Armenian Garmir Bgh-beghi Aghtsan
Garmir Bgh-beghi Aghtsan - Red Pepper Salad
Cooks in Armenian homes store away the hamime pepper mixture in the fall when red peppers come into season and enjoy hamime throughout the year. Red Pepper Paste is quite similar to hamime pepper mixture, but is dried before storage. It is likely that the original version of hamime used this dried paste rather than the fresh pepper mixture used here. If you want to try a recipe using the flavor of the dried paste, Muhamara dip is a close relative of hamime.
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| Example Image of Armenian Garmir Bgh-beghi Aghtsan (Source: Google.com) |
INGREDIENTS:
# Hamime
2 cups red pepper mixture (below)
1/4 cup tomato paste
1 medium tomato, cut-up
1/4 cup onion, finely chopped
12 Kalamata olives, pitted and chopped
dash lemon juice
1/4 cup olive oil
1/2 teaspoon kamoon
salt and pepper to taste
# Red Pepper Mixture
6 - 8 large red bell peppers
2 - 8 red Anahiem chili peppers
1/2 cup walnut pieces
salt to taste
METHOD:
# Pepper Mixture
- Cut up peppers, removing pulp, seeds and stems, and coarsely grind in food processor or meat grinder with walnuts (about 1/2 cup nuts for each 4 cups of peppers) and a little salt. You may use all sweet peppers or a mixture of sweet and hot according to your taste.
- Pack mixture in containers and refrigerate or freeze for later use.
# Hamime
- Drain excess moisture from pepper mixture and combine with tomato paste using approximately1 tablespoon paste per 1/2 cup of peppers.
- Mix in tomatoes, olives and a little onion.
- Season with a pinch of cumin and salt and pepper to taste.
- Add a dash of lemon juice and drizzle with olive oil.
- Chill before serving in small bowls with pita bread on the side.
