize the flavor to your liking. For example use oregano, chili powder, mint, all spices, and coriander.
- Use pomegranate molasses. This is another addition that goes so well in this recipe. Add 1 tablespoon in step 2.
- Use hot red pepper paste. This will add unique flavor to the dish and make it super spicy.
- Add in roasted red peppers. You may use 1 or 2 freshly roasted red pepper or from the jar. Add it in step one along with the tomato and pepper paste. Keep sauteing till all liquid is gone.
- Alter the amount or ingredients. Feel free to adjust the amount and type of ingredients to your preference or dietary needs.
- Skip oil. To make acuka kalori low, you can always use less oil in the recipe or even completely skip it.
- Acuka is commonly served as a spread for breakfast over bread with cheese. However, you can serve it as a dip and sauce too.
- Serve it as a red pepper dip in your meze platter along with bread and fresh veggies
- Serve it as a sauce with sandwiches, fish, chicken, or meat.
