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–+ servings
Acuka recipe in a white bowl.

Acuka Recipe

Acuka, a super delicious and nutritious red pepper walnut breakfast spread/ dip is simple to make and ready in under 10 minutes.
5 from 1 vote
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Prep Time 3 minutes
Cook Time 7 minutes
Total Time 10 minutes
Course Breakfast, Side dishes
Cuisine Turkish
Servings 6
Calories 283 kcal

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

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.
  • 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.

Nutrition

Serving: 1gCalories: 283kcalCarbohydrates: 11gProtein: 5gFat: 26gSaturated Fat: 3gPolyunsaturated Fat: 22gSodium: 232mgFiber: 3gSugar: 1g
Keyword acuka recipe, Acuka Spread, red pepper speard
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