Harissa Chili Paste
A Middle Eastern Sauce
a snack / dip / spread recipe
Rena is a self-taught cook and baker who enjoys experimenting with ingredients, flavors and culinary techniques from around the world. Her Asian/American heritage, youth spent in the Middle East and European husband have greatly influenced her palate and creativity with food. She shares her small-batch recipes and photos/videos of her creations and the process on (
@agirlandaspoon) and blog (
agirlandaspoon.com).
Harissa Paste is native to the Maghreb, or Northwest Africa. It's a spicy, fragrant chili pepper paste often used as a condiment, mixed into soups or stews (even couscous), or as a marinade or rub. It comes from the Arabic word "Harasa", which means to "pound" (where pounding would be the original method of breaking down the chilies).
You can also mix Harissa with hummus, yogurt and other dips for a spicy, flavorful change!
TIME (ACTIVE) | 15 M
TOTAL | 15 M
1 SERVING
| .5 cup
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SPECIAL EQUIPMENT:
FOOD PROCESSOR
- Carefully and preferably with gloves, deseed and devein the chili peppers. Bring 2 cups of water to boil and turn off the heat. Add the dried chilies and cover, allowing them to soften for about 20 minutes.
- If desired for extra flavor, dry toast the cumin and coriander seeds or powder in a small skillet on medium heat until fragrant, stirring regularly. Remove from heat and cool slightly. Note: Powder will smell fragrant more quickly than the seeds. Be careful not to burn the spices.
- Grind the toasted seeds (if using whole seeds), caraway seeds, and garlic together in a mortar and pestle or spice grinder until a paste is formed. Then, add this to a food processor. (Or, skip the grinding step and just add this all to the food processor.)
- Drain the chilies, reserving a little of the soaking water and add these to the food processor, too.
- Add the red peppers, tomato paste, paprika, lemon juice, vinegar, salt and rose water, if using, and process to a smooth paste, scraping the sides as needed.
- Slowly drizzle in the olive oil to create a saucier consistency. You can also use some of the reserved chili soaking water to loosen the sauce more.
- Enjoy immediately, or place in an airtight jar or container, and pour a little olive oil to cover the top before storing in the fridge. (You can add more olive oil to cover the top every time you use the sauce to preserve it longer.)
Store for about 3-4 weeks in the fridge, in an airtight container.
You can roast the fresh red pepper, if using, carefully and directly on a gas flame, or under the broiler, until blackened in a few spots for a roasted red pepper flavor.
You can add more lemon or vinegar for more acid, paprika or tomato paste for depth of flavor or even more chilies for a more spicy version. A little sugar can also help balance the flavors.
whole
Guajillo chiles are more fruity in taste than most other chiles; they have a mild to medium heat and complex layered flavor. In Mexican cooking they are second only to the ancho.
0.5 oz - REFILL$2
2 oz - REFILL$5
morita
whole
Whole morito chipotle peppers impart a classic smoky spiciness. Rehydrate for use in adobe sauces and other Mexican favorites.
1 oz - REFILL$4
3 oz - REFILL$10
whole
These oblong light-brown seeds are distinctively earthy, musky, and almost charred in flavor. They are aromatic and respond particularly well to toasting.
TRY ME - SAMPLE$0.75
1.25 oz - JAR$4
1.25 oz - REFILL$3
6 oz - REFILL$9
whole
A versatile spice with a bright citrusy flavor. Coriander seed is found in dishes from many cultures: Tex-Mex, Indian, Middle Eastern, etc. Whole seeds are also found in pickling spices.
TRY ME - SAMPLE$0.75
1 oz - JAR$5
1 oz - REFILL$4
4 oz - REFILL$13
whole
Caraway seed is a small, crescent-shaped seed with a distinctive earthy aroma and a warm, slightly spicy flavor with a hint of bitterness.
TRY ME - SAMPLE$0.75
1.5 oz - JAR$4
1.5 oz - REFILL$3
6 oz - REFILL$9
Spanish
powder
This version of Spanish paprika has only a very mild amount of heat, with a slightly sweet and slightly smoky flavor. It is a deep red color with flecks of yellow and has a smooth, fine granular texture.
TRY ME - SAMPLE$0.75
2 oz - JAR$7
2 oz - REFILL$6
8 oz - REFILL$15
ground
This highly aromatic spice is pungent and earthy in flavor. An essential spice in Mexican, Indian, and North African cooking.
TRY ME - SAMPLE$0.75
2 oz - JAR$6
2 oz - REFILL$5
ground
Ground caraway seed is warm, slightly sweet, and slightly pungent, with notes of anise, licorice, and citrus.
1.5 oz - JAR$4
1.5 oz - REFILL$3
6 oz - REFILL$9
