Acuka is the common ground of the Antep and Urfa breakfast tables, spread on bread and eaten. A processor is the easy way but the texture is lost; walnuts crushed coarsely with a knife can be felt in every mouthful. How much isot you use is a matter of taste, but with less than two spoons acuka does not develop its character.
Ingredients
For the acuka
Method
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Crush the walnuts
Crush the walnuts coarsely in a mortar or with the back of a knife. Keep them in pieces, not powder.
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Mix the pastes
Mix the pepper paste, tomato paste, garlic and isot in a bowl.
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Add the olive oil
Add the olive oil a little at a time and mix; the paste should turn glossy and soften.
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Fold in the walnuts
Add the crushed walnuts and fold them in with a spoon.
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Season
Add the pomegranate molasses, cumin, salt and parsley and mix.
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Rest it
Leave it covered in the fridge for 1 hour, so the flavours settle.
Tips
- Do not put it through a processor; the texture acuka is known for comes from coarse walnuts.
- Chilli flakes are not the same as isot. Isot is smoky and dark, while chilli flakes are only hot.
- Be generous with the olive oil, as a dry acuka will not spread on bread.
- It keeps for a week in the fridge, and is in fact better on the second day.
Nutrition
Values are per serving and approximate.